Tag Archives: Illegal drug trade

Striatum Methamphetamine Toxicity

March 22, 2015

Methamphetamine Toxicity in the Striatum

The striatum is a crucial part of the brain. This part of the brain plays very important roles but it can be adversely affected by the use of stimulants and other drugs of leisure. Substances such as cocaine and methamphetamine produce their primary effects inside the brain by boosting the presence of dopamine which is a neurotransmitting chemical that activates the pleasure-producing neurons contained within the limbic system. As stated above the limbic system includes the hippocampus, along with several other brain structures. According to the results of two separate studies published in 2008 in the Journal of Neuroscience and Biological Psychiatry, the presence of either cocaine or methamphetamine alters normal adult neurogenesis inside the hippocampus and damages this region’s ability replenish its neuron supply.  It is no longer news that methamphetamine intoxication causes long-lasting damage to dopamine nerve endings in the striatum. However the mechanisms underlying this neurotoxicity are not yet known but oxidative stress has been linked to it.

methamphetamine

 

Microglia are the major antigen-presenting cells in brain and when activated, they secrete an array of factors that cause neuronal damage. Astoundingly, very little work has been directed at the study of microglial activation as part of the methamphetamine neurotoxic cascade. It has been report that methamphetamine activates microglia in a dose-related manner and along a time course that is coincident with dopamine nerve ending damage. Through tests done on mice scientists have discovered that prevention of methamphetamine toxicity by maintaining treated mice at low ambient temperature prevents drug-induced microglial activation. MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) not only damages dopamine nerve endings and cell bodies but also  causes extensive microglial activation in striatum as well as in the substantia nigra. Contrastingly, methamphetamine causes neither microglial activation in the substantia nigra nor dopamine cell body damage.

Dopamine transporter antagonists do not mimic the effect of methamphetamine on microglia. Hyperthermia, a prominent and dangerous clinical response to methamphetamine intoxication, has been also ruled out as the cause of microglial activation. Together, these data suggest that microglial activation represents an early step in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity. Other neurochemical effects resulting from methamphetamine-induced overflow of dopamine into the synapse, but which are not neurotoxic, do not play a role in this response.

Methamphetamine use on the rise despite effects

The use of methamphetamine has been on the rise despite the fact that it is a powerful stimulant drug that has adverse effects when abused as most people do. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime reported recently that abuse of amphetamines, including designer drugs such as methamphetamine and 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, now exceeds that of cocaine and heroin on a global scale. This presents no sign that its use will decline any soon. Past researchers were able to establish a fact that methamphetamine causes persistent reductions of function in dopamine nerve endings of animals and humans. Methamphetamine neurotoxicity has been under intense study for over 20 years, but still there is much that still remains to be learned about how this dangerous drug causes damage to dopamine nerve endings. The theory that revolves around oxidative stress has been at the top of the speculations. Drug-induced oxidative stress is an attractive construct that can account for many of the effects of methamphetamine on the dopamine nerve ending such as inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase activity as well as reductions in the dopamine transporter and the vesicle monoamine transporter. This may even be an early event that leads eventually to methamphetamine-induced apoptosis. However, the source of the reactant species that mediate methamphetamine-induced damage is not known.

methamphetamine

Due to their crucial roles they play in mediating the mediating damage to the nervous system, Microglia has attracted considerable attention. Immune like in many ways  these interesting cells become activated by damage and then transmigrate to sites of injury where they can secrete an array of factors  like cytokines, prostaglandins, nitric oxide, and superoxide that are known to have detrimental effects on neurons. However, the role of microglia in methamphetamine-induced damage to the dopamine system has received little attention. In 1994 a researcher, Bowyer and his colleagues noted for the first time that methamphetamine resulted in activation of microglia in striatum of treated rats. These investigators concluded that microglia were increased in response to nerve ending damage and were not apparently a cause of it.  Recently, another research was conducted to give an in-depth analysis of the effect of methamphetamine on striatal gene expression. Numerous genes linked to microglia were activated significantly within hours of methamphetamine intoxication, suggesting the possibility that microglial activation occurs earlier in the methamphetamine toxic cascade than previously thought.

