Answer Addiction

Tag: spreading awareness

  • Doctors Use "TikTok" To Teach Teens About Vaping Dangers

    Doctors Use "TikTok" To Teach Teens About Vaping Dangers

    Medical officials are harnessing the power of social media to talk to teens about important health issues and to dispel medical myths.

    Figuring out a way to reach teens has been an ongoing issue for medical professionals, teachers and parents for decades. But now, a handful of doctors have found a very modern solution to raising awareness and educating teens and it’s a popular app called TikTok.

    What Is TikTok?

    The app, which Slate describes as a “social network for amateur music videos,” allows users to express themselves in 15-second clips that they can then upload for their followers to see.

    Dr. Rose Marie Leslie uses the app to inform teens about the health impact of e-cigarettes and other medical misinformation. For Dr. Leslie, it’s important to dispel harmful health myths which are becoming more widespread thanks to the Internet. 

    “I may not be the perfect health guru on social media,” Dr. Leslie told CNBC. “I don’t meditate or do yoga, I rarely get enough sleep, I’m not vegan and I don’t post inspirational quotes. But let me tell you, I have never and will never try to convince you that drinking celery juice cures cancer.”

    Dr. Leslie, who can be found on the app under @DrLeslie, practices family medicine at the University of Minnesota. Her TikTok videos have put a spotlight on vaping illnesses, birth control and she even busts medical myths for her 300,000 TikTok followers.

    Dr. Leslie is happy that her videos are making a positive impacts on teens’ lives. She regularly receives letters, emails and comments from teens thanking her for helping them understand the issues. She also receives a number of medical questions that some teens are afraid to ask the adults in their lives. 

    The Power Of Social Media

    Dr. Austin Chiang is also a big believer in the power of social media. He uses Twitter, Instagram and TikTok to help young doctors and to educate the public on how vaccines work. 

    Public health experts see the use of social media in medicine as an overall positive thing. 

    “I’ve heard the criticism that doctors and other medical professionals on social media are somehow less credible, or won’t be taken as seriously by their peers,” said Sherry Pagoto, a behavioral scientist and professor at the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut. “But I think that school of thought is going to be a thing of the past.”

    Pagoto added that “it would be great for public health organizations to follow the lead of these medical professionals on TikTok.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Remembering Lives Lost On International Overdose Awareness Day

    Remembering Lives Lost On International Overdose Awareness Day

    International Overdose Awareness Day is on Saturday, August 31st.

    International Overdose Awareness Day is on August 31st, like every year since it began in Australia in 2001. This year, the National Safety Council (NSC) is encouraging people in the U.S. to recognize the awareness day and “remember loved ones and act toward preventing overdose,” according to Occupational Health & Safety.

    Overdose death rates in the U.S. have been on the rise for decades, increasing from 6.1 per 100,000 people in 1999 to 21.7 in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    The increases were particularly severe from 2012 to 2017, though early reports appear to show a slight decrease from 2017 to 2018, sparking hopes that national efforts to fight this epidemic are beginning to show results.

    Spreading the Word

    Still, tens of thousands of people in the U.S. alone are dying yearly, and the NSC is working to reduce the stigma of drug addiction and spread the word.

    “Opioid misuse touches one in every four Americans, and these deaths are completely preventable,” said NSC President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin. “It is also a time to reduce stigma and prevent future deaths by supporting education and advocacy efforts.”

    The NSC is recommending a number of actions that groups and individuals can take to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day, including holding a candlelight vigil, hosting a fundraiser, wearing purple, and adding the name of someone who died of an opioid overdose to the Celebrating Lost Loved Ones map.

    How To Participate

    The International Overdose Awareness Day website has additional ideas and resources for ways to participate and has already registered a long list of events from all around the world, from Afghanistan to Waupaca, Wisconsin. You can also post or read tributes about lost loved ones on the website or download free social media graphics, t-shirt designs, and overdose fact sheets.

    In 2014, the campaign partnered with the Penington Institute in Australia, which is dedicated to building knowledge and increasing awareness around substance use disorders and equipping frontline workers to act on the problem.

    “Overdose does not discriminate, and the number of people affected by it are increasing around the world,” reads the 2018 International Awareness Day Partners Report. “Part of what makes overdose so deadly is the silence that surrounds it. At Penington Institute, we envisage a world where overdose is destigmatized and better understood; where policy makers make well-informed and evidence-based decisions that help those who are at risk of overdose.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Artist In Recovery Auctions Work For a Good Cause

    Artist In Recovery Auctions Work For a Good Cause

    The proceeds of the auction will go to the Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coalition.

    Artist Benjamin Grippo is in recovery and he has found a way to reach out and help others struggling with addiction.

    In West Hartford, Grippo founded Artists Against Overdose, reports Eyewitness News. He seeks out artworks by local artists who are willing to part with their creations and to be sold at an annual auction.

    The proceeds of the auction go to the Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coalition, which helps people impacted by drug use.

    Specifically, Benjamin Grippo wants to make Narcan available to those who cannot afford it. Narcan (which contains naloxone) is a medication that rapidly reverses opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist, which means that it binds to opioid receptors in the brain, reversing and blocking the effects of opioids.

    Naloxone is commonly delivered in a shot or nasal spray which first responders, health workers, and laypeople across the U.S. now carry. Public libraries and YMCAs are also being equipped with naloxone, supplied at no cost by the drug maker.

