Logo arch
Financing Available Confidential 24 Hour Helpline
877-345-1887
What happens when you call?
line
La Paloma Logo Resources Banner

More Articles

La Paloma Article Archives

Archive for the ‘Drug Use’ Category

Tennessee Tops In Meth

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Meth PipeThis isn’t a list you want to make, but a recent study showed that Tennessee ranks No. 2 in the nation for the most number of meth labs.

Laws that made it harder to obtain pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the production of methamphetamine, were successful in cutting down the number of meth labs nationwide, but now those numbers are on the rise again. (more…)

Afghanistan’s Opium Problem

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Afghanistan's Opium ProblemThe drug trade is rampant in Afghanistan – and political — drawing the attention of the American military and hurting locals who get caught up in addiction.

It’s a drug lord’s worst nightmare: tons of raw opium going up in flames, being destroyed in a government-sponsored “drug burn.”

Afghanistan produces more than 90 percent of the world’s opium, with nearly 14 million pounds of the drug produced last year in Afghanistan, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. To put that in perspective, CNN.com reported that, “Earnings from opium make up about a third of the country’s gross domestic product.” (more…)

Drugs & the Olympics

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Olympic RingsDrug testing is getting more high-tech as Olympic athletes continue their quest for new (and often dangerous) ways to gain a competitive edge.

Many athletes were welcomed to Vancouver this month with a request for a blood or urine sample. Nowadays, drug testing begins before the games even start. It’s all part of modern sports.

Drug Test Improvements

(more…)

Your Brain On Cocaine

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Cocaine effects on brainA new study suggests cocaine may not just provide a high but alter the way your brain operates.

“Though we think about our genes mostly in terms of the traits we pass on to our children, they are actually very active in our lives every day, regulating how various cells in our bodies behave,” Time Magazine recently reported. They were talking about a new study that seems to prove the use of cocaine doesn’t just provide a high, it also changes the way your brain functions.

Published in the Jan. 8 issue of Science magazine, the study used mice to do research in the up-and-coming field of epigenetics, an area of science that explores how experiences and environmental exposures affect genes. (more…)

Is Heidi Addicted to Plastic Surgery?

Friday, February 5th, 2010

heidi montagWhen does over-indulging cross the line into addiction? Heidi Montag’s recent plastic surgery binge has some fearing she could overdose on self-improvement.

Heidi Montag may have been looking for attention when she agreed to appear on the cover of a January 2010 issue of People magazine to talk about her recent plastic surgeries. In the eyebrow-raising article, the 23-year-old reality star and aspiring singer admitted to undergoing a whopping 10 cosmetic procedures in one day, prompting the headline “Addicted to Plastic Surgery.” (more…)

Heroin Safety: An Oxymoron?

Monday, February 1st, 2010

heroinOne state’s department of health office has raised eyebrows with a brochure aimed at helping heroin users “stay safe.”

No one questions the motives behind the pamphlet produced by the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. The 16-page “Take Charge, Take Care: 10 Tips for Safer Use” brochure was created “to help people who are injecting drugs reduce the harm associated with this type of drug use until they are able to get into treatment and recover,” according to the agency. (more…)

Staying Clean: A Lifelong Battle

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

redmond onealRedmond O’Neal was still in rehab when his latest arrest on drug charges took place, sparking a debate about the nature of addiction.

If anyone doubts how hard it is to overcome a drug addiction, you need to look no further than Redmond O’Neal for proof. The celebrity son of actor Ryan O’Neal and the late Farrah Fawcett is in trouble with the law again for substance related issues.

The 24-year-old was most recently taken into custody on Dec. 29, 2009, on new drug charges while on 24-hour leave from the Impact rehab facility. The younger O’Neal was undergoing inpatient drug treatment at Impact, having been sent to rehab following previous drug arrests. (more…)

Ketamine Facts

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

ketamineWhat is the story behind this eternally popular club drug?

The drug known as ketamine hydrochloride was originally created as an anesthetic for human and veterinary use, but like so many drugs, ways have been found to abuse the substance. In the ‘90s it became popular in clubs, with partygoers using it as an alternative to ecstasy.

Also called “Special K,” the drug belongs to a group classified as “dissociative anesthetics” that includes PCP and nitrous oxide (aka laughing gas). While the drug originally comes in liquid form, it is often cooked into a white powder that recreational users snort. The drug can also be injected into muscle (never a vein, setting it apart from other IV drugs like heroin) for a quicker, more intense high. (more…)

Marijuana Celebrity Use

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

snoop doggWhile drug addiction is seen as a problem, marijuana use is tolerated with a knowing wink by celebs.

Heroin, club drugs and prescription pain med addictions are all recognized as problems, especially when they go from dabbling to addiction, but for many, smoking pot is not put in the same class. It’s something to do to mellow out at the end of a hard day or to help make a party more enjoyable or to enhance a concert experience.

Marijuana can’t really hurt you, can it? Pop culture would make you think it’s a rite of passage. (more…)

Teen Trends In Drug Use

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

bus drug dealResults from the U.S. government’s Monitoring the Future study was released this week and focuses on trends in teen drug use.

A new national study of teenagers’ substance abuse and their attitudes toward drugs and drug use highlights some troubling trends that raise serious concerns, according to Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy.

The organization’s annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) study of 8th, 10th and 12th graders shows decreases in some grades in the use of cocaine, methamphetamine and hallucinogens. (more…)

CARF logo