Most psychologists will tell you that kids should not spend too much time in front of a screen. When we were kids this was not a problem. With no video games or cable TV we didn’t have to worry about too much screen time.

Parents already panicky about the amount of time their teenage children spend online may now have something new to worry about: All those hours spent Web surfing, chatting, gaming, texting and posting to Facebook could be a warning sign of substance abuse, according to a new study in the March issue of the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Internet use Could Lead to Substance Abuse

According to ABC News, Greek researchers found that teenagers with “pathologic” Internet use were more likely to admit to drug abuse. As excessive Internet use increased, so did the likelihood of substance abuse. The study also linked substance abuse and excessive Internet use to such personality traits as nonconformity, aggressiveness, recklessness and impulsiveness.

The study surveyed 1,271 students between the ages of 14 and 19 on the Aegean island of Kos about their Internet use, substance use and personality. To determine who was “Internet addicted,” the researchers administered a 20-question “Internet addiction test” that asked how often the students stayed online longer than they’d intended, how often their grades or studies slipped because of the amount of line spent online, how often they’d “yell, snap or act annoyed” if someone bothered them while they were online.

When they compared the mean values of “illicit substance abuse” among the teenage participants, the researchers found that those who reported substance abuse had “significantly” higher mean scores on the Internet addiction test, and that those scores were important predictors for substance use, either past or present.

When is your kid an Internet Addict?

Parents might wonder when they should start to worry about their “Internet addict” kids. At what point does mere gadget fixation morph into something more “pathologic” or “addictive”? And what is “pathologic” Internet use?

There’s no agreed-upon answer. Internet addiction is not a recognized formal diagnosis, and holds no place in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — the psychiatrists’ “bible” — although Internet addiction could make it into the appendix of the manual’s new edition as a special disorder that requires more research, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

For now, medical practitioners turn to the symptoms of other addictive disorders, such as gambling and substance abuse — compulsiveness, lack of control, failed attempts to cut back, disregard for obvious negative consequences — to diagnose Internet addiction.

And before parents freak too much over this latest heady headline notching up the danger in the Internet zone, they should keep in mind that while this latest study found links between drug use, Internet use and personality type — that’s all they are.

Nevertheless, it is good to monitor your kids’ screen time. A little extra time off the screen now could keep them from having to take a drug class later on.

Few people will deny the musical gift of Pete Doherty. Gifts aside, Doherty is also a drug addict. His influence as a role model unfortunately caused the death of one of his biggest fans.

Terrifying Harbinger

Months before his death 18-year-old Freddy McConnel, a "boy genius" with an IQ of 144, wrote in his diary: "Peaches [Geldof] is coming over later and I am going to inject for the first time. Perhaps I will die. I hope I don't."

James McConnel, 53, Freddy’s father, fears drug abuse is "absolutely rife" in schools 

was found dead in his Battersea flat surrounded by syringes following five years of drug problems,.

McConnel has been very vocal and proactive in his efforts to stop drug abuse. Since the death of his child, many of Freddy’s peers have come to the elder McConnel to talk about how terrifying the problem really is.

Once his peer group experienced death so close, they became very frightened, and when they become frightened they talk. They have told him the ins and outs of what goes on with drugs in schools and it is terrifying. Older teenagers are selling younger teenagers of 13 or 14 ketamine, GBL and some of these hideous club drugs." 

He said he hopes the Government will recognize the need for early intervention otherwise he fears "a lot of lives will be ruined".  One in four 15-year-olds reported taking drugs last year according to official NHS Information Centre figures, and the figure is 12 per cent for all children between 11 and 15. 

A young person dying is always tragic. Perhaps some good can come from Freddy’s death. If his friends and peers warn another group so that even one more life can be saved then it will not have been a total loss.

Source: thisislondon.co.uk

There are a lot of touchy issues out there.  There are always people looking to pick a fight over most any topic.  If I were to tell you that one of the major political parties objected to testing welfare recipients for drugs and taking them off the dole if they are not clean, which do you think it would be?

What Does Virginia Think?

