Author: The Fix

How Cannabis Dispensaries Impacted Opioid Death Rates

Access to marijuana dispensaries played a role in reducing opioid deaths by 21%, according to a new study.

With the opioid crisis in America still a major concern, many have been in search of a solution. While cannabis becoming legal across the country is certainly not a cure-all, according to a report in Leafly, cannabis dispensaries have reportedly reduced opioid deaths by 21%.

Economists at the University of Massachusetts and Colorado State University conducted a study on cannabis’ effect on the opioid crisis. As their report states, “Our principal finding is that recreational marijuana access significantly decreases opioid mortality, with the most pronounced effects for synthetic opioids. [This] stems primarily from access via dispensaries rather than legality per se.”

Leafly cited another report in 2014 from JAMA, which claimed that in states with medical marijuana laws, there were 25% fewer opioid deaths than in states without medical marijuana laws.

Studying the data, the current research showed that 47,600 people died from opioids in the U.S. in 2017. If dispensaries did indeed reduce the death rate, that means that close to 10,000 people were saved from opioid overdoses.

“Our results have direct relevance for policy, as they indicate that recent expansions to marijuana access have significant co-benefits in the form of reduced opioid mortality,” researchers wrote. “States with legal access to marijuana were far less affected by the opioid mortality boom of the past decade than those without. Thus, our work provides important food for thought for state and federal authorities that continue to mull medical and/or recreational legalization of marijuana.”

Lead author Nathan Chan thinks that people may be “dealing with pain through marijuana use, and therefore they’re less likely to take on addictive opioids.”

In a previous report in Leafly, Philippe Lucas, a cannabis researcher in Canada, said, “Whether it’s medical use or recreational use, cannabis appears to be having an impact on the rates of opioid abuse. If physicians start recommending the use of medical cannabis prior to introducing patients to opioids, those patients that find cannabis to be a successful treatment for their chronic pain might never have to walk down the very tricky path of opioid use that all too often leads to abuse or overuse or overdose.”

Not only is the opioid crisis a major concern in the U.S., but Lucas added that in Canada, “Opioid overdose is the most common cause of accidental death… Right now in Canada and in U.S. states with medical marijuana, physicians are encouraged to prescribe opioids first and if those don’t work, cannabis is considered as a third or fourth-line treatment option. We need to flip that around and make cannabis the second-line treatment option and move opioids to third or fourth option if cannabinoids are not successful.”

View the original article at thefix.com

14 August 2019
GEHA (Government Employees Health Association) Drug Rehab and Behavioral Health Coverage Guide

Find out all you need to know about GEHA health insurance with this helpful guide.

1. What Behavioral Health Conditions are Covered by GEHA Health Plans?
2. Explaining GEHA Drug Rehab and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Coverage
3. Explaining GEHA Mental Health Insurance Coverage
4. The Advantages of Using a GEHA In-Network Provider
5. What will GEHA Health Plans Not Cover?
6. How to Find the Best GEHA Health Plans Drug Rehab and Behavioral Health Treatment Program
7. Understanding your GEHA Health Plans Coverage and Benefits

Substance use disorders and mental health conditions are serious medical issues that require rapid intervention and comprehensive treatment. But too often, financial concerns prevent people from seeking the help they need.

If you’re insured under a GEHA health plan and need treatment for a behavioral health condition, this shouldn’t happen to you. GEHA health plans drug rehab coverage is extensive, as is its coverage for alcohol addiction and mental health treatment. Once you enter GEHA-approved substance abuse facilities or GEHA mental health care centers, financial limitations shouldn’t impact your recovery.

What Behavioral Health Conditions are Covered by GEHA Health Plans?

Alcohol addiction, drug dependency and mental health disorders are all classified as behavioral health conditions.

Under the terms of your GEHA health plan, if you’ve been diagnosed with one or more types of behavioral health disorder you will be eligible for health insurance coverage. The diagnosis must be made by a qualified medical professional, using the appropriate diagnostic criteria.

As long as this requirement is met, GEHA must help you pay for the treatment deemed necessary by medical professionals. GEHA health plan rules treat substance abuse problems and mental health difficulties the same as any other type of physical illness.

Explaining GEHA Drug Rehab and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Coverage

GEHA health plans drug rehab and alcohol addiction treatment coverage is extensive and impressive. It will include the initial evaluation and diagnosis, detox services, inpatient or outpatient treatment programs, and possibly aftercare services if they are considered essential to your long-term health.

