Category: Substance Abuse

Across the United States, prescription misuse, abuse and addiction are at record high levels. Over the last decade, pharmaceutical sales for painkillers have doubled. In 2010, pharmacies around the country sold 69 tons of oxycodone (the main ingredient in the opioid painkiller OxyContin and Percocet) [...]

Over the years, doctors and nurses have noticed that opiate-addicted patients have an especially hard time when treated for pain management. Almost nothing will mitigate their pain, even strong narcotic medications. This may be due in part to the fact that their drug of choice [...]

Cocaine, which is derived from the coca plant, has a long history of use for gaining an athletic edge. The Incan culture of South America regularly used coca leaves to give them extra energy as they made their way through the high altitudes of the [...]

When someone is preparing to go under the knife, they may worry about the pain they will experience when they wake up or that something may go wrong during the surgery, but there are probably few people who give a thought as to whether or [...]

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, there’s a new study out that says the number of bars in a neighborhood may be linked to the number of emergency room visits caused by domestic violence. The study published in the journal Alcoholism: [...]

The National Geographic Channel has taken on quite a challenge in taking a realistic, unwavering glimpse into the hard-hitting world of illicit narcotics. The documentary series airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. and examines on a personal level all individuals who are involved in the [...]

A new study published in the journal Addiction in December 2011 says that those who take methadone have an increased risk of car accident than do those who do not regularly take the medication. Whether it is prescribed for opiate addiction treatment or for pain [...]

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), hallucinogens are among the oldest types of drugs abused for their ability to alter the mood, mind, and perception. Originally cultivated from plants found naturally in the wilderness, the same or similar substances can be synthetically produced in [...]

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Obama administration’s National Drug Control Policy, held a press conference to highlight the different approaches he proposes we as a nation should take with the ‘War On Drugs.’ Kerlikowske said in a previous interview, “The war metaphor just doesn’t work, [...]

Crystal meth is a highly addictive stimulant drug created in hidden kitchens and labs tucked away in every part of the country. Every part of this drug – from its production through to the results of abuse and addiction – is toxic and damaging to [...]