Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Accidental Poisonings from Prescription Drugs on the Rise in Pets
A growing number of pets are being accidentally poisoned, and prescription medicines are largely to blame, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
reports it received more than 180,000 calls about poisonous substances
last year, up 7 percent from 2011. Since many pet owners rush poisoned
pets to their veterinarian instead of calling a hotline, the number of
accidental poisonings may be higher, the article notes.
Prescription medications for humans have accounted for the majority
of calls about accidental poisonings for the past five years, increasing
2 percent last year to more than 25,200 calls. Pet owners made almost
18,500 calls about over-the-counter medications and supplements, up 2.8
percent from the previous year.
While insecticides and rodenticides are the most deadly household
items for pets, common human medicines can also be fatal, depending on
the pet’s weight, how much the pet consumes, and the strength of the
medicine. “One acetaminophen will kill a cat,” Kevin T. Fitzgerald, a
veterinarian with VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, told
the newspaper.
Last year, calls about prescription painkillers increased 63 percent,
while calls about antidepressants rose 47.5 percent. “More and more
people are on these drugs, and dogs find them on the nightstand,” Dr.
Fitzgerald said.
The fatality rate among pets from accidental poisoning appears to be
low, at 0.2 percent of cases, according to Tina Wismer, Director of the
ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center. She notes the center does not know
the outcome of each call, so the rate might be higher. Dogs are more
likely than cats to be accidentally poisoned. Labrador Retrievers
accounted for almost 14,000 calls to the center.
To limit pets’ access to dangerous substances, keep medications in a
secure location such as a medicine cabinet, and take the medication when
the pet isn’t nearby.
For Problem Drinkers, Depression Often the Result of Heavy Drinking
Depressive symptoms in problem drinkers often are the result of heavy alcohol intake, a new study suggests.
The 30-year study included nearly 400 men, about half of whom were at
increased risk for drinking problems because their fathers were
alcoholics, MedicalXpress
reports. Over the course of the study, about 41 percent of the men with
alcoholic fathers developed alcohol abuse or dependence. Almost 20
percent suffered at least one bout of major depression, the article
notes.
Among men with alcohol problems, almost one-third of major depressive
episodes appeared only when the men were drinking heavily. The study
appears in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
“I don’t know that the average person realizes that heavy drinking
can induce mood problems,” lead researcher Marc A. Schuckit, MD, of the
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, said in a news release.
Dr. Schuckit noted that depression caused by heavy drinking is
treated differently from major depressive episodes with other causes. He
said the symptoms of depression caused by heavy drinking can be the
same as those seen in people who are not heavy drinkers. However, if the
symptoms develop in the context of heavy drinking, they are likely to
disappear within several weeks to a month after the person stops
drinking, and rarely requires antidepressants.
Doctors should consider alcohol use disorders as a potential cause of
depression, Dr. Schuckit said. He found no evidence that people with a
history of major depression were at increased risk for developing
alcohol problems. “If you’re an alcoholic, you’re going to have a lot of
mood problems,” he said. “And you may be tempted to say, ‘Well, I drink
a lot because I’m depressed.’ You may be right, but it’s even more
likely that you’re depressed because you drink heavily.”
Teens with ADHD More Likely to Have Substance Abuse Issues
Teenagers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) are significantly more likely to have substance abuse issues and
to smoke cigarettes, compared with their peers without a history of the
disorder, according to a nationwide study.
The study found when teens were an average of 15 years old, 35
percent of those with ADHD said they used one or more substances,
compared with 20 percent of teens without a history of the disorder, Science Daily
reports. Ten percent of teens with ADHD experienced significant
problems from their substance abuse, compared with 3 percent of those
without ADHD.
The researchers found by age 17, about 13 percent of those with ADHD
experienced marijuana abuse or dependence, compared with 7 percent of
those without the disorder. Daily cigarette smoking was also higher
among teens with the disorder in this age group—17 percent, compared
with 8 percent among teens without ADHD.