Before you can obtain addiction treatment services of any type, however, GEHA health insurance representatives must certify your eligibility. That is, they must be provided with documentation proving that the treatment you’re seeking is medically necessary and has been approved by recognized medical professionals. Once you do gain approval, there may be some limits on the number of days you can remain in treatment and still receive coverage.

Precertification is a standard requirement for all types of addiction treatment, including intensive day treatment, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient plans, in addition to conventional inpatient or outpatient recovery programs.

The good news is that GEHA drug rehab and alcohol rehab facilities and mental health care centers will handle precertification procedures for you. You’d only be contacted by the insurance company should your rehab center fail to take the necessary measures—and even then, you’d be given time to rectify the error.

Explaining GEHA Mental Health Insurance Coverage

People who struggle with anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorders, PTSD and other mental health disorders can benefit tremendously from a period of time spent in GEHA-approved mental health facilities.

As is the case with GEHA substance abuse coverage, you’ll need to be precertified by the company before you can enter GEHA-approved mental health facilities, or receive services from a GEHA psychiatrist or psychologist. The treatment center you plan to enter will provide information to GEHA about your diagnosis, treatment plan and long-term prognosis, which should make precertification a foregone conclusion in most cases.

Approved length of stay can sometimes be an issue, especially if your mental health treatment team has recommended an inpatient or outpatient program of longer than 30 days. You may or may not receive approval under GEHA health plans for an extended stay, depending on the specific nature of your mental health disorder.

The Advantages of Using a GEHA In-Network Provider

A GEHA in-network provider is a medical authority or institution that has a special relationship with the insurance company. This means lower healthcare costs for you if you choose to stay in-network when searching for healthcare services. A GEHA in-network provider is also referred to as a GEHA PPO, which stands for preferred provider option.

The coverage available in your GEHA health plan will inevitably be more extensive if you seek treatment with a GEHA in-network provider. These providers may include individual practitioners, clinics, generals-service hospitals or institutions devoted exclusively to behavioral health treatment services.

GEHA drug rehab facilities, alcohol rehab centers and mental health care facilities will all be included in the list of GEHA in-network providers. Among individual treatment specialists, coverage will be provided for therapy and other services offered by affiliated psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, addiction treatment specialists, and marriage and family therapists.

For GEHA health insurance coverage to be guaranteed, the services obtained from GEHA therapists and other medical experts must directly address the substance use disorder or mental health disorder diagnosed.

Your benefits will be more generous if you choose GEHA in-network substance abuse facilities or mental health care centers. But you can seek evaluation, diagnostic, detox and treatment services with out-of-network providers, if you choose to do so. You’ll be responsible for a greater percentage of the costs, but GEHA coverage will still be available to help make your time in recovery more affordable.

In general, you can expect to pay between two and five times as much for specific treatment-related services should you go outside the GEHA in-network providers list.

Fortunately, it should not be necessary for you to go out-of-network if you have a GEHA medical plan. There are more than 2.7 million GEHA in-network provider locations in the United States, including approximately 9,300 hospitals. This should give you a wealth of excellent options if you need GEHA health plans drug rehab, alcohol rehab or mental health recovery services.

What will GEHA Health Plans Not Cover?

GEHA health plans offer generous benefits for clients. But you can’t assume all of your drug and alcohol recovery expenses, or mental health care costs, will be paid for by GEHA health insurance.

Benefits and coverage will vary from plan to plan. For example, your GEHA health plan may cover most of your detox costs but offer less coverage for substance abuse treatment, based on the number of days you’re allowed to seek assistance. Even if you have medical authorization for your extended treatment from licensed mental health or substance abuse professionals, that may not be enough to gain full insurance coverage.

Other GEHA substance abuse health plans might cover the bulk of treatment costs but do little to help with aftercare. If you need medication, you may be restricted to certain drugs for only a limited period of time. You may run into trouble getting coverage for complementary services, such as educational classes or holistic treatment methods. GEHA health plans may not consider theme essential to your overall recovery program.

Another potential limitation involves luxury rehab centers. Luxury treatment is highly desirable to many people, but it often includes perks and amenities that are not considered critical for your health and safety. You will have to pay for these extras yourself should you enter a treatment facility that offers luxury services.

The only way to be certain about what is or is not covered by your GEHA health plan is to speak with a company representative. GEHA alcohol rehab centers, drug rehab centers and mental health care facilities can help confirm your eligibility for coverage, if you’re having difficulty finding that information yourself.

