Supporting a Safe and Healthy Campus Environment
SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR DRINKING?
FREE
SOFTWARE:
A GUIDE TO MODERATING DRINKING
Questions or comments?
please contact Jill Anne Yeagley, Program Manager
UNM COSAP
Mesa Vista Hall, Rm 3059
Albuquerque, NM 87131
cosap@unm.edu
ph: 277-2795 fax: 277-4108
Latest Research on Alcohol and Other Drugs:
ALCOHOL
Blackouts Linked to Alcoholism
Younger Drinkers Risk Damaging Brain Cells
Binge Drinkers Likely to Use Other Drugs, Too
Alcohol Affects Waistline Unevenly
Alcohol as Damaging as Tobacco
Brain Damage Seen in Heavy Social Drinkers
Low to Moderate Drinking During Pregnancy May Lead to Learning and Memory Deficits in Adolescent
College Rapes Linked to Binge Drinking
Combining Energy Drinks with Alcohol Potentially Dangerous
TOBACCO
Low-Tar Cigarettes Don't Reduce Risk for Lung Cancer
Smokers at Greater Risk for Breast Cancer
"CLUB DRUGS"
Ecstasy Use Could Cause Depression
Use of 'Date Rape' Drug, GHB, Rises
New Test Detects "Date Rape" Drug
MARIJUANA
Marijuana Leads to Respiratory Illness
Links for additional information:
-
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Blackouts Linked to Alcoholism (04/22/03)
New research suggests that people who have partial blackouts after binge drinking may be more likely to drink heavily in the future, New Science reported April 14.
In a study involving 1,078 college students who were weekly binge drinkers, scientists at the University of Texas in Austin found that drinkers who had partial memory blackouts had more optimistic attitudes about alcohol's effect on them. For example, participants believed that alcohol makes them more sociable, sexually attractive, or assertive.
Based on the study's findings, the researchers concluded that drinkers who experience "fragmentary blackouts" are more likely to have a faulty memory of the drinking experience and fill in the gaps with positive beliefs.
Psychologist William Corbin, who was part of the research team, said drinking blackouts appear to increase the likelihood of people drinking heavily in the future. "It could identify people more at risk," he said.(Reprint from Join Together Online)
Younger Drinkers Risk Damaging Brain Cells (12/10/02)
The American Medical Association issued a report yesterday showing that adolescents and young adults who drink alcohol may risk long-lasting brain damage, particularly related to learning, memory and critical thinking. The report is a synthesis of nearly two decades of research on alcohol and the brain.
While individuals may joke about killing brain cells as they guzzle their beers, the research suggests that even as little as a few beers can actually cause harm.
Recent advances in neuroimaging and other technologies make it possible for scientists to better understand and detail the effects of alcohol on the brain. One of the first findings is that the brain appears to be especially susceptible to damage during high school and college.
Although the brain stops its physical growth around the age of five, the brain cells continue to refine and realign themselves until at least age 20. "We know that some of the most critical wiring doesn't even kick in until the second decade of life," says Scott Swartzwelder, a neuropsychologist at Duke University and the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Two regions of the brain appear the most vulnerable to damage in young drinkers: the hippocampus, a structure lcated deep in the brain responsible for memory and learning; and the prefrontal cortex, which is tucked behind the forehead and involved in decision-making and reasoning.
Using magnetic resonance imaging to look deep into subjects'gray matter,psychologist Michael DeBellis and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh found that girls ages 14 to 21, with serious drinking problems had 10 percent smaller hippocampi than did nondrinking peers and that the girls who had been drinking the longest had the smallest hippocampi.
Perhaps most alarming, is that researchers are finding that it's not just heavy or binge drinking that can have negative consequences. In a study of 21-to-24 year-olds,Duke researchers found that after three drinks (with BACs slightly below the .08 legal limit), volunteers were 25 percent less accurate on memory tests. According to Swartzwelder, the brain is influenced the most by alcohol during the period in which it's tasked the most - the high school and college years. "It's exactly the wrong time to do the most heavy drinking," he says.
