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Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS among Urban Minority Youth

December 2, 2014

How to Prevent Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS among Urban Minority Youth

Substance abuse and HIV/AIDs are major problems that the urban minority youth have to face daily. Substance abuse among the urban minority youths has been linked to many societal ills including theft and robbery, the urban youth minority that are involved in substance abuse face some of the toughest life choices especially after becoming dependent on the drugs of abuse . once they have got dependent on the drugs of abuse they will find it hard to supplement most of their daily needs as in most cases drug addicts are avoided by employers, once jobless and the heightening cravings for the substances of abuse they will turn to some other ways of finding their daily supply of the drugs that they use. Turning to robbery has become one of the immediate choices that they bump into and hence they become a problem that the whole society suffers from. In most cases the youths may be felled by police bullets while escaping from crime scenes and some who are lucky will be sent to rehabilitation centers and that in itself affects the economy of a country as the country will spend more on these centers sometimes having to forego other expenses just to cater for the youths.

The biggest problem with the urban minority youths is their environment. Most of the people they interact with especially through the media lead lives of drug abuse, most of these youths are driven by their love for certain genres, they therefore idolize such artists so much that they will want to lead a life like theirs, this is a great problem having drug users as role models therefore there is need for educating the youths to stay away from drug use through the use of messages that may be sent through broadcast media such as radio and television. The urban minority youths needs to access relevant information that may help them stay away from drug abuse.

HIV and Youth Statistics

The urban minority youths are also involved in active sex. In most cases these youths do not get serious with their relationships, these relationships are sex based and having one night stands with different women is something that these youths take pride of. It is the involvement of these youths with multiple sexual partners that put them at high risk of contacting HIV/AIDS.  The urban minority youths need access to drug abuse and HIV/AIDS preventing messages in their immediate environment. Painting walls and having these messages artistically inscribed on the walls can be a good way to market this ideology and help the youths know of the dangers of drug abuse and involving oneself in risky sexual behaviors such us having multiple sexual partners. Other ways that can help these youths to stay away from drug abuse and HIV/AIDS may include:

Evidence-based prevention protocols

In a research study done to assess whether evidence-based prevention protocols could positively influence substance abuse and HIV/AIDS knowledge and reduce sexual risk-taking behaviors among urban minority youth by the by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) dubbed Be Proud! Be Responsible! CASASTART; Focus on Youth; and Street Smart. This research study that involved sessions comprised of six, 50-minute modules that incorporated role-plays, discussions, and multimedia formats to actively educate and engage youth in prevention activities.

This study used the National Minority Substance Abuse / HIV Prevention Initiative Cohort 7 Youth Questionnaire. The National Minority Substance Abuse / HIV Prevention Initiative Cohort 7 Youth Questionnaire was developed by CSAP as part of a national cross site evaluation of all Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) funded programs throughout the United States. Sexual risk behavior served as the outcome variable, with the following ten predictors being assessed for the study: disapproval / alcohol use, school importance, delinquency/crime, disapproval / tobacco use, disapproval / marijuana use, illicit drug use, stress- related alcohol and drug use, HIV/AIDS knowledge, HIV/AIDS testing, and negative peer attitudes.

The findings of the study showed changes in pre and posttest measures which revealed that participants who were at heightened risk were also more inclined to get tested for HIV/AIDS after receiving the intervention (95% confidence level). At posttest, an increase in HIV/AIDS knowledge seemed to have a buffering effect against risky sexual behaviors. Additionally, participants who thought of school more favorably were less likely to engage in sexual risk taking behaviors at posttest (95% confidence level). This study therefore showed the importance of educating the urban minority youths and creating awareness of the dangers of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS as paramount to fighting these two vices in the urban minority youths.  The intervention used the pretest-posttest design and worked with four urban high schools and five summer camp programs located in the Northeastern United States having a total of 653 African American and Hispanic/Latino youth, ranging in ages from 13 to 18.

hiv

Promoting Talent

The youths have talents that need to be exploited in a bid to find avenues though which the drug abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention messages can be spread. Apart from using their talents as a media through which this message reach many people it also keeps them occupied and gives them a reason to focus more in their own developments other than indulging in drug abuse and risky sexual behaviors.

