New research suggests that older problem drinkers’ habits differ from their younger counterparts, as well as from older non-problem drinkers.

New research from Ohio State University suggests that older problem drinkers, whose drinking is classified as either alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence, drink significantly more and more often than their younger counterparts.

Researchers say that the findings suggest that these older problem drinkers may have developed a tolerance to alcohol requiring them to drink more to achieve the desired effects.

Using data collected in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a national survey of more than 43,000 Americans in 2000-01 under the direction of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), researchers suggest that certain groups of older Americans, those who fall in so-called problem drinking categories, increase their alcohol intake as they age. This counters previous research that showed that as Americans age, their intake of alcohol tends to decrease.

Problematic drinking was defined as falling into one of two categories: alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence.

Alcohol Abuse was defined as presenting mostly social-related problems related to alcohol use, including legal issues and engaging in physically hazardous activities like impaired driving.

Alcohol Dependence was defined as presenting physiological problems related to alcohol use, including increased drinking and continued use even after physical or psychological problems become apparent.

Overall, adults over the age of 60 years are less likely to fall in the alcohol abuse or dependence categories. However, those who did tended to have higher drinking levels than younger problem drinkers.

The new research found that adults over the age of 60 years with alcohol dependence problems drink an average of more than 40 alcoholic beverages per week. Young counterparts, on the other hand, average 25 to 35 alcoholic drinks a week.

These older adults also show an increase in the number of monthly binge drinking episodes compared to their younger counterparts. Those over 60 years of age with alcohol dependence averaged 19 binge episodes a month, versus an average of 13 to 15 episodes a month by younger alcohol dependence groups.

Overall, binge drinking was greater among all adults in the alcohol problem categories. Researchers suggest that binge drinking may in fact be a better indicator of alcohol addiction that simply the total amount of weekly alcoholic drinks.

Source: ScienceDaily

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, News

New research from the UK links Ketamine with memory loss and other adverse psychological effects, as well as reveals the drug might be more addictive than previously thought.

Ketamine, also known as Speical K, has become an increasingly popular party drug, especially among young clubbers, due largely to its drop in price in recent years. Now about half the price of cocaine, Ketamine is a popular alternative to ecstasy and cocaine.

Ketamine is a stimulant that is also known to induce hallucinations. In previous studies, it was found to cause kidney and bladder damage.

Researchers from The Universtiy College London performed a range of memory and psychological tests on 120 people. Participants were split into five groups:

• Frequent users, using ketamine each day
• Recreational users, using ketamine one to two times a month
• Former users
• Users of other drugs
• Abstainers

All participants took part in a series of tests, and then were followed up with a year later. Researchers found that the frequent user group performed significantly worse on the memory tests, at times having twice as many errors.

There were no significant differences between the other groups in the study.

Furthermore, performance on the tests weakened over the year. All ketamine user groups showed evidence of unusual beliefs and mild delusions, such as conspiracy theories, in the psychological questionnaires.

Alarmingly, the research also revealed evidence pointing to a high rate of addiction in ketamine. Hair samples from the recreational user group showed that their ketamine use doubled over the study year.

Source: BBC News

Labels: Drug Addiction, Ketamine, News

At Issues of Substance 2009, over 13 sessions, The CCSA will also examine the role of treatment systems from a variety of perspectives, including Canada’s National Treatment Strategy (NTS) program.

It is estimated, according to the CCSA, that only one in 10 persons requiring addiction treatment services actually receives it through the current health care system.

The NTS provides a framework for a national program of treatment and care throughout the country. It is the first multi-jurisdictional strategy that aims to identify the steps required to create an integrated addiction treatment system for the country.

The NTS has imagined a five-tier model wherein a continuum of services is integrated from the community level through to specialized services for severe and complex cases.

It is a system where “every door is the right door”, thus no matter how or where the individual enters the system, all paths lead to the level of care required by that individual.

“Our focus has been to find the most efficient and effective ways to enable multi-agency, culturally appropriate service delivery that responds to the unique needs of each individual, “ said Jim Cincotta, Co- Chair of the National Treatment Strategy Working Group in a statement. "The NTS has provided a blueprint to develop system-level strategies with various jurisdictions across Canada.”

