Tag: News

Do Studies Touting Benefits Of Alcohol Consumption Tell The Whole Story?

For young and middle-age adults, alcohol consumption may actually be more harmful than previously thought.

Studies that point to alcohol consumption as beneficial may only be telling part of the story, as they tend to focus on those aged 50 and older, and disregard alcohol-related deaths before that age, according to new research.

For young and middle-age adults, alcohol consumption may actually be more harmful than previously thought.

Researchers in a recent study, according to Live Science, looked at information from a database which estimates the U.S.’s approximate number of deaths and years of life lost due to alcohol intake.

Included in the database were 54 medical conditions related both directly and indirectly to alcohol use, like car crashes involving alcohol and liver-related diseases. Some of the conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, linked alcohol with a reduced risk of the condition.

In studying the data, researchers led by Timothy Naimi of Boston Medical Center’s Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit determined that in the four years from 2006 to 2010, around 36% of alcohol-related deaths were in those ages 20 to 49, and 35% were in those older than 65.

Additionally, Live Science reports, researchers noted that about 60% of the years of life lost were in those ages 20 to 49, and only 15% were in those ages 65 and older.

The authors note that “deceased persons cannot be enrolled in cohort studies,” and add that, “Those who are established drinkers at age 50 are ‘survivors’ of their alcohol consumption who [initially] might have been healthier or have had safer drinking patterns” when compared to others who drank.

In order to determine any benefits of alcohol consumption, researchers took note of fatalities “estimated to be ‘prevented’ by alcohol consumption, as well as years of life ‘saved by alcohol,” according to Live Science.

They found that those ages 20 to 49 accounted for about 4.5% of deaths supposedly prevented by alcohol, in comparison to 80% in those ages 65 and above.

In conclusion, the authors note that those in the younger age ranges “are more likely to die from alcohol consumption than they are to die from a lack of drinking.” They add that those in older age brackets are more likely to reap benefits from drinking, and are likely the ones highlighted in studies that point to benefits of alcohol consumption.

“This study adds to the literature questioning protective effects for alcohol on all-cause mortality,” the authors add.

View the original article at thefix.com

4 March 2019
How A Family Member's Opioid Use Affects Teens

A new study examined why teens with family members who chronically use prescription opioids are at higher risk of long-term opioid use.

Having a family member who chronically uses opioids significantly increases the chance that a teen who is prescribed opioids will develop long-term use, according to a new study.

The study, published in JAMA Surgery, looked at insurance records of nearly 350,000 people aged 13 to 21 who had never been prescribed opioids before, but who were given the painkillers after surgery or dental procedures. By looking at other people on the family insurance plan, researchers were able to understand whether someone else in the family was using opioids chronically.

They found that 2.4% of young people prescribed opioids for the first time developed long-term use. However, if a family member was using opioids chronically, that percentage increased to 4.1%.

“The findings suggest that long-term opioid use among family members is associated with persistent opioid use among opioid-naive adolescents and young adults undergoing surgery and should be screened for in the preoperative period,” study authors wrote.

Lead study author Dr. Calista Harbaugh said that the results show that doctors need to be proactive about talking to patients about opioid use in their families.

“We are trying to better understand what impacts a young adult’s risk of chronic opioid use after the first time they are prescribed an opioid,” she told Science Daily. “Surgeons and providers should heighten efforts to prevent opioid dependence among patients with any potential risk factors.”

The research found a connection—but researchers couldn’t explain why the risk was higher. They explained that it could be due to family culture, genetic factors, or possibly even other family members using the teen’s prescription.

Study author Jennifer Waljee said the findings highlight the need for even more caution around prescribing practices for young adults.

“We know from previous research that adolescents and young adults undergoing dental and other common surgical procedures are at risk of persistent opioid use after their first opioid prescription,” she said. “Our study suggests a potential relationship between this risk among youth and the presence of opioid use among family members and may be an important consideration when screening for individuals at risk for prolonged postoperative opioid use.”

For teens who have someone in their family already using opioids chronically, doctors should be proactive about trying to prevent long-term use of opioids, study authors wrote.

“Physicians should screen young patients for long-term opioid use in their families and implement heightened efforts to prevent opioid dependence among patients with this important risk factor,” they said.

View the original article at thefix.com

4 March 2019
Alaska Celebrates Sobriety Awareness Month

The state will play host to a variety of sobriety-inspired events, wrapping up with a “nationally touring sober pop-up event” on March 30.