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict chained to any behavior. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

How to Prevent Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS among Urban Minority Youth

 

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Addiction to Energy Drinks

August 17, 2014

Can there be an Energy Drinks Addiction?

What is an energy drink?

This is a kind of beverage containing ingredients are purported to boost the energy levels in the body. These drinks are marketed as providing both mental and physical stimulation due to its paramount ingredient, caffeine. It may sometimes be carbonated and also added sugar or other sweeteners. Herbs extracts and amino acids are also common ingredients to the energy drinks though in very small quantities.

Is energy drink addictive?

Addiction to Energy DrinksLooking at the ingredients that form the energy drink, it is beyond reasonable doubt that energy drinks can be addictive. The main addictive ingredient of the energy drink is the caffeine, though the sugar additives can also be addictive.

Caffeine is a stimulant and it acts by stimulating the central nervous system, which has effect on the brain and hence making you feel wonderfully alert though in the actual sense you are tired. This is so because the caffeine stimulated the nervous system and consequently blocking the message that tells your brain that you are tired. The effect induced by caffeine, is pleasant to many people, but to some it may result to anxiety, depression and other unpleasant side effects.

Energy drinks often contains caffeine or sugar which can affect the neurotransmitter causing temporal energy boost. These are the brain chemicals which regulate the human moods and behaviors, and if they can be stimulated, they can make our bodies have a feel of energy gain. This is the property that the energy drink manufacturers capitalize on. It simply works by blocking the messages which would otherwise trigger energy needs.

What are the side effects of energy drink?

The main cause of side effects in energy drinks is the high amounts of caffeine in them. Though some of the other ingredients can also have some side effects, the main side effects which are attributed to energy drinks are related to caffeine. Thus the side effects that we will look at here may be similar to those of caffeine addiction particularly.

The following are the main side effects of energy drinks:-

  • Risk of cardiac attack – caffeine which is an ingredient of energy drinks is known to cause heart diseases. Taking of energy drinks leaves a person under a very high risk of getting a cardiac arrest. For those with history of heart diseases, this cardiac arrest can occur just after a few energy drinks. Researches done on the effects of energy drugs on the human body have indicated that energy drinks causes forceful heart contractions, which could be very harmful to some with certain heart conditions.
  • Chronic headache – since caffeine is addictive, reduction or too much caffeine can cause severe headache due to the withdrawal symptoms of caffeine. Therefore taking too much energy drinks can lead to severe headaches.
  • May lead to insomnia – since energy drinks stimulate the rain to keep a person awake/alert, its abuse may cause someone to miss sleep. The lack of sleep can be very harmful to your body, since it affects your drive to perform other concentration heavy tasks.
  • Can lead to Type 2 Diabetes – this is a type of diabetes which results from too much sugar in the body. Since these energy drinks many of them have high levels of sugar, their consumption may lead to typpe2 diabetes.

Addiction to Energy Drinks

  • Addiction – another risk or side effect of taking energy drinks is addiction. The ingredients of the energy drinks such as caffeine and sugars are highly addictive. Addiction itself is a danger to your health, but the biggest problem is that the addiction will make you dependent on energy drinks and thus you cannot survive without taking them. This will even put you to a much bigger ganger of the side effects of the individual ingredients of the energy drink.
  • Jittering and nervousness – when caffeine is taken in high levels into the body, it causes some people to shake and be nervous. The energy drinks are high in caffeine and thus when frequently taken, they can lead to this side effect.
  • Interaction with prescription drugs – it has come to the knowledge of scientists that, some of the ingredients of energy drinks can interact with the prescription drugs, especially those meant for depression treatment.

