The Meth Project

The Meth Project was founded in 2005 and is currently a program managed by the national non-profit organization, The Partnership For Drug-Free Kids. Methamphetamine (“Meth”) is a highly addictive stimulant drug that is typically smoked (sometimes injected) and produces an effect similar to that of cocaine. Methamphetamine addiction is characterized by a rapid loss of
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Powerful Message in The Overtaken Documentary

There is a powerful and informative short film out – produced by KB Films, and entitled “The Overtaken Documentary“. The film addresses addiction in America and the various ways in which young people are introduced to drugs. The Overtaken Documentary expertly highlights the insidious nature of addiction progression and how youth are wired to typically
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Controversial Proposal to Allow Heroin In Ithaca, New York

CNN has posted a story about the mayor of Ithaca, New York proposing that the city host a program which would allow addicts to legally inject heroin at a designated safe place. The approach is a harm reduction strategy that has been reportedly tried in Europe, Australia, and Canada. Ithaca’s mayor, Svante Myrick, is quoted
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CNN Special Show On Prescription Addiction

CNN aired an informative special program on 5/11/2016, Prescription Addiction: Doctors Must Lead Us Out. The one hour special was hosted by Anderson Cooper and neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta. It specifically addressed how the current opioid epidemic in America has been driven by the over prescribing of opioid medication. Various doctors, recovering addicts, and others
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Lethal Overdose Map of the United States

Using CDC statistics from 2002 – 2014, TIME has produced a coded map of fatal overdoses in the United States. In the graphic below, red areas are geographical locations with the highest concentration of fatal overdoses per capita. The study has a disclaimer however which states that small counties are not represented as accurately on
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The Need For Drug Treatment

It is commonly known that resources for drug treatment and prevention have gradually waned over the past 15 years. As this reduction in resources progressed, so did America’s drug problem. Many professionals in law enforcement now state that the country cannot arrest its way out of this growing dilemma. Many of those who are addicted
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High Rates of Opioid Addiction Stressing Hospital Emergency Rooms

A March 2016 Medscape article profiles the rising problem that U.S hospitals are facing as larger numbers of opioid addicted people seek emergency room help. Hospital professionals are witnessing that many who present for help are just not ready to stop opioid misuse. In regard to injecting water-soluble drugs, Dr. Theisen-Toupal of the VA Medical
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The Stigma of Addiction

People who face addiction also deal with the social stigma attached to having an alcohol or drug problem. Addiction is a powerful disease that changes people and often leads to a life of repeated disappointments and failed restarts. These failures are frequently visible to friends, family, and employers. As family and others watch on, often
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Chronic Marijuana Use Affects Memory and Cognitive Function

The emerging marijuana legalization effort in the U.S. has created growing concerns about the effect that chronic pot use will have on the developing brains of teens and young adults. A recent CNN article highlighted research findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that point to diminished verbal memory, processing speed
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New England Journal of Medicine on Opioid Abuse

A February 4 article in The New England Journal of Medicine addresses the epidemic of opioid abuse that has become the #1 leading cause of injury-related death in the United States now even surpassing vehicle accidents. The Journal reports that approximately 100 million U.S. citizens suffer pain in the course of a year and that
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