The Facts About Heroin....By Angela Haupt Feb. 10, 2014

From how it affects your brain to how it kills you, here's what you need to know about the lethal drug. Heroin users may demonstrate sudden changes in behavior or actions that family and friends can identify. On the day Philip Seymour Hoffman died of an apparent heroin overdose, so did roughly 100 other Americans – 100 lives claimed by heroin or some other drug. “Everyone’s talking about him, and we want to know whose phone numbers were in his cellphone,” says Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org. “All of that’s important, but in Washington, in San Diego, in Chicago and in Vermont, people died. And that’s the nature of this. People say he was a smart guy, that he should have known it was bad. Of course he knew it was bad – the problem is, his brain was constantly telling him that some heroin would be a very good idea." Hoffman’s death highlights a steep increase in drug overdoses. Consider that in 2010, there were 38,329 such deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s more than double the 16,849 fatal overdoses recorded in 1999. Overdosing is now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., ahead of traffic fatalities and gun homicides. And health officials warn that we’re in the midst of a new heroin epidemic that will only get worse before it gets better. “It’s not that Hoffman overdosed on heroin – it’s that he was using heroin in the first place,” Pasierb says. “Like there’s some safe level. Like if only he would have taken less, then somehow this would have been OK.” Aside from the obvious truth that no amount is safe, here's what you need to know about the drug: It’s a depressant. Heroin – a white to dark brown powder or tar-like substance – is a highly-addictive opioid drug extracted from poppy plants and synthesized from morphine. It’s a downer, which means it's a depressant that slows messages traveling between the brain and body. When it enters the body, it’s converted back into morphine, and users feel a rush of euphoria. “You have an extraordinary sense of well-being,” says Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “It’s bliss. It removes any sense of discomfort.” Once the brain discovers that effect – that powerful high – it begins to crave it again and again. “And if you don’t have that drug onboard, you feel awful,” Volkow says. “Things that in the past would produce pleasure no longer do.” It’s linked with prescription drug abuse. The No. 1 sign that someone will use heroin, Pasierb says, is that he or she abused prescription painkillers like Vicodin and oxycodone. “Where I am in NYC, I’m looking out at Madison Square Park,” he says. “I can probably go out there and find an oxycodone for about $40. I could go down to Washington Square Park and get five envelopes of heroin for $40.” Those are the “economics of what’s driving the increase in heroin use,” Pasierb says. There are signs that someone is using. When someone is abusing heroin, he or she may suffer from shortness of breath, dry mouth, a droopy appearance and cycles of hyper alertness followed by sudden drowsiness. Their pupils will likely appear small. Users may also show sudden changes in behavior or actions. “At one moment, they may be extremely friendly and sociable and very happy, and then they may be the opposite – very aggressive,” Volkow says. She adds that as heroin starts to leave the body, a person’s heart rate will spike, he or she will begin to sweat and the user might even experience seizures. “It’s a very severe withdrawal,” she says. There are multiple ways to use it. Twenty or 30 years ago, heroin was 6 to 10 percent pure, Pasierb says – so if people wanted to get high, the only choice they had was to inject it. These days, heroin is 50 to 60 percent pure, so most users start by snorting it, then gradually progress to smoking and injecting it. “Maybe you’ve taken a couple oxycodones, and you’re now dependent on them, and you say you’re never going to put a needle in your arm,” Pasierb says. “So you grind up some heroin and snort it, and that actually works for a little while.” But then you build up a tolerance, so in pursuit of a better high, you decide to smoke it. That works for a while, too, until you again become tolerant. “And lo and behold, the only way to capture that high is to inject it into your arm,” Pasierb says. There’s such thing as “bad heroin.” A batch of so-called “bad heroin” has been making headlines across the East Coast, reportedly killing 22 people in western Pennsylvania over the course of a week. It’s mixed with the prescription narcotic Fentanyl, which is up to 100 times more potent than morphine. Dealers use fentanyl to spike heroin as a “product marketing” tactic, Pasierb says – it provides a more powerful high than standard batches. “The problem is, these guys mixing it into some of the heroin they’re selling aren’t mixing the right amount, and they’re killing their customers.” Fentanyl-laced or not, he cautions: “The key thing about heroin is you don’t know what you’re getting. Buying a bag on the street is Russian roulette – open the chamber and see what you get." Withdrawal is brutal. Imagine that you haven’t eaten for three or four days, and then food is withheld for another three days. You’ll become psychologically and physically distraught. “You’re in agony,” Pasierb says. “Your body is craving the thing you're refusing to give it. It’s a very tough, hard thing, and your body goes into a full-out revolt.” That’s why, even when people are determined to kick their habit, they often fail to do so without strong professional help. It makes your body forget to breathe. Every time someone injects heroin, they’re risking an overdose. Most often, “it kills you because you stop breathing,” Volkow says. We typically don't need to think about breathing, because it's an automatic behavior driven by centers in the deep parts of our brain, and regulated by multiple neurotransmitters. But heroin inhibits the brain centers that control breathing, and after making someone feel calm and sleepy, the respiratory drive will simply shut down. Short of death, heroin can cause an array of serious health conditions, including hepatitis and HIV. Chronic users may suffer from collapsed veins, infections of the heart lining and valves, liver or kidney disease, and pulmonary complications like pneumonia. No one is immune. Heroin affects all demographics and professions; men and women of all ages in all parts of the world. “It reaches everybody,” Volkow says. “That’s the case for addiction in general – you can have it in very rich people, in very poor people, in people who are 20 and people who are 64. It doesn’t discriminate.” Thanks to Angela for the article: Angela Haupt is an editor with the Health and Wellness section at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn, circle her on Google+ or email her at ahaupt@usnews.com.