Should energy drinks be made illegal?

The debate on whether energy drinks should be declared illegal has been ongoing in many areas of the world. Some countries are in the process of banning the sale of the drinks, especially to underage. Among the noticeable countries which have come out to show the world that energy drinks should be banned is Lithuania.
The recent reports are that, “Lithuania has banned the sale of energy drinks to anyone under 18 on the basis of health concerns. The ban will take effect in November 2014 after it was approved by parliament in May. Lithuania’s health
ministry said it was setting a precedent within the European Union.” The message from the state read, “According to our survey, a majority of other nations say that they only have recommendations in place, not bans,” ministry official Almantas Kranauskas said. “I think it will serve as an impetus for other countries. Many of them are still hesitating and might be influenced by the lucrative energy drinks industry.”

Can there be an Energy Drinks Addiction?

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Moderate Drinking and the consequences attached

July 22, 2014

Moderate Drinking and the consequences attached: Drug Addiction

Moderate drinking

Moderate drinking is key to controlling addiction and a voiding life-threatening diseases resulting from alcohol addiction.

Drinking alcohol is one major cause of addiction and one which is proving difficult to quit despite knowledge of the consequences associated with it. In our desire to get rid of addiction from our societies we will be discussing moderate drinking as a step in the right direction toward achieving our objective. There is a very thin line between moderate drinking and how much should be taken within a given period of time. People who have been drinking for some time whether addicts or not will attest to the fact that they have had or witnessed some embarrassing situations in their lives while under the influence of alcohol instances like having humiliated themselves at their work stations or in a party somewhere, having hangover that ruined their plans, being met on the wrong side of the law while driving when they shouldn’t have and many other circumstances. When reality down on them the next day when the effect of their intoxication is settling they are always full of regrets and wishing to cut down on their drinking.

These are real life situations we are often faced with on a daily basis and while we are appreciating that not everyone is keen to cutting alcohol out of their lives, nor do they need to categorized alcohol users with some history of addiction or mental illness  like various diseases of the liver or pancreas, or who are pregnant or taking certain medications shouldn’t drink at all, however as for others, there is an elusive middle ground called moderation which brings us to the big question what is “moderate drinking” and how can it be accomplished? As big as the question is so is the boldness in certain decisions you may consider taking to get your drinking under control as illustrated here in.

Moderate Drinking and the consequences attached: Avoid the Pre-Party

Various studies has established that “pre-drinking” before a party or social event, is normally characterized with cheap alcohol which is taken hurriedly and in large quantities, almost doubles total alcohol consumption as well as negative outcomes such as hangovers, blackouts and unprotected sex. This practice is particularly common among adolescents and young adults who not legally allowed taking alcohol let alone buying alcohol drinks or being in such places where alcoholic beverages are sold. Nonetheless most alcohol consumers are known not to be stationery in one given join. This habit of changing drinking locations during the night out is a powerful ingredient of increased quantity of alcohol consumption and it works well in defeating the intentions of moderate drinking.

Moderate Drinking – Record keeping

The human brain and especially that of an alcohol consumer is likely to forget almost everything while drinking bringing in the need of taking notes and keeping records. This is a practice which has worked in other areas like in weight lose journal which is very helpful to people concern in sticking to their diet. Research has established that a drinking diary can help people get honest about their alcohol intake and identify problem areas. Counting drinks is very key irrespective of how you do it, whether on paper, a smartphone or with the help of a sober friend, this will help you remember the nasty truths of your drinking which you’d prefer addressing and hopefully avoid in the future.

With the records you will be able to identify your patterns and make a decision on an ideal number of drinks per day and per week and test your ability to stay within those limits. According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans they describes moderate drinking as up to one drink each day for women and two drinks each day for men and a standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.