Despite growing evidence of alcohol's effect on the young brain, Swartzwelder and others caution that it is too early to reach definitive conclusions. For example, it is not clear whether alcohol causes a young person's hippocampus to shrivel, or whether a small hippocampus is more likely to cause heavy drinking.
(Reprint from Join Together Online)Binge Drinkers Likely to Use Other Drugs, Too (09/18/01)
A new study found that college students who often binge drink are more likely to use illegal drugs and smoke cigarettes, too, Reuters reported September 12.
Dr. Sherry Everett Jones and colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied undergraduate students in two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities in the United States.
As part of the research, more than 2,800 undergraduate students aged 18 to 24 were asked to complete a questionnaire about drinking and illicit use. "Approximately 90 percent of all college students report drinking alcohol occasionally or at least once a year," said researchers. Furthermore, the researchers found that alcohol was a factor in "two thirds of college student suicides, 9 out of 10 rapes, and 95 percent of violent crimes on campus."
Researchers also found that more than 40 percent of college students binge drink. Male college students binge more than females, and whites were more likely than black or Hispanic students to binge. Binge drinking also was more likely among those in sororities and fraternities.
"Of particular concern is that the more often students binge drink, the more likely they are to smoke cigarettes or use marijuana, and four times more likely to use cocaine or other ilicit drugs compared to students who do not binge drink."
"Young people who engage in one risk behavior tend to engage in other risk behaviors," said Everett Jones."Alcohol prevention programs may be most effective if they also address other substance use that occurs among many alcohol-using students."
(Reprint from Join Together Online)
Full study published in the September issue of the Journal of American College Health.ALCOHOL POISONING - A WAKE UP CALL (11/28/01)
Each year about 50 students from universities and colleges across the nation die from alcohol poisoning - almost one every weekend!This statistic suddenly took on a personal meaning this month when Kevin Johns, a bright, and well-respected UNM freshman, succumbed to alcohol poisoning after reportedly consuming more than 20 shots of liquor at an off-campus party. Although the massive alcoholic quantity Kevin consumed in such a short period of time was atypical, there are other UNM students who also engage in dangerous drinking games, thus placing themselves at risk for serious problems including alcohol poisoning.
Kevin's tragic death should serve as a wake up call to everyone who has ever participated in a drinking game, for there is no such thing as a "safe drinking game"- it is an oxymoron of serious proportions!
How does alcohol poisoning occur?
The drug alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that produces numerous behavioral, emotional, and physical effects as it acts upon specific parts of the brain. First to be affected is the cerebrum, the part of your brain that controls advanced functions like recognition, vision, reasoning, and emotion. At low intake levels, alcohol reduces inhibitions and affects judgment; vision, movement, and speech are impaired as alcohol levels rise. When the next brain area - the cerebellum- is depressed by alcohol, problems with coordination, reflexes, and balance result.
The medulla controls basic survival functions such as breathing and heartbeat and is the last portion of your brain to be affected. When you've consumed so much alcohol that the medulla is affected, your brain's ability to control respiration and heart rate is severely diminished. Your heart rate can drop and breathing ceases, resulting in a coma and then death.How much alcohol is lethal?
The lethal dose of alcohol is clinically defined as the amount that would kill half the population. Most authorities place this dose at about .40%, or about five times the legal limit in New Mexico. However, there are many cases in which death occurred from alcohol poisoning at much lower, and in some cases, higher levels. For a 120 lb. man or woman drinking very quickly, it would only take about 9-10 drinks in an hour to reach the lethal level.
