Archive for 04/05/10

close down methadone treatment the community can anticipate more overdose deaths, more HIV and more crime.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: close down methadone treatment the community can anticipate more overdose deaths, more HIV and more crime.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

methadone should be readily available to all addicts seeking help. If policymakers were to heed the critics' advice to close ...

methadone should be readily available to all addicts seeking help. <br />
 <br />
 <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 231px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td width="5"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" hspace="0" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" vspace="0" width="5" /></td> <td class="sibtbg"> <div> <div class="mva"><img alt="" border="0" height="13" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif" width="24" /> <b>If policymakers were to heed the critics' advice to close down  methadone treatment the community can anticipate more overdose deaths, more HIV  and more crime.</b> <img align="right" alt="" border="0" height="13" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif" vspace="0" width="23" /></div></div><div class="mva"> <div>Letter to The Scotsman<br />
International panel of  experts</div></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table> The group - which includes university professors and doctors who treat  addicts - wrote in the letter: "No treatment in medicine works every time but  methadone treatment has helped more people in the world overcome their problems  with heroin than any other." <br />
It went on: "If policy makers were to heed the critics' advice to close down  methadone treatment or impose an arbitrary time limit on its administration, the  community can anticipate more overdose deaths, more HIV and more crime." <br />
The letter is a response to comments from Professor Neil McKeganey, director  of the Centre for Drug Misuse Research at the University of Glasgow, who said  last week more effort was needed to get people off drugs, including methadone,  through abstinence. <br />
Professor McKeganey has defended his views and claimed the signatories to the  letter did not understand the extent of the drugs problem in Scotland, where  22,000 addicts are on methadone. <br />
<b>State of dependency</b><br />
He said: "Much of the methadone programme in Scotland is not about getting  people off, it's about continuing them in a state of dependency." <br />
He claimed there were now parts of Scotland where there were more addict  deaths associated with methadone than heroin. <br />
"We don't see the evidence of stabilised addicts. You walk around the  streets, you see people in the most desperate of circumstances." <br />
But the man who organised the letter in The Scotsman, Dr Roy Robertson from  the Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland, said removing methadone  would cause many more problems. <br />
He told BBC Scotland: "A decrease in availability of methadone would give  rise to all sorts of things - increasing sudden deaths, blood-borne virus  spread, HIV infection, hepatitis C infection and all that social problem area  that ends up with people in custody, and causes violence and criminality. <br />
"There's a huge amount of unhappiness for people and their families and lives  and communities blighted and devastated by the problems related to drug use."  <br />
The letter in The Scotsman ends by calling on policymakers to be clear about  the value and importance of methadone treatment. <br />
<br />
<br clear="all" />

close down methadone treatment the community can anticipate more overdose deaths, more HIV and more crime.

methadone should be readily available to all addicts seeking help. If policymakers were to heed the critics' advice to close ...

Cocaine vs. Amphetamine

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: Cocaine vs. Amphetamine
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Difference Between Cocaine and Amphetamine Cocaine and amphetamine are two different drug forms, with varying specific mechanisms of a...

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><div id="TixyyLink" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><ul class="clearfloat" id="nav-cat"></ul><div id="content"><div class="post-10851 post hentry category-health tag-amphetamine tag-cocaine tag-drugs style" id="post-10851"><h2 class="posttitle">Difference Between Cocaine and Amphetamine</h2><div class="postmetadata"><br />
</div><div class="entry clearfloat"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxBB1mo2fC5lMc2aSKOQX6OMaVx8d73Zlq_Q-39iPCRPMrHHlp6jen8Ws0SPQdAt6fqaW0P8QFCasG7Z4kMYu1MISd7VeOxy4U2jLVDyvqpx8zoLBSq_9_1jsydEBgnNBnnPVEbZpDhY/s1600/cocaine-psychological-pd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxBB1mo2fC5lMc2aSKOQX6OMaVx8d73Zlq_Q-39iPCRPMrHHlp6jen8Ws0SPQdAt6fqaW0P8QFCasG7Z4kMYu1MISd7VeOxy4U2jLVDyvqpx8zoLBSq_9_1jsydEBgnNBnnPVEbZpDhY/s320/cocaine-psychological-pd.jpg" /></a></div><b><br />
</b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Cocaine and amphetamine are two different drug  forms, with varying specific mechanisms of action. They are perhaps viewed with  much  confusion, because their general effects on the user are somewhat  similar.</div><div style="float: right; margin: 4px;"><script type="text/javascript">