Both teens with and without ADHD had high rates of alcohol use, the
study found. Teens who were treated with ADHD medication had similar
substance abuse rates, compared with those who were not being treated
for the disorder.
The findings appear in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
“This study underscores the significance of the substance abuse risk
for both boys and girls with childhood ADHD,” lead author Brooke Molina,
PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said in a news release.
“These findings also are the strongest test to date of the association
between medication for ADHD and teenage substance abuse.”
Molina added, “We are working hard to understand the reasons why
children with ADHD have increased risk of drug abuse. Our hypotheses,
partly supported by our research and that of others, is that impulsive
decision making, poor school performance, and difficulty making healthy
friendships all contribute.”
Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Bill to Strengthen Mental Health Care
A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a bill that
would strengthen the nation’s mental health care system, and improve
access in communities, according to The Washington Post.
The bill, the Excellence in Mental Health Act, would require about
2,000 federally qualified community behavioral health centers to provide
substance abuse treatment and 24-hour care.
Facilities that met federal criteria could bill Medicaid for their
services, which would greatly expand access to treatment, at an
estimated cost of $1 billion over the next 10 years, the article notes.
According to the advocacy group National Council for Behavioral
Health, the bill will allow greater access to services and treatments
needed by people with mental illnesses and addictions, to keep them
healthy and safe in their communities.
“Behavioral health has long been left out of the federal dictionary,”
Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council for
Behavioral Health, said in a news release.
“As a result, mental health and addiction providers cannot receive the
critical federal funds that support other safety net providers. They
share the unique responsibilities of the safety-net — but none of the
supports.”
She added, “Over the 30 years I’ve worked in behavioral health, I
have heard an untold number of stories about real people who need care,
but go without. I’ve seen ERs so mired down by the needs of people with
mental illnesses and addictions that it interferes with their ability to
serve their primary function. I’ve talked with family members who have
knocked on every door and still don’t know where to get help for their
loved ones. The Excellence in Mental Health Act would help right this
wrong.”
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Colorado Legislature Gears Up to Debate Drugged Driving Limits
The Colorado legislature is gearing up to debate where to
set the limit on how much marijuana can be in a person’s system before
they are considered to be driving under the influence, according to The Denver Post.
The debate is likely to include evidence from two conflicting studies, the article notes. An analysis of nine studies,
published in the British Medical Journal, found driving under the
influence of marijuana is associated with an increased risk of a motor
vehicle crash, especially for fatal collisions. The analysis found
driving under the influence of marijuana was associated with almost
twice the risk of a motor vehicle crash, compared with unimpaired
driving. The studies in the analysis included nearly 50,000 people.
A second study suggests marijuana-limit laws do not impact traffic fatalities.
The debate on drugged driving laws comes in the wake of Colorado’s
passage of a recreational marijuana law in November. Currently it is
illegal to drive while under the influence of marijuana in Colorado, but
prosecutors must prove impairment in every case, the article notes.
One bill that will be considered by the legislature sets the
marijuana limit at 5 nanograms of THC—the active marijuana
ingredient—per milliliter of blood. Under the bill, a person with at
least 5 nanograms of THC would not automatically be convicted, and could
try to argue that they were not impaired, even if they hit the
5-nanogram limit.
Recent research conducted by scientists from the National Institute
on Drug Abuse (NIDA) suggests the 5-nanogram standard may be too high to
capture drivers impaired by marijuana. Marilyn Huestis of NIDA, who
conducted a study on marijuana use and psychomotor function, says active
THC quickly falls below the 5-nanogram limit within 24 hours. “The
level of 5 nanograms per mil is pretty high,” she recently told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
“We know that people are impaired at lower levels than 5, but the
balancing act is trying to find a number that can reliably separate (the
impaired from the not-impaired), which is almost impossible to do.”
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