Drug Abuse Warning Network: The Real World Health Effects of Illegal Drug Abuse

According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, Cocaine was involved in over 380,000 emergency room visits in 2004 alone. Cocaine is extremely potent, whether taken in powder or the crack forms. Mild symptoms include increased heart rate, sleep disorders and convulsions. Snorting the drug can permanently damage nasal tissue. Cocaine interferes with brain processes, can cause heart attacks, seizures and strokes. Even first time use can cause fatal heart attacks. For those it doesn’t kill, the addiction can easily lead to habits that require thousands of dollars a week to support. Cocaine also has severe effects on the unborn. This can start at underweight babies or pre-term labor on up to miscarriage. Cocaine can cause placental wall tearing, losing the attachment to the uterus. This can kill mother and baby at birth if not detected in time. If the baby survives birth, cocaine can lead to strokes, heart attacks, urinary infections and heart defects. While it appears many babies exposed to cocaine use in the womb can eventually recover, it also appears that this doubles their chances of developmental delays.

According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, Heroin was involved in over 160,000 emergency room visits in 2004 alone. Heroin suppresses the central nervous system, resulting in poor mental functioning, and can even suppress the autonomic functions to the point of respiratory failure. Chronic use damages the heart, liver and circulatory system and increases the risk of pulmonary issues such as pneumonia. Heroin abusers generally use injections, with associated infection risk including HIV. Additionally, the drug is often mixed with other chemicals to allow a given quantity to result in more sales, so strength is always unknown and poisons have been used to stretch the drug supply. Children who were exposed to heroin before birth will go through horrible withdrawal symptoms after birth, and have ten times the chance of dying of SIDS. Developmental slowdowns are also possible.

According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, Methamphetamine was involved in over 70,000 emergency room visits in 2004 alone. Amphetamines, including the club drug Ecstasy, can cause psychotic behavior and brain damage. This includes hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia and can lead to homicidal or suicidal thoughts. Physical effects are similar to Alzheimer’s and strokes. Ecstasy in particular can lead to kidney damage and memory loss, though long term human studies are still inconclusive. For the unborn, risks include clubfoot, cleft palates, heart and limb defects, retarded development and maternal bleeding. Babies can go through withdrawal symptoms, but long term studies are still underway to identify long term prices.

Crystal Meth / Methamphetamine / Ice – Educational Video #2 – Local police chief talks about the Meth problem in the land of Rocori. Producer: Duane Kuss, WOW Training. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that can be injected, snorted, smoked, or ingested orally. Methamphetamine users feel a short yet intense “rush” when the drug is initially administered. The immediate effects of methamphetamine include increased activity and decreased appetite. The drug has limited medical uses for the treatment of narcolepsy, attention deficit disorders, and obesity. Most amphetamines distributed to the black market are produced in clandestine laboratories. Methamphetamine laboratories are, by far, the most frequently encountered clandestine laboratories in the United States. The ease of clandestine synthesis, combined with tremendous profits, has resulted in significant availability of illicit methamphetamine. Large amounts of methamphetamine are also illicitly smuggled into the United States from Mexico. Long-term methamphetamine abuse can cause addiction, anxiety, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behavior. Additionally, psychotic symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions (such as the sensation of bugs crawling under the user’s skin) can occur. The psychotic symptoms can last for months or years after methamphetamine use has ceased. Of an estimated 108 million emergency department (ED) visits in the US during 2005, the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) estimates that 1449154 ED visits …

Senators Durbin, Blumenthal Once Again Ask FDA to Address Their Energy …

Filed under: drug abuse warning network

A November 22, 2011, Drug Abuse Warning Network report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) cites levels of caffeine in energy drinks ranging from 80 to 500 mg per serving. These levels are well above the …
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Durbin Not Backing Down from Energy Drink Fight

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Finally, Durbin and Blumenthal confronted FDA on its assertion it has not challenged caffeine in energy drinks because the levels are comparable to prior sanctioned use level of 200 ppm (parts per million). The senators cited a Drug Abuse Warning …
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Stopping the Surge of Military Suicides: How to Win This Preventable War

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Additionally, ensuring a strong support network and providing multiple sources of help for service members is essential. Family, friends, and colleagues must be watchful. A suicidal individual almost always shows warning signs, such as talking about …
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