2C-I or 'Smiles': The New Killer Drug Every Parent Should Know About

I ran across this article and so many have been asking about it I thought I would share...This is another nasty drug people...It will kill our children! By Piper Weiss, Shine Staff | Healthy Living Witnesses described the 17-year-old boy as "shaking, growling, foaming at the mouth." According to police reports, Elijah Stai was at a McDonald's with his friend when he began to feel ill. Soon after, he "started to smash his head against the ground" and began acting "possessed," according to a witness. Two hours later, he had stopped breathing. The Grand Forks, North Dakota teenager's fatal overdose has been blamed on a drug called 2C-I. The night before Stai's overdose, another area teen, Christian Bjerk, 18, was found face down on a sidewalk. His death was also linked to the drug. 2C-I--known by its eerie street name "Smiles"--has become a serious problem in the Grand Forks area, according to local police. Overdoses of the drug have also be reported in Indiana and Minnesota. But if the internet is any indication, Smiles is on the rise all over the country. "At the moment I am completely and fully submerged, if you can't tell by my eyes, in a psychedelic world known as 2C-I," one young man with a scruffy chin beard and dilated pupils effuses on a video posted in October of 2011. He's one of dozens of users providing Youtube "reports" of their experiences on the synthetic drug. Smile's effects have been called a combination of MDMA and LSD, only far more potent. Users have reported a speedy charge along with intense visual and aural hallucinations that can last anywhere from hours to days. "At first I'd think something was extremely beautiful and then it look really strange," another user says in a recorded online account."I looked at my girlfriend's face for a minute and it was pitch black…the black started dripping out of her eye." Because the drug is relatively new-it first surfaced around 2003 in European party scenes and only recently made its way to the states- the most readily accessible information about 2C-I comes from user accounts, many of which detail frightening experiences. On an internet forum one user describes the high as a "roller coaster ride through hell," while another warns "do not drive on this drug," after recounting his own failed attempt on the roadway. Over the past few years, synthetic drugs like K-2, Spice and Bath Salts, have become increasing popular with teenagers and young adults because of their accessibility. Their ingredients are relatively easy to obtain and order online and until recently, they weren't classified as illegal substances. But as they come under legal scrutiny, one by one, they've triggered a domino effect of newer, altered, and more potent versions. "I think [the drugs] just keep changing to try to circumvent the law," Lindsay Wold, a detective with the Grand Forks police department, told Yahoo Shine. "Anytime we try to figure something out, it changes." Since July, her department has launched an awareness campaign in an effort to crack down on the Smile's growing popularity with teens and young adults in the area. While reports of overdoses have spiked, Wold says it's difficult to measure it's growth in numbers. "The unfortunate thing is if kids who are overdosing on 2C-I go in to the hospital with a physical problem, a lot of times they can't test for it so it doesn't show up as a drug overdose," she says. The fact that 2C-I is untraceable in tests makes it more of a challenge for doctors to treat. It also contributes to drug's growing popularity among high school and college-age kids. "Synthetic drugs don't generally show up on drug tests and that's made it popular with young adults, as well as people entering the military, college athletes, or anyone who gets tested for drugs," Barbara Carreno, a spokesperson for the Drug Enforcement Agency, tells Shine. 