Always Have a Drink in Hand – as Long as it’s Non-Alcoholic

A number of challenging scenarios may arise when you’re socializing at a party, club or other event. Swapping alcoholic drinks for a non-alcoholic variety has two major benefits: If you’re drinking water, juice or soda, you’re likely not drinking as much booze. Also, with some type of beverage in hand, your choice to drink less (or not at all) will likely go unnoticed by friends who want a drinking companion.

Moderate Drinking – Slow Down

When out drinking whether alone or in company of friends it is worth noting that drinking too much too fast will defeat any efforts to moderate your drinking. It’s advisable to take time and only pace yourself by sipping rather than guzzling also do not participate in drinking games and purpose to be taking one drink per hour and if possible take even less than a drink in an hour and in between drinks take food and non-alcoholic drinks doing this helps you commit to moderate drinking.

Moderate Drinking and the consequences attached: Mind Your Drinking Cues.

If you track your drinking patterns long enough, you may discover certain trends. Maybe you always overdo it when a particular friend or family member is around or at a specific time of day such as when you get home from work. Or perhaps the nostalgia of a certain bar or club makes you vulnerable to bingeing, or you turn to alcohol every time you feel sad or angry. These patterns will clearly show you your triggers and with this information you may choose which people, places and things to avoid and find other activities to replace them.

Finally drinking in moderation has both risks and benefits, but drinking too much poses a clear threat to your health and well-being. Heavy drinking can cause:

  • Stroke
  • High blood pressure
  • Accidental injuries
  • Cirrhosis of the liver
  • Certain cancers among other problems

If you find yourself routinely drinking more than you planned, unable to quit or uninterested in anything but drinking, your problem may go beyond occasional overindulgence and cross into alcohol abuse or addiction. In this case, attempts at moderation will perpetuate a frustrating cycle until you seek appropriate treatment and support usually from addiction professionals like doctor Dalal Akoury who founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center an institution where care is given professionally to all addicts in the most natural way while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE

Moderate Drinking and the consequences attached: Drug Addiction

 

 

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Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction

May 9, 2014

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Alcohol Use and Alcoholism

Cancer risks increases

Cancer is a killer disease associated with drug addiction and alcoholism is seen to be the biggest reason why cancer risks increases.

In my quest to address the problem of drug addiction, it is becoming a trend that every time this topic of addiction is mention very really will it go without touching on alcohol consumption. The substance alcohol is therefore the most addictive and abused drug and one that causes most of the health problems we go through today. Having said that I want to put emphasis on this by repeating this point that most people know that heavy alcohol drinking can cause health problems, however what many people may not know is that alcohol consumption is a perfect element of cancer risks increases in their lives. Several cancers are as a result of drinking alcohol and this is what is going to form the basis of discussion in this article. If you want to be enlighten about the effects of alcohol in cancer risks increases, then keep on the link and read on for much educative and informative experience with doctor Dalal Akoury and her able team of experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under .

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Types of cancer linked to alcohol use

As discussed alcohol is a known cause of different kinds of cancers. Such cancers include:

  • Mouth
  • Throat (pharynx)
  • Voice box (larynx)
  • Esophagus
  • Liver
  • Colon and rectum
  • Breast

Besides the above alcohol may also increase the risk of cancer of the pancreas and for each of these cancers, the risk increases with the amount of alcohol consumed.

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box, and esophagus

Alcohol consumption is no doubt contributes the highest risk of these cancers. Drinking and smoking combine raises the risk of these cancers much more than the effects of either drinking or smoking alone. This might be because alcohol has the ability to act as a solvent, helping harmful chemicals in tobacco to get inside the cells that line the digestive tract. Alcohol may also slow down these cells’ ability to repair damage to their DNA caused by chemicals in tobacco.

Liver cancer

Research has proved that long-term alcohol use has been linked to an increased risk of liver cancer. Regular, heavy alcohol use can damage the liver, leading to inflammation. This, in turn, might raise the risk of liver cancer.