You naturally want as much health insurance coverage as you can find. But you shouldn’t let limitations in your GEHA coverage interfere with your pursuit of drug rehab, alcohol addiction treatment or mental health intervention. GEHA-approved substance abuse and mental health treatment facilities will work with you to develop a flexible payment schedule that you and your family can afford.

How to Find the Best GEHA Health Plans Drug Rehab and Behavioral Health Treatment Program

GEHA health plans are there to help you pay for your medical expenses. No one should forego treatment for drug addiction, alcohol addiction or mental health disorders simply for financial reasons, and GEHA is there to help prevent that from happening.

But ultimately, it is the experts charged with managing your treatment program who will be most responsible for your recovery. Or more precisely, it is the collaborative relationship you establish with those treatment professionals that will make the decisive difference.

GEHA health plans can give you greater peace of mind as you strive to overcome your life challenges. That is their purpose, and the relationships the company has built with GEHA in-network providers in the behavioral health field are designed to maximize your chances of recovery. A facility chosen as a GEHA PPO will provide you with the very best in evidence-based recovery services, which is exactly what you need as you work for a brighter future.

In the end, you should choose a GEHA health plans drug rehab, alcohol addiction treatment or mental health care facility that offers the full menu of the services you need and desire. They should employ well-trained, highly compassionate mental health and addiction treatment experts who motivate you and inspire you to give your best efforts to change and heal.

If you have everything you know you need to recover, your GEHA health plan should lift enough of the financial burden to make your treatment affordable. This should definitely be the case if you seek treatment in-network, and could even be true if you go for an outside provider.

Understanding your GEHA Health Plans Coverage and Benefits

Is GEHA insurance good?

This is a question asked by many of the active or retired federal employees and their family members covered under GEHA health plans. When it comes to coverage for substance abuse and mental health treatment, GEHA policies are solid, dependable and generous, and that is good news for you if you require intervention for a serious behavioral health issue.

There are three types of GEHA health plans: the Standard Option, the High Option and the High Deductible Option. While they offer different levels of coverage for some conditions, all provide equally attractive benefits for substance abuse and mental health treatment. Regardless of which GEHA health plan you have, you should be able to get the assistance you require if you have a legitimate need for behavioral health rehabilitation services.

View the original article at thefix.com

14 August 2019
Connecticut EMTs Team Up With Poison Control To Track Overdoses

In May, the system helped detectives identify risk factors in a spate of 11 overdoses in two days.

In Connecticut, emergency medical personnel are teaming up with poison control to track every overdose in the state in hopes of combatting overdose deaths.

The idea started with Peter Canning, who has been a paramedic since 1995. When he first started working in emergency response, he witnessed the occasional overdose.

“I responded to opioid overdoses, but I didn’t think anymore of them than I did the shootings or car accidents. It was part of the job,” he told WSHU.

Where It Began

However, five years ago he started responding to more overdoses than any other kind of emergency. He started collecting information that he hoped would help him understand the trend.

“I started just writing down the overdoses I did, how old the people were, their gender, how they got started, and then the heroin bags,” he said. “I would write whether or not I saw heroin bags there. And I thought if I was keeping this information, which is really interesting, what if everybody was keeping this information?”

A few years later Canning discussed his project with the director of the state’s poison control center, who thought his department could be a partner for Canning.

“He said, ‘You know poison control, we have operators there 24/7 and this is right up our alley!’” Canning recalled.

A pilot program in Hartford showed that the program had great promise, so this year Connecticut’s Department of Public Health secured federal funding to take the program statewide.

Tracking Outcomes

Now, EMTs are required to report information about all suspected overdoses to poison control as part of the Statewide Opioid Reporting Directive (SWORD). The calls take about three minutes as the poison control specialist asks the EMTs 10 questions. After the overdose, the information can be used to track outcomes as someone goes to the hospital.

“So when they get transported to an emergency room we follow up for data regarding that to help trend it,” said Lori Salinger, a poison control specialist in the state.

In May, the system helped Canning and other detectives identify risk factors in a spate of 11 overdoses in two days. He was able to alert Mark Jenkins of the Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coalition, who sent out teams with testing kits to help users detect heroin with fentanyl.

Jenkins said that initiatives like this can save lives.

“When we get information like this it’s a heads up to say watch out for this particular bag, make sure you don’t use alone,” Jenkins said. “If you do use together, don’t use at the same time.”