The CCSA with the National Treatment System has effectively created a framework for a national addiction treatment system. This framework is person-centric, incorporating the continuum-of-care treatment model, and focuses on integrating treatment, social services, housing, and educational systems.

Source: The CCSA

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse, Treatment

The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) announced its biennial national conference on substance abuse, Issues of Substance 2009.

There will be a number of discussions and sessions surrounding several major topics concerning the substance abuse community. A primary focus of the conference is co-occurring disorders—namely the role of neuroscience, mental health and addictions, and how research, treatment, and educational systems must evolve to effectively recognize and treat co-occurring disorders.

Co-occurring disorders, or concurrent disorders, are two disorders or illnesses occurring in the same person. Substance abuse or addiction with any number of mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, or depression, is rather common and becoming of more and more interest within the field.

It is estimated, according to the CCSA, that more than 50 percent of those with alcohol or drug addiction also have a mental illness. Addiction and mental illnesses often have common biological, psychological, and social precursors.

However, they are not very often treated concurrently. In fact, there are few unified and integrated approaches, especially in the public addictions treatment system.

At The Heritage Home Drug Rehab and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Centre, on the other hand, our addiction treatment programs incorporate individual treatments and therapies. We believe that success does not come from a fit-all program, but is born out of addressing your underlying issues and emotional difficulties.

As part of our holistic approach to addiction treatment, we offer a number of different therapeutic approaches from both the traditional and non-traditional schools of thought, as well as different options within each school, to address any mental health issues.

Mental health and alcohol and drug addictions are very closely related. Research has shown that impulse-control problems are the single strongest predictor of future substance abuse.

Individuals suffering from anxiety disorders are at two-and-a-half times greater risk of developing an alcohol or drug addiction.

The risk of addiction is at least double for those with Major Depressive Disorder.

And the statistics go on.

Source: The CCSA

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse, Treatment

Drug addiction is often not sufficiently, if at all, covered in medical schools’ curriculum, despite being a national major public health issue. Addiction severely affects overall health, puts lives at risk, and results in a wide range of health conditions.

In response to the education gap, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) is launching a new program in the US to encourage medical schools to incorporate substance use and abuse into their curricula.

NIDA's series of teaching tools, disseminated through its Centers of Excellence for Physician Information Program (NIDA CoE), provides accurate scientific information on substance abuse, addiction, and their consequences. Tools include lectures, case studies, faculty workshops, and a web module. It is designed to fit into any existing curriculum, to ease adoption.

"Our long term goal is for doctors to incorporate screening for drug use into routine practice like they currently screen for other diseases,” said NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow in a statement, “to help patients that are abusing to stop, and to refer more serious cases to specialized treatment.”

Three themes have emerged from the materials: the importance of communication in the doctor-patient relationship, especially with sensitive topics; the recognition that substance abuse may play an integral role in many disorders; and the crucial role physicians play in both identifying substance abuse in patients and reducing the risk of developing an addiction.

More information on the NIDA CoE resources can be found at:
www.drugabuse.gov/coe.

Information on the NIDAMED program can be found at:
www.nida.nih.gov/nidamed.

Source: NIDA

Labels: Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse, Treatment

Recently we reviewed Methland, a look at America’s meth epidemic through the eyes of small town Olewein, Iowa.

Earlier this week, a report from Iowa’s Office of Drug Control Policy found that, although alcohol remains the state’s number one intoxicant of choice, that marijuana and methamphetamine are the most abused illicit drugs by Iowans.

The epidemic, it seems, has not relented.

Based on admissions data from addiction treatment centres, 61 percent of admissions are for alcohol addiction, 23 percent for primarily marijuana abuse, and 8 percent for meth. Although this represents all age groups, marijuana was the primary abused substance for 56 percent of juvenile clients.

Meth, which had been declining in Iowa steadily for the last five years, has recently spiked in popularity again.