Today there are researchers who are building on the initial analysis of methamphetamine and report the pharmacological characterization of microglial activation by methamphetamine in striatum. As mentioned before, striatum is an area dense in dopamine nerve endings and is known to be targeted for damage by methamphetamine. Microglial activation coincides with the onset of methamphetamine-induced damage in striatum and the extent of this effect is related to the degree of damage to dopamine nerve endings. Numerous nontoxic effects exerted by methamphetamine, such as inhibition of the DAT, increases in synaptic levels of dopamine, activation of D1 and/or D2 DA receptors, and hyperthermia, cannot explain methamphetamine-induced microglial activation.

Finally, this is still a dark area and there is need for more literature so as to establish the mechanism of methamphetamine toxicity on the striatum. Needless to say, Drug abuse, addiction and independence are problems that people grapple with every day. These problems need to be treated effectively through integrative medicine. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an expert at this.  Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Methamphetamine Toxicity in the Striatum

 

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Effects of Cannabis Deregulation on College Students

March 16, 2015

Effects of Cannabis Deregulation on College Students

Scientifically Cannabis sativa popularly known by many titles such as weed, marijuana among others, has always been a drug that is accessible to many youths in spite of harsh laws that regulate its use in given countries. In most countries the use of this drug is prohibited and if you are unlucky to be caught you will serve a jail term longer enough to make you regret knowing it in the first place. Despite the stringent rules that have outlawed the use of this drug in many countries it has remained one of the highly abused drugs especially by college students and teens who are out of school.

Marijuana is currently an outlawed drug in most countries but it does not defy the saying that every dark cloud has a silver lining, it also has good effects that were once valued- this drug being rich in THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is one of the most active ingredient in cannabis that has medicinal qualities, due to its high content in this medicinal content, many researchers have opined that marijuana can be used in treatment of many diseases including cancer. However owing to the fact that it is a highly addictive drug that is prone to be abused it has attracted the attentions for all the wrong reasons making it outlawed in many parts of the world.

The use of cannabis is common despite the strict laws in fact it is on the rise among college students, thanks to its hallucinatory effects that has made it a darling to many students.  Most college students begin using this drug without even knowing all the side effects that it is always associated with. Due to peer pressure and a need to belong some students also begin using this drug since some of their friends are using it. in the long run the number of college students affected grows and by the time they become aware of the dangerous effects of using cannabis they are have already become addicted to the drug so much that it can’t be easily stopped. This leads to a situation where college students become adversely affected with the drug so much that they cannot effectively study.

Cannabis and students

The use of cocaine on the rise among students

According to an article published on Michigan University News on Sept/8/2014; the use of illicit drugs has been rising at an alarming rate among American college students since 2006 when only 34 per cent indicated that they had used some illicit drugs in years prior to 2006. By 2013 the rate of those who indicated to have used illicit drugs had heightened by 39 per cent. The report also stated that marijuana is one of the drugs that are highly abused by college students. This study was done by University of Michigan scientists who conduct the nationwide Monitoring the Future study.

The report states that the use of marijuana is on the rise while that of other drugs of leisure is declining and this can be attributed to availability of this drug and affordability in comparison to such drugs as cocaine and heroin.  According to this study, Daily marijuana use is now at the highest rate among college students in more than three decades. 51 percent of all full-time college students currently have used an illicit drug at some time in their lives; roughly four in 10 have used one or more such drugs in just the 12 months preceding the survey.

The results are based on a nationally representative sample of some 1,100 students enrolled full time in a 2- or 4-year college in spring 2013. The survey is part of the long-term MTF study, which also tracks substance use among the nation’s secondary students and older adults under research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The study showed that marijuana has remained the most widely used illicit drug over the 34 years that MTF has tracked substance use by college students, but the level of use has varied considerably over time. In 2006, 30 percent of the nation’s college students said they used marijuana in the prior 12 months, whereas in 2013 nearly 36 percent indicated doing so. This shows how marijuana use in colleges is rising despite the fact that it is still regulated. The question is what will happen if it is deregulated.

If marijuana would be deregulated today, the students will begin using it like some sort of over the counter drugs, without fear of authorities and deregulation in itself may sound as an approval by the state on the positive effects of the drug hence many students will use it.

Cannabis

These are some of the problems that the students will face

Inconsistence in performance- consuming alcohol doesn’t end with blowing the smoke in the air; its effects are far more than the euphoric effects that an individual may get from using the drug. When used for a long time it will result in anxiety which will not enable the student to study and perform well in exams and being that it will be unregulated the dosage may hike to a dangerous limit that over a time may cause cognitive malfunctions.

Depression- this is a threat that most people using cannabis have to face. Depression is not good for a student as it alienates him from his studies and even lecturers it may graduate to other serious problems.

