The Vote 4 Medicine Debacle is a ‘gift’ that just keeps on giving! The use of cannabinoids in medical treatments for children and adolescents is rising, often to manage conditions like epilepsy or chemotherapy-induced nausea. While this approach may seem promising, comprehensive research sheds light on the serious risks associated with these substances for young individuals. Increased Risk of Adverse Events: A detailed review of 23 clinical trials involving over 3,600 children and adolescents...

The impact of cannabis on human fertility has emerged as a critical public health concern, particularly as global cannabis consumption has surged by 23% since 2010. With 209 million users worldwide and growing, most being males of reproductive age, understanding cannabis’s effects on fertility has never been more urgent. This increase coincides with a troubling trend – global sperm counts declined by 51.6% from 1973 to 2018, and continue to fall at an accelerating rate. The convergence of...

Here's a sobering thought: While your average recreational substance user is busy defending their "harmless fun," approximately 8.7 million children in the United States alone are living in households where at least one parent struggles with substance use disorder. That's right – one in eight children under 17 are watching their childhood disappear into the bottom of someone else's bottle or going up in someone else's smoke. Let's cut through the haze and look at what the research actually...

Cannabinoid-mediated targeting of mitochondria on the modulation of mitochondrial function and dynamics A B S T R A C T: Mitochondria play a critical role in the regulation of several biological processes (e.g., programmed cell death, inflammation, neurotransmission, cell differentiation). In recent years, accumulating findings have evidenced that cannabinoids, a group of endogenous and exogenous (synthetic and plant-derived) psychoactive compounds that bind to cannabinoid receptors, may...

The Changing Landscape of Cannabis Use: The legalisation of recreational cannabis in California has led to significant shifts in consumption patterns, notably among pregnant individuals. A time-series study involving 300,993 pregnancies screened for cannabis use revealed a rise in prenatal cannabis consumption following the enactment of recreational cannabis legalisation (RCL). This increase was observed particularly in jurisdictions permitting adult-use cannabis retailers. The study...

As cannabis is legalized and is more accessible in various forms across the country, there is increasing concern among health care providers about potential impact on children. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have new findings to add to the existing evidence that cannabis exposure before birth can negatively impact children. In a study published today in JAMA Pediatrics , researchers found prenatal cannabis exposure was associated in early childhood with poorer thinking skills...

While the carefree days of childhood are supposed to be a time of joy and wonder, the harsh reality is that too many young lives are marred by abuse, neglect, and exposure to toxic substances. A sobering new study from the University of Sydney has shed light on the long-lasting mental health consequences of such childhood trauma. The research, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that a staggering 40% of common mental health conditions can be directly attributed to the impact of maltreatment...

Research spanning over three decades has consistently highlighted how the frequency, severity, and impact of violence escalate in the presence of alcohol and drugs. Unified Care for Safer Lives It’s all too common for domestic violence and substance use to be treated as separate issues, which often leads to patchy solutions. We really need to start looking at these problems together, creating strategies that keep victims and children safe. By focusing on comprehensive policies, we can tackle...

Just when we thought we had a handle on teen substance abuse (we did NOT), along comes social media to throw a digital wrench in the works. It turns out those shiny apps on our kids’ phones aren’t just for sharing selfies and dance videos – they’re inadvertently serving as virtual gateways to drug and alcohol experimentation. While health officials have been patting themselves on the back for decades of anti-drug campaigns, social media algorithms have been quietly undermining their efforts,...

A recent population-based retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Internal Medicine has explored the associations between prenatal cannabis use and maternal health outcomes during pregnancy. The study analysed pregnancies in Northern California from January 2011 to December 2019 and evaluated whether in utero exposure to cannabis is linked to various adverse maternal health conditions. Study Design and Participants The study included pregnancies that lasted 20 weeks or longer and were...

The increasing popularity of zero-alcohol beverages among teenagers has raised significant concerns about the potential normalisation of alcohol consumption. A world-first Australian study, led by Leon Booth from the George Institute for Global Health and commissioned by the Cancer Council, highlights the potential risks these products pose to adolescent health and calls for stricter regulations. This comprehensive article delves into the study’s findings, expert opinions, and the broader...

Recent research published in JAMA Network Open explores the association of in utero exposure to alcohol (PAE) and tobacco (PTE) with brain activity during childhood. This comprehensive cohort study examines how prenatal exposures impact EEG measurements in children aged 4 to 11 years, reinforcing public health messages about the risks of alcohol and tobacco consumption during pregnancy. The findings from this study underscore the significant impact that prenatal exposure to alcohol and tobacco...

Study findings have "substantial public health implications," researchers say by Mike Bassett , Excessive Cannabis use was associated with a higher risk of head and neck cancer (HNC), a large multicenter cohort study showed. After matching for demographic characteristics, alcohol-related disorders, and tobacco use, patients with cannabis-related disorder had an increased risk of any HNC compared with those without cannabis-related disorder reported Niels C. Kokot, MD, of the University of...

Prenatal cannabis exposure, the brain, and psychopathology during early adolescence: Prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) is associated with mental health problems in early adolescence, but the possible neurobiological mechanisms remain unknown. In a large longitudinal sample of adolescents (ages 9–12 years, n = 9,322–10,186), we find that PCE is associated with localized differences in gray and white matter of the frontal and parietal cortices, their associated white matter tracts, and striatal...

Importance Children exposed to substance use during pregnancy have increased health needs but whether these are influenced by engagement in out-of-home care is uncertain. Objective: To evaluate the association between substance use during pregnancy, out-of-home care and hospitalization utilization, and costs from birth up to age 20 years. Design, Setting, and Participants : This was a retrospective cohort study using individual-linked population birth, hospital, and out-of-home care...

The Australian Government wants to protect young people from the harms of vaping and nicotine dependence. From 1 July 2024, nicotine vapes in Australia are regulated as therapeutic goods. This means they are only available at pharmacies to help people quit smoking or manage nicotine dependence. It is illegal for any other business, such as tobacconists, vape shops and convenience stores, to sell any type of vape or vape product. Until 30 September 2024, everyone needs a prescription from a...

Chronic Cannabis Use Linked to Tragic Death of 22-Year-Old Woman A History of Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome: The 22-year-old woman, who began using cannabis at 14, suffered from cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) for over three years. She visited the emergency room multiple times during this period, each visit marked by a week-long bout of intense vomiting and nausea. Doctors attributed her low potassium levels, a recurring problem, to the frequent vomiting and prescribed fluids and...

The legalisation of cannabis has swept across North America, with Canada, and many U.S states and provinces embracing it’s not only it’s ‘medicinal’ offerings but also recreational use and particularly in the deceptively benign offerings of cannabis edibles. While these growing permission models seem ‘progressive’, the shift has convinced many older adults to open the door of use on this highly engineered and completely unnatural product and explore cannabis. Not unsurprisingly, unintended...

An article from Medium examines the impact of parental drinking habits on children. It highlights that children are highly observant and can be influenced by their parents’ behaviour, including their alcohol consumption. The piece cites studies showing that children who grow up in households where drinking is frequent are more likely to develop similar habits themselves. The article also discusses the importance of setting a positive example and being mindful of how often and in what context...

Recent research exposes how social media influencers are promoting vaping to adolescents, raising serious concerns about public health and safety. This study highlights the urgent need for preventive measures and stringent regulations. Legalising or normalising vaping without addressing these promotional tactics is incredibly reckless. Manipulative Marketing Tactics: The study reveals that influencers employ manipulative marketing tactics to attract adolescent followers to vaping. These...

Risk of Adverse Neonatal Outcomes After Combined Prenatal Cannabis and Nicotine Exposure Key Points Question: Is in utero exposure to cannabis and nicotine in combination associated with greater adverse outcomes than exposure to either substance alone during pregnancy? Findings : In this population-based cohort study of more than 3.1 million pregnant individuals, combined use of cannabis and nicotine products in pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity...

Published in Neurology Journal Scan / Research · June 29, 2024 Epilepsia TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Cannabidiol-enriched oil (CBDO) can reduce the risk of seizures in some patients with drug-resistant epilepsy but may worsen seizure control in others. In this study involving 19 patients treated with ≈260-mg CBDO and ≈12-mg THC daily, pre- and post-treatment evaluations for seizures, gait, cognition, mood, sleep, and electrophysiological changes were performed. Overall, 43.75% of the patients responded...

Age-dependent association of cannabis use with risk of psychotic disorder Abstract Background: Epidemiologic research suggests that youth cannabis use is associated with psychotic disorders. However, current evidence is based heavily on 20th-century data when cannabis was substantially less potent than today. Discussion: We found that cannabis use, compared to no cannabis use, was associated with over 11 times (95%CI4.6–27.3) greater risk of psychotic disorder at any point during adolescence...

Prenatal exposure to alcohol and its impact on reward processing and substance use in adulthood … this is the first study demonstrating that even moderate levels of alcohol drinking during pregnancy have long-lasting effects on brain function and risk of cannabis use in the offspring. Therefore, our study has critical implications for public health messaging on possible harms related to drinking during pregnancy. Abstract: Heavy maternal alcohol drinking during pregnancy has been associated...

With a growing voice for greater permission for illicit substance use in some cultures and entrenched addiction for profit industries like Big Alcohol and Big Cannabis, where should the policy priorities lie? View PDF

Psychosis is an increasing risk of today's strong marijuana. KEY POINTS Young adults and teens can develop an addiction to weed and become psychotic. Many people don’t know that regular marijuana use may carry serious health risks, especially for the young. No medication is FDA-approved for treating cannabis use disorder. One cannabis-induced psychotic episode ups the risk of developing bipolar disorder or schizophrenia by 50%. Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is also increasing; in 2022, 5.7...

Introduction: The increase of cannabis use, particularly with the evolution of high potency products, and of cannabis use disorder (CUD) are a growing health care concern. While the harms of adult use and potential medicinal properties of cannabis continue to be debated, it is becoming evident that adolescent cannabis use is a critical window for CUD risk with potential lifelong mental health implications. Herein, we discuss mental health consequences of adolescent cannabis use, factors that...

Macular Disease Foundation warns more than one drink a day can lead to vision loss Aussies who consume more than one glass of wine or beer a day are putting themselves at serious risk of developing a debilitating disease. #alcoholawareness #soberinspiration A couple of beers after work or a half-bottle of wine at dinner is a beloved Aussie tradition, but new findings from a leading eye vision organisation suggests that second glass of booze could put Australians at greater risk of suffering...

Prenatal delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure is associated with changes in rhesus macaque DNA methylation enriched for autism genes Abstract Background: With the growing availability of cannabis and the popularization of additional routes of cannabis use beyond smoking, including edibles, the prevalence of cannabis use in pregnancy is rapidly increasing. However, the potential effects of prenatal cannabis use on fetal developmental programming remain unknown. Results: We designed this study...

In addition to its acute effects, cannabis/THC induces epigenetic modifications, which can affect its consumers and their offspring . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.banm.2024.02.009 Summary: Epigenetics causes changes in the phenotype in the absence of changes in the DNA of genes, i.e., the genotype. Under various influences, such as exposure to certain xenobiotics, epigenetic marks are produced by different mechanisms, including the grafting of methyl groups onto certain cytosines of DNA, or on...

Family connectedness, particularly at meal times – excellent protective factor: The scientists are catching up – Research confirms what all community minded and family valuing people know. Family togetherness is a key to not only better health and well-being, but also building resilience into the emerging adult – resilience that can make it easier for them to avoid the substance use trap. ( https://worldresiliencyday.org ) “Eating dinner together at least 3 or 4 times per week has positive...

Marijuana edible-related poison control calls among children 0-12 increased 3,311% from 2016 to 2022 According to data from America’s Poison Centers , from 2016 to 2022, marijuana edible-related poison control calls among children aged 0-12 years old increased 3,311%: 2016: 187 calls 2017: 343 calls 2018: 816 calls 2019: 1,364 calls 2020: 3,132 calls 2021: 4,354 calls 2022: 6,379 calls This trend is exacerbated by kid-friendly edible packaging and product design. Products are often sold in...

Heavy drinking is an important risk factor for depression and suicide…Reducing alcohol consumption (both total consumption as well as binge drinking) is arguably the most important modifiable way to promote cognitive and neurological health and prevent or reduce brain harms. For Full Report

Australian Children presenting with 'significant symptoms of withdrawal' as vaping rates rise among under 25’s Australia "Vaping I would say is definitely more addictive [than smoking] because of the ease of access"…"You can vape anywhere, so you can be lying in bed at night, and you can fall asleep with it in your mouth like a pacifier for a baby." (Source: ABC News March 2024 ) Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes – Harm Reduction or? Although e-cigarette use might cause youth to...

This guide can help you have a meaningful, non-threatening conversation with your teen about vaping. You won’t find a set of scripted questions – we don’t want to put words in your mouth. Instead, we’ll share: Conversation starters based on your teen’s vaping behaviour and insights from our research about what your teen might be thinking and feeling, and what you can say to help. These insights are based on our recent survey interviews and in-depth conversations with teens across Australia....

Drug Policies Contravening International Drug Conventions & Rights of the Child – This insightful research report on the misuse of drug policy vehicles shows not only an increase in harms it is supposed to mitigate, but more concerning, a disregard for the international Rights of Children. View PDF

FASD & Me – Teens Peer Mentoring Program: In an inspiring initiative that addresses the complex needs and celebrates the strengths of children and youth living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Adopt4Life has launched the bilingual program “FASD & Me: Strengthening My Community.” This innovative program is a beacon of hope and support for hundreds of families navigating the challenges of obtaining accurate diagnoses and developing strategies for long-term success for their children...

FASD & Me – Teens Peer Mentoring Program: In an inspiring initiative that addresses the complex needs and celebrates the strengths of children and youth living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Adopt4Life has launched the bilingual program “FASD & Me: Strengthening My Community.” This innovative program is a beacon of hope and support for hundreds of families navigating the challenges of obtaining accurate diagnoses and developing strategies for long-term success for their children...

Listen to four expert speakers, Nason Maani, Blanca Lorente, Emil Juslin, and Juliet Namukasa, discuss how the alcohol industry keeps people in the dark about alcohol and cancer and what we can do about it. And we explore insights and lessons from both science and community action in countries such as Sweden, Uganda, and Colombia to chart an ambitious way forward for alcohol policy action to support cancer prevention and increase public recognition of the magnitude of alcohol’s contribution to...

Vaping has become one of the most popular forms of substance use among young people, despite growing evidence of its health risks and harms. Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol produced when using an electronic vapor device. Typically, the ingredients include nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals, many of which are toxic. Some vaping products contain marijuana or other drugs. As parents and caregivers, we want to do all that we can to protect our children from the...

Cannabis use has increased significantly in recent years, and it has some experts concerned. By Irina Antonova 12/23/2023 The use of cannabis can lead to changes in DNA that can cause genetic mutations and subsequent serious diseases, according to a new study. Cannabis—also known as marijuana—is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States. Its use has increased significantly in recent years, with a recent survey showing 42.3 million people used it in the past month. The increased...

People who stop drinking alcohol lower their colorectal and breast cancer risk Accumulating evidence shows that people who cut out alcohol can reduce their risk of developing some forms of cancer. Decreasing alcohol intake decreases the production of acetaldehyde in the body, which in turn, reduces the risk of certain cancers. Researchers and experts agree that continuing abstaining from alcohol is the only way to see long-term, positive health effects. (for more Can drinking less alcohol...

Researchers say they looked at 9,000 pregnancies and concluded cannabis is associated with a number of unhealthy pregnancy outcomes. They noted that they used testing rather than self-reporting, as in other studies, because of the amount of contradictory information about cannabis’ effect on pregnancies. The researchers concluded that exposure to cannabis was associated with a 1.5-fold increase in risk for people who are pregnant. A study published today in the Journal of the American Medical...

Big Tobaccos Playbook for Marketing to the Young: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Tobacco companies are deploying a suite of tactics to reach young people and create an immersive, “surround sound” marketing effect on social media... For nearly 75 years, tobacco companies have understood the importance of influencer marketing. In 1949, Philip Morris outlined its marketing strategy for college students stating that they needed to: “‘get ‘em’ young, train ‘em right’ ” recognizing that college...

Two of the world’s largest publicly-traded tobacco companies — British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (Philip Morris) — are exploiting the popularity of social media to market addictive products to young people.

A critique by Neil O’Connell of Brunel University London found that 10 studies led by Marco Monticone of Italy’s University of Cagliari in Italy had inconsistencies including data that diverged from almost all similar studies, impossible statistical significance values , and duplicate or very similar data. Also see Medicinal cannabis blacklisted by Australian pain specialists Academic concerns around Cannabis and Pain Management – #ScienceMatters Cannabis & Pain – Media Hype & the Placebo...

The length of stay in intensive care varies greatly, from a few days up to a month. When taken home, for several months these babies may still experience signs of withdrawal. This baby had tense and clenched muscles. She could not organise a suck pattern to feed effectively and required a feeding tube, and she would tremor and jerk so much she rubbed her chin raw on her blankets. The nurses would take turns swaying and rocking with her for hours. This baby was medicated with morphine and gas...

Oral cannabidiol (CBD) as add-on to paracetamol for painful chronic osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. View PDF Background: Painful knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is common, pharmacological treatment , however, is often hampered by limited tolerability. Cannabidiol , which preclinically showed anti-inflammatory, analgesic activity , could supplement established analgesics , but robust clinical trials are lacking. The aim of our study was to...

Published: October 18, 202 3DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2023.10.009 Highlights CBD products may have varying amounts of CBD, varying from none to much more than advertised. CBD products may contain other chemicals than CBD, some of which may be harmful. 16 RCTs for pain used pharmaceutical CBD in oral, buccal/sublingual, and topical forms. 15 of the 16 RCTs were negative: no greater pain-relieving effect for CBD than for placebo. Meta-analyses link CBD to increased rates serious...

The following two research papers that were released very recently, bring again to the public square the growing, and often lifelong harms, of child abuse. Whilst these research offerings did not specifically look at contributing factors, the Dalgarno Institute continues to prompt a deeper look below the surface of these appalling statistics. The ‘causal and correlate’ debate around alcohol and other drugs in the domestic violence space is often wielded by pro-drug and alcohol defending...

(F.A.S.D Day 9 th of 9 th 2023) Alcohol consumption during pregnancy has long been recognized as a significant health concern due to its potential to cause severe developmental issues in foetuses. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a preventable brain disease that can affect a child's lifelong health and well-being when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol. Completely incurable – But totally Preventable! After years of lobbying from many prevention focused groups, not least Dalgarno...

(Summary: the following demographics should completely ABSTAIN from cannabis use: People aged 0-28 years of age (children and adolescents – developing brain) Pregnant women People with mental illness or vulnerable to such Drivers/Driving (one could also assume, anyone operating a vehicle of any kind) Whilst there are only some minor benefits from some cannabis derivatives, they come with adverse side effects and there is no curative properties in cannabis. More clinical, double-blind, placebo...

…in utero cannabis exposure is linked to adverse outcomes among offspring, including small for gestational age, neonatal intensive care unit admissions, and preterm birth. In addition, prenatal cannabis exposure has also been associated with childhood outcomes such as autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as well as symptoms of psychopathology, including psychotic like experiences, internalizing, externalizing, attention problems, and thought and social...

Episode 7: Cannabis & Drug Demand Reduction Down Under (Dalgarno institute) Listen Now

Adverse childhood experiences are ‘strong predictor’ for adolescent cannabis use. Young people who are exposed to adverse childhood experiences between the ages of 0 – 12 years, including parental drug misuse, are at highest risk for developing problematic adolescent cannabis use as teenagers, according to a new study . Adverse childhood experiences (‘ACEs’) considered included physical, emotional and sexual abuse, emotional neglect, bullying, parental substance use, violence between parents,...

Building Resilience in Children Aged 9-13: A Most Effective Method of Illicit Drug Use Prevention #WorldResiliencyDay23 #WorldDrugDay It is no secret that illicit drug use is a major problem in our society. And the reasons for that are many. However, it is a growing irresilience and a careless drug use normalising ‘adult culture’ that model the very elements that undermine resilience such as poor impulse control, inability to delay gratification, externalizing blame in crises and a general...