This March, more Alaskans than ever will celebrate Sobriety Awareness Month. This tradition began with the Alaska Native Sobriety Movement, which was created in 1989 by the Alaska Federation of Natives.

In 1995, the tradition of both the state legislature and governor officially dedicating March Sobriety Awareness Month began. Last year, Alaska made it official by signing the tradition into law.

The sobriety movement has roots in fighting addiction, and the movement is expanding and attracting more people than ever. This includes people who don’t necessarily have addiction disorders but are concerned about the overall health issues associated with regular drug and alcohol consumption, and are tired of what people are calling a stigma against sobriety.

“Alcohol is so present in our society, whether we’re listening to music or seeing ads in magazines, whether we’re celebrating or mourning, if we want to relax or get pumped up, alcohol is everywhere,” Recovery Alaska Executive Director Tiffany Hall told Anchorage Press. “Hopefully this month will encourage people to start thinking about the presence of alcohol in their lives and getting creative with other ways to celebrate or relax. There’s a misperception that sobriety is boring or anti-social, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.”

The growing sobriety movement is evident in how many restaurants and bars are offering more alcohol-free mixed drinks. Sober or “sans bar” pop-up events are also becoming more common. The idea is to provide people with a night of food, socializing, music, dancing, and more—without the pressure to drink.

The trend appears to be appealing quite a bit to millennials.

“Sober dance parties like DayBreaker are becoming the new rage, inviting guests to ‘DOSE’ on all-natural chemicals like Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins before heading out for a work day,” wrote Jules Schroeder for Forbes. “For millennials today, it’s become somewhat of a faux pas to drink. While our parents’ generation considered booze cool, we think it the opposite. Instead, connection, authenticity, and mindfulness are what’s catching on, and as a result, producing many benefits.”

Back in Alaska, there will be “Dry Weekend Challenges” and new featured alcohol-free drinks at bars and restaurants across the state, ending in a “nationally touring sober pop-up event” on March 30 with live music from Alaskan musician Emma Hill and Athabaskan and Inupiaq singer-songwriter Quinn C.

View the original article at thefix.com

4 March 2019
A Tearful John Stamos Thanks Jodie Sweetin For Helping Him Get Sober

Stamos tearfully thanked his “Full House” co-star Jodie Sweetin for helping him when he hit rock bottom.

Actor John Stamos publicly thanked his Full House co-star Jodie Sweetin for being there when he hit rock bottom and pushing him to get sober.

Stamos was speaking for an audience at Los Angeles’ Skirball Cultural Center, where he presented her with the Experience, Strength and Hope Award.

Sweetin was being honored for her advocacy for the recovery community and her memoir, UnSweetined.

Stamos recounted how he got sober four years ago after hitting rock bottom and turned to Sweetin for guidance.

“It took me a long time, a long time disappointing everyone who cared about me, culminating in a terrible DUI where I could have killed somebody,” Stamos told the audience. “I hit rock bottom. Jodie lovingly allowed me to walk my own path and when I finally humbled myself to ask for your help, I realized that the perky little blabbermouth had become the master of wisdom and was right by my side during some of the most difficult days of my life.”

Sweetin, who herself is now eight years sober, helped by organizing 12-step meetings at Stamos’ house as well as on the set of Fuller House, Netflix’s sequel series to the original Full House.

“Thank god, my wife and my new son will only know me as a sober husband and father,” said Stamos. “This is Jodie’s legacy in my life.”

Stamos also shouted out Sweetin on Instagram, posting a photo from the Full House series and captioning it with his gratitude.

“Proud moment last night honoring @jodiesweetin at the Experience, Hope & Strength Awards. Who knew this little blonde scene-stealer in a side pony-tale would grow up and change so many lives. (Mine included),” he wrote. “Her sobriety is inspirational to say the least. Congrats Jodie on this award recognizing your extraordinary journey. You give so many people HOPE. Love you! UJ”

The signing of “UJ” likely means “Uncle Jessie,” referring to their characters’ relationship in Full House.

On stage, Sweetin had kind words in response.

“John, I’m so proud of you and it’s been the greatest thing to watch someone that you love have the light come back on again,” she spoke.

Last week, Sweetin spoke to The Fix’s John Lavitt about acting, sobriety, and social media in an exclusive interview.

