More on Bath Salts and Prescription Rx abuse
…”bath salts” and synthetic marijuana are difficult to identify and test for, because their chemical structure can and does change often, largely in response to laws trying to outlaw them … and the new law attempting to ban all such substances signed recently by President Obama.
Opiates, Gateways, Tunnels, Antibodies
Recent news includes the opioid Opana, Federal laws outlawing synthetic marijuana and “bath salts” as well as smuggling tunnels, new nicotine vaccination, and a discussion of true gateway drugs: alcohol and cigarettes.
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.
Bath Salts responsible for zombie-like attack
Bath salt – stimulants similar to ecstasy, are street-chemist versions of the middle eastern Khat plant, and are being associated with a new wave of extremely violent behavior, and fatal overdoses. The recent zombie-like attack in Miami, where a homeless man had literally 3/4 of his face chewed off by someone high on bath salts, has galvanized public attention to the dangers of these fairly new designer drugs.
OxyContin pulled in Canada
Canada has ordered OxyContin removed from pharmacies, in response to the continuing abuse of this powerful opioid. Many groups, including First Nations members with high numbers of addicted persons among them, are warning that the move will push people to more dangerous drugs such as heroin. We look at the OxyNeo replacement drug, what its implications are, and related aspects, including whether doctors are under- or over- prescribing powerful and highly addictive pain medications.
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.