Source: The Iowa Independent

Labels: Drug Addiction, Methamphetamine, News

Vancouver advocates, who won the battle to have supervised injection sites back in 2003, have turned their attention to the city’s crack addicts. Looking for a similar program, advocates are pushing for supervised inhalation rooms, connecting addicts with treatment programs and other health services in an attempt to, above all else, stem the spread of HIV/AIDS in the population group.

Earlier in the month, a study, published October 19th 2009 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that smoking crack increases the risk of HIV infections, although the exact link has yet to be pinpointed.

The program is back by British Columbia’s Public Health Minister Perry Kendall, who called it a pressing health concern. Clearly there is an urgent need for public health programs aimed at these addicts. Recommendations included distributing safe crack kits, with glass stem and mouthpiece, lip balm and hand wipes, along with the supervised inhalation rooms.

Some cities have already begun distributing the kits.

Much like the injection sites, inhalation rooms must be associated with treatment options to be successful. The controversial harm-reduction program is aimed at engaging addicts in care, likely to lead them to the ultimate form of self-care: getting clean and living sober.

Harm-reduction subscribes to the idea that while an individual is in the throes of addiction, it is best to keep them safe in order to prevent overdose and the spread of the infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis C, that are so prevalent in this population.

Researchers sited several risk factors that may cause the link between smoking crack-cocaine and HIV, including sharing pipes and oral sex with mouth wounds.

Researchers in Vancouver followed 1,048 injection drug users over a nine-year period. All participants were HIV-negative when enrolled in the study. By the end of the period, 137 or 13.1% were HIV-positive.

Of those who tested positive, the proportion that smoke crack-cocaine daily increased to 39.7% in the final stage of the study, up from 11.6% in the first three stages—a significant increase by any measure. This led the researchers to conclude that crack smoking is somehow linked to the HIV infection.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Labels: Crack-Cocaine, Drug Addiction, News, Treatment Approaches

New research out of the US, published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that changes to the brain’s circuitry brought on by stress may lead to cocaine-use relapse.

Changes to the circuitry are related to the regulation of serotonin—the neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, sleep, muscle contraction, and some cognitive functions as memory and learning. Changes to serotonin levels in the studied mice, it is believe, causes low moods, thus triggering the drug-seeking behaviour.

Until recently, it was commonly believed that dopamine regulated drug seeking, by affecting the area of the brain where the motivation and reward seeking is controlled. It was believed that stress caused the prevention of dopamine in the brain, making the mice feel miserable. Resulting drug-seeking behaviours were thought to be an aversive response to the reduction in dopamine—an aversion to the negative feelings.
Scientists were quite surprised then to see adverse effects of stress converging on the region of the brain where serotonin-using nerves are located.

Dopamine-deficient bred mice, or mice with continuous ‘low moods’, continued to respond to stress-inducing scenarios with aversive behavior. When the scientists were able to deactivate the receptors in the serotonin-rich area of the brain, where there was much activity, they were able to effectively stop the aversive response and cocaine-seeking behaviors in the mice.

Researchers concluded that activation of receptors in the serotonin-rich area of the brain, either through pharmaceuticals or a stress-evoking trigger, may regulate the serotonin system. Furthermore, it may be possible to regulate drug-seeking behaviours through regulation of this system.

The findings, although very preliminary with a number of other factors still needing investigaton, the evidence is interesting for relapse prevention as manipulation of the brain’s serotonin levels could, theoretically, control the re-ignition of drug-seeking impulses.

By the same accord, earlier in October at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, findings on amino acid’s effect on cocaine addiction were presented. This study showed that the amino acid derivative NAC reverses changes to the brain’s circuitry made by cocaine addiction.

With advanced brain imaging, scientists can now map what occurs when the brain is exposed to drug-associated cues—or craving triggers. Cocaine, it was found, causes imbalances in the circuits regulating reward and cognitive control.

NAC, on the other hand, seemed to return normal function to the circuits of previously cocaine-addicted rats. Furthermore, after having received the amino acid, the rats did not return to their drug seeking behaviours, even while in the presence of drug cues.