View the original article at thefix.com

4 March 2019
Amanda Bynes Back in Rehab Following Relapse

The former child actor had returned to the limelight in 2018 after a prolonged absence during which she became sober.

Amanda Bynes is back in rehab after a relapse, according to sources close to the star. Bynes seemed to be getting her life back together after spending years in tabloid pages for her drug-fueled behavior, but a source revealed to PEOPLE that Bynes has been in rehab since January.

The source said trouble started brewing for Bynes around the end of last year as geared up for a return to her acting career. Then sober and taking classes at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, Bynes spoke openly about her struggles with mental health to Paper magazine.

Bynes found fame as a teenage star on Nickelodeon before landing starring roles in several movies like Big Fat Liar, What a Girl Wants, and She’s the Man. However, seeing herself on screen took a toll on her self-image, especially in 2006’s She’s the Man in which she disguises herself as her brother to play soccer.

“When the movie came out and I saw it, I went into a deep depression for 4-6 months because I didn’t like how I looked when I was a boy,” she confessed.

Her feelings didn’t change in her 2010 appearance in Easy A.

“I literally couldn’t stand my appearance in that movie and I didn’t like my performance. I was absolutely convinced I needed to stop acting after seeing it,” she said.

To deal with these feelings, she turned to drugs. Not liking the taste of alcohol, she turned to marijuana when she was 16 years old.

“Even though everyone thought I was the ‘good girl,’ I did smoke marijuana from that point on,” she recounted. “Later on it progressed to doing molly and ecstasy. [I tried] cocaine three times but I never got high from cocaine. I never liked it. It was never my drug of choice.”

She also admitted to abusing Adderall, regularly waking and baking, and spiraling out of control. But she was able to get better, still optimistic and talking of living fearlessly as recently as last November.

“I think that’s kind of how I go about [life] now—like, what’s there to lose? I have no fear of the future,” she said. “I’ve been through the worst and came out the other end and survived it so I just feel like it’s only up from here.”

View the original article at thefix.com

4 March 2019
DMX Reflects On Sobriety

In an interview from 2017, DMX got candid about addiction and rap’s relationship with drug use.

Rapper DMX was just released after serving a year in prison, prompting the re-release of a 2017 interview from the radio show Big Boy’s Neighborhood, in which DMX reflects on his sobriety from cocaine addiction and how rap glorifies drug abuse.

In the interview, DMX discusses how rap glorifies drug abuse.

“They’re all promoting drug use,” he said, according to HotNewHipHop. “If that’s what you wanna do, that’s your business, but you ain’t gotta promote it like it’s cool and make it cool. Kids walk around like, I’m popping molly, I’m popping percs!”

Rather than pills, DMX said that his main drug of choice was cocaine. “Cocaine. Crack. I think we kind of knew that was the problem. I would get in trouble. It wasn’t worth it.”

Although the interview is from 2017, DMX said that at the time he was staying away from drugs. “I don’t do anything. I have a drink now and then, but that was never the problem,” he said.

On January 25, DMX was released from Gilmer Federal Correctional Institution in West Virginia, where he had spent a year in prison after being convicted of tax evasion.

At first, he was released on bail conditions that required him to stay clean and sober. He had told the judge that he needed to be able to keep touring in order to support his 15 kids. The judge, Jed Rakoff, said that DMX had promised to remain sober and travel with a sobriety coach, but that ultimately he wasn’t able or willing to do those things. The promise “was a great big lie, a repeated lie as it turned out,” Rakoff said.

After failing drug tests, DMX was put on house arrest in August 2017.

Later that month he was spotted in New Hampshire, where he was apparently seeking treatment. However, he appears to have left that treatment facility in order to visit his daughter in New York, where he also visited bars, according to prosecutors in the tax evasion case.

In January 2018, DMX again failed a drug test and was held in jail until his March sentencing. At the time, he tested positive for cocaine, opiates and oxycodone.

Despite his claims of sobriety in the radio interview from around the same time, DMX’s lawyer said that his client wasn’t sober.

“He deals with problems by drugging himself,” the lawyer said at the time.

View the original article at thefix.com

2 March 2019
Is Drug Use Behind Rising Syphilis Rates?

Syphilis rates have skyrocketed 156% for women from 2013 to 2017—and drug use may be making it worse.

As public health officials grapple with the drug overdose crisis, they are also becoming alarmed at the increasing rate of syphilis diagnoses among heterosexual individuals.