View the original article at thefix.com

14 August 2019
Doctors Turn Detectives To Find Out Who Stole Narcotics From Cancer Center

The doctors shared their experience with a medical journal with the hopes of helping others in similar situations.

A rash of bloodstream infections at a cancer center spurred clinicians to turn into amateur sleuths, which in turn revealed that a former nurse had allegedly caused the outbreak by replacing intravenous painkiller medication with tap water.

Federal charges were file against Kelsey A. Mulvey, 27, who faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for allegedly obtaining controlled substances by fraud, tampering, and a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The clinicians shared their experience in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine in the hopes that it would help other medical professionals with similar cases.

An article on Medpage Today detailed the circumstances of the case, which began in June of 2018 at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York.

Mysterious Infections

Six patients developed bloodstream infections from sphingomonas paucimobilis, a bacterium found in soil and drinking water that can take root in distilled water tanks, respirators and dialysis machines. Patients with chronic conditions are particularly susceptible to it, and infection can result in sepsis, peritonitis and pulmonary embolisms.

However, the bacteria rarely causes bloodstream infections, which drew the attention of Jillianna Wasiura, RN, Brahm Segal, MD and Katherine Mullin, MD, all clinicians at the Roswell Park facility. They checked a number of possible sources, including regional microbiology labs and pharmaceutical vendors, before finding the source of the bacteria: compounded syringes with the prescription opioid painkiller hydromorphone.

Four of seven syringes stored in a Pyxis MedStation, an automated medication-dispensing system, tested positive for sphingomonas, as well as other waterborne bacteria. Further analysis revealed that the syringes had been diluted with tap water from a single source, which contaminated the medication.

A criminal complaint led to an investigation by federal agents, including representatives from the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New York State Attorney General’s Office.

In a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, former Roswell Park nurse Kelsey Mulvey was charged with removing the medication from the Pyxis machine, which she had access to through her position at the center.

How She Did It

According to the statement, Mulvey not only removed the hydromorphone syringes, but also methadone, oxycodone, and lorazepam. The center became suspicious of Mulvey’s actions in June of 2018 when a large number of transactions on the Pyxis machines registered as “cancelled removed,” which meant that the machine drawer with certain medications was accessed but the transaction was subsequently cancelled.

The statement also alleged that Mulvey removed medication from floors and wings of the center where she did not have patients, and accessed them during her regular shifts as well as on her days off and three days of scheduled vacation. Mulvey resigned from the center on July 13, 2018 to avoid termination. Though charged with the aforementioned violations, Mulvey is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

As Medpage noted, none of the six patients died as a result of the infections, though two subsequently passed away as a result of the cancers.

U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. alluded in the statement to the “destructive power of opioid addiction,” which appeared to suggest that Mulvey’s actions were motivated by drug dependency.

“In this case, however, the harm caused by the defendant’s actions resulted in not only harm to herself but in harm to some of the most compromised and vulnerable individuals in our community—those members of our community receiving cancer treatments.”

View the original article at thefix.com

13 August 2019
NBA To Beef Up Mental Health Program For Players

Teams will be required to have licensed mental health professionals available for players.

The NBA will be ramping up its player mental health program for the 2019-2020 season, by adding mental health professionals to every team and requiring plans be in place for mental health emergencies, according to The Athletic.

This initiative comes after multiple players have spoken out about their mental health struggles.

Teams this season will be required to have “one to two” licensed mental health professionals available for players, plus access to a licensed psychiatrist who would assist in “managing issues.” They will also need to have a written plan of action in place to guide responses to any player having a mental health crisis and let players know what they will do to protect their privacy around these matters.

Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan Speak Out

Both Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers and DeMar DeRozan of the San Antonio Spurs have spoken up about their mental health issues in 2018. DeRozan was the first of the two to reveal his struggles with depression and anxiety.

“It’s one of them things that no matter how indestructible we look like we are, we’re all human at the end of the day,” he said, according to The Star. “We all got feelings… all of that. Sometimes… it gets the best of you, where times everything in the whole world’s on top of you.”

This was not long after posting a cryptic tweet that caught the attention of many NBA fans: “This depression get the best of me.”

The following month, Love opened up about his own issues, revealing that he had been seeing a therapist for months following a panic attack in November 2017. He penned an article for The Players Tribune about the incident and his decision to go to therapy titled “Everyone Is Going Through Something.”

