Heroin use in jails overtakes cannabis, random tests show

Heroin is now more widespread than cannabis inside prisons in England and Wales, according to the results of an official random drug testing programme.

Ministry of Justice data published yesterday shows that at two prisons - Erlestoke in Wiltshire and Featherstone in Wolverhampton - 16% of inmates tested positive for heroin. Across 101 prisons, 4.2% of inmates tested positive for heroin and 4% for cannabis.

The survey, carried out between February and April last year, was commissioned because of increasing concern about the growing misuse of a heroin substitute called Subutex - a prescription drug used in drug treatment programmes.

It confirmed claims that the use of Subutex - also known as buprenorphine - had spread "like wildfire" across the prison estate. Prisoners tested positive for Subutex use in 87 out of 139 jails - 50 of which had found no trace of the drug in previous drug testing programmes.

The Prison Service was also alarmed to find that in 11 prisons Subutex had overtaken heroin and cannabis as the most misused drug - many of them in the north-east, Yorkshire and Humberside areas. At Holme House prison on Teesside more than 20% of inmates tested positive for the drug. "The misuse of buprenorphine had grown to be a more significant problem," concluded the report, which was commissioned by the National Offender Management Service.

The justice minister, David Hanson, said yesterday the results justified the introduction of mandatory drug testing for the opiate substitute across all prisons from next month. "Prisoners will also be reminded of the drug treatment options available in prisons."

He said the random drug testing programme had shown that drug abuse inside jails in England and Wales had fallen from 24.4% of inmates testing positive in 1997 to 8.8% last year.

The decision to extend the programme of mandatory drug testing follows the announcement on Monday that David Blakey, former president of the Association of Chief Police Officers and chief constable of West Mercia, is to head an inquiry into the illicit supply of drugs into prisons.

The evidence of heroin abuse follows claims over the years that drug tests provide a perverse incentive for class A drug abuse because the active ingredients of cannabis remain in the bloodstream for much longer than opiates.

The Prison Service points out that on average 55% of inmates are problem drug users and some prisons report up to 80% of new inmates testing positive for class A drugs on reception. Governors argue that given this high level of abuse among new prisoners it is not surprising to see such a high demand for drugs in prison.

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk

The Big Picture on Genetic Influence

new genetic drug addiction study was published last week in PLoS Computational Biology. According to the report, researchers from the Center for Bioinformatics at Peking University in Beijing have put together the gene atlas that underlies drug addiction and identified five molecular pathways that are commonly found in people who are addicted to four different drugs.

Though environmental influences play a big part in drug addiction, the study of genetic influences are extremely important. It’s an area of science that is really growing right now. The biological process and development of genes that affect whether or not a person becomes addicted to a drug can help determine better ways to treat drug addiction in those who develop it and prevent it in those who may be predisposed to the disease.

There are no comprehensive studies just yet that provide a complete picture of what the genetic influences of drug addiction looks like. Each study is slightly biased and flawed but each brings to the table a portion of the big picture so that when they are viewed together, the truth about the genetics that underlies drug addiction becomes more clear.

While we’re waiting for the researchers to figure out the drug addiction genes and create a corresponding vaccine (wouldn’t that be great?!) or treatment specific to each type of drug, we have a detox for opioid-based drugs like Vicodin, OxyContin and morphine, to name just a few. Suboxone is a treatment that was developed based on what we know about how opiates work in the brain, binding to opiate receptors and triggering the pleasure pathway. With a binding effect that is half as strong as prescription painkillers, Suboxone can significantly decrease withdrawal symptoms that usually occur when you stop taking an opiate medication and allow you to detox off of your prescription drug slowly and safely.

Check out the gene atlas that the researchers from the Center for Bioinformatics at Peking University in Beijing have posted for free at KARG, the first online molecular database for addiction, or check out the study and others like it the Public Library of Science.
Source:http://www.meditoxofpalmbeach.com/blog/detox/addiction-recovery/page/3/

Need Help Now?

IF YOU NEED HELP AND SUPPORT NOW PLEASE VISIT US AT The Sober Village or Sober Musicians where we care, understand and have been there!!

Ketamine

Ketamine has been around for about 30 years and was initially used only in veterinary medicine. Over the past 2 decades, it has become known that ketamine is a general anesthetic with hallucinogenic and analgesic (pain relieving properties). The drug has a unique ability to differentiate perception from sensation. It is currently widely used in pediatric anesthesia. Ketamine is structurally related to PCP, a drug known for its psychedelic effects and vivid hallucinations. The drug has a tendency to produce a feeling of an out-of-body experience.
Pharmacology of Ketamine

When injected ketamine can cause profound analgesia, respiratory depression, cardiovascular stimulation and amnesia. However, despite the anesthesia, the protective reflexes are maintained. It has excellent analgesic activity and useful for control of severe pain.