Introduction: As we observe World Drug Day in 2023, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of prevention and dispelling the stigma surrounding substance misuse. This year's campaign theme, "Strengthen Prevention & Stop Stigma," highlights the need to prioritize resilience development and recognize the harmful effects of alcohol and drug (AOD) consumption on it. By placing prevention efforts at the forefront and dispelling societal misconceptions about addiction, we can foster a healthier...

This World Drug Day, 26 th June 2023, let’s focus our attention on delaying and denying uptake of substances for our most vulnerable and their communities, and work toward reducing stigma of those seeking to exit drug use to a healthier, safer, and more promising future. #preventdontpromote #RecoveryPosse View PDF

World-first trial in a breast screening service targeting women’s low awareness of the link between alcohol and breast cancer Monash University, Turning Point and the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) have developed a successful alcohol intervention for women attending breast screening appointments, as part of a world-first trial. Published in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA), the study improved participants’ knowledge about alcohol and its link with breast cancer....

Objective: To examine whether timing of in utero marijuana exposure independently and negatively impacts fetal growth, and if these effects are global or specific to certain growth parameters Conclusions: Timing of marijuana exposure appears to play a key role in specific fetal growth deficits, with exposure throughout gestation most detrimental. However even first trimester exposure may result in decreased weight. (Source: (PDF) (researchgate.net) Also see Maternal cannabis use in pregnancy...

The Association Between Tobacco and Cannabis Use and the Age of Onset of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among Adolescents and Young Adults Abstract Purpose: No studies have prospectively explored the association between the use of tobacco or cannabis use and the age of onset of depressive or anxiety symptoms, and no studies have identified the peak ages and ranges of onset of these symptoms among tobacco and/or cannabis users. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of Texas Adolescent Tobacco...

Summary: The prevalence of cannabis use in women of childbearing age is increasing drastically, likely related to increased legalization. Cannabis use during pregnancy is likely associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, and long-term neuropsychiatric outcomes, although data have significant limitations. Providers should screen for cannabis use and CUD regularly and counsel women about the known and unknown data regarding outcomes. It is important to identify co-occurring mental health...

Alcohol and other drug overdoses are a significant public health problem and a common cause of death among young adults. This study assessed whether alcohol use at age 15–16 years is a risk factor for alcohol or drug overdose, or poisoning requiring medical attention, by the age of 32–33 in a population-based Finnish cohort study First alcohol intoxication at age ˜12, and high alcohol tolerance were associated with an increased risk of intentional overdose. Comments: This cohort study suggests...

Quality standards to be introduced to tackle youth vaping, including restricting flavours, colours and other ingredients The Australian government will ban the importation of nonprescription vaping products – including those that do not contain nicotine – in the most significant tobacco and vaping control measures in the country in a decade. To tackle youth vaping, minimum quality standards for vapes will be introduced including restricting flavours, colours and other ingredients. Vape...

Study: No More Than 6 Teaspoons of Added Sugar per Day JAMA. Published online April 19, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.6285 Moderate-quality evidence has tied high intake of sugars, particularly those containing fructose, with a range of poor outcomes, such as obesity in children, coronary heart disease, and depression, according to an umbrella review of 73 meta-analyses that included 8601 studies, a majority of which were observational. Low-quality evidence linked each additional serving of a...

April 18, 2023. Michael Banissy Professor of Psychological Science, University of Bristol Most of us know how good it feels to receive a hug from a loved one or hold hands with a partner. But what many of us may not realise is that touch is far more than just a simple physical sensation – it’s an essential element in human connection. Touch is a fundamental human need. It affects brain development , and helps us bond and build important social relationships . Touch is also extremely important...

Adding menthol flavoring to electronic cigarettes may damage your lungs more than regular e-cigarettes do, a new study reveals. A number of studies have suggested that e-cigarette vapor can cause lung inflammation, oxidative stress, DNA damage and airway hyper-responsiveness that can trigger asthma, Benam said. Vaping these substances can cause lung damage that impairs lung function. Menthol, he added, is such a toxic substance. The common mint flavoring helps deliver lots more toxic...

Abstract Background: The mechanisms underlying the clinical effects of CBD remain poorly understood. Given the increasing evidence for CBD's effects on mitochondria, we sought to examine in more detail whether CBD impacts mitochondrial function and neuronal integrity. Results: At low micromolar concentrations, CBD reduced mitochondrial respiration, the threshold for mitochondrial permeability transition, and calcium uptake, blocked a novel mitochondrial chloride channel, and reduced the...

Substance engagement – drug use – is always, and we do mean always, the first step to addiction. It all too often starts innocuously enough, a taste, a try, an experiment. However just below the surface of that seemingly libertarian, care-less and ‘free spirited’ façade, there is almost always an attempt to meet or alleviate a perceived need, deficit or dis-ease. We may not be able to ‘name’ it, but we sense it, and that nagging discomfort or discontent that must be addressed legitimately is...

Potential birth defects, cancer and addiction – just name a few! Cannabinoids Exacerbate Alcohol Teratogenesis by a CB1-Hedgehog Interaction DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52336-w Abstract: We tested whether cannabinoids (CBs) potentiate alcohol-induced birth defects in mice and zebrafish, and explored the underlying pathogenic mechanisms on Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signalling. The CBs, Ä9-THC, cannabidiol, HU-210, and CP 55,940 caused alcohol-like effects on craniofacial and brain development,...

Abstract The industrial hemp sector is growing and, in recent years, has launched many novel hemp-derived products, including animal feed. It is, however, unclear to what extent individual cannabinoids from industrial hemp transfer from the feed into products of animal origin and whether they pose a risk for the consumer. Here we present the results of a feeding experiment with industrial hemp silage in dairy cows. Hemp feeding included changes in feed intake, milk yield, respiratory and heart...

Step Right Up - Dealing Death on Social Media! Awkward Conversations: A discussion on how retail drug trafficking has spread into social media, as well as how to regulate and monitor kids' Internet use. #druguse #onlineshopping Understanding Your Kids' Social Media Use | Get Smart About Drugs: https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/media/understanding-your-kids-social-media-use?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

“If we are going to say ‘NO’ to violence against women – and we must – then we cannot say ‘Yes’ to drug use!” Dalgarno Institute “Continuing acceptance and normalisation of drug using behaviours by the culture, whether overt promotion of products or the libertarian pursuit of individual ‘rights’, the acceptance of psychotropic toxins in social and familial settings only grows and will act counter to the need to shift cultural attitudes underpinning ‘acceptable’ violence toward women and...

Summary: In conclusion, the present study describes the neurotoxicity of CBD above a defined concentration threshold and identifies a potential novel mechanism for this deleterious effect on the neuronal structure and function. Our results have significant implications for clinical utilization and public consumption of CBD and CBD containing products. Further investigations are necessary to firmly establish both the therapeutic and toxic dose and concentration ranges for CBD in clinical...

Regardless of the purported opinions and postures around the failing harm reduction ‘vehicle’ that is e-cigarettes, our children’s health, well-being and future should be the priority; motivating the political will to push the QUIT and PREVENTION mandates and mantras in all key Education, Legal and Social arenas. The following excerpt from a recent ABC article is the real issue that should be the key informing element in prevention endeavours to this now emerged public health nightmare....

Cannabis in Adolescence: Lasting Cognitive Alterations and Underlying Mechanisms Abstract: Cannabis consumption during adolescence is an area of particular concern, owing to changes in the social and political perception of the drug, and presents a scientific, medical, and economic challenge. Major social and economic interests continue to push toward cannabis legalization as well as pharmaceutical development. As a result, shifting perceptions of both legal and illicit cannabis use across the...

Abstract (Excerpt): As global interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabis and its’ derivatives for the management of selected diseases increases, it is increasingly imperative that the toxic profile of cannabinoids be thoroughly understood in order to correctly assess the balance between the therapeutic risks and benefits. Modern studies across a number of jurisdictions, including Canada, Australia, the US and Europe have confirmed that some of the most worrying and severe historical...

Conclusions: Accurate and informative labelling of hemp and hemp-derived CBD products is an important public health issue. FDA-regulated product labels are considered an essential tool for protecting consumers and enabling informed decision-making. Untruthful or unsubstantiated health-related claims, and unallowed Drug Claims, in marketing materials and on labels of CBD products may create harm by enticing consumers to forgo more evidence-based medical interventions. Furthermore, missing or...

Today February one, The Australian Newspaper release an article tiled, Exposed: big tobacco’s links to vape research. They report led with…“one of the world’s largest tobacco companies funded research into vapes and e-cigarettes that had positive findings and have since been promoted by Australian researchers”. The Australian went onto report that, Philip Morris infiltrated academia through the Foundation for a Smoke Free World, which launched four years after the ­tobacco giant announced it...

Texas A&M research highlights the need to expand pre-pregnancy messaging to emphasize the reproductive dangers of alcohol use by both parents. (TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY) Research from Dr. Michael Golding ’s laboratory at Texas A&M University indicates that male alcohol use has a significant negative influence on in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates, thus increasing patient financial burden and emotional stress. The recently published work is part of Golding’s research program focused on...

by Society for the Study of Addiction A systematic review published today in the scientific journal Addiction has found that cannabis use leads to acute cognitive impairments that may continue beyond the period of intoxication. This Canadian-led meta-review (review of reviews) merged the findings of 10 meta-analyses representing more than 43,000 participants. The study found that cannabis intoxication leads to small to moderate cognitive impairments in areas including making decisions,...

By Lev Facher Jan. 17, 2023 Increased injection drug use has led to a spike in cases of the life-threatening heart condition endocarditis , with cases rapidly accelerating since the onset of Covid-19. The increased case count is one of the lesser-known side effects of the deadly addiction epidemic. But patients with endocarditis, an inflammation of the heart lining caused by infection, require complex, thoughtful care — care that the U.S. health system is ill-equipped to provide. With drug...

JAMA Psychiatry. Published online November 23, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.3915 Question Is there an association between adolescent high-dose Ä9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure and cognitive vulnerability in adulthood? Findings In this rat model, high-dose THC exposure during adolescence resulted in risky decision-making and impulsivity in adulthood, similar to results from reanalyzed data from 37 human chronic cannabis users, an association enhanced by acute THC reexposure....

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are characterized by problems within 3 domains: self-regulation, neurocognition, and adaptive skills. In the US, it is estimated that 1–5% of children meet criteria for FASD. Researchers used data from the 2017 IBM Watson Health MarketScan Multistate Medicaid and Commercial Claims database for children aged 0–17 to explore the prescribing of psychotropic medications to children with FASD. The authors also collected data on co-occurring medical and mental...

The latest study involved nearly 340,000 reports to poison centers involving all drugs over 20 years. Researchers looked solely at those involving children aged six to 18. They found cases involving marijuana rose the quickest of any substance, replacing alcohol in 2014 and rising fastest between 2017 and 2020 — when weed began to be decriminalized at the federal level – The sharpest surge in marijuana use was between 2017 to 2020, rising by about 40 percent in three years. Researchers in...

How ‘cool’ is vaping the ‘harmless’ weed? Hmmmm? Vaping can transform the Cannabinoid known as CBD – a typically non-intoxicating substance into THC – the psychotropic compound in cannabis that gets you ‘high’. If that’s not enough to warrant a significant level of precaution, vaping cannabis can lead to creating a respiratory poisoning gas called Ketene, which can fill your lungs with fluid and kill you. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of temperature on the composition of...

Trends in intentional abuse and misuse ingestions in school-aged children and adolescents reported to US poison centers from 2000-2020 Between 2000 and 2020, there were 338,727 cases regarding intentional misuse and abuse exposures for children ages 6 through 18 years old. Overall, misuse/abuse ingestions fluctuated over time, with a peak in 2011. The majority of intentional misuse/abuse ingestions occurred in males (58.3%), and more than 80% of all reported exposure cases occurred in youth...

Vaping Crisis Info Sheet – Updated and Expanded (The Harms Grow)

Pregnant and Drinking Don’t Mix – At All! But how do you have that ‘conversation’ with someone who is having a baby and seems oblivious to the harms of alcohol to her baby? Check out this resource Supporting alcohol-free pregnancy and safe breastfeeding | Medcast

Timmen L. Cermak MD December 2, 2022 KEY POINTS Motivation is a subjective experience and therefore extremely difficult to measure objectively. Motivational syndrome has long been seen as a sign of cannabis addiction, but has only recently been measured. Liking and wanting are two different forces. Drug use changes the brain in ways that stimulate wanting the drug. Until recently, I ignored the idea of a cannabis-induced amotivational syndrome. Of course, I was familiar with the stereotypical...

Studies show that vaping is just as bad for oral health as smoking, affecting teeth, gums, and other structures in the mouth. Because so many people think vaping is harmless, this guide was produced to help as many people as possible get the information they need. For More

Researchers say despite the lack of symptom relief, more trials are needed to focus on the targeted use of medicinal cannabis Melissa Davey 29/11 2022 The first high quality study looking at the impact of cannabidiol oil on palliative care patients with advanced cancer found it did not improve their pain, depression, anxiety, or quality of life. Palliative care is one of the conditions for which medicinal cannabis has been approved in Australia. The trial, led by the Mater hospital and the...

After nine years as a homeless drug addict in Los Angeles, Jared Klickstein finally checked himself into a drug treatment center. Unlike the program he had gone to six years before, which had hot tubs, acupuncture, and trips to the beach, this one, in North Hollywood, was deadly serious about personal responsibility. Clients kept a strict schedule. They did chores. They scrubbed toilets. “No hot tubs,” Klickstein said. Most important, they couldn’t use drugs. “If you use, they kick you out,”...

23/11/2022 Drinking even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can change a baby’s brain structure and delay its brain development, according to a new study. Scientists analysed MRI scans of foetuses whose mothers had reported drinking alcohol during their pregnancies, comparing them with the scans of babies whose mothers hadn’t. They found that even in cases of low level alcohol exposure, changes to the brain structure were "significant" "We found the greatest changes in the temporal...

While it's a drug that's widely considered as ‘safe’, nitrous oxide can cause serious harm. Medical professionals are calling for tighter restrictions on the sale of nitrous oxide gas cartridges, colloquially known as ‘nangs’, due to potentially serious harm for users including lasting neurological damage. Nitrous oxide or ‘laughing gas’ is normally used by dentists and medical professionals to provide sedation and pain relief to patients undergoing minor procedures. It’s also a food additive,...

Chronic use of e-cigarettes, commonly known as vaping, can result in progressive small airway obstruction and asthma-like symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pains, according to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). In the first study to microscopically evaluate the pulmonary tissue of e-cigarette users for chronic disease, the team found in a small sample of patients fibrosis and damage in the small airways, similar to the chemical inhalation damage to the lungs...

Chronic use of e-cigarettes, commonly known as vaping, can result in progressive small airway obstruction and asthma-like symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pains, according to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). In the first study to microscopically evaluate the pulmonary tissue of e-cigarette users for chronic disease, the team found in a small sample of patients fibrosis and damage in the small airways, similar to the chemical inhalation damage to the lungs...

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A flagrant black market is selling vapes and e-cigarettes containing nicotine to young people in plain sight of authorities and in contravention of the law, exposing a new generation to the highly addictive substance. Nearly all store-bought vapes contain the chemical nicotine, despite not stating so on the packaging, threatening to undo decades of public health campaigning on the dangers of smoking. Health experts said the true toll of vaping may not be known for years as convenience stores...

NIH-funded results add to growing scientific evidence of negative health effects of cannabis use during pregnancy Prenatal cannabis exposure following the middle of the first trimester—generally after five to six weeks of fetal development—is associated with attention, social, and behavioral problems that persist as the affected children progress into early adolescence (11 and 12 years of age), according to new research supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the...

This brief expose’ below is the inevitable outcome of ever permissive drug policy interpretations. This is happening in several States in the U.S. and it is literally a nightmare, not only for the hapless substance user, but all those around them. The A.C.T. in Australia have just stepped into this space and the proponents of this toxic experiment will work tirelessly to sanitize the outcomes. However, if drug addiction is a ‘disease’ then fundamental aetiology of disease management is being...

The Continued Rise of Unintentional Ingestion of Edible Cannabis in Toddlers—A Growing Public Health Concern As use of cannabis continues to be decriminalized and legalized across the US for adults aged 21 years and older, there has been a concurrent increase in unintentional ingestion of cannabis edibles among children, which raises a significant public health concern. One study found that the mean (SD) age for unintentional ingestion of cannabis edibles in the pediatric population is 25.2...

COMMUNITY VOICES September, 2022 BECCI TEN BENSEL Executive director for Women’s Rural Advocacy Programs September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, promoting new treatment options for those struggling with addiction and emphasizing the need for strong community support. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), a study found that physical domestic violence was 11 times more likely on days of heavy drinking or drug use . Domestic violence can appear...

October 2022 In 2021, alcohol-induced deaths increased to the highest rate in a decade in Australia. The rise in alcohol deaths is driven by a marked increase in the death rate among men and increased deaths due to illnesses arising from long-term or chronic alcohol use, including liver cirrhosis. The root cause of the problem is the alcogenic society in Australia, perpetuated and exploited by the alcohol industry to increase the availability of alcohol products to maximize profits at the cost...

THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ALCOHOL POLICY: ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSIGHTS ON TRANSLATION FROM THE GLOBAL (THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION) TO THE LOCAL (INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA) Highlights from Executive Summary As well as being endorsed as a WHO policy ‘best buy’, formal controls over the physical availability of alcohol continue to be well supported by the residents of many remote and rural Indigenous living areas. These formal controls can be implemented by local governments, by-laws,...

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder – Sadly Incurable, but Totally Preventable FASD - A Global Overview of Children and Youth Inflicted : In this meta-analysis of 24 unique studies and 1416 unique children and youth with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, approximately 8 of 1000 i n the general population had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and 1 of every 13 pregnant women who consumed alcohol during pregnancy delivered a child with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The prevalence of fetal alcohol...

Some observational studies demonstrate a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with light-moderate alcohol intake compared with abstinence or heavy consumption. However, confounding lifestyle factors may explain these patterns. Researchers explored the association between alcohol consumption and CVD using a large genetic databank with 371,463 participants that included blood samples and lifestyle information. They constructed a “genetic instrument” based on single nucleotide polymorphisms...

Breast cancer (BC) is the commonest human cancer and its incidence (BC incidence, BCI) is rising worldwide. Whilst both tobacco and alcohol have been linked to BCI genotoxic cannabinoids have not been investigated…Data show that exposure to cannabis and the cannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, (THC) CBD, CBG and alcoholism fulfil quantitative causal criteria for BCI across space and time. Findings are robust to adjustment for age and several known sociodemographic, socio-economic and hormonal...

(Europe is not exempt from cannabis caused congenital cannabis defects) Data indicate that metrics of cannabis exposure are closely linked with CLAR and satisfy epidemiological criteria for causality. Along with Hawaii and the USA, Europe now forms the third international population in which this causal link has been demonstrated. Cannabis as a predictor of limb anomalies was more potent than tobacco or alcohol. Cannabinoid access should be restricted to protect public health and the community...

Research on pot and sperm quality, gene expression, and child development. July 28, 2022 KEY POINTS Paternal consumption of marijuana prior to conception has been found in rodent studies to alter offspring brain development. Children whose fathers consumed marijuana during their partner's pregnancy may be at higher risk of psychotic symptoms. Pot consumption can trigger epigenetic changes in gene expression, which fathers can pass along to their children. Not all human studies of pot's effects...

By Damian McNamara, MA July 25, 2022 Cannabidiol (CBD) products made from hemp have gotten more popular in recent years. But how much can you trust what the label says, compared to what really is in CBD patches, creams, and lotions? A team of investigators decided to find out. They bought 105 hemp-derived CBD topicals – products designed to be applied to the skin – from physical stores and online sites. Of the 89 labels that list the amount of CBD, for example, 24% matched what was inside; 58%...

Start smoking – lead to e-cigarette use! Start vaping – lead to smoking! #quit Conclusion Our study replicated the positive relation between e-cigarette use and tobacco smoking in both directions for adolescents. This may mean that the gateway works in two directions, that e-cigarette and tobacco use share common risk factors, or that both mechanisms apply. For complete research

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome What Does Neonatal Mean? Neonatal is defined as relating to or affecting a newborn infant during the first month after birth. Neonatal is a term used in many different areas of medicine. Addiction treatment is one field of medicine to use the term neonatal because of neonatal abstinence syndrome. What is Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome? Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a group of medical problems faced by newborns who were exposed to addictive drugs during their...