It's important to note that the body oxidizes about one ounce (approximately one drink) an hour. Depending upon how much you drink, how quickly you drink, and what else is in your stomach, it may take from about 30-90 minutes after you stop drinking before you reach your highest level of intoxication. This occurs whether the individual is conscious or passed out, thus it is critical that someone who is semi-conscious or unconscious be constantly evaluated.Symptoms of alcohol poisoning
· Vomiting
· Passed out
· Difficult to awaken
· Slow, shallow breathingWhat to do if you suspect alcohol poisoning
There are steps you should take if you encounter someone who could be suffering from acute alcohol poisoning. It's dangerous to assume a person will be fine by "just sleeping it off."
1. First, determine if the person is at all attentive. Are they unconscious? Can they be awakened? Try and call their name. Pinch their skin - they should have a reaction. (Remember, alcohol is a depressant that numbs the nerves so pinching the skin will help you gauge how far along in the "overdose" process they are.
2. Turn the person on their side and do not leave them alone. Placing them on their side will keep the airway open should they vomit.
3. Check skin color and temperature. If their skin is pale or bluish, or cold or clammy, call 911! They are not getting enough oxygen.
4. Check the person's breathing. If it is irregular with a few breaths and then nothing for a while, call 911. If their breathing is too slow or shallow - less than 10 breaths a minute - this is another signal to get help.
5. There are no absolutes and these are just some of the potential signs of acute alcohol poisoning. A person may have one, or all of these signs. There is no guarantee that if a person is breathing 11 times a minute they will be fine, or if they are breathing 8 times a minute they will die. If you cannot wake the person up at all, it is a serious situation. If you are at all concerned, don't hesitate to get help.What if it is a false alarm?
In the end, it's all about friendship. You may not want to act because you're afraid when your friend wakes up he or she will be mad at you, but at least your friend will wake up! And how upset can anyone really be when they realize you did it out of concern and friendship?
There is only one response you can trust at that moment - "better safe than sorry." The drinker may risk a policy sanction and maybe some embarrassment, but it will pass. None of these consequences compare to losing a life.
Don't let fear about how your friend will respond tomorrow prevent you from getting help when needed. Make sure you and your friend have the next day to talk it over. It may be the greatest thing you could ever do in the name of friendship!(Reprint from from The Daily Lobo; Jill Anne Yeagley, author)
Drinking Alcohol Affects Waistline Unevenly (09/24/03)
New research finds that how much alcohol you drink, as well as how often you drink and what you drink, will show on your waistline, the Netscape Network reported Sept. 24, 2003.
Epidemiologists at the University at Buffalo studied the impact of drinking and chronic disease risk by studying abdominal fat accumulation.
The study involved 2,343 randomly selected healthy men and women between the ages of 39 and 75. The researchers found that wine drinkers had the least amount of abdominal fat, while liquor drinkers had the highest. In addition, those who binge drank had more abdominal fat compared to participants who drank small amounts of alcohol on a regular basis.
"These findings support what has been shown in other studies about the beneficial effect of moderate drinking on heart disease," said lead study author Joan Dorn. "It also is more evidence that the way people drink is important, and not just the amount of alcohol consumed."
The study's findings are published in the August 2003 issue of the Journal of Nutrition. Reprinted from Join Together Online.
Alcohol as Damaging as Tobacco (4/08/04)
A new World Health Organization (WHO) study concludes that alcohol use is just as damaging to individual health as tobacco use, the Can West Service reported.
Study co-author Jurgen Rehm, an addiction specialist and a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at the University of Toronto, said alcohol's risks have been understated because several studies have shown that a drink a day can reduce the risk of heart attacks. As a result, he said the industry has been able to escape the harsh health warnings associated with cigarettes even though alcohol is an obvious public-health threat.
According to Rehm's study, the health benefits of alcohol use are generally overstated, and are virtually non-existent for young people. "Even small amounts of alcohol increase the risk of injury and boost the chances of developing about 60 diseases, including several cancers, liver cirrhosis, and neuropsychological disorders," Rehm's report said.
