October 7th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Interesting Information, Medicine & Health
Lester Grinspoon, MD, a psychiatrist and associate professor at Harvard, is frequently used as an “expert” in support of “medicalization of marijuana.” He has publicly attested to his personal use of illicit drugs and on several occasions has published statements in leading medical journals that cocaine is neither harmful [...]
October 7th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Interesting Information, Medicine & Health
It has been known for more than two decades that many illicit drugs inflict damage on the immune system leaving the body open to a host of opportunistic infections, not the least of which is the HIV virus. Other drugs accelerate the progression of HIV to full blown AIDS. In fact, a study [...]
October 7th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Interesting Information
by Rachel Ehrenfeld, Ph.D The tentacles of terrorism have reached deep into America, threatening to make Osama bin Laden’s dream of destroying the American economy a reality. As the United States spends billions upon billions more trying to fend off another 9/11-type attack, terrorist groups grow wealthier, and thus more capable of financing large-scale missions of [...]
October 7th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in For Employers, Interesting Information
How will a drug free workplace program benefit my business? Employers have seen a decrease in workplace accidents, employee mistakes, absenteeism, employee turnover and in their workers’ compensation claims. Other benefits are less tangible, such as improved workplace environment, employee morale and customer satisfaction. Businesses in the state of Florida may also qualify for a [...]
October 7th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in For Employers, Interesting Information
Do we have to test all of our current employees when we implement the drug free workplace program? Not necessarily; current employees can be grandfathered. Once the 60-day notice has expired, the employee could be tested under other circumstances (random, post accident, reasonable suspicion, fit for duty.) Do we have to test all new hires? [...]
October 7th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in For Employers, Interesting Information
What are the benefits of having a drug free workplace? Employers have seen a decrease in workplace accidents, employee mistakes, absenteeism, employee turnover and in their workers’ compensation claims. Other benefits are less tangible, such as improved workplace environment, employee morale and customer satisfaction. Why should I care if a co-worker is using drugs and/or [...]
October 7th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in For Employers, Interesting Information
Is drug and alcohol testing of employees legal? Yes. Will I be tested when my company implements a drug free workplace policy? All current employees are grandfathered in to the policy. Current employees are given a 60-day notice that their company is implementing a drug free workplace policy and are not pre-employment tested. They will [...]
October 7th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in For Parents, Interesting Information
The abuse of the drug methamphetamine, or meth, is a growing problem across the country. Read on to find out what it is, why some young people are using it, and what you can do to help your teen. What is Meth? Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that dramatically affects many areas of the [...]
October 7th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in For Parents, Interesting Information
Teenagers by nature can be moody and unpredictable so it’s sometimes difficult to tell if your child is using meth. However, there are warning signs to watch for. Take a look at the following to see if you recognize any of them in your teen. Short-Term Use Can Result In: Alertness and inability to sleep: [...]
October 7th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Interesting Information
Meth is one messed-up drug. Here are the top 10 reasons to stay far, far away. 10. Meth can mess with your head. Meth can cause users to become delusional, paranoid and suffer from hallucinations. It can also lead to psychotic behavior even months after a user has stopped using. In other words, meth can [...]
The world’s best business model has always been addiction. Tobacco and alcohol have been around for ages, but new temptations and spinoffs are being marketed all the time: meth, painkillers, energy drinks, you name it.
Importantly, the study also finds that the risk of violence from patients with psychoses who also have substance use disorder is no greater than those who have a substance use disorder but who do not have a psychotic illness – in other words, schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses do not appear to be responsible for any additional risk of violence above the increased risk associated with substance abuse.
Smoking marijuana over an extended period of time appears to greatly boost a young man’s risk for developing a particularly aggressive form of testicular cancer, a new study reveals. [...]
Relief from pain. In some people, prescription pain relievers also cause euphoria or feelings of well being by affecting the brain regions that mediate pleasure. This is why they are abused. Other effects include drowsiness, constipation and slowed breathing. [...]
On Sunday researchers at the University of Buffalo reported that Ritalin, used on children diagnosed with ADHD, may cause long-term changes in the brain. Many clinicians regard Ritalin as short-acting but the research with gene expression in an animal model suggests that it has the potential for causing long-lasting changes [...]
The body produces many chemicals and hormones, i.e., histamines, steroids, thyroid hormone, digitalis-like substances, adrenalin, etc, all of which work by attaching to corresponding brain receptors. The key is that these natural substances produced by the body are present in nanogram amounts [...]
As California State Assembly member Tom Ammiano put it: “What if California could raise hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue to preserve vital state services without any tax increase?” [...]
“The fight against drugs is actually the fight for Afghanistan,” said Afghan President Hamid Karzai when he took office in 2002. Judging by the current situation, Afghanistan is losing. [...]
Among the things everybody knows is that Democrats, being the party of the little people, raise money in small contributions, whereas Republicans, being the party of fat cats, raise funds in huge basketfuls from wealthy corporate types. At least, that’s the way the world is usually portrayed by the “Today Show,” The New York Times and the Democratic Party. So it’s of more than passing interest to see [...]