Colon and rectal cancer

Alcohol use has been linked with a higher risk of cancers of the colon and rectum. The evidence for such a link is generally stronger in men than in women, although studies have found the link in both sexes.

Breast cancer

Even a few drinks a week is linked with an increased risk of breast cancer in women. This risk may be especially high in women who do not get enough folate (a B vitamin) in their diet or through supplements. Alcohol can affect estrogen levels in the body, which may explain some of the increased risk. Drinking less alcohol may be an important way for many women to lower their risk of breast cancer.

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Does the type of drink matter?

Ethanol is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks, whether they are beers, wines, or liquors (distilled spirits). These drinks contain different percentages of ethanol, but in general a standard size drink of any type 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor contains about the same amount of ethanol (about half an ounce). Of course, larger or ‘stronger’ drinks can contain more ethanol than this.

Overall, the amount of alcohol consumed over time, not the type of alcoholic beverage, seems to be the most important factor in raising cancer risk. Most evidence suggests that it is the ethanol that increases the risk, not other things in the drink.

How alcohol raise cancer risk

The exact way alcohol affects cancer risk isn’t completely understood. In fact, there might be several different ways it can raise risk, and this might depend on the type of cancer.

Damage to body tissues

Alcohol can act as an irritant, especially in the mouth and throat. Cells that are damaged may try to repair themselves, which could lead to DNA changes in the cells that can be a step toward cancer.

In the colon and rectum, bacteria can convert alcohol into large amounts of acetaldehyde which is a chemical that has been shown to cause cancer in lab animals.

Alcohol and its byproducts can also damage the liver, leading to inflammation and scarring. As liver cells try to repair the damage, they can end up with mistakes in their DNA, which could lead to cancer.

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Effects on other harmful chemicals

Alcohol can act as a solvent, helping other harmful chemicals, such as those in tobacco smoke enter the cells lining the upper digestive tract more easily. This might explain why the combination of smoking and drinking is much more likely to cause cancers in the mouth or throat than either smoking or drinking alone. In other cases, alcohol may slow the body’s ability to break down and get rid of some harmful chemicals.

Lower levels of folate or other nutrients

Folate is a vitamin that cells in the body need to stay healthy. Alcohol use can lower the body’s ability to absorb folate from foods. This problem can be worse in heavy drinkers, who often do not get enough nutrients such as folate in their diet. Low folate levels may play a role in the risk of breast and colorectal cancers.

Effects on estrogen or other hormones

Alcohol can raise body levels of estrogen, a hormone important in the growth and development of breast tissue. This could affect a woman’s risk of breast cancer.

Effects on body weight

Too much alcohol can add extra calories to the diet, which can contribute to weight gain in some people. Being overweight or obese is known to increase the risks of many types of cancer. Along with these mechanisms, alcohol may contribute to cancer in other, as of yet unknown, ways.

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Other long-term health effects from drinking alcohol

Most people know about the short-term effects of drinking alcohol, such as its effects on mood, concentration, judgment, and coordination. But alcohol can also have longer-term health effects. These can vary a great deal from person to person. For some people, alcohol is addictive. Drinking can become heavier over time, leading to serious health and social problems. Heavy drinkers who stop drinking suddenly can have physical withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, and other serious problems over the next few days. In some people these can be life-threatening and does not mean that heavy drinkers should not stop drinking. It does mean that heavy drinkers should talk with their doctors about the safest way to stop drinking.

Over time, heavy drinking can cause inflammation (hepatitis) and heavy scarring (cirrhosis) in the liver which will then lead to liver failure. Heavy drinking can also damage other organs, such as the pancreas and the brain, and can raise blood pressure. With all these risk arising from the drug use you will for sure need to be taken care of with professionals who would painlessly contain the effects of addiction at all levels. This team of experts you can only get at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury. At this facility treatment will be administered while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. This is a painless process you cannot afford to lose.

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Alcohol Use and Alcoholism

 

 

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