Drug type: Prescription Drug, Synthetic Drugs

While use of traditional illicit drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, has remained stable, the use of new psychoactive substances (NPS), such as synthetic marijuana, and MDPV or “bath salts”, increased dramatically throughout the world, according to the 2013 World Drug Report. The report was released on World Drug Day this week by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The report found that the number of NPS reported by Member States to UNODC rose from 166 at the end of 2009 to 251 by mid-2012, an increase of more than 50 percent. 

“Over the past few years, we’ve heard from CADCA members about the negative impact these drugs are having in communities across the United States. Many young people are using these drugs under the mistaken belief that because they are not illegal and sold in stores they must be safe. However, synthetic marijuana, also referred to as ‘spice’ or ‘K2’, and ‘bath salts’ have proven to be anything but – leading to strong hallucinations, violent behavior and even suicides,” said CADCA Chairman and CEO Gen. Arthur T. Dean in a statement.  

The report noted the unique challenge that these substances pose.  

“Given the almost infinite scope to alter the chemical structure of NPS, new formulations are outpacing efforts to impose international control. While law enforcement lags behind, criminals have been quick to tap into this lucrative market,” the UNODC stated in their press release, adding that in response to the proliferation of NPS, UNODC has launched an early warning system which will allow the global community to monitor the emergence and take appropriate actions.

The World Drug Report also noted that prescription opiate use remains high and polydrug use, especially the combination of prescription drugs and illicit substances, continues to be a concern, especially the misuse of sedatives and tranquillizers – with more than 60 per cent of the countries covered in the report ranking such substances as among the first three misused types of substances.

To download the 2013 World Drug Report, visit: http://www.unodc.org/wdr/. Click here to read CADCA’s media statement on the report.

PTSD: Not Just a Military Problem

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. While it is often closely associated with combat veterans and other members of the military, the fact is PTSD can affect anyone who experiences a traumatic event. 

June is PTSD Awareness Month, and next Thursday, June 20 is PTSD Screening Day. 

The first step in getting help for PTSD is recognizing the symptoms. Service members, college students and members of the public can take a free, anonymous self-assessment for PTSD and other related conditions at www.PTSDscreening.org. While the assessment does not provide a definitive diagnosis, it will provide information on how to seek help if you are experiencing PTSD symptoms. 

During the past year, many communities across the U.S. have experienced devastating tragedies. Hurricane Sandy, the shootings in Newtown, the Boston Marathon bombings, and most recently, cases of severe weather in the Plains states have left many individuals, families and communities reeling. While most people are amazingly resilient following trauma, for some, the emotional toll these events cause can last much longer. 

About 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, according to the National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Overall, about 8 percent of men and 20 percent of women will develop PTSD. While traumatic events such as natural disasters, fires or acts of violence can affect an entire community, other instances like a terrifying car accident can affect a single individual. 

Most people will have stress-related reactions following a traumatic event, yet only some will develop PTSD. If these reactions do not begin to go away over time or get worse, or impact day to day life, it may be PTSD. PTSD symptoms often include: 

* Reliving the event through nightmares and flashbacks 

* Avoiding situations that remind you of the event, such as large crowds or driving a car 

* Negative changes in beliefs and feelings. This can include feelings of guilt, fear or shame. 

* Feeling keyed up or jittery

“PTSD is a condition that many people believe only affects members of the military and veterans, but that simply is not the case,” says Dr. Douglas G. Jacobs, founder and medical director of Screening for Mental Health, Inc. “While combat veterans do have a high rate of PTSD, we also see PTSD in members of the public, especially among first responders, victims of violence or those affected by natural disasters.” 

It is recommended that anyone who was been exposed to a traumatic event over a month ago and is experiencing symptoms of PTSD take an anonymous PTSD assessment at www.PTSDscreening.org. By simply answering a series of basic questions, people can determine if they are showing symptoms of PTSD, and if so, where to find the help they need. While these screenings are not diagnostic, the results will indicate whether further assessment by a clinician is advisable. The screening website, provided by the nonprofit Screening for Mental Health, is accessible year-round to the public. 

CDC Releases New Report on Indoor Secondhand Smoke Exposure

Four out of five U.S. adults report having voluntary smoke-free rules in their homes and three out of four report having voluntary smoke-free rules in their vehicles, according to a study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, a publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study, entitled “Smoke-Free Rules and Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Homes and Vehicles among US Adults, 2009–2010” is the first to present estimates of smoke-free rules and secondhand smoke exposure in vehicles among U.S. adults. 

The National Adult Tobacco Survey respondents were classified as having smoke-free rules if they never allow smoking inside their homes or vehicles. Despite the high prevalence of voluntary smoke-free rules in homes and vehicles, the study found that almost 11 million non-smoking adults continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke in their home, and almost 17 million non-smoking adults continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke in a vehicle. The study also contains state-by-state data showing that the highest prevalence of smoke-free rules in homes and vehicles occurred in many states with comprehensive smoke-free laws and longstanding tobacco control programs. 

