Most people who have used the drug ecstasy know that it can provide a euphoric feeling. However, that great feeling could be setting users up for a long battle with depression.

A recent study out of Canada reported by CBS news, revealed that teens who get high on MDMA (ecstasy), methamphetamine and/or amphetamine could be setting themselves up for feeling depressed long after they take the drugs, according to a new Canadian study.

Frightening Findings

Researchers interviewed about 3,900 10th graders in Quebec and followed up with them when they were in the 11th grade. Those who admitted to using the drugs had a 60 to 70 percent risk of experiencing depression symptoms a year after they said they used the substances. Teens who used both the drugs had double the risk for signs of depression compared to those who didn't use the drugs.

How accurate are these findings? Really the only true way to see the effects of these drugs on depression would be to have a test group using a placebo which will never happen.

In my opinion, these drugs mess with the body’s nature chemical balance, altering serotonin levels and making it more difficult to appreciate life without the aid of chemicals.

Drugs are evil. There is no need to make life more difficult by using drugs and getting addicted to chemical substances. The best way to steer clear of depression is to steer clear of addictions. If you or someone you care about has a drug problem seek help. There are also online drug classes.

Is America winning the “war on drugs?” I don’t think so, and apparently, neither does the White House.

According to a recent statement from the White House reported at thebostonchannel.com, the U.S. government's drug strategy should focus more on treating addiction and less on imposing harsh prison sentences. This would include more drug education classes and counseling.

The White House office submits an annual report to Congress, and this year’s suggests a new national approach that includes criminal justice system reforms aimed at stopping the revolving door of drug use, crime, incarceration, and recidivism.

One issue from the White House report that I totally disagree with is that overall drug use in the United States has "dropped substantially” over the past 30 years. While cocaine consumption in the United States had decreased 40% from 2006 to 2010, and methamphetamine use had dropped 50% in that same period, the use of marijuana and prescription medications have replaced them.

President Barack Obama has said point-blank that the prescription drug abuse problem in America is especially worrisome.

It is nice that the White House and the Obama Administration see the need to change their tactics. Obviously, as a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes I think education and support is the best way to help get people off of drugs and stay sober

With more people taking prescription medication it is no surprise society is seeing a huge increase in serious health issues and death from people mixing their various meds.

Despite warning labels on prescription pill bottles and frequent news reports of celebrity overdoses, people are not taking the risks of fatal drug combinations seriously. Whitney Houston was the latest celebrity who died by combining drugs. Here are some of the biggest risks reported by psychcentral.com:

Seniors at Risk

One of the groups I am most concerned about are our senior citizens. Seniors are more likely to take a variety of medications for different ailments and whose bodies are more sensitive to the drugs’ effects. Given that more than half of older adults take five or more prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications or dietary supplements every day, the risk of an adverse drug interaction is high.

Following are a few drugs not to mix.

Blood Thinners and Aspirin

Combining the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin) with aspirin can significantly increase the risk of bleeding. The risk is even higher when taken with garlic pills or leafy, green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage or Brussels sprouts.

Blood pressure Meds and Potassium

Combining this blood pressure meds like Zestril or Prinivil with potassium can cause irregular heart rhythms or death.

Cholesterol Meds and Niacin

Ironically, the vitamin niacin can be used to lower both cholesterol and triglycerides. However, combining popular prescription cholesterol drugs (statins) and over-the-counter niacin (a type of B vitamin that lowers cholesterol) can increase the risk of muscle pain and damage. Statins can also be dangerous when combined with grapefruit juice, which increases the risk of liver and kidney damage and the breakdown of muscle cells.

The best way to educate yourself about the medications you are taking. Take notes when you go to the doctor’s office and pharmacy and consider a 15 hour drug education class to learn more. Medications make you feel better, but they could make you feel a whole lot worse if you make the mistake of combining them.

Have you ever taken ketamine, or better known as “Special K?” Odds are you know someone who has taken the drug at least once. As with many club drugs, many users do not know the side effects. That is one reason why everyone should take a drug class.

Many people who use the club drug ketamine - known as "special K" - may risk abdominal pain, bladder control problems and other urinary tract issues, and the heavier the dose or frequency of use, the more likely the problems. This according to foxnews.com.

A recent found that of 1,285 young adults who said they'd abused ketamine in the past year, 27 percent had developed urinary tract symptoms.

Ketamine’s function medically is as an anesthetic. In clubs ketamine is snorted or sometimes injected, with users saying it creates feelings of euphoria and being "out of your body."

Repeated ketamine use has been linked to mental problems such as hallucinations and impaired memory, thinking and concentration. If that wasn’t enough, it can also cause high blood pressure.

There is no doubt that regular ketamine use can lead to severe urinary symptoms as well.

The findings were based on an online survey promoted by a UK club-music magazine called "MixMag."

Of 3,806 young people who responded, half said they'd tried it at least once, while 1,285 - or a third of the whole group - said they'd used it in the last year.