The WHO said the report's findings should serve as a stepping-stone for an international debate about the need to reduce global alcohol consumption.
The study appears in the April 8 issue of the Journal, Nature. Reprinted from Join Together Online.
Brain Damage Seen in Heavy Social Drinkers (4/15/04)
Brain scans of heavy social drinkers revealed the same type of brain damage as suffered by hospitalized alcoholics. However, it is rare for social drinkers to recognize any reduction in cognitive functioning, Reuters reported April 14.
According to researchers at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), damage was evident in the brains of 46 individuals who drank more than 100 alcoholic drinks a month for three years prior to the study. In addition, problems were found in reading, balance, and function tests.
"[H]eavy drinkers [were] significantly impaired on measures of working memory, processing speed, attention, executive function, and balance," the researchers wrote.
The amount of brain damage, the researchers said, was enough to impair day-to-day functioning. It was the same pattern of damage seen in alcohol-addicted individuals hospitalized or undergoing treatment.
"Socially functioning heavy drinkers often do not recognize that their level of drinking constitutes a problem that warrants treatment," the researchers wrote in their report.
Authors of the study, Dieter Meyerhoff of UCSF and Dr. Peter Martin of Vanderbilt, said social drinkers might not notice any problems with the cognitive functioning.
"What our findings indicate is that the brain damage is detectable in heavy drinkers who are not in treatment and function relatively well in the community," said Meyerhoff.
The study's findings are published in the Journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Reprinted from Join Together Online.
Light to Moderate Drinking in Pregnancy May Lead to Learning and Memory Deficits in Adolescents
Heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause major impairments in the developing child and new research indicates that light to moderate drinking may also interfere with learning and memory as late as adolescence, particularly in the auditory/verbal domain.
Most of the drinking in this study occurred during the first trimester.
Many people know about the dangers of prenatal alcohol exposure, particularly the damaging effects that heavy drinking can cause to a child's cognitive development. A study published in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has found that even light to moderate drinking during pregnancy may interfere with learning and memory during adolescence.
"We have known for a long time that drinking heavily during pregnancy could lead to major impairments in growth, behavior, and cognitive function in children," said Jennifer Willford, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and the study's first author. "This paper clearly shows that even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can have a significant impact on child development."
"Learning and memory are cornerstones for success in school and in everyday life," added Sarah Mattson, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, and associate director of the Center for Behavioral Teratology at San Diego State University. "Disruption of the ability to learn and remember new information jeopardizes the job of children, that is, to go to school. The inability to earn new information in the verbal or nonverbal domain will interfere with a child's ability to achieve alongside his or her peers."
The data examined in this study were collected as part of the Maternal Health Practices and Child Development Project (MHPCD), an ongoing longitudinal study of 580 children and their mothers. The MHPCD examines the effects of paternal exposure to alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other illicit drugs on the growth, behavioral, and cognitive development of the offspring. Researchers measure demographic status, maternal psychosocial characteristics, household environment, and substance use at numerous intervals. They also assess the children's growth, and behavioral, neuropsychological, and academic status from birth onward.
For this study, mothers were assessed during each trimester of their pregnancies, and again with their children at regular intervals from birth to 16 years of age. Adolescent memory function was evaluated at 14 years of age (n=569) using the Children's Memory Scale, an assessment tool that measures learning and immediate and delayed memory function in the verbal and visual-spatial domains.
"We chose measures that would help us understand the types of learning and memory difficulties experienced by adolescents who were prenatally exposed to alcohol," explained Willford. "We assessed verbal/auditory and visual/spatial abilities because each of us learns trough a combination of verbal and nonverbal abilities. We also examined learning and memory to determine whether subjects were having difficulty with initial learning, remembering information for a short time, or after a long period of time."
