There are many who believe that nicotine is a gateway drug for harder drugs. I am one of those people. How do you feel? Tobacco companies target young markets for their new products. Offering a variety of ways and flavors to ingest nicotine is a good way to get kids hooked young. These products make it easy for young nicotine addicts to indulge their habit anywhere, including in the classroom. As reported in www.thewesterlysun.com. The ongoing fight against underage tobacco use is difficult. I... [More]

Is tobacco the first step on the long road to addiction perdition? Many experts, myself included, certainly believe so. As a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes as well as tobacco classes, I see first-hand how many of my students use, or have used, tobacco products. Keep in my mind, all of my students are in attendance due to a drug or tobacco-related incident. Therefore, all of my tobacco students have had at least one incident involving authority due to the use of tobacco prod... [More]

Is nicotine a gateway drug? I sure think so. I also believe that keeping kids away from nicotine products could seriously put a dent in the number of new recreational drug users every day. It sickens me how tobacco companies target the younger market. Of course the older generation who does not use tobacco products will not be likely to start. Better to get them while their minds are fresh and they feel invincible. As reported in www.thewesterlysun.com. Tobacco companies package nicotine in ca... [More]

Can you tell me why heroin is gaining in popularity among all age groups? I mean who in their right mind would start using heroin? As a recovering drug addict I can tell you that this drug will kill you or anyone else who uses it. If not for an overdose, it will kill in a plethora of other ways. So why is it making a comeback? Experts seem to think that our country’s addiction to prescription medication is the key factor. They believe that as the price of prescription meds goes up and the... [More]

As a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes I am quite aware that the majority of my students’ first experience with drugs was nicotine. Would keeping them from ever trying nicotine keep them off heavier drugs in the future. Tobacco companies are smart. They know the target market for their advertising are those under the age of 30, even under the age of 20. They need to get people hooked at a young age and keep them hooked. That is why they have been making billions of dolla... [More]

Anyone who has ever watched the AMC television show “Breaking Bad” knows that like everywhere else, drugs are a problem in New Mexico. Recently the state released a report showing an increase in drug overdose deaths of more than 60% from 2001 to 2010. This according to the New York Times. One of the primary drivers of the spike is prescription opioids — painkillers like oxycodone, morphine and methadone — whose sales rose 131 percent during the same period. In New Mexic... [More]

Yes, you read that headline correctly – nicotine addicts need to take a drug class. Whether you smoke cigarettes, chew tobacco, use dip or smoke a pipe, nicotine is a powerfully-addictive chemical substance. You have long heard that marijuana is evil because it is a gateway drug. Well, a new study using mice is seeking to prove that cigarettes are a gateway drug as well. Is Nicotine a Gateway Drug? A recent study reported in Psych Central, in mice identifies a biological mechanism that ... [More]