In the study, statistics of past-year users revealed that 17 percent had symptoms of ketamine dependence such as wanting, but failing, to cut down on the drug. As with most drugs, regular users have to continually increase the dosage in order to get high.

Not surprisingly, they tended to take the drug in bigger doses, and more often, than other users.

It might be somewhat comforting and give reason to quit knowing that symptoms often seem to go away once the ketamine abuse stops.

If you use ketamine, stop. If you have never tried it don’t. If you or someone you love has a drug problem, seek help immediately. If you prefer to maintain anonymity, there are online classes too.

How many different intoxicants do you think they found in the autopsy of Whitney Houston? Of course you remember the pop diva dies after drowning in her bathtub.

If you have seen the photos of the room, you can clearly see that Whitney, despite a number of attempts, she was still was using cocaine.

The drug was found throughout Houston's body according to cleveland.com. By the time she was fou8nd, she had been dead at least an hour in a tub so hot it had scalded part of her body.

Nearby, on the bathroom counter, investigators found a small spoon described by investigators as having a "crystal like substance" in it and in a drawer they discovered a white powdery substance. There also were a dozen prescription drug bottles found in Houston's suite of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Because of the paraphernalia and meds it was originally thought she died of an overdose, but after further examination and toxicology results they concluded she drowned accidentally. Heart disease, which caused a 60 percent blockage in one of her arteries, and cocaine use were listed as contributing factors.

Toxicology results also showed Houston had marijuana, Xanax, the muscle relaxant Flexeril, and the allergy medication Benadryl in her system.

The grim accounting of the room where Houston died and what investigators found provide a sad footnote to the singer's life, showing the impact drugs took on her. An investigator noted a hole in the singer's nose, listed under "history of substance abuse."

Houston died at the age of 48.

What a tragedy. Houston is the perfect example of how drugs ruin lives. A beauty and a God-given talent that is gone – due to drugs. I would hope this is a wake-up call to other celebrities and members of the public. They should know that there are drug classes available that can help them!

World-class Olympian Amanda Beard admits she had a drug problem. Beard, who became one of the darlings of the American sports world when she swam in the Beijing Olympics after giving birth, used and abused drugs.

An Olympic medalist at 14, Amanda Beard is now happily married and a proud mom, and finally at peace. But, according to CBS News, Beard spent years working through depression, bulimia, drug abuse and toxic relationships with famous.

Who knows what her life would have been like if she could not take out her frustrations and aggressions in the swimming pool?

Beard emerged on the international scene at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics by winning two silver medals in the breaststroke events and gold in the relay. She hit puberty soon after, going through a growth spurt that added 6 inches and 30 pounds to her slender frame.

Normal for most girls, it was disastrous for a swimmer. Her body's changes made her slower in the water and she lost races.

Now, 30, Beard traces the cause of her struggles to her parent's divorce when she 12. Her mother moved out and Amanda lived with her father in their Irvine, Calif., home. Her two older sisters were already out of the house.

Battles With Booze

A-level athletes treat their bodies like temples. However, Beard started drinking in high school, when she hated her looks and felt unlovable. Adding to her burden was a case of mild dyslexia that made her cry daily and led to grades of Cs and Ds.

After briefly retiring from swimming after the Atlanta games, she suffered from bulimia.

Typical of an addict and bulimia is a type of addiction, Beard recounts how in college she once vomited seven times in one day despite being scared by the physical toll it took on her body.

Playboy Spread

Still plagued by her history of negative feelings about her body, Beard nonetheless parlayed her California surfer girl looks into sexy magazine shoots, including a Playboy spread in 2007. It was during this time she met and fell in love with her current husband, photographer Sacha Brown.

Brown saw her issues and had the guts to bring her issues out into the open. She now refers to him as a knight in shining armor.

Beard is one of the success stories of celebrities and athletes who suffer from addiction issues. Addiction is a terrible thing. If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs, please seek help. There are also 8 hour and 16 hour online drug classes.

Just how bad is America’s drug problem right now? I hope prescription pain medication is not the only indicator, because a recent report showed that use and abuse of prescription pain killers has increased an astounding 200% in the past 20 years!

Painkiller abuse in the United States has exploded along with skyrocketing prescriptions and sales according to the Courier General. Even doctors and dentists just trying to do the right thing by their patients are being victimized and fueling the epidemic.

Even well-meaning doctors and dentists are fueling the epidemic of prescription drug abuse by prescribing narcotics too often and for too long, officials said.

Recent statistics show that prescriptions for opiate-based painkillers dispensed by retail pharmacies rose from 76 million in 1991 to 219 million in 2011.

Has life gotten that much more difficult over the years that such strong pain medication is required by so many? Of course the answer to that question is a resounding no!

One of the hardest-hit states is Kentucky which experienced more than 1,000 deaths last year attributed to prescription-drug overdoses — more deaths than in traffic accidents.