Ketamine causes an insensate feeling throughout the body. Prolonged use has been associated with physical and psychological addiction. In the majority of individuals who frequently use ketamine, tolerance does develop to these effects, thus requiring the addicts to consume higher doses.

Dosing

In clinical medicine, ketamine is administered either intravenously or intramuscularly. For illicit uses, ketamine is prepared by evaporating the liquid from the legitimate pharmaceutical product and pulverizing the residue into a powder. All of the ketamine abused has been diverted from legal sources. Theft of veterinary/pharmacy clinics is the most frequently reported source of illicit ketamine.

Ketamine is commonly snorted by abusers. Intra-muscular injection is also a widely used method for abuse. Injected Ketamine takes a few seconds to work whereas snorted ketamine takes 5-15 minutes to take effect.

Symptoms of Ketamine Use

Ketamine is known to cause hallucinations, nausea, mental clouding, loss of memory and an amnestic feeling may occur. Numerous individuals report out of body experiences after having undergone anesthesia with ketamine. Physical features of ketamine use include increased heart rate, paralyzed feeling, numbness, impaired attention, delirium, and high blood pressure

Is Ketamine Addictive?

Although ketamine does not give rise to physical dependence like that seen with morphine, heroin or alcohol, it is associated with a powerful psychological addiction- like that seen with cocaine. Because of its ability to produce intense vivid psychedelic effects it is frequently abused. The psychedelic effects and out of body experiences have been primary reasons why the drug is abused.
Ketamine Abuse

The dose of ketamine which is used by drug addicts is only about 10-25% of the therapeutic dose required to induce anesthesia. At these low doses, it behaves more like a stimulant than a sedative and does not affect the breathing or heart rate, although exceptions do occur. At very high doses, ketamine behaves more like other anesthetics and can induce respiratory arrest and increase blood pressure.
Deaths with abuse of ketamine alone are rare. The majority of fatalities occur when ketamine is combined with other CNS depressants like alcohol, benzodiazepines and a mixture of other illicit drugs.

Side Effects

Prolonged use of ketamine can result in amnesia, impaired motor function, delirium, and respiratory problems that can be fatal. Ketamine can cause loss of in consciousness, neuroses or other mental clouding. Other common side effects include confusion, delirium, vivid dreams, hallucinations and feelings of detachment from the body. Some physicians routinely use haloperidol or a benzodiazepine to alleviate these distressing symptoms.
When injected, ketamine can also cause a significant increase in blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, respiratory depression, airway obstruction, visual problems, seizures, skin rash and pain at the injected site.

Drug Interactions

Treatment Options

Ketamine addiction, like all addiction begins with the acceptance of a problem by the individual. Several drug rehabilitation and treatment facilities are available for ketamine treatment. There are no antidotes to ketamine and the majority of therapy is based on psychotherapy and behavior modification.

Empty chair a reminder of addiction's toll

David Chalmers' parents, officials and Albany Drug Court graduates share bittersweet ceremony

ALBANY -- Graduates of Albany Drug Court remembered a "ray of sunshine," David Julian Chalmers.

He was 24 when he took his own life on Nov. 26, less than two weeks before graduation. His parents accepted their son's diploma posthumously at Friday's ceremony.

"David Chalmers has given all of us a life lesson here," said Albany County Judge Stephen Herrick, who asked for a moment of silence in his memory.

Chalmers, of Loudonville, was an honors student who attended prep schools and colleges while cultivating a wide circle of friends. But he began abusing alcohol and drugs when he was 12 and later was diagnosed with psychological problems. He relapsed during previous attempts at sobriety before completing residential rehab and other requirements of drug court.

"Every one of you has to deal with your demons every day," Herrick said. "Do not become overwhelmed, and please remember, we're here to help you."

Dr. Paul Chalmers thanked Herrick and his drug court staff for treating his son and the others "with respect and dignity and love," and he congratulated the 22 graduates who accepted a diploma from the judge.

"You've all earned this day," he said, with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Anne, at his side. "We pray you continue to make the right decisions."

In an overflowing courtroom, the hourlong program was marked by laughter and tears and the occasional wail of a cranky toddler. Even the judge frequently dabbed a handkerchief at misty eyes.

One by one, 22 graduates shared grim tales of addiction and the toll it had exacted on families. Each expressed elation, albeit tentatively, over their momentary success.