“In the NBA, you have trained professionals to fine-tune your life in so many areas,” he said. “Coaches, trainers and nutritionists have had a presence in my life for years. But none of those people could help me in the way I needed when I was lying on the floor struggling to breathe.”

Social Media & Anxiety

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver even hinted about having his own issues with anxiety at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference last March, and suggested that something should be done about what he saw as widespread unhappiness among NBA players.

“We are living in a time of anxiety,” Silver said. “I think it’s a direct result of social media. A lot of players are unhappy.”

Radio.com is calling this latest initiative “the most significant step the NBA has taken in recognizing the importance of mental wellbeing in its players.”

View the original article at thefix.com

13 August 2019
Hasan Minhaj: Drug Companies, This Crisis Is On You

Minhaj chronicled the opioid epidemic and the rise of fentanyl on a recent episode of his Netflix show Patriot Act.

While drug companies like Purdue Pharma, McKesson and Johnson & Johnson fight accusations that they were major contributors to the opioid crisis, a recent episode of Netflix’s Patriot Act came to a clear conclusion. Drug companies, “this crisis is on you.”

The newest episode of Patriot Act—which has covered everything from the dark side of the video game industry to student loans to the streetwear giant Supreme—explores fentanyl.

The Rise Of Painkillers

Minhaj chronicles the rise of prescription opiates like OxyContin, and how that led to rising heroin use followed by rising fentanyl use, often referred to as the “third wave” of the opioid epidemic.

When it was created, fentanyl was intended to treat only severe and intractable pain experienced by cancer patients and those undergoing surgery. However, more people were given access to the powerful synthetic opioid—said to be about 100 times more potent than morphine—for far less severe ailments.

Minhaj cited a JAMA report that revealed that up to half (55.4%) of patients who were prescribed fentanyl painkillers were ineligible for the drug.

The Washington Post reported in February of this year, “The researchers concluded that prescribers, pharmacists, drug companies and the FDA—all of whom had agreed to special rules and monitoring for use of the powerful opioid—had allowed it to fall into the hands of thousands of inappropriate patients. Over time, the FDA and drug companies became aware this was happening but took no action, the researchers found.”

Why were so many doctors prescribing these powerful and addictive drugs inappropriately? Minhaj points to the drug companies, who have been found to promote these drugs through unorthodox (and questionable) means.

Insys Therapeutics, which went bankrupt just days after agreeing to pay $225 million to settle criminal and civil cases with the federal government, was revealed to have employed bizarre rap videos and even lap dancing to entice doctors to prescribe their fentanyl spray, Subsys.

Profiting On The Antidote

Now, companies like Insys and Cephalon (owned by Teva Pharmaceuticals) are banking on naloxone sales.

“They’re unleashing the plague and also selling the antidote,” Minhaj said. “These companies helped fuel the fentanyl crisis on both ends, legal and illegal. When they marketed legal fentanyl to patients who didn’t need it, a lot of people ended up getting hooked. And that intensified the appetite for illegal fentanyl, which is leveling so many communities across the country.”

But somehow, with tens of thousands of Americans dying from opioid-related causes each year, we still have not learned our lesson, Minhaj noted.

Just last November, the Food and Drug Administration approved an even more powerful opioid, Dsuvia, a pill 10 times stronger than fentanyl and up to 1000 times stronger than morphine. Critics called the move “reckless.”

“What could possibly go wrong? We know the problems this is going to bring,” Minhaj said. “How do we make sure this drug only gets to the right people? How do we make sure people don’t get addicted to it? And how do we make sure it doesn’t start killing people like the people I knew who never even intended to take it in the first place?”

“Unless you can answer those questions, guess what, pharmaceutical companies? This crisis is on you.”

View the original article at thefix.com

13 August 2019
Bam Margera Says He's Sober, Steve-O & Others Express Concern

Steve-O and Brandon Noval both expressed strong concern over Margera’s behavior and addiction struggle.

Despite concerning social media posts and agreeing to another trip to treatment, former Jackass star Bam Margera is claiming he is abstaining from both alcohol and drugs.

According to Pop Culture, Margera shared a photo of himself earlier this week, captioned, “By the way i was evaluated and tested for alcohol and drugs, the results were negative. Not drunk or drinking, and not on drugs either!!”

Margera has had on and off struggles with substance use disorder in recent years and has been in treatment various times https://www.thefix.com/bam-margera-enters-rehab-third-time.