</script>  <script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>  <script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/expansion_embed.js">
</script>  <script src="http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/test_domain.js">
</script>  <script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/render_ads.js">
</script>  <script>
google_protectAndRun("render_ads.js::google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad);
</script> <ins style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; display: inline-table; height: 250px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 300px;"></ins><br />
<ins style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; display: block; height: 250px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 300px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;">It is ironic to note that cocaine in itself is an illegal drug. Its distribution and sale, especially for non medical or non government authorized purposes, is purely prohibited. However, it is also a known fact that cocaine is a drug that is widely used among many social classes and races throughout the world.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;">Amphetamine, like cocaine, is a drug that can induce euphoria. It increases one’s alertness and initial concentration by lessening the levels of fatigue. This increased wakefulness can however reduce one’s appetite. Because of this nature, the drug has been a popular fad for those who wish to lose weight and control their food cravings. Otherwise known as ‘speed’, amphetamine stimulates the nervous system, particularly the CNS. For medical reasons, it is used for the therapeutic management of ADHD, narcolepsy and severe cases of prolonged fatigue.</span></span></ins></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">Other physical effects of using amphetamine includes: Pupil dilation, skin flushing, dryness of the mouth, headaches, heightened BP, increased heart rate and even erectile dysfunction among men. In more critical scenarios, convulsions may occur, most especially when the drug is taken in high dosages. Continuous drug abuse of such can also lead to heart attacks, which is also seen in cocaine overdose.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">In terms of the more in-depth physical mechanism of cocaine, it can bind directly with a DAT1 transporter with greater efficacy than that of amphetamine. It also has a half life of only an hour, whereas amphetamine lasts from 12 to 13 hours.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">Amphetamine can be taken in any of the following routes of administration: PO (oral), IV (intravenous), vaporization, rectal, sub-lingual (below the tongue) and also insufflation. Cocaine can be taken topically aside from PO, insufflation and intravenously.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">Although both amphetamine and cocaine stimulates the CNS to cause euphoria, and possibly decrease appetite, these drugs differ in the following aspects:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">1. Cocaine has greater efficacy than amphetamine.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">2. Cocaine can be taken topically, unlike amphetamine.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">3. Amphetamine has a longer half life compared to cocaine.</div></div></div></div></div><br />
<br />
<br />
</div></span></span>

Cocaine vs. Amphetamine

Difference Between Cocaine and Amphetamine Cocaine and amphetamine are two different drug forms, with varying specific mechanisms of a...

Concerned workers at the National Primate Research Center said Bobo, a 5-year-old chimpanzee participating in a 16-month cocaine study, was observed this week lying to the faces of friends, family, and staff.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: Concerned workers at the National Primate Research Center said Bobo, a 5-year-old chimpanzee participating in a 16-month cocaine study, was observed this week lying to the faces of friends, family, and staff.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Concerned workers at the National Primate Research Center said Bobo, a 5-year-old chimpanzee participating in a 16-month cocaine study, was...

