Government Officials Urge Increased Use of Naloxone to Reverse Heroin Overdoses

By Join Together Staff | February 12, 2014 | 1 Comment | Filed in Drugs,Government & Treatment

Government officials Tuesday urged first responders to increase their use of the drug naloxone to reverse overdoses of heroin and prescription opioids.

Heroin overdoses kill 100 people every day, Director of National Drug Control Policy R. Gil Kerlikowske said at a White House press conference Tuesday. “Naloxone has very few side effects and can be safely administered in many different settings, so there is some hope for its expanded use,” he said.

“Because police are often the first on the scene of an overdose, the Administration strongly encourages local law enforcement agencies to train and equip their personnel with this lifesaving drug. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have amended their laws to increase access to naloxone, resulting in over 10,000 overdose reversals since 2001,” the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) noted in a blog post. “Used in concert with ‘Good Samaritan’ laws, which grant immunity from criminal prosecution to those seeking medical help for someone experiencing an overdose, it can and will save lives.”

At the news briefing, federal officials pointed to a pilot program of naloxone in Staten Island, New York, where an officer used the drug to reverse an overdose in January, CNN reports.

The increase in heroin abuse is linked to the risk of prescription drug abuse, according to Dr. Wilson Compton of ONDCP. There has been a 20 percent increase in overdose deaths involving prescription painkillers since 2006. “Heroin is cheaper than prescription drugs and they make the switch for economic reasons,” he said. Heroin and prescription drug abuse are not limited to any certain demographic or geographic area. Officials noted that heroin use is increasing among young adults.

Drug Companies Share Information with Anti-Doping Officials at Olympics

By Join Together Staff | February 12, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Drugs

Large drug companies are helping officials at the Winter Olympics with anti-doping efforts, the Associated Press reports.

A growing number of athletes are trying to boost their performance by using experimental drugs, many of which were developed in pharmaceutical research labs. Amgen, GlaxoSmithKline and Roche are among the companies that are sharing confidential information with anti-doping officials about those drugs, according to the AP.

“If you want to predict the future of doping it’s essential that you have collaborations with the pharmas,” said Olivier Rabin, Science Director of the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA), which oversees the testing standards for the Olympics.

In 2011, WADA signed an agreement with the Biotech Industry Organization, which represents most biotech drugmakers. The industry agreed to voluntarily share early information about drugs they are developing that could be used to increase endurance, build muscle or assist in recovery.

One experimental drug developed by GlaxoSmithKline never made it out of the lab. But last year, five professional cyclists were caught using the substance, despite warnings from WADA about its toxic side effects. Many doping products used by athletes are mixed in overseas labs, the article notes.

”A lot of what dopers are looking for is under the radar. They’re looking for drugs that were terminated and that enforcement agencies don’t know about yet,” Mark Luttman, who coordinates Glaxo’s anti-doping program with WADA, told the AP. In 2012, the company provided a $30 million lab for testing officials at the London Summer Olympics, the first time a private sponsor funded such a project at the Olympics.

Americans Are Buying More Alcohol, Research Firm Finds

By Join Together Staff | February 12, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed inAlcohol

People are buying more alcohol for use at home, according to new figures from a market research firm. Spending on alcohol grew during every quarter over the last four years, indicating increased alcohol sales are not a weather-related trend.

The firm, IRI, found in the four-week period ending January 26, unit sales of beer from retailers—not restaurants and bars—rose 6.75 percent from a year earlier. Popular products included Bud Light Lime-A-Rita and Straw-Ber-Rita. Craft beer also increased market share.

Whiskies, particularly bourbon, were also popular. Other spirits that saw increased growth included Diageo’s Cîroc Amaretto, Johnnie Walker Platinum and Gold Bullion Reserve and Captain Morgan White,BloombergBusinessweek reports.

Wine sales rose 3.3 last month, and at-home wine consumption rose by about 5 percent last year.

Internet Drinking Game Called “Neknomination” Proves Deadly in Britain

By Join Together Staff | February 13, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed inAlcohol, Marketing And Media, Young Adults & Youth

An Internet drinking game called “Neknomination” reportedly led to the death of two young men in Britain this week, according to ABC News. In the game, a person quickly drinks a concoction of alcohol, sometimes mixed with other ingredients, then nominates two other people to do something even more outrageous. The results are posted online.

The drinks can include ingredients such as protein powder or even engine oil. Some participants have performed back flips and other athletic feats while drunk, or have been drinking while driving. The game started in Australia, and has become popular in Britain. This week, Canadian newspapers have begun to report the game is catching on there.

Rosanna O’Connor, Director of Alcohol and Drugs at Public Health England, said, “The game’s encouragement of participants to outdo each other with ever more reckless stunts brings with it significant risks of alcohol-related harm including acute intoxication, accidents and injury. There is also the potential for cyber bullying of those who are seen to ‘chicken out.’ It has already cost lives and we would advise anyone against taking part in the game to avoid putting themselves in a potentially dangerous situation.”

Study: People Whose Religious Beliefs Change at Greater Risk of Substance Use

By Join Together Staff | February 13, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed inAlcohol, Drugs & Research

People whose view of religion changes over time are at increased risk of using drugs, alcohol or tobacco, a new study suggests. In contrast, people who are religious throughout their lives have a lower risk of substance misuse, the researchers said.

People whose religious beliefs play a central role in their upbringing, and then lose their ties to religion as they grow older, are at increased risk of substance use, the study found. People who do not grow up with strong ties to religion, but who become devout in adulthood, are also more likely to be at risk for substance use,HealthCanal reports.

The researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University report inDrug and Alcohol Dependence studied more than 6,000 people.
“Consistently high levels of religiosity protects against substance misuse, but substantial changes, whether losses or gains, in religiosity over the life course are associated with increased odds of substance use problems,” lead researcher Arden Moscati said in anews release.

Teens Who Consume Energy Drinks May Be More Likely to Use Alcohol and Drugs: Study

By Join Together Staff | February 13, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed inAlcohol, Drugs, Research & Youth

A new study suggests teens who consume high-caffeine energy drinks such as Monster or Red Bull may be more likely to use alcohol, drugs or cigarettes.

The study included almost 22,000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12,HealthDay reports. The researchers found 30 percent said they drank high-caffeine energy drinks or shots, while more than 40 percent drank regular soft drinks daily, and 20 percent drank diet soda daily. Teens who consumed energy drinks were two to three times more likely to admit recently using drugs, alcohol or cigarettes, compared with teens who didn’t consume energy drinks.

Eighth graders were more likely than older students to use energy drinks. Boys, teens without two parents at home, and those whose parents had lower education levels, were also more likely to consume the drinks. Drinking sodas was related to substance use, but the association was much weaker compared with energy drink consumption.

“The current study indicates that adolescent consumption of energy drinks/shots is widespread and that energy drink users also report heightened risk for substance use,” the University of Michigan’s researchers wrote in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

The researchers note teens who are risk-taking may be more attracted to both energy drinks and to other substances.