Currently, a phase III clinical trial of NAC is underway. Findings could lead to an extremely useful biomedical treatment and relapse-prevention option.

Source: ScienceDaily.com

Labels: Cocaine, Drug Addiction, News, Treatment Approaches

Recently, CNN reported on a new, relatively innovative and controversial, treatment program in the UK—treating heroin addicts with heroin. The program is being led by a research team at Britain's National Addiction Centre, associated with King's College in London.

Government-funded heroin clinics dispense controlled, safe doses of heroin to addicts in a controlled, safe environment. Moreover, while the physical addiction and cravings are controlled, addicts participate in an intensive counseling and addiction treatment program.

Counselors reported to CNN that the “bond that is formed and the commitment that's established between the patient coming in for treatment and the staff is far greater than you would ever ordinarily see."

The program, however, is expensive--$22,000 per client per year. With the social stigma of heroin and heroin use in combination with the hefty price tag, many fear that the program will be shut down. However, those involved say the initial cost is by far offset by the long term social and economic savings—the social and financial costs of street addicts, jail time, repeat offenses, and the seemingly never-ending cycle of addiction.

The goals of the program, although lofty, have proven achievable. The program has aimed to take heroin of the streets, stop heroin-associated crimes, keep addicts safe and healthy, stopping the spread of heroin-associated diseases, and getting heroin addicts into a successful treatment program.

Thus far, reports have shown that street heroin use is down by 75% and associated-crimes by 66%. These numbers are not simply about having a free supply of heroin, clients of the program report wanting to stop heroin completely. A medically supervised program, heroin injections are safe and clean, reducing the risk of overdose and the contraction and spread of injection drug associated diseases.

Watch the report here:


Source: CNN.com

Labels: Drug Addiction, Heroin, News, Treatment Approaches

Despite an earlier report from SAMHSA on the decline of prescription drug abuse in the US, from 2.7% to 2.5% of Americans, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prescription painkiller abuse remains an severely unrecognized and under served problem in the US.

According to the report, released last Wednesday, September 30 2009, more than half of the 26,000 fatal overdoses each year are caused by prescription painkillers, overtaking both heroin and cocaine. Moreover, death from opioid painkillers more than tripled from 1999 to 2006, with rates equally as high in rural areas than as in metropolitan areas.

Prescription painkillers are now the leading cause of fatal overdoses.

Prescription drug abuse can easily go unrecognized for a number of factors. Especially on a national level, there is very little increase in street crime and violence in association with prescription drug abuse. As well, there is the pervasive misunderstanding that anything prescribed by a doctor must be safe. Prescription painkillers do not have the stigma of illicit drugs and as such, their overuse and abuse can be easily excused. Nonetheless, prescription drug abuse is best treated with a drug rehab program involving counseling.

Labels: Drug Addiction, News, Prescription Drugs

Three national organizations, the Partnership for a Drug Free America, the National Military Family Association and the National Association of School Nurses, have teamed up to focus on America's military teens with an online education campaign, launched yesterday.

TimeToTalk.org/Military provides parents with guidance, tips, tools, and scripts to help and encourage parents to talk to their teens about substance abuse--how to bring up the topic, initiate effective conversations, and to encourage their teens to talk about what they're going through, especially now, in a time of war.

Overall, teens are more susceptible to try and experiment with drugs and alcohol during periods of transition, due to the heightened stress and anxiety. Military kids are especially susceptible, having more than several regular transitions. On average, a military teen moves every three years from ordinary military relocation. During times of war, the frequency increases as parent(s) mobilize for duty, in addition to the stress and anxiety of watching a parent leave for combat.

Moreover, as more military personnel return home injured, teens have more access to prescription painkillers--one of the most commonly abused substance along with alcohol and marijuana.

Although there is currently no available evidence that suggests that there is more substance abuse amongst American military teens versus non-military teens, the anecdotal reports that the three organizations have encountered is alarming enough to cause concern and a need to take action.

Source: AP

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, News, Prescription Drugs

A new poll released this month suggests that Americans on both sides of the aisle support including addiction treatment in health care reforms. Furthermore, a great majority of Americans polled are willing to pay to make treatment options more affordable and accessible.

