Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse
The linkage between domestic violence and alcohol and drug abuse is well known and clearly documented in the literature. We discuss some of the issues with our guest Diana Hamilton, head of the Victims Assistance Program for the Jackson County Oregon District Attorney’s Office.
Pregnancy and Opioids
Psychoactive drugs cross … the placental blood barrier – so can affect a baby in utero. … hospitals have recently seen a large increase in babies born addicted to opioids, and the profound consequences that follow. We discuss this issues, options for detox and treatment, also the use and misuse of methadone.
Testing Analysis, Dopamine and Conference Notes
Recent conferences … highlight the way urine test is being analyzed … and new evidence for genetic evaluation, and the possibility that being addiction-prone may be related to a lack of the neurotransmitter dopamine in a person’s brain.
Designer Drugs – interview with Dr Lisa Marzilli
The New Face of Drugs & Addiction is the name of an ongoing lecture series by Dr Lisa Marzilli, … she and Darryl discuss the rapid evolution of designer drugs over the last few years, particularly the pseudo-cannabinoids, and the stimulant “bath salts” which have become widspread because they are often not illegal, and hard to test for; unfortunately, they can also be much strong then the marijuana and cocaine they mimic, sending a significant numbers of users to the ER.
Pain Killer Panic ?!
Are we overreacting to the issue of increased use/abuse of pain medication, and we are perhaps still under-treating pain?. We try to look at the bigger issues of what is pain, why does it persist, and even if abuse numbers are low, what are the implications for the addiction-sensitive population.
Social Media, Substance Abuse & Suicide
A recent conference in Hawaii examined the connections between social media, substance abuse and suicide, with a focus on the adolescents. Dr Inaba was one of the featured speakers, and gives us some of the highlights and trends from the conference.