According to hamptonroads.com, a House of Delegates committee has advanced legislation that would require drug testing of Virginia welfare recipients.  Objecting are the state’s Democrats who argued that the proposal amounts to an attack on poor people.

The bill would require local social services agencies to screen recipients in the state welfare program to determine whether they use illegal drugs. Those who refused to comply or failed a drug test would lose Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits for one year unless they entered a drug treatment program. A recipient would have one opportunity to be reinstated to the program by complying with screening, assessment and treatment requirements.

A 2008 study of World Health Organization data on marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and tobacco use in the United States and 16 other nations found that higher-income people were more likely to use both legal and illegal drugs.

Democrats Objection

Lionell Spruill, a democrat from Chesapeake, said the legislation unfairly targets the poor and questioned why the same testing requirement isn't applied to other recipients of taxpayer funds - including members of the General Assembly.

Under the legislation, a welfare recipient would have to submit to an initial test to determine whether there was "probable cause" to believe the person was using illegal drugs. If probable cause existed, the social services agency would conduct a formal substance-abuse assessment, which could include more drug testing.

Is this testing even Constitutional?  Recently a federal judge in Florida halted that state's law requiring drug testing of welfare recipients.

However, the Florida law did not have "the initial screening component" that the Virginia law has to determine probable cause.

The analysis assumed that 10 percent of the individuals who were screened would be referred for formal drug tests, which would cost $345 per person. The tests would cost $25 to $35 apiece.

Interesting idea that I think I favor. What do you think?

There are a lot of touchy issues out there.  There are always people looking to pick a fight over most any topic.  If I were to tell you that one of the major political parties objected to testing welfare recipients for drugs and taking them off the dole if they are not clean, which do you think it would be?

What Does Virginia Think?

According to hamptonroads.com, a House of Delegates committee has advanced legislation that would require drug testing of Virginia welfare recipients.  Objecting are the state’s Democrats who argued that the proposal amounts to an attack on poor people.

The bill would require local social services agencies to screen recipients in the state welfare program to determine whether they use illegal drugs. Those who refused to comply or failed a drug test would lose Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits for one year unless they entered a drug treatment program. A recipient would have one opportunity to be reinstated to the program by complying with screening, assessment and treatment requirements.

A 2008 study of World Health Organization data on marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and tobacco use in the United States and 16 other nations found that higher-income people were more likely to use both legal and illegal drugs.

Democrats Objection

Lionell Spruill, a democrat from Chesapeake, said the legislation unfairly targets the poor and questioned why the same testing requirement isn't applied to other recipients of taxpayer funds - including members of the General Assembly.

Under the legislation, a welfare recipient would have to submit to an initial test to determine whether there was "probable cause" to believe the person was using illegal drugs. If probable cause existed, the social services agency would conduct a formal substance-abuse assessment, which could include more drug testing.

Is this testing even Constitutional?  Recently a federal judge in Florida halted that state's law requiring drug testing of welfare recipients.

However, the Florida law did not have "the initial screening component" that the Virginia law has to determine probable cause.

The analysis assumed that 10 percent of the individuals who were screened would be referred for formal drug tests, which would cost $345 per person. The tests would cost $25 to $35 apiece.

Interesting idea that I think I favor. What do you think?

When my daughter first brought this article to me, claiming that Mario was going to help fight drug abuse my first reaction that it was the Nintendo character from Super Mario Brothers. Then I thought it was the funny Italian guy who owns the local trattoria. It turns out there is a popular young singer named Mario too.

Mario knows from first-hand experience how it is to grow up with a parent with substance abuse problems and now he wants to use what he knows to help other kids.

According the the Baltimore Sun, the Baltimore, Maryland native, whose mother has suffered from drug abuse for years, is using his non-profit to help prevent substance abuse in middle and high school students in the Baltimore area.

The Mario Do Right Foundation will house the program at the REACH! School, a Baltimore school that focuses on getting kids into college.

The program will promote healthy alternatives to smoking, alcohol and drug use. It will also teach the kids techniques to resist peer pressure to engage in these activities. There will also be referrals for parents to the University of Maryland Medical Center for substance abuse treatment.