The poll, sponsored by the Open Society Institute for Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap initiative who advocates accessible addiction treatment options, found that Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike agree that treatment is an effective, ongoing process. Furthermore, the poll shows that:

• 77% of Americans support including addiction treatment in health care reform
• 69% support paying $2 more a month in health insurance premiums in order to make addiction treatment more affordable, and thus accessible
• 47% report having an inadequate number of affordable, quality treatment options in their community
• 49% reported that they could not afford the costs of treatment if they or a family member required help

Of those polled who knew or knows someone who has looked for addiction treatment, 46% reported difficulty finding affordable, quality services.

According to Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap's statistics, 23 million Americans are currently struggling with alcohol or drug addiction. They estimate that only one in ten receive addiction treatment, largely due to the high costs and lack of insurance coverage.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse

According to new report released Wednesday, September 23 2009, by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, teens who have infrequent family dinners are, overall, more likely to use drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

The Importance of Family Dinners V is part of the Center's Back to School Survey.

CASA reports that teens with infrequent family dinners, qualified as less than five times a week, compared t0 teens who do sit down to family dinners five or more times per week, are:

• 1.5 times more likely to drink
• 2 times more likely to smoke tobacco
• 2 times more likely to use pot
• about 2 times more likely to acquire prescription drugs and marijuana within an hour, suggesting regular drug purchasing and/or use
  
• 2 times more likely to expect to try drugs in the future
• 2 times more likely to have friends that use marijuana or ecstasy
  
• more than 1.5 times more likely to have friends that drink, abuse prescription drugs, and use methamphetamine
  
• almost 1.5 times more likely to have friends that use cocaine, acid, and heroin
  

Furthermore, the study looked at frequent family dinners without distractions versus infrequent family dinners with distractions, and found that teens are three times more likely to smoke pot and tobacco, and two and a half times likelier to drink alcohol when having infrequent, distracted family dinners. Distractions were categorized as talking on cell phones, texting, blackberry and other smart phones, laptops, and Game Boys or other hand held devices.

"The emotional and social benefits that come from family dinners are priceless," said Elizabeth Planet, Vice President and Director of Special Projects at CASA, in a press statement. The key is clearly parental engagement in a teen's everyday life, and active family dinners are a fantastic opportunity to create this dynamic.

Labels: Alcohol, News

A new study released yesterday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed a decline in prescription medication abuse in 2008 in the US. Approximately 6.2 million Americans, or 2.5% of the population, abused prescription medication in the past month, down from 2.8% in 2007.

The decline is attributed to the national, and much publicized, health reports on the dangers of their misuse and the federally funded anti-drug ad campaign.

Methamphetamine use also declined in 2008, from 529,000 users in 2007 to 314,000 in 2008. But, in amongst this good news, the study found that overall the national rate of drug use remained steady due to the increase in both marijuana and hallucinogen use. Approximately 20.1 million Americans, or 8% of the population, reported past-month drug use in 2008.

Drug use amongst the 50-59 year olds also increased, from 2.7% in 2002 to 4.6% in 2008. The study attributes this increase to aging baby boomer drug users.

Drug use among the 12-17 year olds remained steady at 6.7%.

Labels: Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse

Last week, we discussed the SAMHSA study on baby boomers' drug use. Now comes the news that binge drinking is also particularly prevalent in baby boomers.

In a recent LA Times blog post, it was reported that hard drinking is no longer a game for the young, as shown in a recent study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry. They have found that approximately 25% of US men and nearly 10% of US women aged 50-64 years old participated in "binge drinking".

'Binge drinking' was defined as imbibing at least 4 to 5 servings of alcohol in a two-hour sitting in the last 30 days.

This segment of binge drinkers was also found to be more likely to use tobacco and illicit drugs. Of the women surveyed, binge drinking was more common in the employed and those already abusing prescription medications (using prescription medications for non-medical use). Binge drinker males were more likely to be unmarried and with a higher income bracket.