Syphilis is a disease primarily transmitted through sexual activity. Experts say that infection rates have coincided with the use of meth and injection drugs like heroin.

The new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed national syphilis surveillance data covering 2013 to 2017.

The report gathered information from women, men who have sex with women only, and men who have had sex with men only, using the participants’ reported drug use in the last 12 months.

The report found a large link between drug use and syphilis among women and heterosexual men. Women and men who reported the use of methamphetamine, heroin or injection drugs more than doubled from 2013 to 2017.

Those who had partners who used these drugs also had higher rates of syphilis. Over one-third of women and one-quarter of heterosexual men with syphilis reported to the researchers that they had used methamphetamine within the previous year.

This type of drug use makes people more likely to engage in risky behavior, such as not using condoms during sex, having multiple sex partners or exchanging sex for drugs and/or money, Sara Kennedy, medical director of Planned Parenthood Northern California, told BDN Health.

“Two major public health issues are colliding,” Sarah Kidd, a medical officer at the CDC and lead author of this new report, told BDN Health.

The syphilis diagnosis rate in the U.S. increased nearly two-fold from 2013 to 2014, with the highest diagnosis rates of 2017 among men who have sex with men.

Syphilis is treatable with antibiotics, but when left untreated it can lead to organ damage and possibly death. Congenital syphilis, when a mother passes the disease to her unborn baby, can lead to increased premature birth and death rate.

Antonio Urbina, MD, an associate professor of infectious disease at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, addressed the responsibility of doctors and the need for early diagnosis of syphilis.

“We need that type of care to be built into general primary care. I think providers often feel embarrassed about asking those questions. Or, they feel like they’re going to come across as judgmental. You know, it’s actually the opposite because I think patients appreciate you asking, and they want to tell. In that same regard, if somebody does screen positive for syphilis, I say, ‘Hey, this is what you have. We’re going to give you treatment. It’s important that you wait a certain period of time after your treatment before you resume any sexual activity so you don’t infect your loved ones or partners or any others.’ Then I ask them to identify their sexual partners and say, ‘We need them to come in for a screening so we can offer them treatment as well.’”

View the original article at thefix.com

2 March 2019
Is Drug Use Behind Rising Siphilis Rates?

Syphilis rates have skyrocketed 156% for women from 2013 to 2017 and drug use may play a prominent role in the transmission.

As public health officials grapple with the drug overdose crisis, they also are becoming alarmed at the increasing rate of syphilis diagnosis among heterosexuals.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that until recent years had been considered almost eradicated.

The new Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report analyzed national syphilis surveillance data covering 2013 to 2017.

The report gathered information from women, men who have sex with women only, and men who have had sex with men only, using the participants reported drug use in the last 12 months.

The report found a large link between drug use and syphilis among women and heterosexual men. Women and men who reported the use of methamphetamine, heroin or injection drugs more than doubled from 2013 to 2017.

Those who had partners who used these drugs also had higher rates of syphilis. Over one-third of women and one-quarter of heterosexual men with syphilis reported to the researchers that they had used methamphetamine within the previous year.

This type of drug use makes people more likely to engage in risky behavior, such as not using condoms during sex, having multiple sex partners or exchanging sex for drugs and/or money, Sara Kennedy, medical director of Planned Parenthood Northern California, told BDN Health.

“Two major public health issues are colliding,” Sarah Kidd, a medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and lead author of this new report on the link between drug use and syphilis, told BDN Health.

The US’ syphilis diagnosis rate increased nearly two-fold from 2013 to 2014, with the highest diagnosis rates of 2017 among men who have sex with men (MSM).

Syphilis is treatable with antibiotics, but when left untreated it can lead to organ damage and possibly death. Congenital syphilis, when a mother passes the disease to her unborn baby, can lead to increased premature birth and death rate.

Antonio Urbina, MD, an associate professor of infectious disease at Manhattan’s Mount Sinai Hospital, addressed the responsibility of doctors and the need for early diagnosis of syphilis.

“We need that type of care to be built into general primary care. I think providers often feel embarrassed about asking those questions. Or, they feel like they’re going to come across as judgmental. You know, it’s actually the opposite because I think patients appreciate you asking, and they want to tell. In that same regard, if somebody does screen positive for syphilis, I say, ‘Hey, this is what you have. We’re going to give you treatment. It’s important that you wait a certain period of time after your treatment before you resume any sexual activity so you don’t infect your loved ones or partners or any others.’ Then I ask them to identify their sexual partners and say, ‘We need them to come in for a screening so we can offer them treatment as well.’”