Concerned workers at the National Primate Research Center said Bobo, a  5-year-old chimpanzee participating in a 16-month cocaine study, was observed  this week lying to the faces of friends, family, and staff.<br />
"Our goal was to determine how large doses of the stimulant would improve or  impair the chimpanzee's ability to perform memory and language tasks," said  primatologist Daniel Martin, the project's lead researcher. "What we found was  that cocaine not only disrupted Bobo's concentration and recall, but it also  caused him to lie, cheat, and emotionally manipulate those around him."<br />
Continued Martin, "Essentially, Bobo has become an asshole."<br />
According to researchers, initial results of the study were promising, with  Bobo energetically completing cognition tests in record times.<br />
Within weeks, however, he reportedly began to develop violent mood swings,  delusions of grandeur, and other troubling behaviors, such as begging his fellow  participants to let him take their place in line so he could score a double dose  of the drug he craved.<br />
<span class="image" jquery1270478766466="19" rel="http://media.theonion.com/images/articles/article/17176/Chimp-In-Jump-R_jpg_600x1000_q85.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;"><a class="actionlabel" href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/chimp-in-cocaine-study-starts-lying-to-friends,17176/#enlarge">Enlarge  Image</a><img alt="" src="http://media.theonion.com/images/articles/article/17176/Chimp-In-Jump-R_jpg_250x1000_q85.jpg" title="" /><span class="caption">A researcher chronicles Bobo's descent into thievery and  lies.</span></span><br />
Witnesses said that once Bobo began taking advantage of the chimps in his  life, family and friends further enabled his behavior by always giving him "one  last chance."<br />
"How many times can Bobo aggressively lash out at them, become contrite, act  sorrowful, and then lash out again before they realize he has a problem?"  research assistant Karen Grant said. "His life is spinning out of control, and  they need to confront him about it. If they don't, one day they'll find him  facedown under the tire swing—dead from an overdose."<br />
By the third week of the study, Bobo had turned to theft to feed his growing  habit: The addicted primate was observed stealing bananas from his loved ones,  lying about it, and then attempting to conceal his misdeed by actually  pretending to help them search for the missing fruit.<br />
"Deceitful behaviors such as theft are highly unusual for primates," Martin  said. "But the fact that Bobo approached us that same night and tried to  exchange the stolen bananas for more cocaine is what's truly astonishing."<br />
"It's like he's a different Bobo now," he added.<br />
Early in the study, Bobo's elevated mood and excessive chattering made him  quite popular among the other chimpanzees. But researchers claimed that his  increased irritability, short temper, and absenteeism at the jungle gym did not  go unnoticed.<br />
According to laboratory sources, when Martin and his team began injecting  Bobo with highly concentrated solutions of cocaine, the chimp took to skipping  meals altogether, often covering up for his lack of appetite by signing to  friends that he had eaten a big lunch that day and wasn't hungry.<br />
Last February, Bobo reportedly grew so self-deluded that he believed he had  become the group's alpha male. In reality, however, his rank in the dominance  hierarchy had reached a new low, especially after several cocaine-fueled  episodes in which he threatened other males and then made forceful, awkward  advances toward uninterested females.<br />
"It was embarrassing," Martin said. "A lot of our researchers have been  unable to look at Bobo the same way since."<br />
Chimp sources confirmed that in recent weeks Bobo has stopped hanging out  with friends in the control group, who only receive a placebo.<br />
"Fight. Mad. Bobo. Please more juice drink," Pipa, a 6-year-old chimpanzee,  told reporters by pressing symbols on a specially designed keyboard. "Pipa  scared. Old Bobo. We want back."<br />
Claiming they don't even know who the chimpanzee is anymore, researchers  hypothesized that the constant ingestion of cocaine may have taken a physical  toll on Bobo, who now staggers around on all fours, grunts nonsensically, and  has been spotted trying to groom insects that aren't actually there.<br />
Martin acknowledged that Bobo's cognitive abilities have also suffered,  saying that the restless primate no longer shows any interest in finishing his  assigned tasks and often does little more than flip off the researchers.<br />
"We definitely didn't teach him to do that," Martin said. "That's totally the  cocaine."<br />
As of press time, Bobo was reportedly sprawled out on the floor of the  laboratory, begging for more cocaine and offering to give researchers hand jobs  in exchange for some.<img src="http://media.theonion.com/img/icons/terminator.gif" />

Concerned workers at the National Primate Research Center said Bobo, a 5-year-old chimpanzee participating in a 16-month cocaine study, was...

ADDICTION UK

close down methadone treatment the community can anticipate more overdose deaths, more HIV and more crime.

Cocaine vs. Amphetamine

Concerned workers at the National Primate Research Center said Bobo, a 5-year-old chimpanzee participating in a 16-month cocaine study, was observed this week lying to the faces of friends, family, and staff.

Sponsor

Contact Form