A new study by Portland State University… found that the toxic gas known as ketene is released when cannabinoid acetates are heated under vaping conditions. Ketene was found previously by researchers studying vitamin E acetate in 2019 in the emissions from a commercial e-cigarette. This led to ketene's identification as a possible source of the vaping-induced lung injury outbreak that led to nearly 3,000 hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. as of February 2020. While ketene is known to be...

This study found that consuming alcohol alone during adolescence predicts future alcohol use disorders, especially for women. This finding holds true even after controlling for other factors such as binge alcohol use, frequency of alcohol use, socioeconomic status, and gender. The study found that about 25% of adolescents and 40% of young adults reported using alcohol alone. The odds of having alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms at age 35 were 35% higher for adolescents who used alcohol alone...

Alcohol & Other Drug Use and the Kincare Crisis This latest concerning report (excerpts below) from yet another inquiry/report/audit into children under care, was at pains to ensure the scope and parameters of this document that only a ‘harm management’ process review was conducted. The sources/origins of harm that facilitate the need for Out Of Home Care (OOHC) were precluded from the Audit. Now, to be fair on this process, it was about attempting to address the concerns of those who are OOHC...

Although vaping is relatively new and studies are limited, some research suggests that it may worsen GERD symptoms. Nicotine and other chemicals in e-cigarettes may cause inflammation and affect the function of the valve that prevents stomach acid from rising into the esophagus. The authors suggest that vaping may cause mucosal injury, oxidative stress , and DNA damage. In addition, they note that the inconsistent regulation of e-cigarettes can result in people inhaling unknown chemicals and...

NO! is one of the most empowering protective factors in the toolkit of well-being. We aggressively – and rightly so – promote campaigns that are unashamedly protective and at the centre of these messages is always a prohibition – a ‘NO.’ We say NO to violence against women and children We say NO to Bullying and abuse We say NO to an ‘acceptable’ road toll through the ZERO campaign We say NO to Tobacco through the QUIT Campaign We say NO to Crime, to Littering, to Neglect to various abuses and...

This is the madness you get when the largely unregulated #marijuana marketing monster is permitted to promote non-clinically trialled products with unsubstantiated claims of care and cure! But that’s exactly what you get in a ‘vote for medicine’ framework. The short-term and intergenerational harms of this #madness is all but guaranteed. It is disturbing enough when the ‘grown ups’ want to self-destruct, but when their actions condemn children to often irreversible harms, it’s beyond...

Cannabis is the second-most common psychoactive substance (after alcohol) used during pregnancy. Elements of cannabis can pass through the placenta and affect the fetus’s development. Frequent cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight and is part of a cluster of risk factors related to other adverse birth outcomes. There are also effects on behaviour in children and young adults, including attention deficits, emotional disturbances, increased hyperactivity and...

Abstract Introduction: Cannabis is commonly used for its medicinal and therapeutic benefits and is also widely used as a recreational drug. Cannabis use has been increasing in Canada, including among Canadian women of reproductive age. Post-legalization, further increases in cannabis use are expected due to increased availability and lowered perceptions of harm. Although cannabinoids are well known for their effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems, endocannabinoid receptors have...

(As we understand it, the Liquor licensing is to eventually migrate to– Department of Justice, but under VGCCC in the interim) A quick synoptic overview of some of the changes to alcohol availability to your community – No prizes for guessing it is not more restrictive. The following Licence types have been granted extended trading hours from 11 pm to 1 am Restaurant and cafe General and late night (general). On-premises This is a concern, as it ‘creeps’ the active alcohol serving hours up...

Frequency of adolescent cannabis smoking and vaping in the United States: Trends, disparities and concurrent substance use, 2017–19 - Cannabis use without vaping appears to be declining among adolescents in the United States, while cannabis use with vaping is accelerating; frequent cannabis vaping is especially increasing, with consistent increases across almost all adolescent demographic groups. Cannabis use among US adolescents remains highly associated with other substance use. For complete...

Children eating the grown-ups ‘medicinal marijuana’ Gummy Bears, being not only sedated but experiencing a disease that affects brain structure and/or function. Encephalopathy causes altered mental state and confusion – Welcome to THC – and its analogues – use! Sedation and Acute Encephalopathy in a Paediatric Patient Following Ingestion of Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol Gummies Abstract BACKGROUND Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8 THC) is an isomer of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9...

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16214149 Abstract: Evidence for an association between cannabis and psychosis has been documented in literature in many forms including experimental studies, epidemiological data, and case series. The association has implications for psychotic outcomes ranging from mild to severe and occurring over minutes to years. Due to the huge variety of exposures and outcome measures reported, creating a coherent account of all the available information is difficult. A useful way to...

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or vapes) are a growing health concernTrusted Source linked to a range of diseases and death. Researchers have found that using pod-based e-cigarettes daily can elevate inflammatory markers across multiple organ systems. The scientists saw that e-cigarettes caused a marked increase in inflammation within the brain’s reward pathways and that these effects also varied depending on e-cigarette flavor. The study also suggested that e-cigarettes may influence how...

All kombucha has a bit of alcohol in it due to the sugar fermenting with the yeast. Commercial brands that have less than 0.5% by volume in it can be sold as “non-alcoholic.” Any more than that and the government considers it to be booze. Fermentation time, temperature, and the way the drink is stored all play roles in how strong it becomes. Some kombucha continues to ferment even in the bottle Some reports link the homemade variety to stomachaches, dizziness, nausea, infections, and allergic...

(This is where the term ‘overdose’ is legitimate. Any drug not legally prescribed cannot be ‘overdosed’ on. Taking these drugs is an act of self-poisoning.) In general, barbiturates can be thought of as so-called brain relaxers. Alcohol is also a brain relaxer. The effects of barbiturates and alcohol are very similar, and when combined can be lethal. Pain medicines, sleeping pills, and antihistamines also cause symptoms similar to those of barbiturates. People who abuse barbiturates use them...

Abstract - Aims: This study was designed to assess links between lifetime levels of marijuana use and accelerated epigenetic aging. Design: Prospective longitudinal study, following participants annually from age 13 to age 30. Findings: Lifetime marijuana use predicted accelerated epigenetic aging, with effects remaining even after covarying cell counts, demographic factors and chronological age (β's = 0.32 & 0.27, p's < 0.001, 95% CI's = 0.21-0.43 & 0.16-0.39 for DNAmGrimAge and DunedinPoAm,...

E-Cigarettes labelled ‘public health crisis’ A damning Research has warned of the “public health crisis” E-Cigarettes are creating, putting a new generation at risk of a range of illnesses. (Australian National University)

Highlights Heightened stress during the pandemic may lead to more college drinking. Cohorts of college students ( N = 694) were surveyed before and during the pandemic. Stress was only linked to more alcohol use among those with low meaning in life. Meaning in one’s life protected against both general and COVID-specific stress. Alcohol interventions may be enhanced by promoting meaning and purpose in life. For complete Research

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Aims : This study was designed to assess links between lifetime levels of marijuana use and accelerated epigenetic aging. Design: Prospective longitudinal study, following participants annually from age 13 to age 30. Setting and participants: A community sample of 154 participants recruited from a small city in the Southeastern United States. Measurements : Participants completed annual assessments of marijuana use from age 13 to age 29 and provided blood samples that yielded two indices of...

Key Points Question: What are the risks and benefits of obtaining a medical marijuana card for adults who seek medical marijuana for pain, insomnia, and anxiety or depressive symptoms? Findings : In this randomized clinical trial involving 186 participants, immediate acquisition of a medical marijuana card increased the incidence and severity of cannabis use disorder (CUD) and resulted in no significant improvement in pain, anxiety, or depressive symptoms, but improved self-reported sleep...

Chronic health conditions, acute health events, and healthcare utilization among adults over age 50 in Hawai’i who use cannabis: A matched cohort study A B S T R A C T Background: Research on cannabis-related health outcomes in diverse older adults is limited. The current study utilized a matched cohort study design to compare older adults in Hawai’i with identified cannabis diagnoses and matched controls on chronic health conditions, acute health events, and healthcare utilization from 2016...

What Are Date-Rape Drugs? Date-rape drugs are substances that make it easier for someone to rape or sexually assault another person. They include alcohol and some medications. The person who’s attacked might become confused, have trouble defending themselves, or not be able to remember what happened later. “Date rape” doesn’t always happen on a date. An attacker could be someone you just met or someone you’ve known for a while. Common Types of Date-Rape Drugs An attacker can use several kinds...

Evidence links e-cigarette use with increased odds of prediabetes New study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine challenges the promotion by some of e-cigarettes as a “safer” smoking alternative, especially for current cigarette smokers “Our study demonstrated a clear association of prediabetes risk with the use of e-cigarettes,” explained lead investigator Shyam Biswal, PhD, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,...

Government Needs to Abandon Plans to Cut Price of Alcohol: Lower Taxes, less reparation revenue, as well as greater public health and community harms. (Open Letter to Federal Treasurer) Read Letter

(And worse still, Our Kids Are Getting Hooked On This Failed Harm Reduction Vehicle) The use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation method did not significantly prevent relapse or successful termination, according to survey findings published in Tobacco Control . “This is the first survey in which e-cigarettes were less popular as a smoking cessation aid than FDA-approved pharmaceutical aids,” John P. Pierce, PhD, a distinguished professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and...

That children have to grow up in homes with parental alcohol problems is an invisible and silent crisis worldwide.* As their parents cannot provide shelter and often basic support, also society is failing to protect and promote the rights of these children. In the United States, more than 10% of children live with a parent with alcohol problems. In the EU, 9 million children grow up with parents who have alcohol problems. There are 2.6 million children of school age living with parental...

Protect Your Brain: Why Age of First Use Matters

“That study further established that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.” February, 2022 A new large-scale genetic study tracking 150,000 Chinese participants for 11 years establishes that “alcohol directly causes cancer.” The study was published in end-January on the International Journal of Cancer. Researchers found that those who had two genetic variants that reduce alcohol tolerance consumed less alcohol, and as a result had reduced risk of cancer compared to those who did not have...

Vaping can be tough on the lungs , but new research warns of another possible danger to men: It may more than double the risk for erectile dysfunction . After tracking erectile dysfunction (ED) risk among nearly 25,000 men aged 20 and older, investigators found that even vapers with no history of heart disease or other health issues typically associated with impotence saw their risk shoot up more than twofold. The finding suggests that while electronic cigarettes may offer some users a helpful...

Cannabis in ALL FORMS takes a Weed Whacker to Your Chromosomes with Professor, Dr. Stuart Reece Listen to Podcast Here

While many Australians enjoy pleasures associated with drinking alcohol, we need to treat it with more caution, with alcohol consumption conservatively estimated to cost the Australian community $66.8 billion a year in health, workplace and other costs, according to research released today. This dollar figure covers some significant personal and community level harms. Examining the Social and Economic Costs of Alcohol Use in Australia: 2017/18 , published by the National Drug Research...

While many Australians enjoy pleasures associated with drinking alcohol, we need to treat it with more caution, with alcohol consumption conservatively estimated to cost the Australian community $66.8 billion a year in health, workplace and other costs, according to research released today. This dollar figure covers some significant personal and community level harms. Examining the Social and Economic Costs of Alcohol Use in Australia: 2017/18 , published by the National Drug Research...

THC Inhibits Hedgehog-dependent Patterning During Pregnancy

(Vaping linked to dysregulation of mitochondrial genes and immune response genes) Nov 24 2021 Since they hit the market, e-cigarettes have been touted as a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes for adult smokers. When research began to suggest otherwise, many questioned whether smoking was still to blame for adverse effects, since most vapers are either "dual users" who also smoke cigarettes or have a prior history of smoking. Now, a team of researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC...

November 10, 2021 Participants were mindful of children’s knowledge and the role they played in modelling consumption practices prior to and during the COVID-19 lockdowns. There may be scope to use the insights provided here to support parents in modelling approaches and engaging with children about alcohol in ways that challenge or disrupt its prominence or acceptability. AUTHOR: Megan Cook (email: m.cook@latrobe.edu.au ), Sandra Kuntsche and Amy Pennay CITATION : Cook, M., Kuntsche, S. and...

(Maternal cannabis use is associated with suppression of immune gene networks in placenta and increased anxiety phenotypes in offspring) PNAS November 23,2021; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2106115118 Significance: Cannabis use is becoming more prevalent, including during developmentally sensitive periods such as pregnancy. Here we find that maternal cannabis use is associated with increased cortisol, anxiety, aggression, and hyperactivity in young children. This corresponded with widespread...

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE : Considerable growth was observed in the prevalence of CUD diagnoses among individuals hospitalized prenatally and in the prevalence of depression, anxiety, nausea, and other conditions in individuals with CUD at hospitalization. This study highlights the need for more screening, prevention, and treatment, particularly in populations with co-occurring CUD and psychiatric disorders. Research on the determinants and outcomes associated with CUD during pregnancy is...

Simply reducing alcohol consumption can greatly reduce the risks, says WHO/Europe Copenhagen, 20 October 2021 Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer type in the WHO European Region, with 1579 women diagnosed every day. Alcohol consumption is one of the major modifiable risk factors for the disease, causing 7 of every 100 new breast cancer cases in the Region. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, WHO encourages everyone to understand that the risk of breast cancer can be...

Key points: * Researchers found pesticides, cleaning agents and potentially dangerous chemicals in vaping products * They also found trace elements of nicotine in products that claim to be nicotine-free * An independent researcher backed the findings as evidence of the need for greater regulation Curtin University respiratory physiologist Alexander Larcombe studied 65 common liquids used in vapes from local suppliers that are available in Australia. Dr Larcombe said the results showed that...

The Redemption of Ginny Burton “I’m so grateful I was ‘locked up’ by people who loved me enough to help me change!” (introduced to Cannabis by her mother when not yet a teen, and so the nightmare unfolded in the… ‘It’s my right to do drugs’ culture. (for more go to “Children: The Lasting Casualties of Family Drug Induced Violence” and “ Ripple Effect: Families Suffer From Others Drug Use” )

By the Specialist Reporting Team's Alison Branley and national medical reporter Sophie Scott Dakota Stephenson started vaping to help manage her anxiety. When 15-year-old Dakota Stephenson first started vaping with friends after school she never imagined it could have potentially deadly consequences. Key points: A teenager ended up in ICU with a condition doctors suspect was linked to regular vaping She is now speaking publicly to warn others about the potential dangers of vapes There are...

Environmental Epigenetics , Volume 7, Issue 1, 2021 Published: 21 September 2021 Abstract: Cannabis use alters sperm DNA methylation, but the potential reversibility of these changes is unknown. Semen samples from cannabis users and non-user controls were collected at baseline and again following a 77-day period of cannabis abstinence (one spermatogenic cycle)... Many of the differences in sperm DNA methylation between groups were diminished after cannabis abstinence. These results indicate...

People under 20 who used vapes were more than three times as likely to have ever smoked tobacco cigarettes, and more than twice as likely to have smoked cigarettes in the previous month, according to a review of 25 studies globally. Serene Yoong, an associate professor at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne and the study’s lead author, said the findings pointed to the need for youth prevention programs and better regulation of e-cigarette products. “Every single study showed an...

(Harms of Cannabis Use Whilst Pregnant) Abstract: Up to 20% of pregnant women ages 18–24 consume cannabis during pregnancy. Moreover, clinical studies indicate that cannabis consumption during pregnancy leads to fetal growth restriction (FGR), which is associated with an increased risk of obesity, type II diabetes (T2D), and cardiovascular disease in the offspring. This is of great concern considering that the concentration of D9- tetrahydrocannabinol (D9-THC), a major psychoactive component...

By Sarah Swain Sep 7, 2021 A health charity is calling for a ban on the over-the-counter sale of vapes, after finding harmful chemicals including disinfectant, petroleum and fish euthanasia drugs inside the electronic smoking devices. Lung Foundation Australia wants action on the sale of vapes, also known as e-cigarettes, which are largely unregulated but, with colourful packaging and fruity flavours, mostly aimed at young people. Research by Curtin University and partly funded by the...

Scientific Reports volume 11 , Article number: 13892 (2021) Cite this article Abstract: Cannabis and cannabinoids are implicated in multiple genotoxic, epigenotoxic and chromosomal-toxic mechanisms and interact with several morphogenic pathways, likely underpinning previous reports of links between cannabis and congenital anomalies and heritable tumours. However the effects of cannabinoid genotoxicity have not been assessed on whole populations and formal consideration of effects as a broadly...

Results: Higher average exposure to MM advertising was associated with higher average use, intentions to use, positive expectancies, and negative consequences. Similarly, higher rates of change in MM advertising exposure were associated with higher rates of change in use, intentions, expectancies, and consequences over seven years. Conclusions: Results suggest that exposure to MM advertising may not only play a significant role in shaping attitudes about marijuana, but may also contribute to...

Nearly a decade ago, the alarm was sounded to the wider public on the long-term dangers of alcohol and MDMA on young brains. The need to reduce demand is grown even more, and measures to promote or permit use, particularly of MDMA is incredibly disturbing. All energies should be put into diminishing, not endorsing or worse, enabling use. Conclusions : The present findings indicate that the developing brain is highly vulnerable to the damaging effects of EtOH and/or MDMA, since mice receiving...

Press release issued: 19 August 2021 Teenagers who use cannabis frequently may be more likely to have children born preterm, when they become parents up to twenty years later, finds a new University of Bristol-led study. The research, published in Scientific Reports, repeatedly assessed 665 participants in a general population cohort on their tobacco and cannabis use between ages 14 to 29 years, before pregnancy. For complete Research

The TGA has today published a revised TGA advertising permission allowing pharmacies and pharmacy marketing to groups to promote, through certain media, that they are able to dispense nicotine vaping products (such as nicotine e-cigarettes, nicotine pods and liquid nicotine) on prescription. The revised advertising permission replaces the permission published in July 2021 to provide greater clarity for pharmacies and pharmacy groups on what is allowed whilst not acting as a ‘push’ for ever...

Association of 1 Vaping Session With Cellular Oxidative Stress in Otherwise Healthy Young People With No History of Smoking or Vaping- A Randomized Clinical Crossover Trial A single 30-minute vaping session can significantly increase cellular oxidative stress. Middlekauff et al demonstrated that vaping is associated with adverse changes in the body that can presage future health problems Like tobacco cigarette (TCIG) smoking, long-term electronic cigarette (ECIG) vaping in young people is...

Denver Health’s substance treatment program sees roughly 500 youths each year for substance abuse, and Thurstone says 95 percent of the referrals he gets are for marijuana, which, despite popular opinion, has been proven to be addictive. Concentrates, with their higher THC levels, may be even more so. But it’s not just the standard trappings of dependence that are worrisome to health care professionals; it’s also that they’re observing a correlation between cannabis concentrates and mental...

The genotoxicity of Cannabis has long been suspected, even acknowledged, be it only in part. Research over the last 5 to 10 years has confirmed the case. Much of this important research has been ‘buried’ in the deluge of ‘hopeful’ and even spectacular claims of the potential therapeutic capacity of cannabis. Claims and promises that have persisted for well over 20 years, yet with little to nothing to show for it. However, the harms associated with the use of this now heavily engineered...

Introduction The rising popularity of TikTok among adolescents may influence their awareness and perceptions of e-cigarette use via user-generated content. This study aimed to examine how e-cigarette/vaping-related videos are portrayed on TikTok. Methods The nine most viewed hashtag based keywords were used to identify popular e-cigarette/vaping-related videos on TikTok (n=1000) from its inception (earliest upload date: January 2019) to November 2020. Five researchers independently coded the...

The NHMRC Drinking Guidelines 2021 : It is important to note these are just ‘guidelines’, not recommendations. However, the growing evidence around both short- and long-term harms of alcohol consumption warrant a more robust set of warnings for consumers to better inform and create appropriate awareness of the real and growing harms. You will note that alcohol should not be consumed by those under the age of 18 or (Growing evidence suggests 21 should be Minimum Legal Drinking Age ) women...

CBC News – June 2021 "I was hanging around some older kids, and I got into a drug called ecstasy and I was addicted to that," she said, explaining she began experimenting with drugs in high school in an effort to fit in. But things changed when one of the older guys she hung out with offered her crystal meth, a much cheaper alternative to the drugs she had been buying. "From there, I never touched another drug. It had a hold on me for the first time I used it." It was the beginning of a long...

ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) refers to traumatic incidents in childhood. They were identified in the epidemiological CDC-Kaiser ACE Study that surveyed 17,000 participants. The Study looked at how 10 types of childhood trauma (ACEs) affected a person’s long-term health. They included: physical, emotional or sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect; living with a family member a problem drinker or alcoholic or used street drugs was in a household with a family member who was...

There is no such thing as a “safe” level of drinking, with increased consumption of alcohol associated with poorer brain health. Conclusion: No safe dose of alcohol for the brain was found. Moderate consumption is associated with more widespread adverse effects on the brain than previously recognised. Individuals who binge drink or with high blood pressure and BMI may be more susceptible. Detrimental effects of drinking to be great than other modifiable factors. Current ‘low risk’ drinking...

Earlier age at drug initiation has been shown to be associated with faster transition to substance use disorder (SUD). Discussion | Using nationally representative data, we observed higher prevalence of SUD within 12 months of cannabis and prescription misuse initiation among adolescents than among young adults (e.g., cannabis use disorder: 10.7%vs 6.4% within 12 months; 20.1% vs 10.9% at more than 36 months), consistent with the association of faster transition to SUDs with younger age at...

Brisbane mother Peta Rickard used to drink three bottles of champagne a night, but is now part of a growing sobriety movement. New figures have found there has been a large increase in Australians drinking in isolation, with some drinking daily. The boozy mum culture is starting to wear thin, with women shunning cork-popping social circles in favour of a healthier life. The Queensland Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies reports that “sober curiosity” is beginning to take hold. Data...

In a recent article in Queensland’s Courier Mail, It literally melts kids’ brains the issue of ‘chroming’ or inhalant use has been put back on the public radar. Whilst this issue has never disappeared, it does come to public attention when harms grow. Hospitalisations for teenagers suffering from chroming sickness have increased for the fifth straight year as a teacher’s call to ban an aerosol deodorant linked to the devastating habit goes unheard. Hospitalisations have increased by 40 per...

This study found that 22% of the children in the sample had sipped alcohol. Beer was the most frequently sipped and the beverage originally belonged to the father. The study concludes that, providing sips of alcohol to children is associated with them having more favorable expectations about alcohol use. RELEASE DATE : 01/04/2021 The Association Between Child Alcohol Sipping and Alcohol Expectancies in the ABCD Study Abstract – Background: Underage alcohol use is a serious societal concern,...

Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic substance people ingest from certain types of mushrooms that grow in regions of Europe, South America, Mexico, and the United States. Risks People who have taken psilocybin in uncontrolled settings might engage in reckless behavior, such as driving while intoxicated. Some people may experience persistent, distressing alterations to the way they see the world. These effects are often visual and can last anywhere from weeks to years after using the hallucinogen....

Drug involvement at the most recent FDV (Family/Domestic Violence) incident was also associated with over twice the odds of injury and significantly greater negative life impact. The findings that drug use increases both the risk for and impact of FDV indicate the need for policy that advocates for interventions addressing both drug use and violence in combination. View PDF

Abusing drugs at early ages makes a rocky period of development even rockier. Behavioral changes stemming from drug use is common among young people who use substances. Some drug users in the 18-25 age range may show, a result of their drug use, that: They have a hard time controlling their emotions. They have poor judgment or reasoning ability. They’re not likely to think about how their drug use or drug addiction can bring consequences They engage in high-risk and impulsive behaviors....

19 March 2021|Media Parents of pupils at a school near Richmond’s controversial injecting room were told not to use the main entrance on Thursday after a dead body was found outside . Mums and dads say they are “living in constant fear” and the suspected drug overdose is just the latest in a long list of crimes that blight their neighbourhood. The Herald Sun can reveal Richmond West Primary School, which is metres from the injecting room, had been placed into lockdown twice in less than a...

DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001303 Abstract Background: Male marijuana use has increased steadily over the last decade, but its effect on risk of spontaneous abortion to our knowledge has not been studied. Results: Among 1535 couples who conceived during follow-up, 9% of men reported preconceptional marijuana use <1 time/week and 8% ≥1 time/week. Nineteen percent of pregnancies ended in spontaneous abortion. Compared with no use, adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for male marijuana use were 1.1 (95%...

Researchers looked at 25 pregnant women who had a history of marijuana use when admitted to hospitals for delivery Within two weeks of giving birth, the women had levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of 5.5 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) on average in their breast milk This is higher than the blood THC level of five ng/mL or higher needed to charge drivers with a DUI, in some states By six weeks post-delivery, the THC levels in breast milk had dropped to about two ng/mL, low but still...

A survey taken between December 2016 and January 2018 shows that adolescents who vape marijuana are more likely to wheeze and cough than those who smoke cigarettes or vape nicotine. The federally funded Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study surveyed nearly 15,000 teens. It showed that vaping marijuana increased the risk of wheezing or whistling in the chest by 81 percent compared to a 15 percent increased risk from cigarettes and a 9 percent increased risk from nicotine...

Research has demonstrated an association between e-cigarette use (vaping) and initiation of combustible cigarette (tobacco) use among youth. This study used data from a US national sample (N=3426, age 15–27) to examine the magnitude of this association among youth with e-cigarette use from 2017 to 2019, when “pod mod” devices—which deliver high nicotine concentrations—had the largest share of the market. Compared with youth who had never had e-cigarette use, those who initiated it in 2018 were...

Easy A’s Now Means Struggles Down The Road A common belief among students is that taking their friend’s Adderall will help them stay awake and be able to retain information better, but studies on academic performance and Adderall find there is no proof of benefit when used that way. Conversely, they are damaging the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that stores long-term memories, according to Begdache, who began researching Adderall abuse in 2009 when a student asked her about it. She...

Dating violence was nearly twice as likely if either partner drank alcohol. Women were nearly twice as apt to perpetrate dating violence when they used drugs. Men were 1.4 times more likely to perpetrate dating violence when they used drugs. Estimated blood alcohol level and binge drinking were related to dating violence. Introduction: Although the association between substance use and dating violence is well-established in the research literature, there is limited research establishing the...

(Drug Use Permission Models – The War FOR Drugs – Only worsens this horrendous and growing Issue #childprotection #preventdontpromote) The first key component of helping drug endangered children is establishing a clear understanding of the risks children face when their caregivers are engaged in drug activity or substance use. This knowledge highlights the need for collaborative efforts to help these children and their families and motivates practitioners to look at how they can do their jobs...

OPEN LETTER on Decriminalization of Drugs 2020.pdf

JAMA Pediatr. Published online January 19, 2021. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.5494 Question Is cannabis use disorder associated with heightened risk of self-harm, suicide, and mortality among youths with mood disorders? Findings This population-based cohort study of Medicaid-enrolled youths with mood disorders found that the presence of cannabis use disorder was significantly associated with an increased risk of nonfatal self-harm, all-cause mortality, and death by unintentional overdose...

Women who use marijuana could have a more difficult time conceiving a child than women who do not use marijuana, suggests a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. Marijuana use among the women’s partners — which could have influenced conception rates — was not studied. The researchers were led by Sunni L. Mumford, Ph.D., of the Epidemiology Branch in NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The study appears in Human...

(So why not a QUIT Cannabis Campaign too? Hmmm, the cognitive dissonance continues) WHO today launches a year-long global campaign for World No Tobacco Day 2021 - “Commit to Quit." The new WHO Quit Challenge on WhatsApp and publication “More than 100 reasons to quit tobacco" are being released today to mark the start of the campaign. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of tobacco users saying they want to quit. The campaign will support at least 100 million people as they try to give up...

Abstract: Background: Cardiovascular anomalies are the largest group of congenital anomalies and the major cause of death in young children, with various data linking rising atrial septal defect incidence (ASDI) with prenatal cannabis exposure. Objectives / Hypotheses: Is cannabis associated with ASDI in USA? Is this relationship causal? Results: ASDI rose nationally three-fold from 27.4 to 82.8 / 10,000 births 1991–2014 during a period when tobacco and alcohol abuse were falling but cannabis...

Cannabinoids Exacerbate Alcohol Teratogenesis (Alcohol & Cannabis Toxic Combination for Developing Babies) Scientific Reports volume 9, Article number: 16057 (2019) Abstract: We tested whether cannabinoids (CBs) potentiate alcohol-induced birth defects in mice and zebrafish, and explored the underlying pathogenic mechanisms on Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling. The CBs, Δ9-THC, cannabidiol, HU-210, and CP 55,940 caused alcohol-like effects on craniofacial and brain development, phenocopying Shh...

Research shows that use of tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs or misuse of prescription drugs by pregnant women can have severe health consequences for infants. This is because many substances pass easily through the placenta, so substances that a pregnant woman takes also reach the fetus. 91 Recent research shows that smoking tobacco or marijuana, taking prescription pain relievers, or using illegal drugs during pregnancy is associated with double or even triple the risk of stillbirth. 92...

BBC News A drug that was weaponised by the UK's most prolific rapist and the serial killer Stephen Port should be reclassified, says an official report Currently GHB is in class C, with anabolic steroids and some tranquilisers. What is killer drug GHB? Stephen Port: The killer the police missed Gerald Matovu: The link between a Grindr murderer and a serial killer Reynhard Sinaga: The sexual predator who waited outside nightclubs The official review was commissioned following calls for a change...

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November, 2020 Children living in homes where with an adult experiencing one or more of the "toxic trio" of mental illness, domestic abuse or substance misuse, are more likely to be victims of crime, research has found. Children living in households with an adult who reported going through mental ill-health or domestic abuse were more likely to have been a victim of crime in the previous 12 months than children living in households where the interviewed adult did not report mental ill-health...

The recent paper by Stanciu discussing cannabis use in pregnancy 1 makes several useful and highly salient points. With a more complete understanding of the published literature further important patterns in the data emerge. They aid our understanding of the pathobiology of in utero cannabis exposure and thereby powerfully inform the community on the most appropriate manner in which to regulate cannabis and cannabinoids from an improved evidence base. For complete Article

Marijuana & Pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists) “Medical marijuana is not safer than recreational marijuana.” View PDF

Zona Black Senior Editor Oct 13, 2020 We might not be drinking more overall during the pandemic, but there’s one group of Australians whose habits are deeply concerning: Women. Already, women have been closing the consumption gap between the genders – men traditionally being the bigger drinkers. The effects of the global pandemic – job losses and insecurity, home schooling and all the stress that comes with a life-altering event – have manifested in higher alcohol consumption rates among...

When asked what was her worst memory, Jennea said that as a child during her third or fourth birthday her mother 'showed up with skinheads at my birthday party like nothing ever happened' View Video

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Nature Medicine volume 26 , pages1536–1540 (2020) Abstract: Cannabis use in pregnancy has increased 1 , 2 , and many women continue to use it throughout pregnancy 3 . With the legalization of recreational cannabis in many jurisdictions, there is concern about potentially adverse childhood outcomes related to prenatal exposure 4 . Using the provincial birth registry containing information on cannabis use during pregnancy, we perform a retrospective analysis of all live births in Ontario,...

About half (51 per cent) reported that there has been an increase in the involvement of alcohol in family violence situations since the COVID-19 restrictions were introduced, while 40 per cent said alcohol’s involvement had not changed and none of the respondents reported decreased involvement. Current issues with alcohol use and family violence identified included: » increased alcohol use because of changed circumstances » alcohol use increasing verbal and physical abuse » alcohol adding to...

The findings are reported as use of cannabis during pregnancy has 'skyrocketed' Date: September 23, 2020 Source: Washington University in St. Louis While cannabis use during pregnancy is on the rise, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found evidence that the resulting children are more likely to have psychopathology in middle childhood. "There have been increasingly permissive and lenient attitudes toward cannabis use among pregnant people," said Sarah Paul, a clinical...

“Harm-reduction” advocates do little more than pass out drug supplies to the sick and dying. Erica Sandberg September, 2020 San Francisco has a serious drug problem, particularly among its homeless population. Roughly 8,000 people live on the city’s sidewalks or in its alleyways, public parks, and playgrounds. People with needles in their arms and legs, holding glass pipes and lighters, are a regular sight. Users go limp in doorways and tents, or they career about, dazed and distraught, or...

The COVID‐19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on every aspect of our lives, including the way we drink alcohol. The Australian Government has implemented strict social distancing measures to contain and prevent the spread of the virus, including requiring all food and drink premises to close or only offer takeaway and home delivery. New South Wales (NSW) Liquor and Gaming has responded to these measures by temporarily relaxing liquor licensing restrictions to allow any licensed...

It is way past time to promote drug use exiting recovery, not simply 'harm reduction' mechanisms that only sustain on going drug use. If there is no focus on an exit strategy from the 'Harm Causer' - the drug, then we are are simply putting 'Band-Aids' on gangrenous wounds. Read More

— "Another piece of the puzzle" of how marijuana use affects childhood outcomes Children exposed to marijuana in utero had a moderately elevated risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, according to a Canada-based retrospective study. Mothers who used cannabis while pregnant had a 50% higher likelihood of having a child with autism (adjusted hazard ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.17–1.96), reported Daniel Corsi, PhD, of Ottawa Hospital in Ontario, and colleagues. Hints of increased risk of...

FDA strongly advises against the use of cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and marijuana in any form during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. What do we know about the effects of marijuana use during pregnancy and while breastfeeding? There are many potential negative health effects from using marijuana and other products containing THC during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General recently advised consumers that marijuana use during pregnancy may...

This study found: Children’s risk of marijuana and alcohol use and attitudes toward marijuana were influenced by their parents’ marijuana use pattern over time. Children whose parents used marijuana primarily during adolescence/early adulthood and those whose parents continued to use marijuana from adolescence through adulthood were at highest risk. When parents use drugs such as marijuana, their children may also be affected. Numerous studies have shown that current parental marijuana use...

When Jessica Birch says "make or break" she really means it. If these accommodations aren't made, she could be in bed for days recovering. The 34-year-old has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a lifelong, permanent and debilitating disorder which is caused when alcohol crosses the placenta to the developing baby during pregnancy. Jessica's many symptoms include chronic fatigue, a sleep disorder, heart rate, digestion, and sweat glands that function erratically and problems with her...

The Pregnant Pause Community Heroes campaign launched this week encouraging ACT businesses and organisations to join a growing network that supports mums-to-be in having alcohol-free pregnancies. Pregnant Pause — an initiative of FARE, supported by the ACT Government — is a thriving community of pregnant women and their partners, support people, families and friends, focused on support and awareness that there is no safe amount, no safe time and no safe type of alcohol during pregnancy For...

Compared to babies of mothers who didn’t use cannabis before or during pregnancy, infants of those who still used it at 15 weeks had a smaller birth weight, head circumference and length. They were also born at an earlier gestational age. This is cause for concern as these outcomes are strongly linked to future child health and development. We saw bigger differences in these neonatal outcomes for women who used cannabis more than once a week than for those who used it less often. We also found...

Combining MDMA and alcohol increases the risk of adverse or severe side effects. In some cases, side effects can be fatal or cause long-term health problems. Taking both MDMA and alcohol increases the risk of an acute intoxication and accompanying harms. If people think someone has consumed MDMA or too much alcohol or both, they should seek immediate medical help. All use of psychotropic toxins carries risk, both short and long term. No use is best health practice. For complete article

Harms of Prescription Opioids – TGA is finally starting the Fix! Governments have now quantified just some of the short and long term harms of misuse of prescription opioids , particularly in the OST (Opioid Substitute Treatment) Arena. It is way past time to look at evidence-based and successful drug-use exiting recovery therapies. For more options go to

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Smoking cannabis boosts brains' sensitivity to cocaine, US researchers report Young rats exposed to cannabis had 'enhanced reaction' to cocaine exposure In young humans cannabis abuse can enhance experiences with a different drug Cannabis is a gateway drug that gives users a heightened sensitivity to harder illegal substances like cocaine, a new study suggests. US researchers found adolescent rats that had been pre-exposed to cannabis had an enhanced reaction to their first exposure to...

Abstract Cannabis is the third most used psychoactive substance worldwide. The legal status of cannabis is changing in many Western countries, while we have very limited knowledge of the public health impact of cannabis-related harms. There is a need for a summary of the evidence of harms and risks attributed to cannabis use, in order to inform the definition of cannabis risky use. We have conducted a systematic review of systematic reviews, aiming to define cannabis- related harms. We...

Soaring rates of vaping among young people and associated problems have resulted in great urgency and important challenges for policymakers. Despite the urgency, policies should be evidence-based and thoughtfully designed. They require effective, collaborative, and well-funded enforcement by federal and state governments. Policymakers should aim to reduce vaping among young people while maintaining avenues to help smokers quit. Finally, policies should be forward-thinking, since the...

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PMID: 32187114 DOI: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000638 Abstract Objectives: Cannabis is a known teratogen. Data availability addressing both major congenital anomalies and cannabis use allowed us to explore their geospatial relationships. Methods: Data for the years 1998 to 2009 from Canada Health and Statistics Canada was analyzed in R. Maps have been drawn and odds ratios, principal component analysis, correlation matrices, least squares regression and geospatial regression analyses have been...

First published:20 February 2020 Abstract - Findings: the initiation of recreational cannabis commercialization was associated with 5.06–5.80 more exposures per 1 000 000 population per quarter (67–77% increase relative to the pre‐legalization average), depending on the composition of comparison states. The increase associated with commercialization was higher among minors than adults (7.97–9.53 versus 3.83–4.21 more exposures), higher among males than females (6.16–7.56 versus 3.76–3.91 more...

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The study finds that marijuana commercialization was associated with a 67-77% increase in marijuana exposure calls to poison control centers, with a dramatic rise in exposures among those below the age of 21 . According to the study, had all 50 states and DC commercialized marijuana in 2017, the total number of exposures nationwide would have risen by more than 60%. Also according to the study, marijuana commercialization increased the availability and accessibility of marijuana among minors....

Abstract – Background: E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid and deliver an aerosolized product to the user. Pulmonary illnesses related to e-cigarette use have been reported, but no large series has been described. In July 2019, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Illinois Department of Public Health received reports of lung injury associated with the use of e-cigarettes (also called vaping) and launched a coordinated public health investigation....

Download PDF Copy By Dr. Liji Thomas, MD Mar 8 2020 From August 2019 to date, over 2,700 patients have been reported with e-cigarette, or vaping, associated lung injury (EVALI) in all the states of the US. Study - Severe Lung Injury Associated With Use of e-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products—California, 2019. Image Credit: Shannon Laura / Shutterstock The study results The investigators found that among 160 patients with EVALI of whom approximately 60% were male, with a median age of 27 years,...

Jake's story - mental illness, psychotic symptoms, dropping out of university

February 2020 The use of alcohol and tobacco by young people and children is closely linked to the use of illicit drugs, a UN-backed narcotics control body warned on Thursday. The International Narcotics Control Board ( INCB ) annual report cites studies which reveal that, in young people aged between 16 and 19, early use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis leads to an increased likelihood of the use of opiates and cocaine in adulthood. The report also shows that substance abuse and associated...

Journal of Neuroscience 6 March 2019, 39 (10) 1817-1827; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3375-17.2018 Abstract: Rates of cannabis use among adolescents are high, and are increasing concurrent with changes in the legal status of marijuana and societal attitudes regarding its use. Recreational cannabis use is understudied, especially in the adolescent period when neural maturation may make users particularly vulnerable to the effects of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on brain structure....

“Compared to many, my childhood was a cakewalk. Because your childhood beat you around and left you in pain doesn’t mean that you’ll continue the cycle. Let your hurt be the source of your greatest compassion, the deepest love and understanding. You can do anything. Walk through it, don’t numb or hide. It’s been twenty-eight years since I stopped drugs and dedicated myself to a spiritual path, but those hard drugs I did, the heroin, cocaine, and meth, they hurt me bad, it took a long time to...

Depression, anxiety, and trauma diagnoses and symptoms were associated with higher odds of cannabis use among pregnant women in California. These results support previous qualitative findings that pregnant women self-report using cannabis to manage mood and stress3,4 and suggest a dose-response association, with higher odds of cannabis use associated with co-occurring depressive and anxiety disorders and greater depression severity. However, research is needed to determine the direction of...