Addiction to marijuana is a serious concern that needs to be duly addressed. Here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to offer the best treatment available to addicts. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for more help in any kind of addiction you may be wrestling with.

Effects of Cannabis Deregulation on College Students

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Medical Tourism And Treatment of Addiction

March 11, 2015

The Role of Medical Tourism in Treatment of Addiction

Basically medically tourism can be defined as the act of a person leaving his country to seek medical care in a different country or simply beyond the country’s borders. In the past medical tourism involved patients from third world countries traveling to developed countries in search of qualified medical doctors to treat their diseases. This meant that the patient had good money to spend in treatment in the country he was visiting for medical care. However today medical tourism has taken a new dimension with patients traveling from the developed countries to developing countries for affordable medical care. These patients are evading heavy financial crisis that they may plunge into if they opt to treat the diseases in their own countries where the cost of treatment is higher than in the countries they are visiting.

It is important to appreciate the fact that the patients who leave their countries to come and seek medical attention in developing countries are not destitute. In their countries they may form part of the middle class but they certainly have higher purchasing power than the citizens of the countries they visit for medical attention. They are therefore welcomed in these countries by the governments who view medical tourism as a chance to create more national income from it therefore it is greatly encouraged.

Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is a multimillion business that is known worldwide. However medical tourism if not well managed may result in some problems to the countries the medical tourist visit. Just like the common tourism you always know of, I mean that of adventure and leisure that has both positive and negative impacts on the countries the tourists visit the medical tourism is also a double edged sword. It therefore needs to be well managed for the benefits to be enjoyed. Apart from all the benefits that a country visited by a medical tourist will get, we need to look at the role of medical tourism in treatment of addiction.

Medical Tourism avails effective treatment for addiction

Medical tourism has far many benefits to an addict seeking help. To begin with we know that that the biggest hurdle to addicts in overcoming addiction is the presence of triggers that lie just outside the rehab walls. A change in the environment especially leaving a country to a different provides an addict with an opportunity to evade these triggers that may make him to fall back into drug use. These triggers may include the people they were drinking with or even some type of music that is usually played in bars and other places of leisure as people drink and use other drugs. When a person is receiving treatment in a different country, not only the location changes but also the culture which places learning and adventure at the top of the list while pulling the triggers out of the way of an addict.

The addict will also have access to some of the most unique addiction treatment practices across the world, treatments that have been used for centuries in treatment of addiction and have been proved to be very effective. Without the limits of the addicts country’s borders, a whole new world of variety of effective treatments open up for the addict to explore and choose from, of course with help from highly qualified doctors and healers. An example of a unique treatment of addiction that medical tourism avails for an addict is the Ayurvedic herbal Treatment;

Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments of addiction

Ayurvedic treatments are one of the oldest therapies in the world with its roots in India. It is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. The primary focus of Ayurvedic medicine is to promote good health, rather than fight disease. But treatments may be recommended for specific health problems. The best thing with ayurvedic treatment is that it is holistic. That is to say that it focuses more on the wellness of the patient other than on treating the patient of the symptoms of the disease. It focuses on uprooting the disease by maintaining the delicate balance of the mind, the body and the spiritual being of the patient.

Medical TourismOne of the greatest Ayurvedic theories is that everything in the universe be it living or not are not is connected. Good health is achieved when your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony with the universe. Even the slightest disruption of this harmony can lead to poor health and sickness. A person should therefore coexist with the universe. To begin with you need to appreciate the fact that anything that affects your physical, spiritual, or emotional well-being can cause you to be out of balance with the universe and therefore bring you lots of diseases. Ayurvedic treatment is also known as Ayurveda. Through medical tourism addicts from all over the world have been travelling to India for Ayurvedic herbal treatments. This can be credited to its effectiveness in treatment of addiction. Ayurvedic medicine works through these mediums to help an addict overcome addiction and offer complete healing.

Ayurvedic Diet– through ayurvedic diet, a patient will get lost nutrients restored; ayurvedic healers will tailor a diet aimed at recovery for every patient.

Meditation – this is a crucial part of Ayurveda. Meditation helps addicts in the path of self-discovery and also helps them deal with stress and depression better. It effectively addresses depression which is common in addicts as a withdrawal symptom.

Yoga– this involves a series of exercise and postures that will help in deep purification that is needed in getting drug debris out of the system of the patient. It only improves good health and restores the balance of energy in the body.