“We have made tremendous progress in the last 15 years protecting people in public spaces from secondhand smoke,” said Tim McAfee, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Office on Smoking and Health at CDC, in a news release. “The good news is that people are applying the same protection in their homes and vehicles. However, millions of non-smokers, many of whom are children, remain exposed to secondhand smoke in these environments.” 

Exposure to secondhand smoke causes heart disease and lung cancer in adult non-smokers. In children, secondhand smoke exposure causes more severe and frequent asthma attacks, acute respiratory infections, ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Secondhand smoke exposure is responsible for an estimated 50,000 deaths each year in the United States. The Surgeon General has concluded there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and that only 100 percent smoke-free policies can protect non-smokers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Opening a window does not work, nor does any other ventilation system. 

The online version of the article is available at http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/.

Study Finds Early Alcohol Use Increases Alcohol Abuse Later in Life

The earlier the age at which youth take their first alcoholic drink, the greater the risk of developing alcohol problems, Medical News Today reported.

A new study that will be published in the October issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research shows that individuals who have their first drink during puberty subsequently have higher drinking levels than do individuals with a post-pubertal drinking onset.

"Most teenagers have their first alcoholic drink during puberty, however, most research on the risks of early-onset alcohol use up to now has not focused on the pubertal stage during which the first alcoholic drink is consumed," said Miriam Schneider, leader of the Research Group Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology at the Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, as well as corresponding author for the study.

"Common thinking in alcohol research was that the earlier adolescents begin, the more deleterious become their drinking habits. However, a closer look at the statistics revealed a peak risk of alcohol use disorders for those beginning at 12 to 14 years of age, while even earlier beginners seemed to have a slightly lower risk. Since timing of puberty is not a simple function of chronological age, and also greatly differs between the sexes, the pubertal phase at first drink may therefore represent a stronger and better indicator for subsequent alcohol-related problems than simply the age."

The longitudinal epidemiological study involved Schneider and her colleagues determining pubertal age at first drink in 283 young adults (152 females, 131 males) that were part of a larger epidemiological study. In addition, the participants' drinking behavior - number of drinking days, amount of alcohol consumed, and hazardous drinking - was assessed at ages 19, 22, and 23 years via interviews and questionnaires. Furthermore, a rodent study concurrently examined the effects of mid-puberty or adult alcohol exposure on voluntary alcohol consumption in later life by 20 male rats.

Both studies revealed that those individuals that initiated alcohol consumption during puberty tended to drink more and also more frequently than those starting after puberty, Schneider wrote in the study.

Researchers noted the influence of a high degree of brain development that occurs during puberty.

"In summary, puberty is a very critical developmental period due to ongoing neurodevelopmental processes in the brain. It is exactly during puberty that substances like drugs of abuse - alcohol, cannabis, etc. - may induce the most destructive and also persistent effects on the still developing brain, which may in some cases even result in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia or addictive disorders. Prevention work therefore needs to increase awareness of specific risks and vulnerability related to puberty,” Schneider told Medical News Today.

Teen Smokers May Be At Greater Risk Of Marijuana Addiction

New research presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Washington, D.C., supports the theory that cigarettes are a gateway drug to marijuana.

"Contrary to what we would expect, we also found that students who smoked both tobacco and marijuana were more likely to smoke more tobacco than those who smoked only tobacco," said study author Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH, FAAP, an investigator at Seattle Children's Research Institute and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, in a news release printed in Medical News Today.

Dr. Moreno and her colleagues randomly selected incoming college students from two universities - one in the Northwest and one in the Midwest - to participate in the longitudinal study. Students were interviewed prior to entering college and again at the end of their freshman year regarding their attitudes, intentions and experiences with substances.

Specifically, students were asked if they had used tobacco or marijuana ever in their lives and in the past 28 days. Researchers also assessed the quantity and frequency of marijuana and tobacco use in the past 28 days.

Results showed that prior to entering college, 33 percent of the 315 participants reported lifetime tobacco use, and 43 percent of lifetime users were current users. In addition, tobacco users were more likely to have used marijuana than those who did not use tobacco.

By the end of their freshman year, 66 percent of participants who reported tobacco use prior to entering college remained current users with an average of 34 tobacco episodes per month. Of these, 53 percent reported concurrent marijuana use. Overall, users of both substances averaged significantly more tobacco episodes per month than current users of tobacco only.

"These findings are significant because in the past year we have seen legislation passed that legalizes marijuana in two states," Dr. Moreno said. "While the impact of these laws on marijuana use is a critical issue, our findings suggest that we should also consider whether increased marijuana use will impact tobacco use among older adolescents."