"During the first trimester," said Willford, "45 percent of the women drank, on average, less than one drink per day." Despite these relatively low levels of alcohol consumption, researchers found an association with subtle difficulties with learning and memory in the offspring at 14 years of age, specifically in the auditory/verbal domain. "This indicates that drinking during the first trimester of pregnancy has long-term effects on development. Many women do not realize they are pregnant and/or seek prenatal care during this critical time," said Willford.
"These types of deficits have already been demonstrated in studies with much higher levels of exposure," added Mattson, "and thus, these data extend the continuum of effect to include lower levels of exposure. Another important finding is that the effects of alcohol exposure on memory for verbal information were meditated by verbal learning, a finding that has also been documented following higher levels of exposure. This finding is relatively novel in the field and thus the replication in a lower exposed sample suggests that this effect is specific to alcohol exposure."
Yet another finding concerns growth deficits among those children exposed to light to moderate drinking during gestation. "These findings parallel earlier reports of continued growth deficits among those children exposed to the light to moderate drinking during their mothers' pregnancy," said Willford. "This shows us that prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to deficits in multiple domains."
Both Willford and Mattson said that findings such as these point out the potential dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, and suggest that even lower previously reported levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy can have detrimental effects.
"There is no safe level of drinking during pregnancy and there is no safe time to drink during pregnancy," said Willford. Women need this information before pregnancy recognition and their first visit to an obstetrician so that they may make better choices about drinking if they are planning to become, or think that they may be, pregnant."
College Rapes Linked to Binge Drinking
(2/17/04)
Research shows that alcohol is a key factor in the majority of college rapes, and more rapes occur on campuses where binge-drinking rates are highest, the Collegiate Presswire reported Feb. 12.
In a study of 119 college campuses nationwide, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, Saint Joseph’s University, and the University of Arizona found that women from colleges with medium and high binge-drinking rates were nearly twice as likely to be raped while intoxicated than those from schools with low binge-drinking rates.
Furthermore, of the college women who reported being raped since the beginning of the school year, 72 percent were so intoxicated that they were unable to consent or refuse.
“This study reveals that a woman’s chance of being raped is far more pronounced on campuses where the student body as a whole engages in a high rate of binge drinking and when individuals consume a large amount of alcohol,” said Meichun Mohler-Kuo, Sc.D, lead author of the study and a research scientist at the College Alcohol Studies program at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Mary Koss, Ph.D., professor of public health at the University of Arizona and a co-author of the study, added, “This study points to an urgent need for more alcohol-prevention programs on campuses, along with sexual-assault education. Men need education about what constitutes rape, and women should be better informed of strategies to avoid risky situations.”
The study, “Correlates of Rape While Intoxicated in a National Sample of College Women,” was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The study’s findings are published in the January 2004 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol.
This information has been reproduced with the consent of Join Together
Online (www.jointogether.org).
Combining Energy Drinks with Alcohol
Potentially Dangerous
(11/16/01)
Muncie, Ind. – The newest rage among college students and teens is mixing energy drinks with alcohol, a potentially dangerous combination, says a Ball State University researcher.
Mixing powerful stimulants contained in some energy drinks with depressants in alcohol could cause cardiopulmonary or cardiovascular failures, said David Pearson, a researcher in the Human Performance Laboratory.
“It is scary to think that these energy drinks are being used as a mixer with vodka and whiskey,” he said. “You are just overloading the body with heavy stimulants and heavy depressants.”
Pearson, coordinator of exercise science programs, is the author of “Ask Dr. Dave,” a column for MH-18 magazine and MH-18.com, its online version. The publications are a spin-off of Men’s Health from Rodale Press and are aimed at male teens.
“I think we are going down the same road as when people drink alcohol and ingest ecstasy and other types of designer drugs,” he said. “Some people physically cannot take the combination.”
Energy drinks are the latest popular fad among America’s youth culture. With names like Venom, Whoopass, Red Bull and Adrenaline Rush, energy drinks are being sold by the millions to people looking for a quick boost of energy.
