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.
Alcohol – violence and a serious pulic health issue
A new study highlights the relationship between the alcohol availability and violent crime. And we discuss alcohol as being a major public health issues, and the way our society tends to ignore that fact, because it is a legal drug.
The Downer Cycle
After decades of uppers use, we are heading in a “downer cycle” with significant abuse and ODs being reported especially for prescription drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin, but also heroin, methadone and and even the opioid treatment drug suboxone. We look at the trend and some of the implications.
More Training to Prescribe Opioids
The Obama administration recently proposed legislation which will require doctors to undergo training before being permitted to prescribe powerful painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin. The White House is absolutely committed to legislation that will make prescriber education mandatory, according to Gil Kerlikowske, the White Hojuse’s top drug policy adviser. The move would require Congress to […]
Addiction through History
Current events in the Middle East remind us how drugs and addiction show up throughout history. Dr Inaba shares some highlights and background.
Alcoholism Genes? & the state of states monitoring of Rx
Children of alcoholics are four times more likely to become alcoholic; sons of alcoholics 9 times as likely … the list continues and is striking. At least 89 genes have been identified that affect the likelihood of alcohol abuse, and other compulsivity disorders. This is part of the research that has led to the new field of “pharmacogenomics”, the study of how an individual’s genetics affect the body’s response to drugs, which offer profound new treatment options, and open up huge privacy issues. Dr Inaba expands.