Most recently, he was part of an intervention with Dr. Phil, during which he agreed to enter treatment once again. The intervention came as a result of an Instagram video Margera later deleted, in which he spoke about his family issues and asked Dr. Phil for help.

Bam’s Mom Speaks Out

After the intervention, Margera’s mother, April, spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the circumstances.

“The only thing that we really want is for Bam to be happy and to find peace in his life and in turn we’d like to find peace in ours,” she said. “We just have to take one step at a time and hope that everything is going to work out OK.”

“For him, he’s just gone off the rails, and I don’t think he can handle what’s going on,” she continued. “So if he reached out to Dr. Phil cause he’s seen Dr. Phil’s show, I mean so be it. Do we want to really air all this stuff? No, not really, but you know, if that’s what he wants to do and that’ll help him get some help, then I think we’ve come up with a good plan. Between the Jackass guys and Dr. Phil, it’s a whole community of people.”

Margera’s former Jackass co-stars, Steve-O and Brandon Novak, have both gotten sober themselves and have spoken out about being supportive of Margera’s recovery. When Margera posted a list of people who check in on him, claiming it was “frustrating,” Steve-O took to the comments.

Steve-O Gets Real

“I’m sorry if it’s frustrating for you that we care enough to keep trying to get through to you, Bam,” Steve-O wrote. “It couldn’t be more clear that all of this isn’t OK, and I hope you’ll join me and Novak in recovery before your son loses his dad. And, by the way, none of this looks cool (which is a good thing, because it’s humiliating myself that motivated me to commit myself to a program of recovery). It’s time to give up the fight, and join the winning team. I love you, brother…”

Novak also stepped up, adding “I as well as every other name on ur list are actual ‘real friends’ of yours who truly care about ur well being and quality of life. We WILL NOT condone ur fatal behaviors or justify ur actions in hopes of u not getting angry with us……. I refuse to high five u to ur grave!!!!! I love u and will do whatever it takes to help u so please f—ing let me/us.”

View the original article at thefix.com

13 August 2019
The Sober Advantage: 15 Things You Should Never Do Drunk

Texting, for example… Sober? Text away! But If you’re drunk, give your phone to someone you trust and tell them to lock it up.

In certain circles there is much debate around whether life is better sober or with alcohol. Sober people have a list of reasons why their lifestyle is better, much of which center around improved health, stronger personal relationships, and a lack of legal and financial issues (and some of us didn’t have a choice). Boozehounds tend to have a simple argument: they like to party and they don’t want to stop.

Still, regardless of whether you’re imbibing or teetotal, there are some things that we can all agree need to be done sober…or else!

If you’re sober, consider this a gratitude list. If you’re not, keep this article handy so you don’t have too many amends to make the next time you have a “morning after.”

15. Posting on Social Media

There are few things worse than waking up after a long night of partying and seeing a bunch of notifications on Facebook when you don’t remember even logging in. Well actually there are a lot of things worse but we’ll get to those. Whether you left a comment that you thought was hilarious but in reality was bizarre, flirted with a stranger awkwardly over DM, made inappropriate suggestions to a married coworker, or just put up a post explaining your deepest thoughts that in the light of day make you seem like a lunatic, social media and drinking are a lethal combination.

14. Online Shopping

This is never a good idea when drinking. While that pair of $300 shoes or those trendy jeans might seem totally necessary when you’re hammered, you probably should’ve waited until morning to pay for what’s in your cart. And will that tee-shirt that says “I’m not shy, I just don’t like you” seem quite so funny in the morning? Even worse is when you shop drunk for someone else. Lock those credit cards up!

13. Having a Serious Conversation with Your Significant Other

Sometimes when you get to drinking, things about your significant other start to gnaw at you a bit. All of a sudden it seems like this very moment is the perfect time to enumerate all the different things your loved one does that bother you, that you’ve been keeping deep inside. Of course you’ll bring them up in a very respectful way, everything will go well, and it won’t turn into a childish fight. In reality, if you act on this drunken impulse, you’ll probably end up spending the night at the local Motel 6. With your cat.

12. Cooking

I know, one of the things that is so fun about being buzzed is making a snack in the middle of the night and going to town. That’s cool, just don’t use the stove. Bad things happen. The best-case scenario might be a ruined meal, but the worst involves a call to 911, and there are a lot of things in between those two extremes that aren’t good either. Get something delivered instead. Even Domino’s is better than trying to figure out how to shut off your fire alarm when you’re drunk.