Achieving Balance– when a person has recovered from drug addiction, ayurvedic medicine will help him to achieve and maintain the physical, mental, and spiritual health balance.

Finally, addiction is a disease that should be approached integratively just in order to be won. Medical tourism avails an opportunity for an addict to find integrative medicine that may not be in their countries. Here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to offer the best treatment available to addicts. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for more help in any kind of addiction you may be wrestling with.

The Role of Medical Tourism in Treatment of Addiction

 

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Drug Abuse in South Africa at Alarming Levels

December 3, 2014

The Magnitude of Drug Abuse in South Africa

South Africa is experiencing a rise in drugs abuse. In recent years the trend in alcohol abuse as well as other drugs has been alarming. Alcohol is still the primary drug of abuse and use is rising every day. In 2011 the world health organization (WHO) reported that South Africa has the highest per capita consumption rates in the world of alcohol in the world and it is quite insane that the rate is continuing to rise. In South Africa the citizens consume in excess of 5 billion litres of alcohol annually but this figure is likely to be higher still if sorghum beer is included, and equates to 9 – 10 litres of pure alcohol per person. Despite alcohol being the primary drug of abuse there are other drugs that are used by the South Africans as well. These drugs include Methaqualone (Quaaludes), cocaine, marijuana popularly known as dagga in South Africa, and heroin are all drugs that are becoming increasingly popular in the cities of South Africa.

There have been drastic political changes in  South Africa  that have been accompanied by social transitioning, rapid modernization, high unemployment rates, and a decline in social, cultural, and family values. As a result, drug use has flourished and new environments, such as night clubs, that promote drug use have been created. These environments appear especially promising for adolescents and young adults looking for an escape. It is in these places that drugs look cool and casual sex is acceptable. Unfortunately, these places are a haven for heavy drug abuse and diseases; such as, HIV and AIDS. Needless to mention, South Africa has become a major country involved in international drug trafficking networks over the past decade. Experts have agreed that it is becoming harder and harder to deal with the explosion of the drug trade and it links are becoming increasingly complex to tame.

South Africa

Here are statistics of the most abused drugs in South Africa over the past years. These statistics are from the World Health Organization (WHO). However there might be some changes on the statistics as the use of drugs of abuse in South Africa is increasing at such a rapid rate.

South Africa drugs of abuse stats according to WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that drug consumption in South Africa is twice the world norm. It is saddening to note that 15% of South Africa’s population has a drug problem. The cost associated with drug abuse is crippling the South Africa’s economy. This is evident as the country spends R20-billion a year and could pose a bigger threat to the country’s future than the Aids pandemic. According to SAPS figures, 60 percent of crimes nationally were related to substance abuse, this shows the cost of drugs of abuse in relation to the social ills they cause. Just as it happens everywhere, addicts will go through all odds to afford the drugs they have become dependent on and crime is the immediate step the youths take to buy their daily dosage of these drugs. In the Western Cape, the figure was closer to 80 percent that shows that Western Cape is the most affected area.  The perpetrators of these crimes are either under the influence of substances, or trying to secure money for their next fix. The use of drugs has also increased prostitution as most of the prostitutes have to sleep with 10-15 men daily to find enough money to buy their drugs of abuse.

 SANAB disbanded

The use of drugs and related crimes have increased greatly, by 30% to be exact after the government disbanded   SA Narcotics Bureau (SANAB) which was  a dedicated drug-fighting unit within the SAPS that had achieved some notable successes. The SANAB was disbanded in 2004 and no other body has sprung to fill the vacuum.

Recently the United Nations World Drug Report had named South Africa as one of the drug capitals of the world. The abuse of alcohol and usage of dagga has led to the country to being one of the top ten narcotics and alcohol abusers in the world. The CDA also reports that one Rand in four in circulation in South Africa is linked to the substance abuse problem. CDA is a drug control organization. The increase in drugs use is also evident in the increase of number of drug arrests from a mere 300 in 2006 to a staggering 1500 in 2012 in Cape Town.

Teenagers are not left out

The CDA reports that alcohol use is common in school kids and most kids who are involved in alcohol abuse are involved in violent crimes 3 times more than kids that are not involved in drug abuse.

South Africa

It also points at the increase in drug use among teens.  As from 1992 – 95 the use of drugs among teenagers increased by 600%. But the figure is still increasing as evident in 2007 when it stood 1100%.  Most kids begin using drugs of abuse at the age of twelve, the CDA report of 2009 revealed that schools have become a target for drug dealers.