The youth vaping epidemic is of longer duration. Current use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products increased by 900% among U.S. middle and high school students between 2011 and 2015, declined in 2016, and then increased again between 2017 and 2018, erasing previous progress. 2 In 2019, more than 5.2 million young people in the United States reported current use, including 27.5% of high school students and 10.5% of middle school students. 2 Both these epidemics predominantly affect young people...

REGULATE THIS INSANITY! It is not a conflation to say all illicit drug use can lead to this outcome, especially in a culture that seeks only pleasure, or only avoidance of any discomfort! Murderous rampages, superhuman strength, and a high more potent than crystal meth: As deadly drug claims its first British victim, RICHARD PENDLEBURY investigates the insanity of taking flakka By RICHARD PENDLEBURY FOR THE DAILY MAIL PUBLISHED: 8 February 2020 Camille Balla will next appear at the Palm Beach...

Bieber revealed that he first tried marijuana when he was just 13 after rocketing to fame as a child when he was discovered on YouTube. After becoming dependent on weed, Justin began to drink lean — a narcotic substance often called purple drank or sizzurp — as well as taking pills, doing Molly, and trying mushrooms. Justin eventually decided to get sober because he was 'dying', and said people aren't aware of how 'serious' his addictions were. He explained: 'I was, like, dying. People don't...

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cross-sectional study, parental marijuana use was associated with increased risk of substance use among adolescent and young adult offspring living in the same household. Screening household members for substance use and counseling parents on risks posed by current and past marijuana use are warranted. JAMA Network Open. 2019;2(11):e1916015. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.16015

The research, published Jan. 21 in JAMA Pediatrics , was conducted by the anti-tobacco advocacy group Truth Initiative. "Youth tobacco use is at its highest in nearly 20 years, primarily driven by e-cigarettes resulting in over 5 million youth now vaping across America," Robin Koval, CEO and president of Truth Initiative, said in a news release. "Years of progress in the fight against youth tobacco [use] have been reversed," Koval added, "with millions of teens, most of whom were not smokers,...

· How long? · Drug tests · How does it work? · Metabolization · Molly detox · Summary Molly, which is another name for the drug MDMA, typically stays in a person's system for several days. The exact length of time depends on several factors, including the person's metabolism and the amount of the drug they have taken. Molly detox : It is not possible to speed up the detox process for molly. The body will clear it from the system at its own pace, based on the liver's ability to break down the...

Marijuana use during pregnancy can have a significant impact on the health of unborn babies, a new joint study by Western University and Queen’s University researchers says. “This is the first study to definitively support the fact that THC alone has a direct impact on placental and fetal growth” study co-author and Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry associate professor Dan Hardy said in a statement. In lab rats, researchers showed regular exposure to a low dose of THC — meant to mimic...

Family dinners build relationships, and help kids do better in school. Eating together was a small act, and it required very little of us—45 minutes away from our usual, quotidian distractions—and yet it was invariably one of the happiest parts of my day Using data from nearly three-quarters of the world’s countries, a new analysis from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that students who do not regularly eat with their parents are significantly more likely...

Research also shows that “Effective modulation of the stress response is an essential component of resilience and is dependent on a complex interplay of neurobiological and behavioral factors.” 11 We may come to find that reducing significant stress among vulnerable groups is one of the most important behavioral, prevention, and public health goals. Stress is certainly a major cause of drug and alcohol craving. 12 It also causes a drive for relief, which is often seen as the proximal event in...

What You Aren’t Being Told!

Preventing the Use of Marijuana: Focus on Women and Pregnancy addresses the established health risks of marijuana use to pregnant women and their children, as well as the expanding evidence base on other potential harms of use during pregnancy. I encourage you to use this guide to be informed of the adverse health consequences and potential effects of marijuana use, and to promote healthy decision-making among pregnant and postpartum women. Elinore F. McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant...

Jeff Parsons 19 Dec 2019 The first conclusive study over the health effects of vaping has been published over in the US and it’s not good news. According to the study, carried out by researchers from the University of San Francisco, vaping does contribute to lung disease in adults regardless of whether or not they also smoke tobacco. They state that vapers are 1.3 times more likely than non-vapers to develop diseases like chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or asthma. ‘I think it’s a critically...

BY KEVIN NGUYEN UPDATED WED AT 5:41AM Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Parents are being asked to reconsider allowing their kids to drink alcohol these holidays. PIXABAY Thinking about giving a child wine or beer during Christmas dinner? Researchers say even a "sip" could lead to toxic drinking habits as they become older. Key points: Drinking even once as a child was associated with binge drinking in later years A researcher said Australia had an unhealthy approach to alcohol compared to other...

Dr Rob Waterman (Rural Health Tasmania) Source: PODCAST © Tasmania Talks

FACTS WRONG ON UK PILL TESTING, USE AND DEATHS 15 December 2019 An article published in Tasmania’s Mercury is an example of misinformation being peddled by pill testing supporters to the media, with the island’s peak ATOD body misquoting UK statistics to push a bogus rationale for pill testing. In the article Tasmania ATDC CEO Alison Lai asserts that UK ecstasy deaths have been increasing while ecstasy use has been decreasing, leading her to support the notion spread by the UK’s Dr Fiona...

Hard Truths About Today's CBD Products, Websites, and Financial Activity Potency Gaps, Carcinogens, High Heavy Metal Levels — LegitScript Study Reveals Even More LegitScript reviewed hundreds of CBD websites for regulatory compliance, tested dozens of products for potency and safety, and investigated financial activity behind the transactions. A peek at just some of the findings revealed: 67% of tested CBD products had massive potency deviations 7% of tested CBD products contained harmful...

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (DSH, DND, DSL) and Hatton Research Institute, TriHealth, Cincinnati, Ohio (CGD). Abstract OBJECTIVES: This study aims to clarify any association between infant birth weight and cannabis use in pregnancy based on urine drug screens. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review of singleton births from August 2013 through December 2014 with available urine drug screens (UDS) at initiation of prenatal care and delivery was conducted at a large tertiary...

Royal Australasian College of Physicians Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Rural Doctors Association of Australia Australian Medical Association Australian Nursing Midwifery Association National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Association Public Health Association of Australia Dear Board Chair/President, I am writing as the Secretary for Drug Free...

Everyone at Risk, Teenagers more so!

Coroners Report Does Not Recomment Pill Testing in Tasmania Chief Executive Officer, of Rural Health Tasmania, Robert Waterman, came out today with further evidence that the push to trial pill testing in Tasmania is based on a deliberate deception. For more download PDF

This is just the beginning, pulmonary researchers caution. By Alexandra Pattillo on December 4, 2019 After using a marijuana vape pen for just six months, a 49-year-old retired dog trainer went to the doctor coughing and wheezing, reporting shortness of breath upon exertion. The woman had smoked off and on through her teens and twenties, but was healthy — other than her worrying throat symptoms. Her doctors gave her a rare and surprising diagnosis: hard-metal pneumoconiosis — a lung disease...

CONCLUSIONS & RELEVANCE : In this cross-sectional study, parental marijuana use was associated with increased risk of substance use among adolescent and young adult offspring living in the same household. Screening household members for substance use and counseling parents on risks posed by current and past marijuana use are warranted. For Article

CBD may pose unknown health risks and cannot be marketed as a dietary supplement, food or therapeutic cure-all. CBD products may be trendy, but health officials are worried that these products — which are often marketed illegally — may not be safe. Yesterday (Nov. 26), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to 15 companies that sell CBD products because the products violate federal law. The agency also issued an update to consumers about the popular products, and...

The Dutch government and Dutch society failed to realize the country had moved from consuming drugs to producing them, and on a global scale. “I have grave concerns about the disruption that addictive drugs are causing. The drug economy undermines every aspect of society and threatens the legitimate economy. But it also threatens our standards, our values and our security.” Dutch minister of Justice and Security, Ferdinand Grapperhaus For complete story

The FDA is working to answer questions about the science, safety, and quality of products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds, particularly CBD. The FDA has approved only one CBD product, a prescription drug product to treat two rare, severe forms of epilepsy. It is currently illegal to market CBD by adding it to a food or labeling it as a dietary supplement. The FDA has seen only limited data about CBD safety and these data point to real risks that need to be considered before...

BU researcher finds that miscarriages are more likely when the father uses marijuana weekly - If a man habitually uses marijuana even as little as once a week, could that increase the risk of his partner experiencing a miscarriage in early pregnancy? A first-of-its-kind study suggests so. By analyzing more than six years of lifestyle and behavioral data from 1,535 heterosexual couples actively trying to conceive, Boston University School of Public Health researcher Alyssa Harlow discovered...

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E-cigarette use takes a serious toll on heart health—a big concern given the high prevalence of e-cigarettes and perception of e-cigarettes as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, according to new research that will be presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2019—November 16-18 in Philadelphia. Read More

Medical Xpress: Frequent cannabis (marijuana) use among young people was linked to an increased risk of stroke and people diagnosed with cannabis use disorder were more likely to be hospitalized for heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias), according to two new preliminary studies to be presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2019 "The effects of using cannabis are seen within 15 minutes and last for around three hours. At lower doses, it is linked to a rapid...

A new study found that when people use alcohol and drugs together, their risk for an alcohol overdose increases. The study looked at 660 patients who had experienced alcohol poisoning, passing out, or blacking out events, and found only 20 percent had been using alcohol alone. The most common drug used in combination with alcohol users who experienced an alcohol overdose was marijuana. When used in combination with alcohol, several drugs have the power to increase alcohol intake beyond what a...

The growing and disturbing evidence of harms done invitro and lifetime impacts Download PDF

The research suggests that there is no safe period to consume marijuana during pregnancy. Scientists have shown in a new study that one-time exposure during early pregnancy to cannabinoids (CBs) like THC or CBD can trigger growth abnormalities in the developing embryo. This was the first time that such a connection has been highlighted in the mammalian womb. Parnell says that CBD and THC may be causing defects as a result of interactions at the cellular level that disrupt signaling between...

Marijuana is the Number 1 substance now found in suicides of young people in Colorado who are 15-19 years old. Go to the below Colorado website and click on the box that lists “methods, circumstances and toxicology” and then click on the box for 15-19 years olds. The marijuana data found here Marijuana and Suicide – The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: The Impact Vol 6 In suicides in the age range 10 – 19 the most significant drug involved was Marijuana (Pages 41-46)

But what’s been a beacon of hope for North American drug policy reformers could be regressing towards punitive approaches that Americans are all too familiar with. On September 30, Rui Moreira, the mayor of Porto, contradicted his past pro-harm reduction positions, like the ones made at the 2019 Harm Reduction International conference in his own city, when he endorsed reintroducing criminal penalties for drug use in public spaces during a municipal assembly meeting. Drug decriminalization “is...

So, Doing Drugs for Fun? (What it Really Costs to Ignore Justice!) Is, simply, good. Very good, in fact. It is a deep-dive through the superficial fun of a party drug that 1 million Britons take into the brutality beneath. It manages to be compelling, honest and unpreachy, and treats its subject with robust respect. They visit the slums and the tenants they control, meet the children who have an 80% chance of being recruited into the industry, and go out on patrol with the navy to understand...

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JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;76(7):762-764. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0076 Mirroring increases in the general population, the prevalence of past-month marijuana use among pregnant mothers in the United States increased by 75% between 2002 (2.85%) and 2016 (4.98%). 1 Although cannabis use has been linked to psychosis, little is known about prenatal exposure. 2 , 3 Unprecedented increases in marijuana use during pregnancy, alongside evidence that cannabis use is correlated with psychosis and that...

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Studies on marijuana's effects on sex and reproduction have yielded mixed results Some have suggested heavy pot users have poorer quality sperm A new Danish study is the first to find the central nervous system's cannabis receptors are in the testicles, too This system plays a role in how sperm is produced and matures Researchers say marijuana may effect these receptors and therefore sperm For complete article

Those were the words of Minister of Health Ginette Taylor in November 2017, spoken as the government of Canada began to put together Bill 45, known as The Cannabis Act. Over a year has passed since the enactment of Bill 45 and questions still remain regarding the safety of legal cannabis to our pregnant population, both in the short- and long-term. Even preceding the legalization of cannabis in Canada, a 2017 survey by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) indicated that from...

FOR RELEASE: September 10, 2019 As part of its regular monitoring of health-related advertising claims, the Federal Trade Commission today sent warning letters to three companies that sell oils, tinctures, capsules, “gummies,” and creams containing cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical compound derived from the cannabis plant. The letters warn the companies, which the FTC is not identifying publicly, that it is illegal to advertise that a product can prevent, treat, or cure human disease without...

E-cigarettes may damage the heart! Scientists ask Public Health England to stop recommending vaping - 90 per cent of studies which had no conflict of interest showed impact on the heart! Asked whether PHE should now change its advice, Martin McKee, Professor of European Public Health…who co-authored the new analysis said: “The simple answer is yes.” For complete story

Social media platforms are increasingly being used as a market place for illicit drugs, according to the first definitive study of the practice. The Volteface study found that almost half of under-18s questioned were unconcerned by the appearance of illegal drug adverts on their social media sites. Lizzie McCulloch from Volteface said the relatively recent phenomenon of drug dealers selling their product through social media had almost become normalised. "The fact that we've only recently...

Ongoing FDA investigations and a spate of hospitalizations show that “safer than cigarettes” does not mean safe. the question of vaping’s relative danger has recently taken on a much more desperate tone. While vaping is still so new that broad, long-term data on inhaling the often mysterious chemicals found in both nicotine and cannabis “vape juice” won’t be available for years, Americans are beginning to see the effects that heavy or extended use of the vaping market’s vast array of products...

“Let’s all make a noise to raise awareness of the incurable, but completely preventable, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder!” “The greatest tragedy of this dangerous scenario, is that way too many people, even though they are aware of the risks, seem to believe they won’t be the ones who will have a child impacted – permanently – by this preventable condition,” said Shane Varcoe. Exective Director Dalgarno Institute Download Media Release

How to use evidence to say what you want! Conclusion: When a headline sounds too good to be true, it usually is. There's nothing in this study to suggest that people should start drinking red wine to lose weight. The potential effect of diet on the micro-organisms in the gut is a new and interesting field of science. This study provides new evidence about a possible effect of substances found in red wine on the growth of micro-organisms in the gut, and suggests that this may affect the way the...

There are real physical, psychological, and social benefits for people in recovery Exercise reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to mental health issues like depression and anxiety, while increasing endorphins and adrenaline. Early animal studies have shown that physical activity can curb dependencies on substances including opioids and cocaine; tests on people addicted to drugs in Denmark found that regular exercise improved energy, body image, and...

Weed is way too risky for developing brains We do know that marijuana is a dangerous drug!

A specific gene associated with autism appears to undergo changes in the sperm of men who use marijuana, according to new research from Duke Health. The gene change occurs through a process called DNA methylation, and it could potentially be passed along to offspring. Publishing online Aug. 27 in the journal Epigenetics , the researchers said…possible connection warrants further, urgent study, given efforts throughout the country to legalize marijuana for recreational and/or medicinal uses....

Nearly one in four Arizona teens have used a highly potent form of marijuana known as marijuana concentrate, according to a new study by Arizona State University researchers. Among nearly 50,000 eighth, 10th, and 12th graders from the 2018 Arizona Youth Survey, a biennial survey of Arizona secondary school students, one-third (33%) had tried some form of marijuana, and nearly a quarter (24%) had tried marijuana concentrate. Marijuana concentrates have about three times more THC, the...

JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(8):e199456. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.9456 Question Does the number of pediatric cannabis (marijuana) exposure cases before medical marijuana legalization in Massachusetts differ from the number afterward? Findings: In this repeated cross-sectional study, there were 218 calls related to cannabis exposure received by the Regional Center for Poison Control and Prevention in Massachusetts, constituting 0.15% of all calls concerning children and teenagers aged 0 to 19...

But a new systematic research review from Mayo Clinic, one of the country’s leading medical centers , warns there’s still a lot to learn about CBD. The big takeaway from the review is that no one knows exactly how effective or safe CBD really is. The researchers argue that more research on humans is needed to confirm many of the health claims made on the packaging of products containing CBD, short for the Cannabis -derived compound cannabidiol … The Mayo Clinic encourages physicians to keep “a...

Contingency management, researchers like McDonell say, is that thing: It works, patients like it, and it’s cost-effective. Literature reviews and analyses often agree: A review of 69 reports released from 2009 to 2014 found “high levels of treatment efficacy” in contingency-management treatment. On average, it increased a patient’s odds of reaching abstinence by 117%. Here’s how the treatment works: You come in a few times a week, complete a urine test, and if it’s negative, you draw for a...

Nearly 9,000 children and adolescents died as a result of prescription and illicit opioid poisonings between 1999 and 2016 in the United States, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open . Most of these deaths occurred in teenagers, who saw an increase in heroin-related mortality of more than 400% during that time. For complete article

Teenagers who reported nonmedical prescription opioid use during high school were significantly more likely to later use heroin, according to findings from a prospective cohort study published in JAMA Pediatrics. “The opioid epidemic has overwhelmed many communities in the United States, and teenagers are a particularly vulnerable group who also are at risk,” lead author Lorraine Kelley-Quon, MD, MSHS, assistant professor in the division of pediatric surgery at Children's Hospital Los Angeles,...

Medical authorities say it is unclear whether patients will fully recover – US health officials are investigating around 100 cases of mysterious lung illnesses believed to be linked to vaping and e-cigarette use in 14 states. Many of those who have fallen ill are teenagers and young adults. A large number have been hospitalised, with some in intensive care and on ventilators. For complete story

Macquarie University researcher Shivani Sachdev has developed new tests to analyse synthetic cannabinoids and found some are up to 300 times more powerful than the cannabis plant…a group of drugs causing hundreds of deaths and hundreds of hospitalisations around the world. “Synthetic drugs are cheap, potent and widely available – and they have become a dangerous epidemic, literally poisoning people all over the world,” says Sachdev. “People have died from just a small dose of some of these...

In prior work, it’s been noted how psychosis can follow methamphetamine use and last into abstinence. Varying levels of methamphetamine use can induce psychosis, depending in part on an individual’s background, and it can develop quickly or after 20 years of use. This psychosis can be quite similar to Schizophrenia - in some cases, violent behaviors have been connected to methamphetamine psychosis as well. A study of Japanese prisoners found that a subgroup of methamphetamine users experienced...

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F.D.A. WARNING LETTER Challenging ‘Health Claims of CBD’ Curaleaf, Inc MARCS-CMS 579289 — JUL 22, 2019 This letter is to advise you that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed your website at the Internet address https://curaleafhemp.com External Link Disclaimer in April and June 2019 and has determined that you take orders there for the products “CBD Lotion,” “CBD Pain-Relief Patch,” “CBD Tincture” (5 versions), “CBD Disposable Vape Pen” (5 versions) and “Bido CBD for Pets” (3...

“The war on drugs”: what a bombastic, vainglorious phrase that is. ‘Look at me’ says the politician or pundit who uses it approvingly, ‘look how tough I am’ . But for the politician or pundit who uses it disapprovingly, there are equal and opposite pretences: ‘look at me – see how reasonable I am, how realistic!’ But the war on drugs isn’t a war at all. It is an ongoing and complex process of law enforcement. It has different components which are handled in different ways by different...

Music festival pill-testers continue to skirt the truth in their campaign to expand their services beyond Canberra. At last weekend’s Splendour in the Grass music festival at Byron Bay in northern NSW, the equipment was again on show, with claims that lives are saved with testing. Testing is about identifying deadly contaminants, but the inconvenient truth out of the NSW coronial inquest into the series of drug deaths at music festivals is all deaths were due to an ecstasy (MDMA) overdose...

Over 90% of parents who have used marijuana over the past year also reported using alcohol, according to a new study Parents who used marijuana and drank alcohol over the past year had some of the biggest risks for carrying out physical abuse…Parents who have used marijuana in the past year are more likely than non-users on average to discipline their kids through corporal punishment (like a slap or spank), physical abuse (like a hit on the head or a kick) and also nonviolent tactics (like...

Professor Jennifer D. Thomas, co-director of the Center for Behavioral Teratology at San Diego State University who co-authored the rodent study told Newsweek : "Although it has been known that prenatal alcohol exposure can adversely affect later behavioral development, this study suggests that prenatal cannabis exposure can also influence behavioral development, and that effects may be more severe when combined with alcohol. "These results are important, as pregnant women may not be aware...