11. Napping in Public

This is never a good idea when you’re drunk. If you’re sober, a little nap on the beach or on the train when you’re commuting home might be refreshing. If you’re hammered, it means one of the worst sunburns you’ve ever had, or waking up on the train 20 miles past where you were supposed to get off. And if you feel like taking a nap in a bar or at a party, that’s not a nap: you’re passing out.

10. Hooking Up with Someone New

One of the cool things about having a buzz on is you lose your inhibitions. You might see someone you like across the room and go over and talk to them, and if the vibe is right you just might end up hooking up. Wait, did I see that was one of the cool things? I was kidding, that’s one of the bad things. When you’re drunk, you don’t even know if you really do like them, and you have no idea if the vibe is right. Take a number and hook up the next day. If the vibe was truly right, it still will be. Better yet, be brave and try it sober. Otherwise you may end up in one of those awkward “what’s your name” conversations post-interlude.

9. Making a Promise

When you’re sober, making a promise is a good thing. It shows that you’re honest and responsible, or at least trying to be. When you’re drunk, not so much. First of all, there is a good chance you aren’t even going to remember your promise; secondly, even if you do remember, there is an even better chance you were just blowing smoke. Keep your promises to yourself when you’ve been boozing.

8. Checking Your Work Email

If you’ve been drinking, his one is just a hard no. I know, most of us wouldn’t check our work email when we’ve been drinking, but sometimes you might be just kicking around, half in the bag, and just want to take a quick little peak and see what’s happening at the office. If sober, this just shows you’re conscientious. If you’ve been drinking, clicking on your inbox is the same as walking through a landmine. For the love of God, close the program!

7. Dropping Knowledge

Sometimes you’re in the midst of a conversation and something comes up that you happen to know about and you feel compelled to share your knowledge. If you’re sober, knock yourself out. If you’re drunk, please don’t. Whether you want to talk about politics, what’s wrong with millennials, or the Yankees’ starting rotation, you aren’t going to sound nearly as smart as you think you will. Trust me on this one.

6. Texting Someone You’re Crushing On

Drunk or sober, you might get the urge to text someone who you have a bit of a crush on. If you’re sober, do it up. Letting someone know you’re thinking of them is usually appreciated. But if you’re drunk, give your phone to someone you trust and tell them to lock it up. You might be able to get through a few texts without a problem, but sooner or later it will become obvious that you’re wasted and you’re just going to sound dumb, or worse.

5. Flirting

Whether there’s genuine interest or you’re just enjoying yourself, flirting can be fun. There is a line, though, between coming off as someone flirtatious and fun and someone who boorish and aggressive. When you’re boozing, sometimes (okay, pretty much all the time) it can be hard to figure out where that line is. In fact, when you’re hammered, it can be hard to even tell when if your flirting is going well or poorly.

4. Confronting a Stranger

Sometimes you’re just going about your day, minding your own business, when someone you don’t know does something that irritates you. Maybe they cut in line, or are being rude to a waitress, and you want to say something to them about it. If you’re sober, go for it, and good for you. If you’re drunk and you confront a stranger, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll wind up in a viral YouTube video, and not the kind that receives a million “likes” because you’re such a wonderful person. (or “not the kind that gets you on “Ellen” for being such a wonderful person.”)

3. Picking Up the Tab

You’ve been out with friends and it’s time for the bill. Being the generous person you are, you’ve decided to pick up the tab. If you’re sober that’s cool, how nice of you. If you’re drunk it could be a big mistake. Looking at your bank statement the day after a night on the town can be terrifying. It’s cool, though, it isn’t like you needed groceries this week anyway.

2. Getting a Tattoo

This one is pretty obvious, but it needs to be said anyway. Don’t get inked up after a night of drinking. Sober people usually spend a long time figuring out what kind of tattoo they want and researching local artists with the skill to deliver the kind of work they want. Drunk people wander into some random tattoo shop on the strip and get a tribal design on their forearm because they want to seem deep. What’s actually deep is spending time thoughtfully considering what kind of tattoo you’re putting on your body.

1. Driving

Okay so seriously, don’t drink and drive. This is the one thing that everyone agrees on. If you get behind the wheel when you’ve been drinking, you’re basically an irresponsible maniac who doesn’t care about the consequences of your actions and who you hurt. So just don’t do it. If you’re drinking, be prepared: taxi, designated driver, uber, lyft, mom. There’s no reason to ever drink and drive. The world thanks you.