Personal Interaction

Mario will interact with the kids in the program through SKYPE.

He has been very outspoken on how drugs have impacted his family. In 2007, he documented how his mother’s heroin addiction has affected his childhood and life on MTV in a documentary titled “I Won’t Love You To Death”. 

It certainly is refreshing to see a singer going out of his way to be a positive role model and use his celebrity for the betterment of our children and society.

With drug use and abuse at epidemic proportions in the world who will finally help get a handle on this growing problem? Could it be Sir Richard Branson? Why not Sir Richard Branson?

He is an uber-intelligent man who has succeeded in many different avenues. Lately, the billionaire tycoon has been using his talents to help fight drug abuse.

Sir Richard Branson is a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. He is becoming very vocal in his belief that the government should change its attitude towards drug abuse.

Branson’s view is that the government should look drug abuse as a health problem rather than looking it as a criminal offence.

Drug abuse in the UK is increasing like a wild fire and by making it a health issue, it will encourage experts to come forth and help addicts to give up their ill habit.

Portugal Leading the Way

I know that looks absolutely ridiculous. When was the last time Portugal led the way anywhere? Probably seven hundred years ago.

Branson believes the UK should follow Portugal. When it was suffering from the same issue, they changed their approach towards drug abuse and took it as a health issue, due to which the number of drug addicts dropped by 50% in the country.

All the methods which the UK has taken till date to overcome drug abuse have flopped. So, it may be time to try Branson’s method to bring down the increasing number. One of the things that could be done is to introduce some new guidelines like low-level street dealers could be spared jail.

What do you think? I am all for more drug classes to find a remedy for our planet’s current addiction to chemical substances. I would like to learn more about what Portugal did.

It seems like prescription medications are getting stronger and more addictive all the time. One of the few things I have not been addicted to I nevertheless understand the mind of an addict and the body and mind can be tempted easily into addiction.

But are there people out there who cannot exist on a current cocktail of the most high-powered pain killers on the planet?

Drug companies are working to develop a pure, more powerful version of the nation’s second most-abused medicine, which worries me that it could spur a new wave of abuse.

The new pills contain the highly addictive painkiller hydrocodone, packing up to 10 times the amount of the drug as existing medications such as Vicodin. Four companies have begun patient testing, and one of them — Zogenix of San Diego — plans to apply early next year to begin marketing its product, Zohydro.

If approved, it would mark the first time patients could legally buy pure hydrocodone. Existing products combine the drug with non-addictive painkillers such as acetaminophen.

Critics say they are especially worried about Zohydro, a timed-release drug meant for managing moderate to severe pain, because abusers could crush it to release an intense, immediate high.

Ponder This

Do we really need more potent painkillers? I respectfully ask my readers who need heavy-duty painkillers to chime in. If you do, let us know if you think you are addicted to your pain medication. There is a difference between really needing it to control pain and needing it because you like the way it makes you feel.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) provides an invaluable service. When a baby is born with drugs in its system and the moth tests positive as well, they are responsible for monitoring the situation.

In a report on a baby's death, an oversight agency last week found DHS workers left the girl with her mother even though both had illegal drugs in their systems when the child was born.

Tamberlynn Wheeler died in Oklahoma three months after her birth in December 2007, showing major signs of malnourishment according to NewsOK.

Tamberlynn's parents, Crystal Lynn Erb, 22, and Samuel Eugene Wheeler Jr., 29, both of Seminole, Florida, have been charged with child neglect. Tamberlynn, who was born prematurely, weighed less at the time of her death than she did when she was born. In just over three months, her weight had dropped from 4 pounds 11 ounces to 4 pounds 6 ounces.

In proof that the government is quick in its investigations, her parents this year were charged with child neglect.

The oversight agency said a DHS worker justified the decision to leave Tamberlynn and a 10-month-old sibling in the home — stating in one document that drug use by the infant's parents did not affect their abilities to parent Tamberlynn's sibling.