Authors of the study suggest that doctors should be asking more pointed questions about alcohol use, especially as this behavior poses an increasingly more serious health risk with age, as well as mental health risks. Binge drinking, although no less serious, seems to fall under the standards of alcohol-disorder screens.

It remains unknown, as this is not a lifetime study, whether this group ever moderated their drinking or if this is a lifelong-using pattern. It was, however, found in a 2000 national survey that 67% of baby boomers who drank, did so in levels that exceeded moderation.

Again, this study fails to address questions of addiction and addiction treatment options.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, News, Substance Abuse

Released today, a new study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that many baby boomers are continuing drug use well into the later years of their life.

In An Examination of Trends in Illicit Drug Use among Adults Aged 50 to 59 in the United States, the first in a series of reports, SAMHSA found that as the baby boomers age, we are seeing an increase in drug use in the population group aged 50-59 years--almost doubling since 2002 to 9.4 percent. Rates in other age groups studied have either remained constant or have decreased in the same period.

The study, says SAMHSA spokesperson, speaks to the importance of preventing drug use at an early age. The study does not, however, address whether these people sought drug addiction treatment, nor whether they continued their extended drug use as addiction.

Nonetheless, it does show an interesting, possibly cultural, trend in the Woodstock generation.

Labels: Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse

Time Magazine recently published 'Treating Alcohol Addiction: A Pill Instead of Abstinence?', discussing the use of balcofen for treating alcohol and other substance addictions.

Balcofen, although approved for relaxing muscle spasms, is being increasingly prescribed and used as an anti-craving medication. Although scientific evidence has yet to be conclusive, there is much anecdotal evidence floating around--and grabbing headlines.

Many report that regular use of balcofen aids in resisting triggers (friends, environments, sights, smells, sounds, etc.), and thus prevents relapse. Some even say that they can now occasionally drink, able to resist bingeing: "I realized I wasn't having that nagging feeling in my head, 'I should really get a drink. It never appeared during the dinner either so that was the eureka moment.," Bob, a balcofen user, tells Time Magazine. Bob now can drink moderately, a few times a week, never more than a beer or two.

Balcofen attacks cravings at their centre--intercepting the release of dopamines in response to a physical cue. But to remain effective, the medication needs to be taken indefinitely as cravings return almost immediately after use is stopped.

Miracle cure? Probably not.

Effective treatment? Very possibly.

Many addiction treatment centres firmly adhere to an absolute abstinence treatment model, ignoring the health benefits of harm reduction treatments. Treatment there is all or nothing. At Heritage Home, however, we stay on the cutting-edge of addiction research and new treatment methods, recognizing that different therapies are effective for different people. As a small residential treatment centre, we have the freedom to design a treatment program that best fits, and therefore give the best possible outcome for, the individual.

Recovery takes a different path for each addict. At times, for some people, anti-craving and other addiction treatment medications are an effective bridge to longterm sobriety, helping in the initial phases of recovery. For others, they are a permanent part of their lives after-treatment.

Either way, our goal is your success.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, News, Treatment Approaches

This is a staggering statistic.

Released yesterday, The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that in the last year, approximately 7 million young American adults, aged 18 to 25 years, were classified as 'in need of treatment' for substance abuse issues. This is the equivalent to 1 in 5 persons in that age group.

Of the 7 million, 93% never received any professional or specialized treatment. Moreover, an unbelievable 96% of those classified in need of but did not receive treatment, did not perceive themselves as having a substance abuse problem. Of the 4% who did recognize that they were in need of help, only about a third actually sought treatment out.

During the past year, a little over 17% were struggling with alcohol addiction problems; 8.4% with illicit drug dependency; and 4.4% with a combination of drug and alcohol abuse.

SAMHSA Acting Administrator, Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H., said in a statement:
“Substance use disorders are preventable and treatable yet we continue as a Nation to allow the lives of 1 in 5 young people and their families be torn apart by substance abuse. As a nation we must redouble our efforts to prevent substance abuse in the first place and ensure treatment is available to those in need.”

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse, Treatment

Released today, a new study by Canada's Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH) finds that a whopping 1 in 25 deaths worldwide are directly attributable to alcohol use, up from 2000. The study, among other factors, sites the increase in the number of female drinkers.

