Substance Abuse: A Hidden Problem Among the Elderly
In the United States, people 65 years and older make up 13 percent of the population, yet they account for more than one-third of total outpatient spending on prescription medications. This totals over $500 million per year. Given the challenges and increased health complications that often accompany the aging process, this may seem unremarkable at […]
Women and Prescription Drug Abuse
When thinking about drug addiction, many of us have an unrealistic image of the problem and those affected. We often assume it involves only the hard stuff, like heroin or crack. We imagine someone suffering from addiction will look disheveled and unkempt and will commit crimes to sustain a desperate habit. While such descriptions may […]
Should A Recovering Alcoholic Eat Foods Cooked with Alcohol?
Assessing the Risk With the prevalence of alcohol abuse and alcoholism in the United States—over seventeen million people—questions about foods containing or prepared with alcohol are a common and legitimate concern. Some insist that alcohol in food or cooking is nothing to worry about, often citing a commonly held belief that alcohol gets cooked out […]
Is Suboxone Addictive?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a combination of medication and behavioral therapy is the most effective way to treat addiction, and this is particularly true with opioid addictions. The cravings and other withdrawal symptoms associated with opiate addiction can be excruciating, and the cravings, in particular, can linger long after the physical […]
Heroin and Its Effects on Women
In our country’s fairly recent past, heroin abuse was primarily associated with young, inner-city males. In the past decade, it’s moved out of the urban jungle and into the suburbs, where it’s affecting more women than ever before. While men are more likely than women to develop an addiction to heroin, women are affected by […]
The Effects of Substance Abuse on Your Heart
It probably comes as no surprise that substance abuse is bad for your heart. But what may surprise you is the vast range of heart damage caused by abusing both legal and illicit drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cocaine abuse is associated with a large number of severe cardiovascular problems like […]
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: The Facts
Neonatal abstinence syndrome results when a fetus develops an addiction to opiates. If a mother abuses heroin, oxycodone or other opiate drugs, these drugs pass through the placenta and into the baby’s system. When the baby is born and the drug is no longer available, withdrawal symptoms set in as early as one to three […]
The Gender Gap in Drinking Habits is Narrowing
According to conventional wisdom, women drink less than men overall and therefore have fewer alcohol-related problems than men. But recent research published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research shows that the gender gap associated with drinking habits is narrowing.
Fighting Flakka Abuse In Florida
For some people, speaking of bath salts conjures pleasant images of a relaxing soak in the tub while aromatic minerals soothe away aches and pains. But for residents of Florida, the term evokes more of a nightmarish response. Florida has been the unfortunate nexus of a terrible epidemic caused by a type of designer drug […]
Your Body on Meth: Physical Effects of Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine, more commonly known as meth, is an illegal and highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that’s often sold as a white, bitter-tasting, odorless crystalline powder. Originally used as an ingredient in nasal decongestants and other medications that act on the respiratory system, methamphetamine is more powerful than other stimulants. Meth causes an increase in […]