    “There should be Narcan in every restaurant, there should be Narcan in every school,” Grippo said.

    Benjamin Grippo began using drugs after he was discharged from the army. “I started using more and more regular drugs and more and more a little cocaine, little pain pills here,” Grippo said.

    Grippo’s drug use escalated when a friend offered him heroin, and he accepted. “I quickly transitioned to intravenous using,” Grippo said. “I quickly got up to doing more bags at every time because I couldn’t get high off of it.”

    Now recovering from his addictions, Grippo wants to use the art auction to both raise money and awareness of the depth and scope of the opioid overdose crisis. Artists Against Overdose educates people about the impacts of drug use.

    “This epidemic and this problem is very dark and bleak and a lot of people aren’t living,” Grippo said. “People need to know what’s going [on]. They need to be educated, children need to be educated.”

    The auction is on Saturday, March 30, in Hartford, Connecticut. Some of the featured pieces will be artwork by artists who have overdosed and passed away, and include a range of artistic expressions from photography to graffiti and tattoo art.

    For more information about the event, to donate or to attend, check out www.aaoshow.com.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Lady Gaga & WHO Director Pen Essay For World Mental Health Day

    Lady Gaga & WHO Director Pen Essay For World Mental Health Day

    The duo call for additional treatment funding and the need for governments to better prioritize mental wellness in the essay.

    Mental health issues are universal—and costly without proper treatment—so why is mental illness still a taboo subject?

    That question is raised by Lady Gaga and Tedros Adhanom, director-general of the World Health Organization, in a new essay published in the Guardian on the eve of World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10): “800,000 people kill themselves every year. What can we do?”

    This annual statistic translates to “more than the population of Washington, D.C., Oslo or Cape Town,” they write. “Sometimes they are famous names such as Anthony Bourdain or Kate Spade that make headlines, but they are all sons or daughters, friends or colleagues, valued members of families and communities.”

    Globally, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds, yet mental health receives less than 1% of global aid, they write.

    This lack of funding translates to a higher cost overall—mental health issues cost $2.5 trillion a year globally, which will keep rising if they continue to be excluded from the conversation.

    “Stigma, fear and lack of understanding compound the suffering of those affected and prevent the bold action that is so desperately needed and so long overdue,” they write.

    Gaga (born Stefani Germanotta) and Adhanom urge governments to invest in mental health services, saying it will not only help individuals but benefit state coffers as well.

    “Research shows there is a fourfold return on investment for every dollar spent on treating depression and anxiety, the most common mental health conditions, making spending on the issue a great investment for both political leaders and employers, in addition to generating savings in the health sector,” they write.”

    Individuals have a part to play too, by supporting one another and urging lawmakers to make mental health a priority. “We can all help to build communities that understand, respect and prioritize mental wellness,” they write.

    The essay cites local efforts that are moving the momentum in a positive direction, such as the ThriveNYC initiative in New York City.

    Germanotta—who previously revealed that she lives with PTSD—spearheads the Born This Way Foundation, established in 2012, with her mother Cynthia Germanotta. The foundation focuses on young people with the goal of creating a “kinder and braver world.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Lyft Offers Incentives To Stop Drugged Driving In Massachusetts

    Lyft Offers Incentives To Stop Drugged Driving In Massachusetts

    Lyft has pledged $50,000 in fares to keep stoned drivers off the roads of Massachusetts.

    Popular ride-sharing service Lyft is encouraging people to drive cannabis-free with a special fare credit offer, according to High Times.

    Law enforcement in Massachusetts believe there could be a greater potential for drug-related accidents since cannabis has become legal in the state, so the state has teamed with Lyft to help educate the public on the dangers of driving high.

    Jennifer Queally, undersecretary of the Office of Public Safety and Security in Massachusetts, became concerned when she noticed an increase in people driving stoned in Colorado.

    “It’s not uncommon to hear people say, ‘I drive better when I’m high,’” Queally explains. “[But] if you are high or stoned, you are not a safe driver. And you are a danger to everyone on the road.”

    At the same time, ride-sharing companies like Lyft see a potential business boom. Just as Lyft and Uber are giving potential drunk drivers everywhere a safe ride home, the general manager of Lyft in New England told High Times, “We want to make sure residents can consume marijuana and not think twice about how they’re going to get home responsibly.”

    To help promote cannabis-free driving, Lyft has partnered with the Massachusetts Chief of Police Association, as well as the Cannabis Reform Coalition, to pledge $50,000 in Lyft fares to keep high drivers off the road. And if you make a pledge on social media not to drive high, you can get $4.20 in Lyft ride fare credit.

    As WBUR reports, there is also a new public service campaign that has been launched in Massachusetts called “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

    In the commercial, several actors tell the audience, “There are roads. Ones you take and one’s you don’t. There are laws. There are rules. And there’s you. You driving. You drunk driving. You driving high. You stoned and driving. You spinning. You crashing. You arrested. You killing… There are roads. And then there are just dead ends.”

    The commercial ends with a title card telling the audience, “Drunk? Stoned? Driving? Don’t.”

    According to a study released this year by the Governors Highway Safety Association, the rates of people driving high has increased 16% in the last 10 years. In 44% of fatal car crashes in 2016, 38% of the drivers tested positive for marijuana, with 16% of the drivers testing positive for opioids, and 4% testing positive for both.

    View the original article at thefix.com