Quitting alcohol may improve health-related quality of life for women, especially their mental well-being, according to a study from Hong Kong published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) . Dr. Ni. "Our findings suggest caution in recommendations that moderate drinking could improve health-related quality of life. Instead, quitting drinking may be associated with a more favourable change in mental well-being, approaching the level of lifetime abstainers." For complete story

No Such Thing as ‘Safe’ Teen Drinking! Download PDF

Cannabis users found to be 5 times more likely to develop alcohol problem Marijuana use also increases likelihood of drug dependency, experts say They warn pot smokers will also be more likely to develop a smoking habit Experts say 'adverse psychiatric outcomes' should be considered by doctors when considering the best treatment for patients Alcoholics, who did not use the drug, were significantly more likely to be seeking treatment in rehab, within three years, according to scientists at...

Earlier this year, our laboratory published work demonstrating that rats whose mothers were given low-dose THC (or an analogous synthetic cannabinoid) while pregnant showed significant changes in synaptic plasticity and altered levels of several important proteins lasting well into adulthood. We found that the consequences of these changes manifested as a reduced sociability in the exposed offspring. Male rats in particular were much less likely to approach, play with, or sniff other rats. 4...

Cannabis-induced psychosis has reached crisis levels, forcing the NHS [National Health Service] to open the first clinic specifically treating addicts of the mind-altering drug, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The clinic has been launched by a leading psychiatrist who warns that psychosis among users of skunk – a very strong strain of cannabis flooding the streets – has become ‘a crisis that we can simply no longer ignore’, with tens of thousands of people affected. Dr Di Forti, a consultant...

MIDDLE-AGED Queensland women are being treated for alcoholism at alarming rates with experts reporting the state is now seeing the devastating effects of the “super mum complex”. The admission rate to Queensland Health’s Hospital Alcohol and Drug Service (HADS) has almost doubled in the last 10 years for women aged 46 to 55, while the trend is down for women under 25 and steady for those between 26 and 45. For more

Popcorn lung is a rare condition that causes airway scarring due to inflammation and eventually lung damage. Popcorn lung is characterized by the lung tissue scarring and becoming narrow. This can lead to breathing problems. Popcorn lung is a rare medical condition that damages the bronchioles, the lung's smallest airways. Breathing in harmful chemicals, particles, or toxins can lead to popcorn lung. Food-flavoring fumes produced during the manufacture of candies, potato chips, popcorn, and...

Electronic Cigarette Use and Myocardial Infarction Among Adults: The use of e-cigarettes is associated with an increased risk of having had an MI. Dual use of e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes is riskier than the sole use of either product. Myocardial Infarction

At a smart dinner party, where cocaine is passed around like canapes, the wealthy guests likely do not think about the class A drug’s dark origins. Behind these decadent suburban scenes are the end result of a supply chain that involves environmental devastation, violence, high-level corruption and crimes including gang warfare, sex trafficking and terrorism. And it is why Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick told middle-class drug users that they had “blood on their hands”. Police...

I am Lyla P, Optimistic, courageous, influential, and understanding Admirer of those who communicate effectively and express their views calmly Who fears for one who doesn’t assess their circumstances properly and responds in a way that causes dangerous consequences Who needs positive peer pressure, so I can clearly evaluate the right decisions to make that will maintain a stellar reputation Who tries to avoid situations when my “ friends ” pressure me to make immature decisions and harm my...

(The Monster that is Marijuana A-Motivation; and people want governments to endorse this psychotropic toxin through law??!!) A woman found guilty of spiking her baby's sippy cup with a fatal dose of fentanyl committed the crime in order to quiet the child so she could "sit back, relax and smoke marijuana," a prosecutor said Monday. Assistant district attorney Diana Page told a Pennsylvania jury that Jhenea Pratt, 23, drugged her 17-month-old daughter, Charlette Napper-Talley, in April 2018...

STONED BABIES AND UNDERACHIEVING ADULTS By Dr. Drew Edwards Physicians and medical professionals routinely warn women not to use marijuana while they are pregnant or nursing. Why? The best available scientific evidence has established that exposure to marijuana’s psychoactive constituent, THC, in utero causes neuroadaptive changes in their baby’s brain, especially in the regions where their cognitive capacity and emotional regulation is formed. As a result, the life trajectories for prenatally...

The message that addiction is a disease makes substance users less likely to seek help! Research finds that people with substance-use problems who read a message describing addiction as a disease are less likely to report wanting to engage in effective therapies, compared to those who read a message that addiction behaviors are subject to change. The finding could inform future public and interpersonal communication efforts regarding addiction. "Overall, our findings support moving away from...

Results concluded from an investigation of 4,000 Canadian school children Researchers found cannabis more toxic for youngsters’ brains than alcohol Persistent use of the drug seriously affected basic reasoning skills Regularly smoking cannabis can affect teenagers so severely that they end up three years behind their classmates in terms of brain development, a landmark study has found. The results of the investigation, which involved almost 4,000 secondary school children in Canada , led...

An increased risk of SA was observed among early pregnancies with incident exposure to short and long-acting benzodiazepines and all specific benzodiazepine agents during early pregnancy. Insomnia, anxiety, and mood disorders are prevalent during pregnancy; clinicians should carefully evaluate the risk/benefit ratio of prescribing benzodiazepines in early pregnancy since alternative nonpharmacologic treatments exist. For complete article

Dangerous underage binge drinking is taking an increasing toll on Queensland's young people, with an average of almost 20 a week ending up in the state's hospitals. Queensland Health data shows in 2018, 975 underage drinkers ended up in Queensland emergency departments (EDs), up from 762 in 2014. "More than 200 intoxicated teens presented to Brisbane EDs, more than 280 to Gold Coast EDs and almost 90 to Sunshine Coast EDs.The number of 12- to 17-year-olds showing up in Queensland emergency...

But there is a crucial difference between Getaway and other Brooklyn bars: Getaway is totally alcohol-free. “It’s 0% as much as humanly possible, so if you’re sober and it’s an issue for you, or you don’t even want the smell of alcohol around you, you’ll be safe,” Thonis says. But it still looks and feels like a bar - it only opens in the evenings, the lights are low and no one appears to be working on their screenplay. For complete story

Highlights • Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with long-term arousal dysregulation. • PCEs and controls were scanned with rfMRI at the mean ages of 14.3 and 16.6 years. • Amygdala connectivity changed oppositely with age in the PCE and control groups. • Amygdala connectivity in rest predicted emotional interference in task state. • PCE may contribute to increased emotional arousal in adolescent development. Abstract Background: Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with...

Reports new study in Biological Psychiatry Cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with abnormal brain structure in children, according to a new study in Biological Psychiatry . Compared with unexposed children, those who were prenatally exposed to cannabis had a thicker prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in complex cognition, decision-making, and working memory. Author of the study Dr. Hanan El Marroun, of Erasmus University Medical Center in The Netherlands, said: “this...

It’s using the slick, high-tech disguise of vaping. Twenty years ago, as a creative director , I helped create a commercial for the Truth campaign to introduce its effort to prevent cigarette smoking by young people. The spot was simply footage of tobacco executives all testifying, “I believe nicotine is not addictive.” All we did was add a laugh track. The effect of my campaign and others was to help a generation of young people see the tobacco companies as they really were. Companies that...

A police and crime commissioner (PCC) has said that middle class drug users are "more concerned about their fair trade coffee" than knowing where their cocaine is coming from. Mr Lloyd’s remarks echo comments by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, who has hit out at middle-class cocaine users who worry about issues like the environment and fair trade but believe there is “no harm” in taking the class A drug. “They may never set foot in a deprived area. They may never see an act of...

Blood pressure and stroke risk rise steadily the more alcohol people drink, and previous claims that one or two drinks a day might protect against stroke are not true, according to the results of a major genetic study. The research, which used data from a 160,000-strong cohort of Chinese adults, many of whom are unable to drink alcohol due to genetic intolerance, found that people who drink moderately - consuming 10 to 20 grams of alcohol a day - raise their risk of stroke by 10 to 15 percent....

(US are following Australian Research lead) Referred to by social scientists as "harm reduction," this strategy is more than just ineffective, say experts. It's actually helping to fuel an epidemic of teenage binge drinking. Elizabeth Heubeck April 2019 "Well, we did it when we were their age." This common refrain, popular among parents with a permissive attitude toward underage drinking, is often coupled with well-intentioned efforts to keep adolescents safe while consuming alcohol: Think...

People who feel threatened or unsafe during a date or social situation can now ask Sydney bartenders for 'Angela', in a new initiative to combat violence and sexual assault

Conclusions: Our review suggests that maternal alcohol use during pregnancy is associated with offspring mental health problems, even at low to moderate levels of alcohol use. Future investigation using methods that allow stronger causal inference is needed to further investigate if these associations shown are causal. read more

The 172,000 Scots born damaged by their mothers’ drinking can be revealed today as a nationwide drive is launched to help the innocent victims of Scotland’s alcohol problem. The number of those affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), caused by maternal drinking during pregnancy, has escalated calls for earlier diagnosis and better support for victims. The disorder is now four times more common than autism but, experts fear, awareness of the condition among the public and health...

Largest study of its kind found that 7% of adult depression could be prevented Drug has also been linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts Researchers say tackling the use of millions of under 18s should be a priority PUBLISHED: 14 February 2019 Smoking cannabis in your teenage years raises the risk of depression and suicide in later life, a landmark new study has found. Researchers from the US and UK have revealed the drug could impair a child's brain to the extent it triggers mental health...

Major study reveals drug 'damages children's brains' and half a MILLION adults could avoid mental-health disorder if they had turned down marijuana Largest study of its kind found that 7% of adult depression could be prevented Drug has also been linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts Researchers say tackling the use of millions of under 18s should be a priority PUBLISHED: 14 February 2019 Smoking cannabis in your teenage years raises the risk of depression and suicide in later life, a...

Date: February 2019 Source: University of Illinois at Chicago Summary: Lasting changes in the brain caused by drinking that starts in adolescence are the result of epigenetic changes that alter the expression of a protein crucial for the formation and maintenance of neural connections in the amygdala -- the part of the brain involved in emotion, fear and anxiety. Read More

February 2019 by Adela Talbot, University of Western Ontario Daniel Hardy, a Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professor, led a recent study that found “alarming” damage to important organs in newborns who were exposed to cannabis – and, specifically, to THC – while in utero. This damage could lead to heart disease and diabetes later in life. Just because it's legal, doesn't mean it's safe. Exposure to cannabis – and, specifically, to THC – while in utero leads to heart defects and...

The students who were current vape users were more likely to use other substances or to engage in sexual activity than were nonusers ( Table 1 ). These data corroborate a recent study that showed an association between vaping and risky sexual, substance-use, and violence behaviors. 5 These associations are not causal but suggest that certain students are inclined toward a variety of risky behaviors. For complete paper

Christina DeLay is co-founder of Altina Drinks, a social enterprise hoping to tip Australia’s drinking culture on its head with a range of alcohol-free cocktails. She’s this week’s changemaker. What first inspired you to start a company that makes alcohol-free cocktails? It was because of my own personal experience with drinking. I was working as a consultant in Canberra, and got quite caught up in the drinking culture of that industry – after-work drinks with your colleagues, business...

Addiction specialist warns parents on impact of their drinking on family Thu, Jan 17, 2019 BBC journalist Fergal Keane spoke of the devastating impact his father’s alcoholism had on him as a child, and into adulthood. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times Parents who regularly drink three or more drinks a day could be “unwittingly” abusing their children, a HSE addiction specialist has warned. Marion Rackard , who experienced parental alcohol abuse as a child, was speaking at the...

A study from the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that mothers who were prescribed opioids just before becoming pregnant were more likely to have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or a child with other developmental disabilities (DDs) and some autism symptoms. This study is among the first to look at associations between prescription of opioids in pregnancy and ASD and other DDs....

January 17, 2019 A study of 84 twin/sibling pairs exposed to alcohol in utero shows that two fetuses exposed to identical levels of alcohol can experience strikingly different levels of neurological damage. Risk of damage does not depend solely on the pregnant woman’s alcohol consumption; rather, fetal genetics plays a vital role, according to findings published today in the journal Advances in Pediatric Research. “The evidence is conclusive,” said lead author Susan Astley Hemingway, professor...

The work carried out by the Neuropharmacology Laboratory highlight the influence of environmental factors such as stress on the harmful effects of the exposure to cannabis during early ages A new study conducted on laboratory animals shows that exposure to cannabis and stress during adolescence may lead to long-term anxiety disorders characterized by the presence of pathological fear. Numerous preclinical and epidemiological data suggest that exposure to cannabinoids in adolescents may...

For many, smoking continues to be seen as a common bond for members of an exclusive group, part of an entrenched social norm. Supporting that mindset are tobacco companies that invest mightily to keep that smoking culture alive today. A recent campaign by the Truth Initiative, a nonprofit organization "dedicated to smoking cessation among youth and young adults," revealed "tobacco industry documents made public as evidence in litigation," according to HowStuffWorks.com . Within the documents,...

December 20, 2018 We already know that cannabis lowers sperm count, but new research suggests that the drug actually causes genetic changes to the sperm itself — which might have implications for the health of a potential baby. For a study published today in the journal Epigenetics, scientists at Duke University Think of your DNA as a list of instructions for making proteins, and genes as small subsets of that list. Our body has little chemical tags (called methyl groups) that get added to the...

Executive attention and response control are critical for impulse control. Both rely on regions at the front of the brain like dorsolateral and dorsomedial frontal cortex regions. A recent Boys Town study has indicated that adolescents reporting more abuse symptoms, particularly those associated with alcohol, show problems using these brain areas during response control. Scientists note that if these regions aren't working well, an individual is less likely to control his/her impulses and may...

INCD Press Release UNIS/NAR/1367 16 November 2018 VIENNA, 16 November 2018 (UN Information Service) - The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) concluded today its 123rd session in Vienna. In closing the session, theINCB President, Dr. Viroj Sumyai, recognized once again the importance of compliance by countries with the three international drug control treaties to ensure the health and well-being of their people, and emphasized the importance of cooperation at all levels. Over the past...

Breast milk is a live substance with unmatched immunological and anti-inflammatory characteristics that protect an infant against a variety of illnesses, infections, and diseases. It provides all the necessary nutrients a baby needs for its first six months. Breastfeeding is deemed extremely beneficial and essential for both the mother and the child. However, it is essential to understand that nicotine and alcohol affect breastfeeding and harmful substances can be transferred to the baby...

Three studies in rodents suggest prenatal exposure to the drug may pose risks for infants DANA G. SMITH NOVEMBER 18, 2018 This article was originally published by Scientific American . One recent study revealed that in 2016 7 percent of pregnant women in California used marijuana, with rates as high as 22 percent among teenage mothers. In Colorado 69 percent of dispensaries recommended the drug to pregnant women to help with morning sickness. … prenatal drug exposure can be harmful to unborn...

Pressure to loosen NHS guidelines on medical cannabis use is growing in the UK The British Medical Journal warned that widespread use could lead to disaster The potential crisis was compared to the thalidomide scandal of the 50s and 60s By GUY ADAMS FOR THE DAILY MAIL PUBLISHED: 24 November 2018 Each of the 400 phone calls to the cannabis dispensaries followed a script. ‘Hi,’ said a female voice. ‘I’m eight weeks pregnant and feeling really nauseated. Are there any products recommended for...

It’s not because teens are consuming weed more, it’s because they’re using tobacco and alcohol less Teens used to try alcohol first, then tobacco, and then marijuana. Now, marijuana is increasingly the first “gateway” substance for adolescents, according to new research. This trend is not because teens are smoking cannabis more than ever. Rather, the change is because teens are smoking cigarettes and drinking less while the numbers for marijuana have held steady, according to Katherine M....

Professor Sonia Saxena, one of the authors of the controversial study, tells 60 Minutes that most people are not actually aware of the serious health effects that just one drink can have. “Especially in older generations, alcohol's responsible for about 25 percent of deaths in women. One in five men will die as a result of alcohol,” Professor Saxena says. Last year, the average Australian aged over 15 drank the equivalent of 9.4 litres of pure alcohol –that’s about 224 stubbies or 38 bottles...

After a nursing woman smokes marijuana once, her baby through her breast milk will consume traces of the drug's chief psychoactive element for at least six weeks and possibly longer, according to a soon-to-be-released study out of Colorado. For physicians who see cannabis-associated birth complications and long-term brain development concerns with children, the research is another step to try to square growing public nonchalance about marijuana with medical guidelines about use. Researchers...

October 2018 Marijuana use causes more long-term damage to teen brains than alcohol use, according to a new study entitled “ A Population-Based Analysis of the Relationship Between Substance Use and Adolescent Cognitive Development .” The study – completed by researchers at the University of Montreal – followed 3,800 Montreal teens over the course of four years. As part of the study, teen participants were questioned about their marijuana and alcohol use, and took computer-based cognitive...

Alcohol use is a leading health risk factor. Its impact is complex and includes purported benefits at low levels for certain health conditions. Using data from 694 individual and population-level studies in 195 countries and territories, researchers evaluated the global impact of alcohol use and estimated the levels of consumption that minimize an individual’s total attributable risk on health. In 2016, alcohol was the seventh leading risk factor for death and disability worldwide. Among those...

What are Marijuana Concentrates or THC Concentrates? A marijuana concentrate is a highly potent THC concentrated mass that is most similar in appearance to either honey or butter, which is why it is referred to or known on the street as “honey oil” or “budder.” What Does it Look Like? Marijuana concentrates are similar in appearance to honey or butter and are either brown or gold in color. The different forms include : hash or honey oil (a goey substance), wax or butter (soft, lip balm-like...

CHILDREN as young as 14 are becoming addicted to ice, some at the hands of their own parents, and police south of Brisbane are desperate to break the cycle. The Logan Child Protection Investigation Unit has seen a 10 per cent increase in methamphetamine-related cases this year and have launched an operation to reduce the devastating impact of ice on children. Det Fletcher has seen some children so high they have not slept for three days and even parents supplying their own kids with drugs. He...

“Hold on! Feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown and I don't know why? But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell, I know right now you can't tell…” Well, so wrote the band, Matchbox 20, nearly a decade ago. The song kind of rings true, in more ways than one, for a growing number of our community struggling with the complexities of 21st century living and some of the attending dysfunctions that our ever burgeoning ‘technocracy’ leads us into. There are reasons why stress, anxiety and...

Conclusions : As cannabis legalization expands across the U.S., adult use may become increasingly normative. This study indicates that maternal cannabis use may be a risk factor for early initiation among their offspring. Preventive interventions should consider strategies to delay initiation among children of cannabis users! Download Article

https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Slavery-Understanding-Addiction-Stopping/dp/1985750325 This extremely ambitious book by Dr. Robert DuPont is the first book that I know of by a leader in the drug abuse prevention and treatment field that has highlighted the message of Pope Francis: that engaging in drug taking for experiential purposes is tantamount to allowing oneself to become enslaved. No one would ever willingly accept such a fate. When one gives up one’s will power, the theosophists say...

"Potentially thousands of children and young people are being trafficked from Vietnam and exploited by ruthless criminal gangs." August 21, 2018 Experts warned Monday that large numbers of child slaves may be working on cannabis farms in London. Since 2016, authorities have found 314 illegal cannabis farms in London, according to police data. The most alarming figures, however, come via human trafficking experts, who warn that the number of children used as slave labor on these farms is likely...

Breana Noble , The Detroit News Sept. 5, 2018 Marijuana use among college-age people is at the highest level in three decades and fewer think using it is harmful, according to researchers at the University of Michigan. Months before Michigan voters will decide whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use, the annual study found marijuana use among the nation's 19-to-22-year-olds has increased gradually over the past decade as marijuana becomes more easily accessible and young people view...

Esther Han 28 August 2018 Thousands of posters warning pregnant women about the dangers of alcohol have had to be removed from the walls of hospitals and GP clinics around the country. Fairfax Media can reveal DrinkWise, a "safe drinking" group almost entirely funded by alcohol companies, recently withdrew 2400 pregnancy warning posters after doctors and health groups told it the message was "utterly wrong". While the headline "It's safest not to drink while pregnant" reflected government...