Herrick noted that only 11 had reached graduation without an infraction, and that relapse and recidivism are not uncommon.

It was Herrick's largest class of graduates and its most diverse. They were black, white and Hispanic, women and men, ranging in age from 21 to 55, with addictions that included alcohol, crack, heroin and prescription drugs.

Among the group, 20 are employed, one is retired and one is a full-time college student.

There was one substance-free infant born to a graduate.

Herrick gave the best-dressed prize to Bruce Maddox, who wore a tuxedo. "Drug court is a miracle worker," Maddox said.

Linda Brace had the standing-room-only audience reaching for tissues when she described relapses, and losses of family members and property to addiction.

She expressed condolences to the Chalmers family and called David "a ray of sunshine."

Herrick urged the graduates to bask in their moment of hopefulness, but to beware of dark clouds ahead.

He urged them to establish "sober support networks" and to continue to work with an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor to resist the temptation to drink and use drugs again.

A block away, on North Pearl Street, the bars were beginning to fill with early happy hour patrons, lured by drink specials.

source: Albany Times Union

By PAUL GRONDAHL, Staff writer. Grondahl can be reached at 454-5623 or by e-mail at pgrondahl@timesunion.com.

Mental Illness And Drug Addiction May Co-occur Due To Disturbance In Part Of The Brain

Why do mental illness and drug addiction so often go together? New research reveals that this type of dual diagnosis may stem from a common cause: developmental changes in the amygdala, a walnut-shaped part of the brain linked to fear, anxiety and other emotions.

Dual diagnosis is common yet difficult to treat. Addiction of all types -- to nicotine, alcohol and drugs -- is often found in people with a wide variety of mental illnesses, including anxiety disorders, unipolar and bipolar depression, schizophrenia, and borderline and other personality disorders. Lead author Andrew Chambers, MD, cites clinical reports that at least half the people who seek help with addiction or mental-health treatment have co-occurring disorders. Epidemiological data says that from two to five of every 10 anxious or depressed people, and from four to eight of every 10 people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or antisocial personality, also have some type of addiction.

To find the scientific basis for this complex, seemingly intractable pairing, which has in the past been attributed to "self-medication," Chambers' team at the Indiana University medical school compared the adult mood- and drug-related behavior of two groups of adult rats: those whose amygdalas were surgically damaged in infancy and those whose amygdalas were left intact but who underwent a sham surgery, to equalize their treatment.

Rats with damaged (lesioned) amygdalas grew up abnormally under-responsive to ambiguous or potentially threatening stimuli. Not showing the normal caution, they moved significantly more in response to novelty, showed significantly less fear in an elevated maze, and kept socializing even when exposed to the scent of a predator.

Crucially, these same rats also were significantly more sensitive to cocaine after just one exposure. And rats given repeated cocaine injections later showed even stronger expressions of the enduring changes in behavior -- suggesting an overall hypersensitivity to the addictive process.

Given that the experimental and control rats were raised in the same tightly controlled conditions, the only difference being their brain status, researchers concluded that the integrity of the amygdala was the root cause of both impaired fear behavior and heightened drug response.

"Brain conditions may alter addiction vulnerability independently of drug history," says Chambers. He and his colleagues concluded that someone's greater vulnerability to addiction, rather than a given drug's ability to alter the symptoms of mental illness for better or worse (usually worse), more fully explains the high rates of dual diagnosis.

For these reasons, and given the lab evidence and the fact that dual diagnosis patients do less well on psychiatric medication than other patients, Chambers wondered whether the underlying problems in the brain -- what he calls "neural inflexibility" -- make it harder for these people to respond.

To improve the effectiveness of treatments for dual diagnosis, Chambers would like to see educators, counselors, physicians, and scientific researchers integrate insights into both mental health and addiction. Funding the simultaneous treatment of both disorders would also help, he observes, given that "dual-diagnosis cases are the mainstream among these patients, probably because addiction and mental illness are strongly linked by neurobiology."

What may harm the amygdala early in human development? Dr. Chambers cites the relatively rare cases of temporal lobe epilepsy, tumors or early brain injury. Far more common, he speculates, are complex interactions among subtle genetic and environmental factors that change the way the amygdala functions or is connected to the rest of the brain during childhood and adolescence. For example, he says, "Early emotional trauma, paired with a certain genetic background, may alter the early development of neural networks intrinsic to the amygdala, resulting in a cascade of brain effects and functional changes that present in adulthood as a dual-diagnosis disorder."

A full report on why these "comorbid" disorders may develop appears in the December Behavioral Neuroscience, published by the American Psychological Association.

Source: Science Daily, http://www.sciencedaily.com/