View the original article at thefix.com

13 August 2019
Marketing Alcohol's Health Benefits Is A Distraction Technique, Researcher Says

To receive heart benefits from red wine, you would need to drink about 700 bottles a day, the researcher revealed.

With Americans becoming more health-conscious, alcohol manufacturers are increasingly making claims about the health benefits of their products, but experts warn that alcohol remains downright unhealthy.

Tobacco and alcohol addiction specialist Lisa Fucito, associate professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, said that marketing focused on health benefits can be a distraction technique.

“I think in general, when [brands] have these health claims on these products, it takes away from the important fact that you’re still ingesting alcohol,” she told NPR. “No matter how many other healthy things you try to put in something, you can’t undo the fact that there’s alcohol in there. And alcohol, at the end of the day, is the most dangerous part of what people will be exposed to.”

700 Bottles A Day

Researcher Chris Gerling, who works at Cornell University’s Department of Food Science, said that claims from red wine’s supposed heart benefits to increase antioxidant content are often misguided. For example, to get the heart benefit from red wine, you would need to drink about 700 bottles a day, he said, which would have obvious negative health consequences.

“People who have really good data would usually trumpet that from the hills,” he said. “People who have that information and can make a chart would show you a chart.”

More often, consumers get vague health claims, rather than quantifiable science. In some ways, this is in hopes of attracting more customers and setting their products apart, Fucito said.

“I think that when you make these other health claims, you’re potentially trying to attract people to use your product, and encourage them that the use is somehow safer,” she said. “What that can end up doing is helping people justify that they can drink more of something.”

Still, some alcohol manufacturers insist they are trying to do right by customers. Wine isn’t required to have a nutritional label, but Atlas Wine Co. recently started putting one on Oro Bello Light, a new product that has fewer calories and a lower alcohol content. The company found that providing an abundance of information made their product more appealing to consumers who want to know exactly what they are ingesting.

“We send the wine to the FDA-approved lab, exactly like you do for food,” said Atlas Wine’s managing partner Alexandre Remy, who also opted to include a label with ingredients. “I found that my marketing strategy against the big guys was to disclose as much information as possible.”

View the original article at thefix.com

12 August 2019
NAACP Sheds Light On Racial Bias Of Hair Follicle Drug Testing

The racial bias of hair follicle testing is at the center of a federal lawsuit filed by Boston police officers who were disciplined for alleged cocaine use.

Melanin in hair can affect drug test results, creating a racial bias. This was the topic of a recent forum hosted by a local chapter of the NAACP to shed light on the matter.

“We just want to make sure that citizens… they know what their rights are and if you’re accused of something that you’re not doing, you can speak up and resources are here to help you,” said Gaylene Kanoyton, president of the Hampton Branch of the NAACP.

The chapter is calling attention to the negative impact that false positives, as a result of hair follicle testing, are having on the African American community such as job loss. By calling attention to the unreliable nature of hair follicle testing, the NAACP wants employers to be aware of the potential flaws of this drug-testing method.

The racial bias of hair follicle testing is at the center of a federal lawsuit filed by Boston police officers who were disciplined for alleged cocaine use. “The plaintiffs deny that they used cocaine, arguing that the hair test employed by the [Boston Police Department] generated false-positive results in processing the type of hair common to many black individuals,” according to the lawsuit.

The Hair Test

The hair test is too sensitive and can detect drugs even if none were consumed by the individual, a lawyer for the police officers argued. “The hair test cannot distinguish between ingested drugs and environmental exposure,” said lawyer Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal.

The lawsuit is awaiting a ruling in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Not only can certain drugs penetrate hair from close contact, melanin can affect how drugs bind to hair. STAT News cited a 1998 study that gave participants the same dose of cocaine, but found that darker hair “retained more cocaine” than lighter hair. The result was that “The non-Caucasians in this study had between 2 and 12 times as much [cocaine] in their hair as did Caucasians.”

Another report, compiled through the Pharmacology Education Partnership funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, stated that certain drugs including nicotine, morphine, cocaine and amphetamine have “weak bases” and bind to melanin because it is acidic.

“The more melanin present in the hair, the more binding of weak base drugs. So, for the same dose of drugs such as cocaine and morphine, higher levels of these drugs are present in black and brown hair compared to blond hair,” the report stated.

Despite such findings, whether hair follicle testing has a racial bias is an ongoing debate.

View the original article at thefix.com

12 August 2019