2C-I may be undetected in drug tests, but it's effects are evident in emergency rooms. According to James Mowry, the director of Indiana's Poison Control Center, 2-CI overdoses--on the rise in the state- and have been known to cause seizures, kidney failure, and fatally high blood pressure. "They do something that is called 'uncoupling." Mowry told an Indianapolis news station this month. "Basically, their muscles get to the point they cannot uncontract, so they sort of get rigid and then your temperature goes up really high and if you don't treat them really aggressively, those people usually end up dying." As more overdoses surface, officials are taking aggressive measures to clamp down on the problem. In July, the DEA announced Operation Log Jam, the first nationwide coordinated US Law enforcement strike specifically targeting designer synthetic drugs. That same month, 2C-I was classified as a Schedule 1 subtance, making possession and distribution of the drug illegal. Those caught distributing even a small amount are facing serious criminal charges. Stai's friend, who allegedly obtained the drug that caused his overdose, has been charged with third degree murder. While the drug's potential for overdose is apparent, the specific cases of fatalities are confounding. According to one site designed as a "fact sheet" for users, the dosage of the drug, which also comes as a liquid or a pill, is difficult to measure in powder form. When users snort the drug they could end up taking more than they realize, prompting an overdose. But in the case of Stai, the powder wasn't snorted, but melted into a chocolate bar and eaten. Some speculate those "hobby chemists" making the drug, using powders shipped from China, acetone and plant-based materials, are to blame for concocting particularly strong or toxic batches. "Anybody with a little money to front can import chemicals, mix, and sell it," says Carreno. "Many of these types of drugs were originally designed for research, and designed to be used on animals, not people." In fact, 2C-I was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin, a psychopharmacologist and scientific researcher. He also discovered the chemical make-up of 2C-E, closely-related psychadelic formula blamed for the death of a Minnesota teenager and the overdose of 11 others, last year. Because of his research, Shulgin has become an unintentional icon of the synthetic drug movement, and his formulas have been reprinted, and reduced to plain language, on drug-related web forums. "Drugs used to take longer to get around but now with the internet they can spread by word of mouth online," says Carreno. If drugs like Smile are able to spread virally, like an internet meme, they're outdated with the same speed. Already, a newer, re-booted version of the drug is cropping up on the other side of the planet, and by early accounts it's more frightening than the original. The new drug called 25b-Nbome, is a derivative of 2C-I, that's sold in tab form. This past month, it's linked to multiple overdoses seen in young people in Perth, Australia. Most notable was a young man who died after fatally slamming his body into trees and power line poles while high on the drug. "Overdose on these drugs is a reality... and can obviously result in dire consequences," a Perth police department official warned. It isn't obvious to everyone. "I can't recommend for anyone to go out and use this legally," says one 2C-I user in a Youtube video that's gotten 12,000 views, "but why not?"

Addiction Doctors Ask for Treatment, Not More Jail, for Son of Michael Douglas

Addiction Doctors Ask for Treatment, Not More Jail, for Son of Michael Douglas By Join Together Staff | May 21, 2012 A group of well-known addiction doctors is urging that the son of Michael Douglas receive treatment, instead of additional jail time, for his latest drug offense. Cameron Douglas, who is already serving a five-year federal sentence for drug distribution and possession of heroin, received a sentence of an additional four-and-a-half years for being caught with heroin and the opioid addiction medication Suboxone, The New York Times reports. His latest sentence is believed to be one of the harshest ever handed down by a federal judge for drug possession for a prisoner who was already incarcerated, the article notes. The sentence led about two dozen addiction specialists to file a brief on his behalf. The case is under review by a panel from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, according to the newspaper. The experts say Douglas, who began using heroin daily while he was in his mid-20s, is a classic example of someone who suffers from untreated opioid dependence. They argue more prison time will not solve his underlying problems. “My outrage is as a physician for someone who has a medical condition which has been ignored,” said Dr. Robert Newman, Director of the Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, one of the experts who signed the brief. “What the judge has imposed has zero benefits for the community and has staggering consequences for society.” Heroin and Suboxone were found in Douglas’ cell while he was testifying against a former drug dealer. He pleaded guilty to one count of drug possession by a federal prisoner. Most prisoners who are caught with drugs while they are incarcerated are punished with loss of prison privileges, according to Daniel N. Abrahamson, Director of Legal Affairs with the Drug Policy Alliance, the drug reform group that drafted the brief.

Why are Teens Vulnerable to Illicit Drug Abuse?

This is a great article I found on drugalcoholtest.com...visit that site for more article like this one. Why are Teens Vulnerable to Illicit Drug Abuse? Illicit drug use among teenagers is America’s no. 1 public health concern. People who initiate drug use at younger age are more likely to get addicted than those who use drugs later in their life. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), 90 percent of American addicts start smoking, drinking or using drugs before the age of 18 years. It also states that 25 percent of those people become addicts to some or the other drug. These alarming statistics clearly state that drug use during teen years is very dangerous. We need to recognize this health problem and respond to it. But first, we need to know the reasons for teens getting into drug abuse. Understanding the reasons for their susceptibility may help us. Statistics of tobacco, drug and alcohol abuse among teens The number of teens exposed to tobacco, alcohol or illicit drugs in the United States is very disturbing. As per the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, More than 10 percent of youth aged between 12 and 17 were illicit drug users in 2010 More than 8 percent of them used cigarettes More than 10 percent of them used tobacco products About 10 million persons aged 12 to 20 years (more than 26 percent of this age group) reported drinking alcohol Reasons for their vulnerability to these unhealthy habits Teens try drugs for various reasons. Some of the major ones include Curiosity Socializing with friends Peer pressure Perceived relaxation and fun To escape from psychological pain Some other reasons include: Partial development of brain: Several studies have already found that the brain is still developing during the teen years. According to scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the greatest changes to the parts of the brain that are responsible for functions such as judgment, emotions, self-control, and organization occur during teen years. So, their behavior is often mystifying – poor decision-making, emotional outbursts, irresponsibility, etc. Adding to this, some teens also engage in impulsive and risk-taking behavior. These things make them vulnerable to unhealthy habits like smoking, alcohol or illicit drug abuse. Peer pressure Some teens, out of curiosity, may want to adopt the habits of their peer group. Being unaware of its aftermaths, they probably may get used to these habits. The internal pressure to do the things that their peers are doing is common among teens. Since teens feel more independent, their peers naturally play a greater role in their life. They develop close friendships with some peers and treat them as extended family members. They turn to such peers for support and guidance. Peer pressure to some extent is acceptable. But many times it is very dangerous. Teens generally face peer pressure when it comes to smoking (cigarettes) and drinking. Since marijuana is inexpensive and easily available, many teens are abusing this harmful drug perceiving it to be harmless. They often don’t realize that it is the gateway to other illicit drugs like heroin, cocaine, etc. Problems at school and other family issues Poor academic performance and other problems at school cause stress and depression in teens. Even, family issues at home with respect to parents may disturb them. In order to cope up with these problems, they may resort to these unhealthy habits. Passive parenting Passive parenting is one of the major risk factors for teenage illicit drug and alcohol abuse. When teens are raised themselves with little supervision or when parents are not involved in their lives, they are more likely to get into these unhealthy habits. Responsible parents show love and affection, monitor their teens’ activities and set rules against unhealthy habits. Passive parenting, on the other hand, is less organized and allows teens to take decisions. Due lack of proper parental supervision and guidance, they take decisions on their own (most of the times they are destructive). Now that you got an idea on why teens are vulnerable to illicit drug or abuse, communicate properly and help them in planning and decision-making. Suggest tips to avoid peer pressure. Also, help them with their problems at school. Showing concern and helping them take right decisions can make them stay away from these unhealthy habits.