Most energy drinks contain large doses of caffeine and other legal stimulants including ephedrine, guarana, taurine and ginseng. Such drinks are being marketed to people 30 and younger.
Little research has been done to determine if energy drinks are helpful or harmful. The NCAA and some professional sports leagues have banned such stimulants, Pearson said.
“There is a feeling of empowerment after a person drinks one of these,” Pearson said. “It is a real big wallop of legal stimulants. The effects can last up to 12 hours.”
“Because they are legal and sold over the counter just like cans of pop, kids who have been raised on caffeine-based drinks think they are perfectly fine,” he said. “We are just now learning the negative effects of caffeine on the human body. We believe it may cause a decline in the body’s immune system.”
This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Ball State
University.
Low Tar Cigarettes Don't Reduce Risk of Lung Cancer
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the American Cancer Society found no scientific evidence that low-tar cigarettes reduce a smoker’s risk of developing lung cancer, the Associated Press reported Jan. 9.
The study is the first to examine lung-cancer deaths among people who smoked ultra-light, mild, and medium filtered cigarettes. It included 940,774 Americans over the age of 30 who are current smokers, former smokers, or nonsmokers.
The study showed that people who smoked strong non-filtered cigarettes had a greater risk of lung cancer than those who smoked conventional filtered cigarettes.
Furthermore, the research found no difference in the lung-cancer death rate among smokers who used medium filtered cigarettes and those smoking mild or ultra-light brands.
“There was not a shred of evidence of reduced risk,” said investigator Michael Thun, epidemiology chief at the American Cancer Society. “The ultra lights haven’t been used as long as the light, and it is possible that some difference in risk might emerge with longer term use of the ultra light, but this is very, very solid for the low-tar.”
Tobacco makers aren’t disputing the study’s findings, saying that they never claimed that light cigarettes were safer.
The study’s findings are published in the Jan. 10 issue of the British Medical Journal.
This information has been reproduced with consent of Join Together Online (www.jointogether.org
Smoking Linked to Impotence (2/11/04)
New research from the British Medical Association (BMA) finds that smoking causes impotence in men and damages other aspects of sexual, reproductive and children’s health, the BBC reported Feb. 11.
According to the report, smoking is linked to impotency in 120,000 British men ages 30 to 50. In addition, smoking is responsible for up to 5,000 miscarriages a year in the U.K., and reduces the chance of a woman conceiving by 40 percent.
The report further found that women who smoke are three times more likely to have a low-birth-weight baby. Smoking among pregnant women, the study shows, also increases the risk for fetal malformations, such as cleft lip and palate.
Babies exposed to secondhand smoke in the home are at risk for developing respiratory infection and childhood asthma, according to the BMA. “The sheer scale of damage that smoking causes to reproductive and child health is shocking,” said Dr. Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the BMA. “Women are generally aware that they should not smoke while pregnant, but the message needs to be far stronger.
Men and women who think they might want children one day should [quit] cigarettes.” She added, “And we’re not just talking about having children. Men who want to continue to enjoy sex should forget about lighting up, given the strong evidence that smoking is a major cause of male sexual impotence.” The BMA urged the government to enact tougher antismoking measures. This information has been reproduced with the consent of Join Together Online (www.jointogether.org).
Smokers at Greater Risk for Breast Cancer (1/12/04)
A study conducted by the California Department of Health Services finds that women who smoke may be more at risk for developing breast cancer than former and non-smokers, Reuters reports Jan. 6.
The study involved 116,544 women and examined the period 1996 through 2000. During that time, 2,005 of the women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. The researchers found that women who smoked were 30 percent more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Also at risk were women who started smoking before age 20, women who smoked the most or the longest, and women who smoked five years before their first full-term pregnancy.
The researchers also found that women who smoked but quit reduced their risk of breast cancer. The study’s findings are published in the Jan. 7 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This information has been reproduced with the consent of Join Together Online (www.jointogether.org).
