We Restore Hope -

Be careful of your thoughts, they may become words at any moment. ~Iara Gassen

Injectable diacetylmorphine, the active ingredient in heroin, was shown to be an effective alternative to oral methadone in treating opioid addiction that had not responded to previous treatment.

Compared with methadone, commonly used in heroin addiction treatment, diacetylmorphine led to 67 percent less illegal activity and illicit drug use after one year of treatment, compared to a 47.6 percent reduction with methadone. These findings were reported by Dr. Martin Schecter of the University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health in Vancouver.

Patients who received diacetylmorphine had higher rates of retention in addiction treatment programs. The study appeared in the Aug. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory. ~Josh Billings

About 2 million Americans currently use cocaine for its temporary side effects of euphoria, which have contributed to making it one of the most dangerous and addictive drugs in the country. Cocaine addiction, which can cause severe biological and behavioral problems, is very difficult to overcome.

Two researchers at the University of Missouri are utilizing computer models to study how the brain’s chemicals and neuron synapses react to cocaine addiction and what this could mean for future therapies.

“With cocaine addiction, addicts don’t feel an urge to revolt because there is a strong connection in the brain from the decision-making centers to the pleasure center, which overwhelms other normal rewards and is why they keep seeking it,” said researcher Sandeep Pendyam. “By using computational models, we’re targeting the connection in the brain that latches onto the pleasure center and the parameters that maintain that process.”

Glutamate is the major chemical released in the synaptic connections in the brain; the right amount present determines the activity of those connections. Using the computer model, the researchers found that in an addict’s brain excessive glutamate produced in the pleasure center makes the brain’s mechanisms unable to regulate themselves and creates permanent damage, making cocaine addiction a disease that is more than just a behavioral change.

The only sure thing about luck is that it will change. ~Wilson Mizner

Federal health officials say a new version of OxyContin that is designed to be harder to abuse offers some improvements over the original pill.

Purdue Pharma LP has touted the new pill’s plastic-like coating, which is designed to make the drug harder to crush and snort or inject.

Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration said that the drug’s resistance to abuse is “limited,” but “may provide an advantage over the currently available OxyContin.”

A panel of advisers to the FDA said last year that the manufacturer needed to do more testing to demonstrate the drug’s tamper resistance. The FDA will ask the same panel this week whether the drug should be approved based on new data submitted by the drug company. Purdue Pharma LP is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

OxyContin was the nation’s top-selling prescription painkiller with sales of more than $2 billion last year. It was thought of as a breakthrough treatment for severe chronic pain when it was introduced in 1996. It is a time-release version of oxycodone and was designed for use over a period of 12 hours to keep a steady amount of the drug in the bloodstreams of seriously ill patients.

However, OxyContin and similar drugs were quickly discovered by drug abusers. A heroin-like high was achieved by crushing the pills and snorting or injecting the entire dose.

A federal survey in 2007 found that 5.2 million people reported using prescription pain medications inappropriately.

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. ~Rabindranath Tagore

More than 8 million Americans seriously think about suicide each year, according to a new government study.

About 32,000 suicides occur in the United States each year, but a new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that many more give the idea serious consideration.

The new SAMHSA report is based on a survey of 46,190 people ages 18 and older. In the past, the question about suicide had only been asked of people who reported major depression, but in 2008 it was added to all questionnaires.

Among people with a substance abuse disorder, 11 percent had considered suicide, compared to 3 percent for people without a substance abuse disorder.

I like her because she smiles at me and means it. ~Anonymous

Authorities in Mexico have closed 10 unregistered drug rehabilitation centers in Ciudad Juarez and say they are targeting others they believe may serve as cover or recruiting grounds for drug trafficking gangs in the border city. Ciudad Juarez is across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Gunmen have killed 28 people this month at two rehabilitation centers in the city in separate attacks that investigators blame on a bloody struggle between rival drug gangs.