The study looked at the average adult consumption rates, measured by the number of standard drinks (defined as alcohol equivalent to one can of beer, one glass of wine, or one one-oz. shot of hard alcohol) per person per week, for both countries and regions globally. Europe, for example, averages 13 standard drinks.

North America showed slightly lower numbers, with 10 to 11 standard drinks per person per week. Canada, lower still, came in at 9 standard drinks. However, the Canadian average represents a steady increase each year, along with an increased rate in high risk drinking behavior.

The global average is currently seven.

Europe also has the highest proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths, with 1 in 10 deaths due directly to alcohol use. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, is showing 15% of all deaths. The deaths were generally due to injuries, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver cirrhosis.

Dr. Jurgen Rehm of CAMH and others said that alcohol-attributable disorders were "among the most disabling disease categories within the global burden of disease, especially for men." Furthermore, unlike most other risk factors for disease, these impact younger people more than older. Of all people living with disabilities due to alcohol, overwhelmingly 34% are between the ages of 15 and 29, compared to 22% aged 45 to 59.

The report, one of three, is being published in The Lancet, a leading medical journal.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, News, Substance Abuse, Treatment

New Study Finds Link Between Good Nutrition and Addiction Recovery
The Mental Health Foundation has found that food can have lasting and powerful effect on one's sense of well-being, often felt immediately. A good diet, therefore, can play an integral role in the treatment of such mental health disorders as depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, and others.

Mental health disorders that are all contributing factors in substance abuse and addiction.

Thus, a careful and well-balanced diet can be an important aspect of one's recovery. Food has the power to invoke memories of comfort, security, and happiness as we are transported to a different time and place. The tastes and smells of the foods we eat can help us cope with our feelings of sadness, loneliness, and even longing.

Beyond the emotional side-effects of our meals, studies have found that certain neurotransmitters, primarily dopamine, serotonin, and GABA (gammma-aminobutyric acid), hop between nerve cells carrying vital and very pleasurable signals as they go. Some addictive drugs mimic their actions. Other addictive drugs enhance them. Either way the body tends, as a result, to give up making these neurotransmitters.

At that point the person needs the addictive drug as a substitute for the missing transmitter--i.e. are physically addicted.

At Heritage Home, this improved understanding of the biochemistry of addiction is being translated into improvements in our treatment. Heritage’s approach recognizes, respects, and works with, the biochemistry underlying drug addiction to improve the recovery addiction process.

Our tools in this case are not therapies but dietary changes. The dietician and chefs at Heritage incorporate local and sustainable foods into the cuisine, rich in the precursors of these lost transmitters. This boosts the level of neurotransmitters in the braind, thereby reducing cravings.

When nutritional therapy is combined with psychotherapy one’s drug rehab recovery is significantly (and deliciously) improved.

Labels: Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse, Treatment Approaches

Recently, The National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) released a new report detailing the costs of substance abuse and addiction to local, state, and federal governments in the US. The 287-page report, Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State, and Local Budgets, is the first to calculate costs on all three levels.

According to CASA, in 2005 a total of $467.7 billion US was spent by governments across all three levels, in what was deemed a "reckless misallocation of public funds."

Of the nearly half-trillion of taxpayer money:

• 95.6% ($357.4 billion US) was devoted to cleaning up the consequences of substance abuse and addiction--crime, health care costs, child abuse, domestic violence, homelessness, and other problems associated with addiction
• of this money, 58% was associated to health care costs and 13.1% to justice systems
  
• only 1.9% was streamed to prevention and treatment
• of the rest of the money, 0.4% was spent of research; 1.4% to taxation and regulation; 0.7% to interdiction
• $238.2 billion was spent by the federal government
• $135.8 billion by state governments
• $93.8 billion by local governments
  

Detailing cost effect solutions for this ill-fated spending, CASA offered remedies in the categories of:

• prevention and early intervention
  
• treatment and disease management
• tax and regulatory policies
• expanded research
  

Labels: Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse