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The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway. ~Henry Boye

Repeated use of ecstasy significantly increases the risk of developing sleep apnea in otherwise healthy young adults. In a study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the dangers of the amphetamine-style drug are highlighted.

The study notes that sleep apnea can lead to many health problems, including a decline in cognitive function, an increased risk of diabetes, and an increased risk of death from heart disease.

“We know that abusing drugs can have numerous harmful effects. Our findings show yet another reason not to use ecstasy,” according to the lead researcher Una D. McCann, M.D.

People who use ecstasy claim the drug enhances intimacy, and lessens anxiety.

The Hopkins research team previously linked ecstasy, or methylenedioxymethamphemine (MDMA) to subtle cognitive deficits, impulsive behavior, and altered brain wave patterns during sleep. These problems are believed to come from ecstasy’s targeted toxic effects on neurons that produce the hormone serotonin.

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You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures. ~Charles C. Noble

Scientists are learning more about astrocytes and their role in the ability of morphine to lessen pain and cause addiction.

In the study, scientists pointed out that everyone thought astrocytes – the brain’s most abundant cells – as the brain’s supporting actors. Scientists believed astrocytes simply propped up neurons and kept them in their place. Studies during the last several years suggest that astrocytes are just as their Greek name suggests – stars.

The scientists added morphine to a group of astrocytes in cell culture for several days. The scientists learned that the cells exposed to morphine showed higher levels of nine proteins that seem to play a role in maintaining normal function of nerve cells.

“These proteins, after additional detailed study of their function, may serve as a potential marker of drug addiction, or may be the targets for potential therapy,” said one of the researchers.

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He who gives when he is asked has waited too long. ~Sunshine Magazine

In England, the number of young adults entering National Health Service funded treatment programs for cocaine addiction is growing quickly. A total of 1,591 people aged 18 to 24 received treatment in 2005 and 2006. In 2008 and 2009, that figure rose to 2,998, an increase of 88 percent, according to the NHS’s National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse.

The number of women in that demographic rose 80 percent over the four year period. The number of men rose by 91 percent over the same time period. In the under 35 demographic, the number of women entering treatment rose 60 percent and 75 percent for men. The average age a person in England first uses cocaine is 21.

The number of women entering treatment programs for heroin and crack cocaine addiction is dropping, In 2008-09, 15,440 women began treatment for those drugs, a drop of 8 percent over the past four years.

“It is good news that women are turning away from heroin and crack, the most problematic drugs. But we are concerned by the increase in cocaine dependence, although it is consistent with national data charting the increased use of cocaine in recent years,” said Rosanna O’Connor, the NTA’s director of delivery.

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Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. ~Theodore N. Vail

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. Approximately eight to 12 percent of marijuana users are considered “dependent” and the severity of their symptoms increases with heavier use of the drug. A new study has found that use and misuse of alcohol and marijuana are influenced by a common set of genes.

“Results from a large annual survey of high school students show that in 2008, 41.8 percent of twelfth graders reported having used marijuana,” said Carolyn E. Sartor, a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine and co-author of the study.

“The active ingredient in marijuana is THC, which mimics natural cannbinoids that the brain produces,” said Christian Hopfer, associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “The cannabinoid system is critical for learning, memory, appetite and pain perception. Most users of marijuana will not develop an ‘addiction’ to it, but perhaps one in 12 will. What is not commonly appreciated about marijuana use is that strong evidence has emerged that it increases the risk of developing mental illness and possibly exacerbate pre-existing mental illnesses,” said Hopfer.

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Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

Merry Christmas to you all.

Teenagers in Canada are among the largest consumers of marijuana in the world. According to new research, the damage marijuana causes to their brains is worse than originally thought.

Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a psychiatric researcher from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Toronto, led the study which suggests that daily marijuana use in teenagers can cause depression and anxiety, and have an irreversible long-term effect on the brain.

Gobbi’s study concentrated on serotonin and norepinephrine, which are involved in the regulations of neurological functions such as mood control and anxiety.

“Teenagers who are exposed to cannabis have decreased serotonin transmission, which leads to mood disorders, as well as increased norepinephrine transmission, which leads to greater long-term susceptibility to stress,” said Dr. Gobbi.

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He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L Smith

A new study suggests that the same genes that make people susceptible to alcoholism are responsible for becoming addicted to marijuana.

The researchers interviewed almost 6300 men and women aged 24 to 36, including almost 2,800 sets of twins, about their use of alcohol and marijuana.

Twins are valuable to medical researchers in determining the role genetics plays in the expression of diseases. Identical twins share 100 percent of their genes, while fraternal twins share 50 percent of their genes, the same as other siblings.

According to the study, about 60 percent of the likelihood of becoming a heavy drinker, a frequent marijuana user or of becoming dependent on marijuana can be linked to genes. About fifty percent of becoming an alcoholic can be attributed to genetics.

“We know there is a high likelihood of alcohol addiction-related problems among people who smoke marijuana heavily and vice versa,” said study author Carolyn E. Sartor, a research instructor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

“What we found is that some of the same genetic influences that impact alcohol use and dependent symptoms also impact marijuana use and dependent symptoms.”

Between 40 and 50 percent of the cause of alcohol or marijuana dependence may be due to environmental influences. Despite a genetic tendency, no one is predestined to abuse either substance.

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I have my own little world, but it’s okay – they know me here. ~Author Unknown

Tactus International, a Dutch addiction treatment organization, has launched the first online treatment program in Britain last week. Clients will be able to access e-therapy, anonymously if they like, using accredited therapists in an online venue.

The launch of lookatyourdrinking.com comes four years after the Netherlands started alcoholdebaas.nl. The UK program hopes to reach more people with an alcohol problem at an earlier stage.

Lookatyourdrinking.com expects to treat up to 150 people with an alcohol addiction the first year of operation. In the Netherlands over 2500 people have been treated online since its inception in 2005.
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A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. ~Harry Truman

Researchers have discovered that a few glasses of wine or alcohol a week may increase the risk of recurrence for breast cancer survivors. An observational study conducted by Dr. Marilyn Kwan of Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California, found that women who averaged three to four or more drinks per week were 34 percent more likely to see breast cancer reoccur.

Mortality also rose 51 percent for the heavier drinkers among breast cancer survivors.

After a breast cancer diagnosis, most physicians advise women to reduce their consumption of alcohol.

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We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. ~Epictetus

After the gruesome discovery of 11 bodies in a sex offender’s home in Cleveland, more drug-addicted women in that city are looking for treatment. The United Way says calls from women trying to get into a treatment program were up 36 percent last month compared to the same time last year.

Police believe that 50-year-old Anthony Sowell lured women addicted to drugs or alcohol into his Cleveland home and then attacked them.

Sowell has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to aggravated murder charges. If convicted, Sowell could face the death penalty.

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You’re only as sick as your secrets. ~Author Unknown
One question. Why do teenagers become more easily addicted to smoking than adults?

A recent study explored why teenagers are more susceptible to substance abuse than adults. Nicotine increases the dopamine level in the brain. The study examined dopamine levels in adolescent and adult rats after nicotine withdrawal. The withdrawal signs, both physical and neurochemical, were found to be less in adolescent rats than in the adult rats.

The results of this study may not stop at nicotine. The study author believes that the findings might also be relevant to other addictive drugs and learning how and why teenagers and adults become addicted.

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