Sergio Belmonte, the spokesman for the Ciudad Juarez mayor’s office, says there is evidence traffickers are recruiting members through unregulated rehabilitation centers.

Most of the closures occurred after a Sept. 2 attack that killed 18 people at a drug rehabilitation center, which was not among those closed for being unregistered.

Drug rehabilitation professionals are worried that authorities could make worse the very social problems of addiction they are continually trying to fight.

“It is dangerous to demonize these centers. If these patients are put back on the streets, they are invariably going to return to their old behaviors,” said Alonso, who works at the Ave Fenix recovery center.

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cummings

David Hasselhoff’s reported hospitalization for a dangerous level of alcohol in his bloodstream means that he needs a long period of inpatient rehabilitation, followed by more aggressive outpatient treatment, in order to stay sober and stay alive.

According to a report, Hasselhoff was at home with his 17-year-old daughter Hayley and had been drinking for more than a day when she called 911. Hasselhoff had a previous hospitalization due to drinking in May of this year.

Alcohol dependence is an extremely difficult condition to overcome. Hasselhoff needs immediate help. It will take years to get him healthy.

You learn something every day if you pay attention. ~Ray LeBlond

People who drink alcohol on a regular basis may be more likely than teetotalers to exercise – and the more they drink, the more likely they are to work out. This is according to a new study.

“A possible motivation is that people who consume alcohol recognize that it contains a fair number of calories, so they exercise to counteract caloric intake,” said study author Michael T. French, Ph. D. “Those who drink without misusing it may be interested in balancing their life.”

The study data comes from a phone survey of 230,000 people. It found a “strong statistical association” between alcohol use and moderate and vigorous exercise.

“The message is not to use alcohol to improve your exercise regimen,” said French.

Health problems associated with heavy drinking outweigh the benefits of more exercise.

Chase down your passion like it’s the last bus of the night. ~Glade Byron Addams

A new study from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, in collaboration with the University of California – Los Angeles, has found a distinct correlation between teenage viewership and the frequency of alcohol advertising on cable television.

The findings show that ads for beer, alcohol and “alcopop” aired much more frequently when more teens were watching TV.

While previous studies have shown that the average teenager is exposed to more than 200 alcohol ads on television each year, this is the first to demonstrate an association between ad placement and teen cable TV viewership. Cable TV programming attracts about 95 percent of all nationally televised alcohol advertisements.

If people were meant to pop out of bed, we’d all sleep in toasters. ~Author unknown, attributed to Jim Davis

The Australian Medical Association welcomed the approval by the Senate of the alcopops tax and said it should be followed by more comprehensive measures to combat binge drinking.

“The AMA is a strong supporter of pricing measure to reduce harmful alcohol consumption,” said AMA President Dr. Andrew Pesce.

“Making alcopops less affordable has helped reduce binge drinking by young people.”

Dr. Pesce believes the Australian government should now implement a campaign addressing alcohol marketing practices, labelling, education and early intervention. He said excessive drinking by young people created immediate health risks and could lead to abuse and health problems later in life.

The Australian Medical Association welcomed the approval by the Senate of the alcopops tax and said it should be followed by more comprehensive measures to combat binge drinking.

“The AMA is a strong supporter of pricing measure to reduce harmful alcohol consumption,” said AMA President Dr. Andrew Pesce.

“Making alcopops less affordable has helped reduce binge drinking by young people.”

Dr. Pesce believes the Australian government should now implement a campaign addressing alcohol marketing practices, labelling, education and early intervention. He said excessive drinking by young people created immediate health risks and could lead to abuse and health problems later in life.

The only thing wrong with doing nothing is that you never know when you’re finished. ~Author Unknown

Chronic alcohol consumption blunts the biological clock’s ability to synchronize daily activities to light, disrupts natural activity patterns and continues to affect the body’s circadian rhythm, even days after the drinking ends.

The study describes the changes that drinking can produce in the body’s master clock and how it affects a person’s behavior. The research provides a way to study alcoholism using an animal model. The study was conducted using hamsters.