Dentists and emergency medicine physicians were the chief prescribers of painkillers to patients 5 to 29 years old, and that high prescribers should consider alternatives, particularly for this vulnerable group. Really, do 5-year-olds need such heavy medication?

She also said education on pain management is sorely lacking in medical schools, which offer an average of seven hours, compared with 75 hours in U.S. veterinary schools.

Crazy Stat of the Month

In 2010, enough prescription painkillers were prescribed to medicate every American adult around the clock for a month.

That is crazy. What do you think? Is it that it is a buzz people can hide? Will more 8 hour drug awareness classes and 15 hour drug education classes help curb this trend? I would like to hear what you think.

Not every drug overdose happens to some junkie who is trying to get too high.  Given the variety of legal drugs, it is quite possible to overdose, or mix drugs that should not be combined, with a lethal result. 

So how can you protect yourself from a lethal drug interaction. Here are a few tips!

Protecting Against Adverse Drug Interactions

Mixing drugs always presents some danger. The best protection is not to mix drugs, though in some cases this is unavoidable.

#1 - Know what drugs you are taking, why, what their side effects include and if any special precautions are needed.  This is best accomplished by taking notes at your doctor’s office and pharmacy.

#2 – use the same pharmacy for all of your prescription medications and get to know your local pharmacist.  They are friendly and very helpful.

#3 – Be honest and tell your doctor and pharmacist about any over-the-counter, herbal or illegal substances you are taking and ask about possible interactions.  There are some crazy things you may not be aware of – like drinking grapefruit juice if you are on cholesterol lowering statin.

#4 – This should be a no-brainer, but never take a medication prescribed for someone else.  Just because it works for someone else does not mean it is right for you.  A physician’s recommendation for you personally is necessary for all prescription medications.

Avoid one of the Leading Causes of Death

Adverse drug interactions are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Americans are quick to take medications from doctors who are quick to prescribe them.  One recent study revealed that patients leave a doctor’s office with an average of 2 prescriptions.

Hopefully these tips will help you get started.  I also would recommend taking a drug class to get to know each type of drug more intimately.  If you want to learn in the privacy of your own home, there also are online drug classes.

If you have been paying attention lately, there is a strong and well-financed campaign out there to legalize marijuana. This coming November residents of both Colorado and Washington will head to the polls to vote on an initiative seeking to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

Most certainly you have an opinion on this, right? As a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes I can say with certainty that I do not want these initiatives to pass.  

In Colorado they have billboards stating “for many reasons, I prefer… marijuana over alcohol. Does that make me a bad person?” One the ad is the photo of a 40-something slim, attractive female. What do you think of this ad sponsored by regulatemarijuana.org?

This is total nonsense. Why not have a photo of some blurry-eyed college student the caption “A marijuana buzz is better than getting drunk?” Really the only segment of the population that wants marijuana legalized are the stoners.

Image courtesy: http://www.facebook.com/mmjphotography

Unless you have been on a deserted island for the past few years, you have to realize that prescription drug abuse is rampant in America and around the world. Celebrities too fall victim to the virulent talons of prescription medication.

This most certainly is the case for those entering the Malibu Beach Recovery Center, a rehab clinic for the rich and famous, clings like a determined survivor to a picturesque hillside a short drive from the Malibu movie colony in California.

According to nbclosangeles.com, in just the past year alone, street drugs have given way to something just as deadly among the high-end clientele seeking help here.

It is hard to believe that the biggest “dealer” in the area is parents’ medicine cabinet!

A long time veteran in Hollywood said that 60 percent of her new clients are addicts hooked on prescription meds – and not just the anti-anxieties, like Xanax or Klonopin. More and more of them, she said, are zoned out on heavy-hitters like Fentanyl, often used by cancer patients.

Fentanyl, a pain killer many times more powerful than morphine, is sometimes applied by skin patch.

Actors tend to use their skills to keep their medicine cabinets well-stocked with extras. Two brothers put together a traveling tear-jerker in which one wheeled the other into an ER, posing as a disabled man in desperate need of instant high-powered pain relief.

They were so convincing that the state of Colorado later hired one of them to help spot scam artists working the urgent-care circuit.

Another actor became so practiced at playing the all-suffering clinic-crawler that she knew exactly how many milligrams of a certain pill a doctor should prescribe to keep her high. The doctor was so relieved at having his diagnostic chores eased that he promptly put her on a diladin drip. After taking several hits of the drug, the woman asked to be unhooked so she could grab a cigarette break.

Holy crud!

One paramedic referred to her as the “perfect patient.”

For some, their special taste was for booze laced with Xanax, an increasingly popular combo with pill addicts.

The same debilitating cocktail popped up as a featured player in news stories about Whitney Houston’s last days of hard partying. Houston was never a patient at the center.

The biggest problem is that there’s no public database for tracking prescriptions nationwide, from state to state.

The epidemic of both celebrities and the mainstream population becoming addicted to prescription medication cannot be ignored. We need more drug classes and counseling. The truest remedy lies in keeping our youth from ever experimenting with drugs in the first place.