View the original article at thefix.com

1 March 2019
Cory Booker Introduces Marijuana Legalization Bill

“We must also repair the damage caused by reinvesting in those communities that have been most harmed by the War on Drugs,” Booker said in a statement,

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced a bill on Thursday (Feb. 28) that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, an effort that immediately garnered widespread support from other prominent Democrats, including presidential hopefuls.

The Marijuana Justice Act would remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances, and would expunge records of people who have marijuana-related offenses. Booker previously introduced the bill in 2017 but it did not make any progress.

This year, however, the measure seems to have more support from the party, including Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), according to CNN.

In addition to legalizing cannabis, Booker has been outspoken about correcting the racial disparities in how marijuana prohibition has been enforced.

“It’s not enough to simply decriminalize marijuana. We must also repair the damage caused by reinvesting in those communities that have been most harmed by the War on Drugs,” he said in a statement, according to Rolling Stone. “And we must expunge the records of those who have served their time. The end we seek is not just legalization, it’s justice.”

He continued, “The War on Drugs has not been a war on drugs, it’s been a war on people, and disproportionately people of color and low-income individuals. The Marijuana Justice Act seeks to reverse decades of this unfair, unjust, and failed policy by removing marijuana from the list of controlled substances and making it legal at the federal level.”

Democratic Representatives Ro Khanna and Barbara Lee, both of California, introduced a version of the bill in the House.

“Communities of color and low-income communities have been devastated by the War on Drugs,” Lee said in a statement released through NORML. “As Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, I’m proud to sponsor legislation that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, address the disproportionate impact of prohibition on people of color by expunging criminal convictions, and promote equitable participation in the legal marijuana industry by investing in the communities hardest hit by the failed War on Drugs.”

According to NORML, the bill would remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances, but that would not automatically make cannabis legal in all state. Instead, the bill would incentivize states to change their laws if current legislation and prohibition disproportionately affects minorities. It would automatically expunge the federal records of people convicted of marijuana-related offenses, and allow those in prison to petition for resentencing, while redirecting funds to job training and reentry programs.

View the original article at thefix.com

1 March 2019
Opioid Addiction Isn't Just A Rural Problem

While the epidemic has been framed as one that mostly affects rural America, new research shows that overdose rates are actually higher in urban areas.

The common narrative of the national opioid crisis has been that this “disease of despair” has affected rural areas the most.

However, a new working paper argues that economic depression and access to opioids are the biggest determinants of overdose rates in both rural and urban areas.

“I really do want to push back against this cliche that addiction does not discriminate,” Shannon Monnat, the paper’s author and a sociologist at Syracuse University, told Pacific Standard. “The physiological processes that underlie addiction themselves may not discriminate, but the factors that put people in communities at higher risk are are not spatially random.”

Looking at non-Hispanic whites and controlling for demographics, Monnat found that overdose rates were highest in urban areas. The rate decreased the further one moved from cities, a trend that held true for all racial groups. Overall, urban counties had an average of 6.2 more deaths per 100,000 people than rural counties.

Interestingly, supply and demand interacted differently in rural and urban settings. In the city, supply of drugs seemed to have the biggest effect on overdose rates. In rural areas, economic distress was the stronger predictor of overdose rates.

“A lot of what’s going on here are regional effects,” she said. “You get regional levels of despair and distress that seemed to reinforce and exacerbate the problem.”

Monnat did find that some of the things associated with rural living were connected with an increased risk for overdose. For example, areas with an economy heavily dependent on mining or the service industries had higher rates of overdose. Controlling for how many drugs were supplied to an area, places with higher economic distress had higher overdose rates.

“What that means is that drug mortality rates aren’t higher in economically distressed places simply because they’ve had a greater supply of opioid prescribing there,” she said. “There’s something about economic distress in and of itself that helps to explain the variation that we’re seeing across the country and the magnitude of the drug crisis.”

Places hardest hit by the crisis, like West Virginia, had both economic vulnerabilities and an excessive supply of opioids, Monnat said.

“It’s no coincidence that widespread opioid prescribing first started in the most economically vulnerable places of the country—there was vulnerability there. These places had been primed to be vulnerable to opioids, which are drugs that numb both physical and mental pain, through decades of economic and social decline.”

View the original article at thefix.com

1 March 2019