Its not the real thing.....fake pot!

I think this atricle is important and informative and wanted to share it with those that are interested and concerned about this...Counselor Murphy


Synthetic marijuana, or "fake" pot, is nothing like the real thing. It's legal, and easily accessible to kids. It's also a bigger threat to kids' health.

"Marijuana has been used for medicinal and recreational purposes for hundreds of years," said Dr. Jeff Lapoint, a senior toxicology fellow at New York University, Bellevue Hospital. "It's been abused, but no one really gets sick."

Popularly called K2, or Spice, synthetic marijuana is a chemical similar to cannabis that gives a marijuana-like high.

But there have been an increasing number of cases of people experiencing seizures, heart palpitations, fever, dehydration and some psychotic episodes after using the drug.

Since 2004, K2 has been sold and packaged as incense or potpourri, in the guise of a mixture of herbs and spices. It sells for about $30 to $40 per 3-gram bag, comparable to the cost of marijuana.

Drugmakers can make hundreds of versions of the chemical compound, and it's easy to manufacture.

Although the Drug Enforcement Administration has taken steps to ban five chemicals sometimes found in K2, versions of the compound have multiplied, and increased in use over the past few years.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 11 percent of nearly 15,000 high school seniors surveyed reported using K2 in 2011.

That year, poison control centers reported handling nearly 7,000 calls about K2, nearly double the calls received in 2010.

One recent study suggests that K2 could increase the risk of psychosis, even among people with no history of a psychiatric disorder.

"K2 is a more potent substance than natural marijuana by its actions on the brain," said Dr. Ashwin Reddy, an author of that study and a psychiatrist at the Boston University School of Medicine. "It can cause an increased risk of paranoia, hearing voices, disorganized behavior and panic symptoms."

"Depending on the person, psychotic symptoms can last a few days to a few months," Reddy said.

Not intended for human use K2 is sometimes reported as having originated in Europe, but was actually developed by John W. Huffman, a chemist at Clemson University in South Carolina.

Initially created as a medical treatment, the substance works on the brain the sameway as marijuana's active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

THC is the substance in marijuana that produces the "high" feeling of intoxication that pot smokers crave.

"This drug was never intended for people to use, just for use in a lab," Lapoint said.

But also disturbing is the unregulated amount of chemicals added in each package. "You don't know how much of which chemical they put in each package so you don't know what you're getting and how your body will handle it," he said.

Written by Linda Thrasybule, MyHealthNewsDaily Contributor
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Relapse prevention!

Are you having a hard time with relapse? Did you have or do you have trauma in your life? This can be a key... work on trauma and see what happens with chronic relapse....~Counselor Murphy

Views from a very wise woman...

Where are we now ???? For Me , a long time off & on again addict of everything , and who has been through a number of meetings , programs , and counseling have FINALLY began to realize that every moment was more than worth while. What an ex...perience ! While working through the most difficult times , and geering me for future rough times, because they will come ,,, I have an understanding of me . I understand the depts of my being. And I better know how to see "it" coming , and what to do when it comes. Reaching out for God , my support systems , and allowing myself to feel my way through rather than use my way through has brought me more pleasure & Triump than any drink or drug. It works if you work it ! My support to you is Courage & Faith !! Where I am now is just a hair into it all,, even after the work . What I mean is , when you feel at your wits end , or feel like , Where is all this inner work getting me?? Stop ,,, wrap your arms around your self , and squeeeze so tight. " It's simply you loving you " , and eventually it REALLY feels good !

BY~Becky Wells Mericle