Ecstasy Causes Long-Term Memory Damage
A new study published in the October issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry indicates the use of ecstasy causes long-term damage to memory function.
Previous research determined that ecstasy caused temporary injury to brain cells, but after examining memory tests and brain scans of 22 ecstasy users,researchers from the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam found long-term memory deficiencies and changes in certain brain cells.
The most striking finding in study participants was the damage to the cortical neurons which are linked to memory function. These brain cells suffered a decreased density of receptors for the neurotransmitter sertonin which transports messages between cells and affects mood.
Scans and memory tests performed on former ecstasy users found that the damage may be irreversible. "We identified that ecstasy use is associated not only with short-term consequences on memory but with long-term consequences as well," said study author Liesbeth Reneman.
(Reprint from Join Together Online)
Using Ecstasy Could Cause Depression (03/19/03)
A study on the effects of ecstasy recently presented at a meeting of the British Psychological Society, says that consuming just one or two pills could result in long-lasting depression, the Sydney Morning Herald reported March 17.
The study by researchers at London Metropolitan University in England involved 519 volunteers. Some participants were either current or past ecstasy users, while others had never taken drugs, or had taken several drugs other than ecstasy, such as alcohol and marijuana.
Using a standard psychological questionnaire, researchers evaluated the extent that participants suffered from depression. The results showed that those who had tried ecstasy only a few times had depression levels four times higher than those who had taken other drugs except ecstasy.
"People often think taking ecstasy just once or twice won't matter, but we're seeing evidence that if you take ecstasy a couple of times you do damage to your brain that later in life will make you more vulnerable," said researcher Lynn Taurah. "Many of these people are working professionals, and you can imagine if they have a problem or a bit of stress in their lives their depression levels could go up. Taking ecstasy is really not a good idea."
(Reprint from Join Together Online)
Use of "Date Rape" Drug GHB Rises (01/28/02)
GHB,the highly addictive "date rape" drug outlawed by Congress in 2000, is becoming increasingly popular on college campuses and at raves despite its propensity to trigger potentially fatal comas.
GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate)does not provide users with a feeling of euphoria, although some users report a dazed reaction similar to heavy alcohol intoxication. The slightly bitter liquid puts users into a dreamy stupor, or worse, a coma that can kill them.
"Something that puts you into a coma is not something (most people) voluntarily do," says Alan Leshner, a former executive director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Normal people don't say, 'I'm looking forward to my next coma.'"
Most education efforts related to GHB have dealt with its use as a date rape drug, warning women about predators who might spike their drinks, but with the rise in hospital admissions related to GHB use, law enforcement officials and preventionists are placing more emphasis on the dangers of GHB. Emergency room admissions involving GHB quadrupled nationwide from 1998 to 2000, when 4,969 cases were reported according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In 2000, there were 2,482 emergency room visits for GHB-related overdoses compared with 1,742 ecstasy-involved cases.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, 73 people have died from taking GHB since 1995; there were 27 ecstasy-related deaths between 1994 and 1998.
In the early 1990s, GHB was legally sold in health food stores and gyms as a "natural" formula to promote sleep, slow the aging process, and build muscle. Although there was little scientific data to support these claims, the drug quickly became popular among some bodybuilders.The first overdoses occurred among muscle men in San Francisco and Miami, signaling authorities that GHB could be highly dangerous.
A form of GHB occurs naturally in the body, doctors say. The brain uses minute quantities of it to shut off one function so that another one can begin. Many GHB users incorrectly assume that larger amounts of GHB are harmless and can be beneficial, says Leshner. "But," he says,"the brain's delicate chemical balance is upset easily and too much GHB can depress breathing and nervous system functions to the point that users are unable to roll over in their sleep." Those who die after taking GHB usually "fall on their faces and smother, or they aspirate (on their own vomit) into their lungs and suffocate," Leshner states.