A part from alcohol drugs that are widely abused in SA include;

Methamphetamine (Tik)

  • Crack
  • Heroine
  • Cocaine
  • Mandrax
  • Dagga
  • Ecstasy

Finally, We at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict. We advocate for natural healing to all kinds of addiction. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

The Magnitude of Drug Abuse in South Africa

 

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Drugs, Sex Trade and the GDP Figures

August 17, 2014

Drug Market Already Adding To GDP Figures

What does GDP mean?

It stands for the Gross Domestic Product. It is an economic measure of any given country, and it is used to gauge the health of an economy of a country. It looks at the total value of all the goods and services produced by a given country for a specified period of time, mostly a period of one year.

Many illegal businesses have not been captured in these estimates in many countries. This is due to the fact that such businesses are considered illegal and are not seen to contribute to the economy of the country in question. Some of such businesses are prostitution and drug trafficking. Though it is still debatable on whether these businesses should or not be considered when estimating the gross domestic product of a given country, some countries have already turned out to include sex business and drugs trafficking in their gross domestic product. Some of the European countries have already boosted their economy by including prostitution and drugs in their GDP.

It is now official that it will be obligatory in September 2014 for all European Union countries to include drugs, prostitution, and other illegal and shadow economy businesses in their gross domestic product
calculations. The 2010 version of the European System of Accounts states that “illegal economic actions shall be considered as transactions when all units involved enter the actions by mutual
agreement. Thus, purchases, sales or barters of illegal drugs or stolen property are transactions, while theft is not.”  The goal is to make European Union countries’ economic data comparable. According to
the Guardian Britain’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) has estimated that illegal drugs and prostitution added £9.7bn to Britain’s economy, equal to 0.7% of gross domestic product, in 2009.

Is USA following the suit soon and include illegal business in the GDP?

Drugs, Sex Trade Every country will always want its GDP to grow by a factor every year, or at least remain at a high level. Any activity or inclusion to the GDP which is considered to boost the GDP will always be welcome as long as it acceptable. Following the acceptance and inclusion of illegal drugs and prostitution in the GDP of many European countries, the United States of America is also believed to be on the verge of following the suit. This idea has though been on a hold as they wait to analyze the result or impact of inclusion of the illegal business from the data from the countries which have already embraced it.

There is likelihood that USA will be including these illegal businesses in their GDP soon, especially looking at the statement given by one of the prominent personnel, who is the chief of public affairs and outreach at the United States Bureau of economic Analysis, Jeannine Aversa. Jeannine Aversa was quoted as saying, “The united states has no plans for now, to start counting illegal sex and drugs. We need to look at the issue closely to see what data are available before any decision could be made.” He also added, “We haven’t done any research yet, so we don’t know how much this would add to the U.S economy as measured by GDP.”

From these statements, there is a probability that U.S will be joining Europe in the inclusion of illegal sex and drugs in the GDP, but this remain to be seen in future. This is in the assumption that there will be a positive impact of the inclusion from the data that will be collected from the forerunners, European countries. This positive impact would be mouthwatering for U.S and hence consider including the illegal businesses in GDP also.

Can sex and drugs inclusion in GDP boost the economy of a country?

This question can be sufficiently answered based on the statistics from the countries which have already done it. A noticeable country which has already included sex and drugs in the GDP is Italy. Italy is one of the countries which were struggling with poor economy for years. Upon inclusion of black market in the GDP, it registered a growth in economy reported to be around 18%. This growth was taking it past UK to make it the fourth richest country in the world. Illegal sex and drug trafficking lie under black market squares and go untaxed. The taxation of these businesses would result to a remarkable boost in the economy by a factor.

It is estimated that in U.S for example, the sale of illegal marijuana business is worth between $10 billion and $100 billion each year. This is a very big figure which evades the government’s taxing and hence a big loss to the state. Just like illegal marijuana, illegal sex among many other illegal or black market businesses go untaxed and governments lose a lot of money which would otherwise contributed to the country’s economy.

Would inclusion of drugs and sex in GDP have benefit to the people involved?

If these businesses succeed to being included in the GDP, it will mean that they will be legalized. This will be a boost to the people involved in these businesses since it is no longer considered illegal by the states and thus transacting in such businesses is not punishable by the state. Likewise to the drugs user, it brings sense of responsibility, as the person can regulate one’s self on when to take the drug and the quantities to take at given times.

Drug Market Already Adding To GDP Figures

 

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