This day of acknowledgement and focus around illicit drug overdose issues, should be – must be – about the prevention, repair and/or cessation of all that leads to an overdose episode, not merely the survival of it!.... Read Complete Article

New scientific study: No safe level of alcohol! Published on Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ( http://www.healthdata.org ) August 23, 2018. 3 million deaths in 2016 attributed to alcohol; ‘Massive health risks’ The study, published today in the international medical journal The Lancet shows that in 2016, nearly 3 million deaths globally were attributed to alcohol use, including 12 percent of deaths in males between the ages of 15 and 49. “The health risks associated with alcohol...

July 2018 Adolescents who drink every week before the age of 17 are two to three times more likely to binge drink, drink drive, and be dependent on alcohol as adults compared with peers who don’t drink. A new study looking at the drinking patterns of 9,000 adolescents in Australia and New Zealand has been published in the latest issue of the international journal Addiction. It was led by researchers from the University of New South Wales and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and...

Cheng Wang1 *, John R. Hipp2,3, Carter T. Butts3,4, Cynthia M. Lakon5 1 Department of Sociology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America, 2 Department of Criminology, Law and Society, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States of America, 3 Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States of America, 4 Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States of America, 5 Program in...

“Grey-area drinkers” aren’t falling-over drunks, but nor is their relationship with booze healthy. In recent times, many have been giving up or cutting back – being sober is the new black. Few would fit the cliched profile of an alcoholic. Most are closer to what American nutritionist and TEDx talker Jolene Park has dubbed "grey-area drinkers", people who have come to live somewhere between "an end-stage, lose-everything drunk" and someone who, as she says, drinks "a glass of champagne at a...

Some employers may be thinking about dropping marijuana from their drug testing panel as a way to address legalization. Learn about what to consider before making any changes to your drug-free workplace program in a short video produced by our friends at Drug Free Business . https://youtu.be/ExvaVePrKYs

Just as digital transformation has disrupted legacy business models, cannabis legalization will fundamentally challenge workplace policies. On Oct. 17, recreational marijuana will officially become legal in Canada. According to a recent study conducted by Deloitte, 22 per cent of the Canadian adult population consumes recreational cannabis at least occasionally, and a further 17 per cent show some willingness to try it. When we look at the single largest generation in the work force –...

August 2018 Vaping can damage vital immune system cells and may be more harmful than previously thought, a study suggests. Researchers found e-cigarette vapour disabled important immune cells in the lung and boosted inflammation. The researchers "caution against the widely held opinion that e-cigarettes are safe". However, Public Health England advises they are much less harmful than smoking and people should not hesitate to use them as an aid to giving up cigarettes. The small experimental...

"I do feel a sense of freedom from not drinking anymore, because it took up so much brain space," said Laura Willoughby at London's Mindful Drinking Festival, an event founded to suggest that you don't need to be paralytic to have a good time. "It's been the best decision of my life." Check every alcohol statistic from the last couple of years and you'll see I'm not alone: lots of people seem to believe that regularly poisoning yourself for fun isn't such a good idea. In a survey by Drink...

Research studies (see Stoové et al, 2009 ) have long associated surviving a drug overdose with the increased likelihood of a future non-fatal or fatal drug overdose. In a 2017 Massachusetts study of opioid overdoses, 10% of those who survived died within the next year from a drug overdose or other causes. In one of the most rigorous U.S. follow-up studies, Dr. Mark Olfson and colleagues compared the mortality rates of people who had survived a non-fatal opioid overdose to demographically...

EXCLUSIVE: NAS - neonatal abstinence syndrome - affects babies whose mothers have abused drugs during pregnancy, leaving their babies to go cold turkey after birth. 22:26, 28 JUL 2018 Three babies a day are having treatment for drug addiction ­after being born hooked on ­heroin or cocaine. Shock figures from NHS Digital show hospitals dealt with 5,000 cases of ­addicted tots over the last four years. NAS – neonatal abstinence syndrome – affects babies whose mums have abused drugs during...

Translational Psychiatry volume 8, Article number: 89 (2018) Abstract There is a strong association between cannabis use and schizophrenia but the underlying cellular links are poorly understood. Neurons derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) offer a platform for investigating both baseline and dynamic changes in human neural cells. Here, we exposed neurons derived from hiPSCs to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and identified diagnosis-specific differences not detectable in...

Camilla Turner , education editor 15 JUNE 2018 There has been a 114 per cent rise in those aged over 40 seeking help from drug clinics, citing cannabis as their primary health concern It used to be thought of as the drug of choice among the younger generations. But now researchers have found a huge increase in cannabis use among those aged over 40 who have become addicted to super-strength skunk. Using data from Public Health England, researchers from York University examined trends in the...

All Young Cannabis Users Face Psychosis Risk (Medscape and JAMA Psychiatry) June 15, 2018 Cannabis use directly increases the risk for psychosis in teens, new research shows. A large prospective study of teens shows that "in adolescents, cannabis use is harmful" with respect to psychosis risk, study author Patricia J. Conrod, PhD, professor of psychiatry, University of Montreal, Canada, told Medscape Medical News. The study included 3720 adolescents from the Co-Venture cohort, which represents...

RATES OF CHILDHOOD EXPOSURES ARE ON THE RISE In our latest report, Childhood Poisoning: Safeguarding Young Children from Addictive Substances , we evaluated data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), among other sources, and found the number of babies and preschoolers exposed to marijuana is on the rise. In fact, between 2006 and 2013, the rate of marijuana exposures among children aged five and younger increased by 148 percent. Moreover, the number of young children...

Kathy Donaghy June 10 2018 Any debate around the legalisation of cannabis must take into account the harm it causes, one of the country's leading psychiatrists has warned. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Matthew Sadlier is calling for a public health campaign to educate people about the dangers of cannabis use. As attitudes to cannabis use become more relaxed and tolerance increases in society in general, Dr Sadlier says many young people's lives are being wrecked by habitual use of the drug - and...

Cannabidiol is a chemical that occurs in hemp plants and marijuana. It is possible that cannabidiol oil could help to treat the symptoms of menopause. Researchers have looked at other herbal and natural remedies as treatment options but have not yet proved that any of them are consistently effective…At present, there is very little reliable evidence to suggest that CBD oil can treat the symptoms of menopause. Researchers have only just started to understand how the endocannabinoid system works...

CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press May 2, 2018 WASHINGTON (AP) — FPI Management, a property company in California, wants to hire dozens of people. Factories from New Hampshire to Michigan need workers. Hotels in Las Vegas are desperate to fill jobs. Those employers and many others are quietly taking what once would have been a radical step: They're dropping marijuana from the drug tests they require of prospective employees. Marijuana testing — a fixture at large American employers for at...

By Lynn Allison - 16 Mar 2018 A major new study claims that smoking marijuana dramatically increases a person’s risk of suffering a heart attack and other cardiovascular events. The study authors, along with top cardiologists across the country, are calling for more research into the use of medicinal and recreational cannabis in light of the startling new evidence. Researchers found that over a 5-year period, regular users as young as in their early 30s were 4.6 times more likely to have a...

Modern mums were supposed to have it all, but the reality is far from the dream. Today the Sunday Herald Sun launches a three-part series highlighting what life is really like for too many hard-working mothers. This week we look at the increasing role of alcohol in their lives STRESSED middle-aged women now rank as one of the most at-risk groups of drinkers amid warnings of a looming health crisis. Alcohol-related hospital admissions for women increased 55 per cent state-wide in the decade to...

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22 April 2018 Cannabis is responsible for 91% of drug addiction cases involving teenagers Skunk - high-potency herbal cannabis - causing more people to seek treatment Backs up research that skunk is having detrimental impact on mental health The findings also back up academic research, revealed in The Mail on Sunday over the past three years, that skunk is having a serious detrimental impact on the mental health of the young. At least two studies have shown repeated use triples the risk of...

Download PDF Copy March 27, 2018 While cigarette smoking has long been on the decline, marijuana use is on the rise and, disproportionately, marijuana users also smoke cigarettes. A new study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the City University of New York reports that cannabis use was associated with an increased initiation of cigarette smoking among non-cigarette smokers. They also found adults who smoke cigarettes and use cannabis are less likely...

March 23, 2018 by David Gambrill Employers may be hard-pressed to ban marijuana outright from the workplace once The Cannabis Act is implemented in Canada, a lawyer told delegates attending the Ontario Mutual Insurance Association ( OMIA ) Thursday. “Both bills [related to The Cannabis Act, Bills C-45 and C-46] are actually silent when it comes to employment and occupational safety,” said Sandra Gogal, practice leader at Miller Thomson LLP . “At present, there is no Canadian law that regulates...

By Lynn Allison - 16 Mar 2018 A major new study claims that smoking marijuana dramatically increases a person’s risk of suffering a heart attack and other cardiovascular events. The study authors, along with top cardiologists across the country, are calling for more research into the use of medicinal and recreational cannabis in light of the startling new evidence. Researchers found that over a 5-year period, regular users as young as in their early 30s were 4.6 times more likely to have a...

This document has been prepared to educate people about how drugs and alcohol can disrupt the normal functioning of the body and how better nutrition can help diminish some of these biochemical and digestive problems. This document only focuses on one specific component of a comprehensive recovery treatment program—better nutrition. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for a doctor’s advice or as a recovery treatment program. View PDF

SARA BRITTANY SOMERSET March 12, 2018 The United Nations International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) recently issued its 2017 annual report , and the takeaway with regard to cannabis is clear: The INCB is deeply concerned with the spread of adult-use legalization. Countries pursuing legalization are acting in 'clear violation' of the UN's 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, says the International Narcotics Control Board. The report contains stern warnings, accusing countries like...

However, while many adult users opt for e-cigarettes to ease themselves out of their smoking habit, some researchers have raised concerns that teenagers may be using them as a gateway into this very habit. E-cigarette usage seems to be popular among many teenagers, despite the fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have banned the sale of such devices to people under 18. Carcinogens threaten teenagers' health In order to reach their conclusions, Dr. Rubinstein and team collected and...

Researchers highlighted the dangers of a super-strength strain of cannabis A study found 'skunk' was responsible for a quarter of psychosis cases But weaker forms such as hash don't carry the same risk of mental illness By Stephen Adams for The Mail on Sunday PUBLISHED: 15 February 2015 Super-strength strains of cannabis are responsible for up to a quarter of new cases of psychotic mental illness, scientists will warn this week. The potent form of the drug, known as 'skunk', is so powerful...

Chris Smyth, Health Editor - February 28 2018, The Times Cannabis has become stronger since 2008, researchers have found KING'S COLLEGE LONDON/PA Almost all cannabis sold on British streets can cause psychosis after weaker forms were driven from the market. The most potent “skunk” accounts for 94 per cent of all cannabis seized by police, up from half in 2005, according to the first study for almost a decade. Dealers are thought to be pushing higher-strength products to get recreational users...

charge for change. Last year there was almost 7500 incidents and nurse unit manager Susan Harding says it's only gotten worse. "We'd have at least one incident of violence or aggression each shift every day," Ms Harding said. A video containing CCTV footage of situations of violence towards hospital staff has been released by the Royal Melbourne Hospital. To fight back, Emergency Department staff has produced a shocking video Help Us, Help You which will play in the waiting area to raise...

FEBRUARY 11, 2018 EDITOR The Marijuana Environment is Hazardous to Human Health All creatures great and small are being poisoned by the pesticides and rodenticides in the water they drink, and in the food they eat. This polluted water from the northern California marijuana environment eventually flows to much of the State. The lawless pot industry is nothing less than purveyors of poison. The recent scientific study “Cultivating Disaster: The Effect of Cannabis Cultivation on the Environment...

KATIE DELONG AND BEN HANDELMAN, Feb 7th 2018 RACINE ( WITI ) -- A Racine man is accused of stabbing his own mother multiple times in their home, and prosecutors say he admitted he did it after smoking marijuana and becoming paranoid, believing someone was about to rape him. Terrell Banks, 23, of Racine faces one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, domestic abuse assessments, and one count of mayhem, domestic abuse assessments. Mayhem in Wisconsin courts refers to when a...

The middle-class trend of “wine o’clock” is increasing the rate of heart problems, liver disease and even alcohol-induced dementia. And doctors warn people who enjoy a “few glasses” of wine at home each evening could be suffering from a form of chronic alcoholism. While most responsible drinking advertising targets young people, there is also a growing concern about people in their 50s and 60s binge drinking. A glass or two... or several more. NSW Health data reveals­ 27.3 per cent of people...

Australian youth are drinking and smoking less than before. AAP School-aged Aussie kids are drinking less alcohol and smoking less tobacco and cannabis, The study is the work of researchers at Deakin University, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, and has been published in the Drug and Alcohol Review journal. Better parental attitudes about the dangers have been linked to the trend, identified by an analysis of more than 40,000 student surveys...

By Katherine Gregory 14/1/18 VIDEO: Sharon Wallace shows the damage to her home (ABC News) Sharon Wallace shows the damage to her home (ABC News) RELATED STORY: Magistrate calls for screening for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Magistrate calls for screening for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder RELATED STORY: New tool for diagnosing Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Australia New tool for diagnosing Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Australia RELATED STORY: Major project underway to prevent...

These data and subsequent analysis suggest that different trajectories of adolescent cannabis use are associated with distinct patterns of neural reward circuit function in early adulthood. Escalating marijuana use presents a higher risk for impaired motivation, including elevated depressive symptoms, anhedonia and poor educational attainment. It follows that alterations, perhaps the degradations of the reward circuitry, represent the mechanism by which cannabis users fail to attain their...

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By Erin Allday : November 26, 2017 Just weeks before recreational pot becomes legal in California, San Francisco public health officials have published a report on their best guesses for problems that could arise from widespread marijuana use, including abuse of the drug by young people and unforeseen health risks among adults. The challenge, authors of the report noted, will be warning new users about the hazards of cannabis consumption — like the possibility of overdosing or driving under...

November 8, 2017 “At this time, surprisingly little is known about the impacts of cannabis on the development of cancer in humans,” said Dr. Callaghan, the study’s lead author. “With Canada and other countries currently experimenting with the decriminalization or legalization of recreational cannabis use, it is critically important to understand the potential harms of this type of substance use.” The results from the recent study, as well as three prior case-control studies in this area,...

Chronic alcohol drinking kills stem cells in key regions of the brain and reduces the development of new nerve cells in adults For the first time, research showed that female brains showed more severe deficits than males Researchers said this discovery provides a new way of approaching the problem of alcohol-related changes in the brain By Kayla Brantley For Dailymail.com PUBLISHED: 14 November 2017 Read more

Download PDF Today, Iceland tops the European table for the cleanest-living teens. The percentage of 15- and 16-year-olds who had been drunk in the previous month plummeted from 42 per cent in 1998 to 5 per cent in 2016. The percentage who have ever used cannabis is down from 17 per cent to 7 per cent. Those smoking cigarettes every day fell from 23 per cent to just 3 per cent. The way the country has achieved this turnaround has been both radical and evidence-based, but it has relied a lot on...

The WA government is calling for nationwide support for mandatory pregnancy health warnings on alcoholic beverages. 20/11/17 Alcohol sold in Australia should be labelled with mandatory health warnings for pregnant and breastfeeding women, the West Australian government says. WA Health Minister Roger Cook is calling for state, territory and federal governments to support compulsory health warnings on alcohol, ahead of the Australian and New Zealand ministerial forum on food regulation on...

Teens who use a lot of marijuana and alcohol are less likely to have a full-time job when they grow up, or to get a college education or get married, according to a new study by University of Connecticut researchers. The study of 1,165 young adults from across the U.S. also found that dependence on pot and booze may also have a “more severe effect on young men” than on young women. This study found that chronic marijuana use in adolescence was negatively associated with achieving important...

Published 17 October 2017 THC restricts synaptic recovery In their experiments, the researchers injected THC into the young mice, focusing on its effect on the GABA cells in the VTA. The team noted that just one THC injection did not have a significant impact on the functioning of GABA cells. But administering multiple injections — one injection of THC per day for 7 to 10 consecutive days — blocked a function called "synaptic recovery" in the GABA cells of the mice's brains. Dr. Edwards...

Review article Lange S, et al. JAMA Pediatr. 2017. Conclusions and Relevance: Globally, FASD is a prevalent alcohol-related developmental disability that is largely preventable. The findings highlight the need to establish a universal public health message about the potential harm of prenatal alcohol exposure and a routine screening protocol. Brief interventions should be provided, where appropriate. For more

It's not just about tobacco either. Look at this recent line from the BMJ Open just published " Low alcohol consumption and pregnancy and childhood outcomes: time to change guidelines indicating apparently ‘safe’ levels of alcohol during pregnancy?" It concludes that despite thin evidence all women should be warned about the use of alcohol in pregnancy. With cannabis many systematic reviews and meta-analyses have shown retardation of foetal growth rate, small for dates infants, increased rates...

OCTOBER 18, 2017 EDITOR Dean Whitlock refutes a claim that no one dies of marijuana overdose, in a section of his article , published by Vermont Digger, October 16, 2017. “No One Has Died of an Overdose” This remains the most outrageous claim of the pro-legalization movement. It is not only dangerously misleading, it is a slap in the face to the families who have lost children, spouses and parents. Everyone admits that people are dying in traffic crashes because of stoned drivers , and that...

By Shanna Whan 10/10/17 Three years ago I had hit my personal rock bottom, and was at a point where I was ready to take my own life. And yet here I stand, today, blessed to be three years into a life fully-recovered, healthy, and completely free from any desire to even touch alcohol. There are countless women who think there is no hope left…It wasn't like falling off a cliff and having a tragic accident. It wasn't sudden. This thing took hold of my life when I was 18, and manifested over a...

From Executive Summary Section 4 – Emergency Department and Hospital Marijuana-Related Admissions: The yearly rate of emergency department visits related to marijuana increased 35 percent after the legalization of recreational marijuana (2011-2012 vs. 2013-2015). Number of hospitalizations related to marijuana: 2011 – 6,305 2012 – 6,715 2013 – 8,272 2014 – 11,439 Jan-Sept 2015 – 10,901 The yearly number of marijuana-related hospitalizations increased 72 percent after the legalization of...

Abstract Importance : Prevalence estimates are essential to effectively prioritize, plan, and deliver health care to high-needs populations such as children and youth with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). However, most countries do not have population-level prevalence data for FASD. Objective : To obtain prevalence estimates of FASD among children and youth in the general population by country, by World Health Organization (WHO) region, and globally. Data Sources : MEDLINE, MEDLINE in...

To conclude, our findings are relevant as they aid to shed light on the cannabis–violence association that has been less extensively studied amid psychiatric patients, in whom cannabis use is twice as prevalent in contrast to the general population. Compared to prior studies, we employed a prospective design to precisely examine the association between the continuation of cannabis use and violence. Our results are particularly relevant and may have clinical and violence risk management...

Mounting evidence indicates that the endocannabinoid (EC) system (ECS) plays an important role in various liver diseases including viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic liver disease, hepatic encephalopathy, and autoimmune hepatitis. The ECS also impacts on involved processes such as hepatic hemodynamics, nutrient intake and turnover, and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) after liver transplantation. Although this involvement is undisputed, therapeutic implications...

Abstract Trivialization of cannabis consumption goes hand in hand with a growing exposure of children and the number of cannabis poisoning cases is steadily increasing. As clinical presentation can be different from what is currently seen in adults, added to the fact that it is not always suspected, diagnosis of cannabis intoxication in children is often delayed or missed. A 16-month-old girl was admitted to the pediatric emergency unit for an important drowsiness combined to moderate fever....

Tensions Rise Over Proposed Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients WITH ice addiction declared a public health crisis, the Government’s proposed drug-testing trial of welfare recipients couldn’t come at a better time. Methamphetamine-related deaths have doubled in Australia in just six years, according to new findings by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. Back in May, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull defended the controversial trial by saying: “If you love somebody who is addicted to...

Controversy: Alcohol, drugs and family violence Alcohol and other drugs (AOD) is an interesting topic to analyse, because the relationship between AOD and family violence is extremely controversial. I argued in my paper that much of the controversy boils down to whether it’s acceptable to say that AOD causes violence. I interviewed several of the nine expert witnesses from the Commission’s AOD topic, and one of them explained to me that the way people treat AOD and causation is a ‘boundary...