GHB has also proved to be highly addictive, and treatment centers across the nation are reporting jumps in GHB-related admissions. In 1999, the Hazelden Foundation facilities in Center City,Minn. and Chicago treated five people who had used GHB. In 2000, they treated 39 individuals according to Carol Falkowski, director of research communications at Hazelden.
Doctors are still trying to establish protocols to treat GHB addiction and ease the excruciating withdrawal that addicts face. Those under treatment for addiction usually become anxious and cannot sleep. Some become delirious. Treatment centers report that addicts trying to withdraw from GHB often attempt suicide.
Tyler Johnson, 27, of Beebe, Aek., shot himself in the head in July 2000, after quitting GHB cold turkey, says his father, David Johnson. Tyler had just graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a degree in criminal justice and had been accepted to law school.
He had been a bodybuilder for about 10 years in 1999 when he began taking a supplement made from 1,4 butanediol, which converted to GHB in the body. Eventually, Tyler became addicted and took a dose every four hours. He went through an $80 bottle every few days, his father says. Tyler continued taking the supplement even after March 13, 2000,when the U.S. government banned sales of GHB supplements.
"It was marketed as a healthy thing, all natural," David Johnson says. "That misinformation cost Tyler his life."
Johnson cannot forget the image of Tyler struggling to get off GHB. "It's a terrible ordeal," Johnson says. "Hallucinations, heart palpitations. The night before he shot himself, I was with him from 7p.m. until about 3a.m.,researching GHB on the Internet. He was uncomfortable and twitchy, but I didn't realize it was that serious. Three hours later, he put the gun in his mouth."
(Adapted from "Use of Date Rape Drug Surges" by Donna Leinwand, USA Today, and Higher Education AOD Prevention News Digest V1)
New Test Detects "Date Rape" Drug (10/12/01)
A British firm has developed a new test that can detect the presence of the "date rape" drug Rohypnol in drinks, Reuters reported October 9.
Dipitin, developed by SureScreen Diagnostics, contains three testing strips and sells for $7.22. The company says the test is more than 99 percent accurate.
The test strip utilizes immunoassay technology, which incorporates antibodies known to react to the drug's ingredients into a membrane on a testing stick. If the drug is present, the strip turns red. The test strip is effective on all types of drinks, including coffee,tea,soft drinks and alcohol. "We have spent a lot of time finding the right antibodies that could cope with high levels of alcohol and the acids in fizzy drinks and fruit juices," said Jim Campbell, a forensic scientist with SureScreen Diagnostics. However, the test may not work on drinks with extremely high alcohol levels, such as shots of distilled spirits.
Unfortunately, the strip does not work against gamma-hydrozybutryate (GHB,another type of "date-rape" drug.
(Reprint from Join Together Online).
Marijuana Leads to Respiratory Illness (03/03/03)
Doctors are finding an increase in respiratory illnesses, including the debilitating vanishing-lung syndrome, in people aged 25-40 who are regular marijuana smokers, the Independent reported February 27.
Vanishing-lung sysndrome is a form of emphysema that reduces the surface of the lungs and replaces it with huge cysts. The cysts restrict the transfer of oxygen into the blood.
"Every couple of months I'm finding a new patient showing signs of this condition but nobody knows for sure just how many people are affected," said Dr. Mark Johnson, a specialist registrar in respiratory medicine at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary in the United Kingdom.
Johnson and his colleagues conducted a study that found that people who smoke two to three marijuana cigarettes a day suffer similar lung damage as those who smoke more than 20 conventional cigarettes a day. However, Johnson said that pot smokers are more at risk for vanishing-lung syndrome than cigarette smokers because they inhale more deeply and hold smoke longer in their lungs. "When this smoking practice is combined with the lack of filter tips on marijuana cigarettes, it leads to a fourfold greater delivery of tar and a five times greater increase in carboxyhemoglobin per cigarette smoked," the researchers said.
(Reprint from Join Together Online)