The severely malnourished baby dies in an apartment littered with unused government milk vouchers. The neglectful mother’s reasoning – she had lost the codes to use them. That is juts criminal!

Cocktail of Trouble

At the time of Tamberlynn's Dec. 31, 2007, birth, Erb tested positive for benzodiazepine, marijuana and an antidepressant. The baby tested positive for marijuana.

The father admitted to a history of methamphetamine and marijuana abuse, saying he had last used methamphetamine about two or three years earlier and had last used marijuana about a month earlier.

Tamberlynn's birth was not the first time DHS received a report of alleged child endangerment regarding Erb and Wheeler.

Six months before Tamberlynn was born, DHS received a complaint that her sibling had been exposed to domestic violence when Wheeler allegedly threw a knife at Erb after another man in the home had flirted with her. Wheeler is known to be a heavy drinker too.

This is a tragedy that could have been avoided had drugs and alcohol been taken out of the equation. No how bad and irresponsible people can be alcohol and drugs are always a negative factor.

When news of the split between Hollywood stars Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore broke, I am sure I am like many of you who believed Kutcher was probably to blame. It certainly did not help matters that rumors of his serial adultery were circulating everywhere.

Moore was rushed to the hospital after an ambulance was called to her Beverly Hills home. The actress is reportedly being treated for exhaustion.

While her rep’s maintain that Moore is being treated for “exhaustion,” other rumors are flying that the extremely thin Moore may be dealing with anorexia, as well as drug abuse problems. There are reports that Moore was in the midst of an epileptic seizure when the ambulance was called.

In the wake of her medical treatment, it has also been confirmed that Moore will be pulling out of her latest film project ‘Lovelace,’ which is a biopic about the pornstar Linda Lovelace. Moore was set to play feminist activist Gloria Steinem.

Moore made headlines back in November when she announced she would be separating from Kutcher, her husband of six. While the two have officially separated, divorce papers have yet to be filed.

Obviously not under extreme stress or exhaustion, Kutcher was spotted in Sao Paolo, Brazil during the week partying it up at a Bruno Mars concert. 

Another sad case of a celebrity most-likely addicted to chemical substances. I would hope counseling with a good drug class might help Moore get sober and stay that way.

Do you know what spice is? I was recently lecturing at a senior center regarding alcohol and drug abuse. As you might be aware, there is an alarming increase in alcohol and drug abuse among our nation’s senior citizens.

Seniors are an interesting group to speak to. In my most recent lecture at an assisted-living facility, my audience had nowhere better to go so I had a captive audience. One thing that seems to universally surprise seniors is the myriad of new drugs on the market.

In my lecture yesterday only one senior had ever heard of “Spice” and she had read something about in “Time or Newsweek, or maybe Cosmo.”

What is spice?

Spice is made up of exotic plants from Asia like Blue Lotus and Bay Bean. Their leaves are coated with chemicals that mimic the effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, but are five to 200 times more potent.

More than 40 states have banned some of its chemicals, prompting sellers to turn to the Internet, where it is marketed as incense or potpourri. In some states, Spice is sold at bars, smoke shops and convenience stores.

Sellers based in the United States and Europe advertising the incense on the Internet did not respond to emails or calls seeking comment.

The packets often say the ingredients are not for human consumption and are for aromatherapy. They are described as "mood enhancing" and "long lasting." Some of the sellers' Web sites say they do not sell herbal mixes containing any illegal chemicals and say they are offering a "legal high."

Alarming Study

In a study of ten different cases of drug use - some smoked spice and also had smoked marijuana or drank alcohol, while others only smoked Spice.

Of the 10, nine had lost a sense of reality. Seven babbled incoherently. The symptoms for seven of them lasted four to eight days. Three others are believed to now be schizophrenic. The drug may have triggered the symptoms in people with that genetic disposition.

Scary drug in a scary world. Most of the seniors agree that drugs especially are more popular and pervasive than they were two generations ago. They also agree that we need more drug classes.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/30/synthetic-marijuana-use-us-troops_n_1176879.html