The research on more than 4,000 students, published in the Review of Economic Studies , found that those who lost access to legal marijuana showed substantial improvement in their grades. Specifically, those banned from cannabis cafes had a more than 5 percent increase in their odds of passing their courses. Low performing students benefited even more, which the researchers noted is particularly important because these students are at high-risk of dropping out. The researchers attribute their...

Published 11 July 2017 The new study by Kelly Huffman, psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside, titled "Prenatal Ethanol Exposure and Neocortical Development: A Transgenerational Model of FASD," was published in the journal Cerebral Cortex. "Traditionally, prenatal ethanol exposure (PrEE) from maternal consumption of alcohol, was thought to solely impact directly exposed offspring, the embryo or fetus in the womb. However, we now have evidence that the effects of...

Published: 10 July 2017 In The Lancet Psychiatry, Schoeler and colleagues present a study describing the mediating effect of medication adherence on the association between continued cannabis use and relapse risk in patients with first-episode psychosis. They have previously reported a relapse rate of 36% in this patient group over a 2-year period. Acknowledging the potential risk of psychosis relapse related to the high proportion of patients continuing cannabis use after the onset of...

Toxic substances such as nicotine and alcohol from alcoholic drinks can travel quickly through an expectant mother's placenta to her unborn baby, says a researcher from the University of Eastern Finland. The research showed that the placenta does not shield the foetus, but revealed that alcohol and nicotine can travel from mother to child in less than two hours. For more

Cannabis harm prevention messages are essential, according to police in places where the drug has been decriminalised. Government, police and health agencies need clear guidelines for public campaigns on preventing harm from cannabis use, according to new research from Massey University. Front line police officers she interviewed in the Netherlands and states of Colorado and Oregon in the United States, where recreational cannabis use is not an offence, provided insights on how their...

What was going through Salman Abedi’s mind when he made that journey to Manchester Arena on Monday night? How does someone do something so unspeakably evil as to slaughter and grievously injure innocent young children in this way? Was he a psychopath? Was he evil? I do not know the answer but I do know, as the Mail reports today, that according to his friends Abedi was a frequent and heavy cannabis smoker. Studies into the personality type of would-be jihadi terrorists have found some...

Written by Ana Sandoiu Published: Tuesday 23 May 2017 Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women across the globe. New research suggests that as little as one alcoholic drink per day can increase breast cancer risk, while exercise and a healthful diet lowers the risk. In 2012, 1.7 million cases of breast cancer were diagnosed across the globe, which makes up 25 percent of all cancer diagnoses in women. Worldwide, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related...

Report - 16 May, 2017 Marijuana positivity has increased "dramatically" in the last three years, Quest said, due in part to recreational legalization in some US states. Marijuana positivity through oral fluid testing has gone up by 75 percent since 2013 among the general US workforce and has also risen in both urine and hair testing. Among the federally-mandated workforce, marijuana positivity increased by ten percent from 2015. Both Colorado and Washington state, the first two states to...

Written by Honor Whiteman Published: 21 April 2017 Researchers found that consumption of white wine and liquor posed the greatest rosacea risk for women. Researchers have found that women who consume alcohol may be more likely to develop rosacea than non-drinking women, with white wine and liquor being the biggest offenders. Furthermore, the study revealed that the more alcohol women consume, the higher their risk of developing the skin condition. Study co-author Dr. Abrar A. Qureshi, chair of...

April 2017 A random encounter with a warning sign at a north Eugene grocery store put Gulcan Cil on the trail of research toward her UO doctoral degree and, now, a newly published paper. The paper , published in the Journal of Health Economics, took a deep dive into extensive federal data to probe behavioral changes that likely resulted from point-of-sale warning signs urging women who are pregnant to avoid alcohol. In states requiring the signage, drinking by pregnant women is down 11...

April 2017 The father’s role in producing a healthy baby doesn’t begin and end with conception. Evidence is now pointing to an important link between the father’s health pre-conception and the health of their child over their lifetime. “There’s this phenomenon called the developmental origins of health and disease where influences during early life, during pregnancy, during the early post-natal period change your metabolic set up for the rest of your life,” Dr Scott White, WA spokesman for the...

Written by Honor Whiteman Published: Wednesday 26 April 2017 Increased legalization of marijuana for medical purposes may be fueling illicit use of the drug, as well as increasing the number marijuana use disorders, according to the results of a new study. Researchers have identified a greater increase in illicit marijuana use and disorders in states that have legalized medical marijuana. An analysis of data from three national surveys in the United States revealed a higher increase in illicit...

Researchers have found less than one standard drink of alcohol per day could lead to a relapse in breast cancer in survivors. The research from the Cancer Council Victoria shows approximately half a bottle of wine a week could be enough to increase the risk of breast cancer reoccurring. The disease, which alcohol is a risk factor for, currently affects one in eight Australian women. Read more

In conclusion, our findings indicate that marijuana exposure in and of itself can serve as a risk factor that acts `above the genome' and can imprint upon the existing epigenetic landscape of adolescent neurodevelopment. Thus, the epigenetic effects of adolescent THC exposure may act in concert to augment future behavioral responses to drugs of abuse via stable and long-term regulation of genes at the transcriptional level. The results also support a novel role for the Penk gene as an emergent...

Women who used marijuana while pregnant were almost three times more likely to have an infant with low birth weight LAWSON HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE - LONDON, ON - In a new study, researchers in London, Ontario found that women who used marijuana while pregnant were almost three times more likely to have an infant with low birth weight than women who did not use marijuana. The study analyzed data from perinatal and neonatal databases at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and is the first...

Abstract With the increasing publicity of marijuana due to recent legislation, it is pertinent that the effects of fetal exposure to the drug are assessed. While in utero cannabis exposure has been associated with early pregnancy failure, birth defects and developmental delay, the mechanisms of such outcomes are largely unexplained. Furthermore, the use of cannabinoids in cancer treatment via growth inhibition and apoptosis may indicate how cannabis exposure likely harms a growing fetus....

April 2017 An American study suggests it raises the risk of having children born with high blood sugar. WOMEN who binge drink before they become pregnant risk harming their babies, a study suggests . They are more likely to have children with high blood sugar, increasing their chances of developing diabetes as adults… "These findings suggest that the effects of a mother's alcohol misuse before conception may be passed on to her offspring. "These changes could have lifelong effects on the...

More than half of young marijuana users encounter online ads, survey finds by Jim Dryden • March 28, 2017 As more states have legalized marijuana, advertising for the drug has become more common. In a new study, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report that more than half of young pot users they surveyed have seen marijuana ads — either online or in more traditional forms of advertising such as billboards and print media. “Advertising can be powerful,” said...

A long-term study from Denmark, explored a number psychological factors that may or may not have adverse outcomes on the children. The Danish study determined that parental factors most likely to create either violent or suicidal tendencies in adulthood are 1) parents who used marijuana; 2) having parents who are sociopaths or 3) having parents who attempt suicide . In other words, marijuana abuse is far more serious in predicting adverse behavioral outcomes than other parental mental health...

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Please read the latest publication from Sue Rusche and National Families in Action. It is one of the best resources you can have in exposing the lies and motives of the pro-pot movement. Download Article

Download our latest Marijuana Education Toolkit to inform yourself and others! Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM's) Toolkit includes information about the health risks of marijuana, data showing links between marijuana use and other drugs…. You can use these educational briefs to inform not just lawmakers, but also community leaders, friends, and anyone else interested in this important subject.

CARIBBEAN360 - JANUARY 18, 2017 KINGSTON, Jamaica, Wednesday January 18, 2017 – Jamaica’s recent decriminalization of possession of up to two ounces of ganja is contributing to a dangerous practice that officials warn needs urgent attention. Disturbing findings in the 2016 National Drug Prevalence Survey show that one in six males and 17 females drive under the influence, with most admitting to using ganja since it has been decriminalized. Executive director of the National Council on Drug...

Jan. 12, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON – A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers a rigorous review of scientific research published since 1999 about what is known about the health impacts of cannabis and cannabis-derived products – such as marijuana and active chemical compounds known as cannabinoids – ranging from their therapeutic effects to their risks for causing certain cancers, diseases, mental health disorders, and injuries. The...

5477 Males and 1534 Females, Death from Cannabis, 7011 Deaths, USA, 1999-2015 - There goes the "Nobody ever died from cannabis myth" View Graph Read More

Brain scans of nearly 1,000 past and present marijuana users revealed abnormally low blood flow throughout their brains, compared with a smaller control group of 92 people who'd never used pot. "The differences were astonishing," said lead researcher Dr. Daniel Amen, a psychiatrist and founder of the U.S.-based Amen Clinics. "Virtually every area of the brain we measured was lower in blood flow and activity in the marijuana smokers than in the healthy group." Blood flow was lowest in the...

Ian Johnston, Science Correspondent, Friday 9 December Research could ‘highlight the neurotoxic effects of cannabis use on the central nervous system as a result of how it affects retinal processing’ Marijuana may have neurotoxic effects, researchers have found. Regularly smoking cannabis may damage users’ eyesight by triggering an abnormality in the retina, a new study has found. Researchers in France tested 28 cannabis smokers and 24 people who did not use the drug to see how well their...

by Kayt Sukel December 6, 2016 California’s Proposition 64, or the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, passed on Nov. 8, 2016, making it legal for people 21 and older in that state to use marijuana recreationally. California is just the latest—more than 20 states have now legalized some manner of Cannabis sativa use and it is expected that more will follow. At Neuroscience 2016, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, said...

1. Madeline H. Meiera,b,1, 2. Avshalom Caspia,b,c,d,e, 3. Antony Amblere,f, 4. HonaLee Harringtonb,c,d, 5. Renate Houtsb,c,d, 6. Richard S. E. Keefed, 7. Kay McDonaldf, 8. Aimee Wardf, 9. Richie Poultonf, and 10. Terrie E. Moffitta,b,c,d,e 1. aDuke Transdisciplinary Prevention Research Center, Center for Child and Family Policy, 2. bDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, and 3. cInstitute for Genome Sciences and Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708; 4. dDepartment of Psychiatry and...

By Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer | November 1, 2016 DENVER — People who use alcohol and marijuana together may be at greater risk for alcohol-related problems, such as drunken driving and poorer health, than those who use only alcohol, a new study finds. Of the more than 2,400 people who said they drank alcohol in the past year, 70 percent said they used alcohol only, 18 percent said they tended to use alcohol and marijuana simultaneously, and 13 percent said they used both drugs, but...

Adapted Media Release Published: Monday 3 October 2016 In this new era of legalized marijuana, far too little research has been conducted on the effect of cannabis on the development of human embryos, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center who scoured medical literature on the topic and found what they say is worrisome animal research. Their study, in the journal BioMed Central (BMC) Pharmacology and Toxicology, suggests an urgent need for human epidemiological and basic...

Surveillance Summaries / September 2, 2016 / 65(11);1–25 Alejandro Azofeifa, DDS1; Margaret E. Mattson, PhD1; Gillian Schauer, PhD2; Tim McAfee, MD3; Althea Grant, PhD4; Rob Lyerla, PhD1 ( Abstract Problem/Condition : In the United States, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. In 2013, 7.5% (19.8 million) of the U.S. population aged ≥12 years reported using marijuana during the preceding month. Because of certain state-level policies that have legalized marijuana for medical or...

July 5, 2016 Tobacco and cannabis are two of the world's most popular drugs, used respectively by 1 billion and 182 million people worldwide (World Health Organization; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). The adverse health effects of tobacco are well known. Short-term effects of cannabis are transient impairments in motor function and working memory, planning, and decision-making, while possible long-term health effects of heavy cannabis use include physical and psychological...

Researchers trying to understand what triggers psychotic episodes in some users say it’s a myth marijuana is risk-free. Dr. Romina Mizrahi, a psychiatrist and director of the Focus on Youth Psychosis Prevention Clinic, says young people who use marijuana before the age of 16 have a higher risk of having a psychotic experience. (KEITH BEATY / TORONTO STAR) By MARINA JIMENEZ Foreign Affairs Writer - Mon., June 6, 2016 At first, the voices he heard in his head were pleasant. But then, they turned...

It is with deep sadness that we confirm to our subscribers the passing of Mrs Angela Wood in late June 2016. She finally lost her long battle with various cancers. Angela, with her remarkable husband Tony, lost their daughter Anna to the first highly publicized Ecstasy death over 20 years ago. One of the most appalling and predator-esque outcomes of this tragedy was the immediate approach of the family by Australians most prominent pro-drug activist Dr Alex Wodak, who (using St Vincent...

A new study to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting found that one in six infants and toddlers admitted to a Colorado hospital with coughing, wheezing and other symptoms of bronchiolitis tested positive for marijuana exposure… Of the children who were identified as having been exposed to marijuana smokers, urine samples showed traces of a metabolite of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana, in 16 percent of them. The results also showed...

The likelihood adolescents will try marijuana rises steadily from age 11 to age 16, then decreases before hitting another peak at age 18, according to a new University of Florida study. The study findings, which appear in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, may help experts develop new marijuana prevention strategies, says lead author Xinguang (Jim) Chen, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the department of epidemiology in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions and the UF...

Schizophrenic who started smoking cannabis aged nine is jailed for life after killing both his sister and mother Peter Fox, 27, killed mother Bernadette, 57, and sister Sarah, 27 Liverpool Crown Court heard he was a drug user with history of violence Sister's neighbours said they heard screams of 'help me' as he stabbed her Fox had previously claimed to have been a spy 'ordered to kill people' He was discharged by mental health service weeks before the killings due to a 'breakdown in...

Day NL1, Goldschmidt L2, Day R3, Larkby C1, Richardson GA1. Abstract BACKGROUND : Studies have demonstrated that an early age of onset of marijuana use (EAOM) is associated with a higher risk of developing psychotic symptoms (PS) compared to initiating marijuana use at a later age or not at all. Research has also found that prenatal marijuana exposure (PME) predicts EAOM. This report evaluates the relationships among PME, EAOM, and PS. CONCLUSIONS : In addition to EAOM, PME may also play a...

Scientists from The University of Western Australia have identified how using cannabis can alter a person’s DNA structure, causing mutations which can expose them to serious illnesses, and be passed on to their children and several future generations. Although the association between cannabis use and severe illnesses such as cancer has previously been documented, providing an understanding how this occurs and implications for future generations was not previously understood. Associate...

Subject : University of WA scientists found cannabis alters a person's DNA structure Cancer risk to kids from cannabis use: University of Western Australia found that cannabis alters a person’s DNA, potentially exposing future generations to serious illnesses such as cancer. “In my 20 years of research on human cells, I have never found any other drug, including heroin, which comes close to the DNA damage caused by marijuana” – Dr Akira Miroshima. WA researchers have warned that cannabis use...

Pot-related arrests of Black youth jump 58%; arrests of Hispanic kids rise 29% May 20, 2016 Contact: Jeffrey Zinsmeister jeff@learnaboutsam.org [WASHINGTON, DC] - A recent report from the Colorado Department of Public Safety reveals that marijuana-related arrests of Black and Hispanic youth increased sharply in the two years following legalization, belying claims by legalization advocates that such policies would promote racial justice. Overall arrests of minors for marijuana jumped 5 percent...

There are echoes of Levy Thamba’s death in the story of a 16-year-old student in Seattle who jumped to his death after trying marijuana for the first time. The Seattle Police Department ruled that the death of Hamza Warsame was an accident. He had gone to the 6th floor apartment of an older classmate to work on a project. After having marijuana, he became “frantic,” went out on the balcony and fell off the building. Hamza Warsame’s death follows that of Levy Thamba,Luke Goodman and Justin...

Sheila Polk, AZ I See It2:29 p.m. MST June 15, 2015 Marijuana is an addictive and hazardous drug. But lately, some have taken to proclaiming that "marijuana is safer than alcohol," a message that is not only wrong but dangerous. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, in a study that examines all deaths in Arizona of children under the age of 18, a disturbing number of child deaths resulted from substance use. It was linked to the deaths of 128 of Arizona's children in 2013....

Carter RC1, Wainwright H2, Molteno CD3, Georgieff MK4, Dodge NC5, Warton F6, Meintjes EM6, Jacobson JL3,6,5, Jacobson SW3,6,5. Abstract BACKGROUND : Animal studies have demonstrated adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on placental development, but few studies have examined these effects in humans. Little is known about effects of prenatal exposure to methamphetamine, marijuana, and cigarette smoking on placental development. METHODS : Placentas were collected from 103 Cape Coloured...

Compared with more modern soft drinks, traditional botanical brews may be old-fashioned, but they are packed with flavour and anything but boring Rebecca Hardy Friday 12 February 2016 Booze. We’re so over it now. Not only is the government trying to wean us off our swift halves with its new alcohol guidelines (so good luck with that, then), but there’s been shocking exposure of “Britain on the Booze”, and a “dramatic rise” in the number of young teetotallers shunning their alcopops and Bacardi...

Kathy Mitchell wants to share something with you. She's not proud of it, and it's not a behavior she hopes you'll emulate. It's just the truth: As a teen, Kathy drank alcohol while pregnant with her daughter, Karli. It was a perilous if unwitting mistake that has defined both of their lives….To Kathy, Karli's is simply a life snuffed of promise. "I adore my very sweet daughter," Kathy says. "She's a forever innocent child. But not a day goes by that I don't ask myself, 'What if? What if...

January 5, 2016 Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have identified 428 distinct disease conditions that co-occur in people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), in the most comprehensive review of its kind. The results were published today in The Lancet. "We've systematically identified numerous disease conditions co-occurring with FASD, which underscores the fact that it isn't safe to drink any amount or type of alcohol at any stage of pregnancy, despite...

(Hidden Harm) They both have brain damage, caused by their mothers drinking alcohol in pregnancy. " I'm sure there's lots of mothers out there that know that they drank. They're too scared to come forward because it's a shameful thing. " Claire H, mother who drank alcohol while pregnant In this confronting story, we take you into the lives of three everyday Australian families grappling with the consequences of drinking in pregnancy. The children face a devastating range of problems, from...

SEATTLE – Research from the University of Washington's Fetal Alcohol Syndrome program helped lead to a new recommendation that no amount of alcohol should be considered safe during pregnancy. That recommendation came last week from the American Academy of Pediatrics. "It just sounds ultra-conservative. But when it comes to alcohol I cannot stress enough if you have the ability to not drink at all during pregnancy, don't drink at all. It's just not worth the risk," said Dr. Susan Astley, a UW...

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new study in the October issue of Addiction documents alcohol products promoted with pink ribbons, partnerships with breast cancer charities, and general terms such as "breast cancer research" or "cure." Hundreds of brands promote products with breast cancer awareness ribbons, and when companies that make products that contribute to cancer do so, it is called pinkwashing. Ironically, pinkwashed alcohol brands contribute to cancer risk...

Key messages Young people are more likely to experience alcohol-related violence One in five Australians aged 18 to 19 years have been a victim of physical abuse by someone under the influence of alcohol. 79% of 18 to 25 year old males charged with assault on a Friday or Saturday night consumed alcohol in the 48 hours prior to their arrest. Young people are more likely to report being verbally abused, physically abused or put in fear by someone under the influence of alcohol than any other age...

The alcohol industry should be devastated by the report that less than 5 per cent of Australian women can recall pregnancy health warnings on alcohol. Read More Lack of support for alcohol-dependent pregnant women Almost 4% of Australian women meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder in any given year. According to research, less than one in 10 of them receive any treatment and the coverage is even worse for women who are pregnant. Read More Have the Drug Talk The following online...

View Clip “Children under alcohol – stolen potential – stolen childhood – stolen lives!” Unfortunately there is a small but incredibly vocal minority who are backed by some lobbyists that want to unwisely foster further damage on our children by promoting illicit drugs as relatively harmless or at least ‘manageable’. This propaganda is not only patently false, it is seeking to tear down the protective fences on the edge of society’s cliff of dysfunction and thus exposing our most vulnerable –...

A Trauma Surgeon speaks (Dr. John Crozier) “What are the emerging generation learning? What are our community, and you, teaching them?” View Clip

What You Need to Know About Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders View Clip One View Clip two View Clip Three FASD, ADHD or both with Dr. Gabor Maté View Clip Up to 7% of entire student popluation in the USA are under the burden of FASD View Clip For information regarding F.A.S.D contact The National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Related Disorders (NOFASARD) on 1300 30 238 or email admin@nofasard.org.au