E-cig Restrictions, Nek-nominate, Winter Olympics, Legalize-Tax-Discourage, Smoking and Mental Illness
Putting e-cigarettes behind the counter and not sold to minors in Cook County, while Chicago has banned e-cig “vaping” wherever cigarette smoking is forbidden. Nek-nominate, popular in UK and Australia, now here, involves drinking large amounts of alcohol often mixed with other bizarre things, then nominating one or two friends to follow suit, or do even more. Of course its recorded on YouTube. New performance-enhancing drugs coming out of Sochi. Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank advocating for legalizing drugs, and some success with smoking cessation among those with mental illness using the stop-smoking drug varenicline
Celebrities and Heroin ODs, CVS Stops Selling Cigarettes, 3rd Hand Smoke
Celebrity deaths increase the general recognition of drug problems, which lately have been heroin and prescription painkillers overdoses and deaths. Oscar and Tony-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’ s overdose death is the most recent in a long list celebrity drug death. Hoffman probably died of heroin mixed with some form of fentanyl, an extreme powerful opioid. Also the pharmacy chain CVS made news by announcing it would no longer sell cigarettes, with other large pharmacy chains like Walgreens saying they may follow suit. And the dangers of 3rd hand smoke are highlighted in a new study.
Stop Switch, more on ADHD Drug Effects, Zohydro and Buprenorphine
New research has located the “Stop Switch” which when damaged, can lead to craving and addiction issues. Another study is showing use of ADHD drugs by young people can make them more susceptible to cocaine addiction. And a discussion of the new 10x more powerful hydrocodone – Zohydro, and the opiate addiction medication buprenorphine. PODCAST
Opiates and Pain, Copenhagen Model, Italian Treatment Community, E-cigs
A look at chronic pain treatment with opioids, and a detailed look into the opiate and pain background in CNS’s new Beyond Opiates video, We talk about Zohydro, a new stronger hydrocodone, Italy’s interesting treatment model that is a large community that farms, grows grapes and makes wine, and has enough dedicated runners to send a group to the NYC Marathon. And “re-normalizing smoking behavior with e-cigarettes. PODCAST.
Adderall Dangers, Binge Drinking, Oreo addiction, Mollys and Krokodils
Adderall has been called America’s favorite amphetamine, especially among college students …. Its abuse is widespread among young adults, with the capacity to markedly change one’s personality. Binge drinking is also rampant among the college- aged, and has its own set of dangers… Oreo cookies activate the same reward centers in the brain as cocaine. More news about mollys, which can actually be any number of drugs, and the heroin substitute known as krokodil … now making landfall in the US, with harrowing effects. PODCAST.
Ritalin to treat coke? Pot drawing venture capitalists
The ADHD drug Ritalin may be useful in breaking the hold of cocaine addiction, according to a recent study Also a look at the rather astounding amount of money being poured by venture capitalists into marijuana oriented websites, and business prospects. PODCAST.