Teens using dangerous synthetic pot and meth to get high
BALTIMORE - Forget weed, ecstasy and huffing, these days kids are turning to something else to get high and they could be doing it right under your nose. ABC2 News Investigator Joce Sterman has more on the drugs they’re using and how their names might throw you off because they sound just like something you'll find around the house.
You dump them into your bath at the end of a long day to relax. But while bath salts may sounds like part of a soothing soak to you, has a totally different meaning to your kids. Dr. Fermin Barrueto with Upper Chesapeake Health Systems says, "You could see something and it could look completely innocent and not realize this is the drug."
To your kids bath salts have nothing to do with what you see in the drug-store. They're the latest trend in man-made drugs and they can be deadly. Carl Kotowski with the Drug Enforcement Administration says, “I would not even think about putting this in your body."
But plenty of people do, using this white powder or crystals to get high. It's sold cheaply in head shops, gas stations and on the internet. Teens may call it bath salts or plant food, but it's actually synthetic meth or cocaine and right now in Maryland, it's totally legal. Kotowski explains, “A lot of folks equate legal as being safe and that's the problem right there."
And the problem is growing. According to the Maryland Poison Center run by the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, there were only two calls about bath salts in 2010. But so far in 2011, there have already been 15 calls and one death related to the drug. Nationwide the numbers are more staggering with 302 total calls in 2010 and nearly 1,800 so far this year.
Barrueto says the numbers are alarming. That’s why he says moms and dads need to get informed. He tells ABC2, "The emergency department is going to be the front line when it all goes wrong. The parents are going to be the front line in prevention."
Barrueto is trying to spread the word. At Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, he opened parents’ eyes to drugs that probably aren't on their radar. Robin Stokes-Smith was one of them. She says, "I'm here to learn and understand and recognize what's going on in the community.”
For moms like Stokes-Smith, it's hard to recognize what kids her son's age are using, so she has to stay on top of it. Her 15-year-old is drug free, but that doesn't mean he's not exposed to the dangers. Ahmad Smith says, “A few weeks ago a girl on my bus had a bag of spice with her, she was thinking about smoking it."
And while bath salts are code for synthetic cocaine, Spice is what they call a new form of weed. Kotowski explains, “It's marketed or labeled as herbal incense, but that's just to mask its intended purpose."
The product smells like incense, but it's not being used that way. It's really synthetic pot. Sold for $20 a pack as botanical potpourri, the DEA says this stuff is really sprayed with dangerous man-made chemicals. Kotowski warns, “You don't know how the product is produced. You don't know the chemicals that are in it, so you're basically playing Russian roulette with your body."
Teens and young adults are rolling the dice in big numbers. The American Association of Poison Control Centers tallied more than 4,500 spice related calls during the last two years.
The numbers are starting to drop, but here at home, Dr. Barrueto says his docs have seen a spike, with several dozen cases in their ERs in the last few months. He says, “We're still definitely seeing this through 2011, despite the DEA's effort of essentially making it illegal to sell."
But while the DEA made it illegal to sell certain ingredients in synthetic pot, it didn't ban the drug itself. As a result your kids can still find it. We did. We took our hidden camera into local shops and had no trouble buying several different brands with a new label. Some stores even make a point of putting out signs to let you know their stuff is legal.
Even if the products they’re peddling are legal, your kids won't have to look hard to find what's not. Thanks to the internet, banned drugs are easy to buy, even if it means breaking the law and putting your body at risk. Howard County Health Officer Dr. Peter Beilenson says, “The bottom line is we don't know what's in this stuff. It's clearly not good for you and you should stay away from it."
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Minggu, 22 Mei 2011
Medicine Hunter
Natural and Safe Anti-Inflammatory Medicines
An estimated 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, according to the American Pain Foundation. That’s a lot of pain. And that adds up to a lot of drug use, notably the category called NSAID’s, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Voltaren) and Celebrex belong to this class of drugs. These drugs are designed to inhibit activity of what is known as the COX2 enzyme, a major factor in pain. This natural enzyme is created in all of us, and is responsible for the production of some of the agents called prostaglandins, which trigger pain and inflammation.
The role of inflammation in pain is pretty straightforward. Any of a variety of insults can cause inflammation in the tissues of our bodies. External insults like burns, bites, scrapes, stings, cuts and bruises cause skin tissue to swell as protective fluids pour into damaged tissue between cells. Nerves may also be directly hurt. All of this activity is accompanied by pain. This is also the case with internal insults that may be diet-related or the result of wear and tear. Aging joints and ligaments can become occasionally or chronically inflamed, resulting in pain. Inflammation is now recognized as a key factor in virtually all chronic and degenerative diseases, including arthritis, heart disease, asthma, neurodegeneration, cancer, and kidney and bowel diseases. The idea behind anti-inflammatory drugs is simple. Stop the inflammation; stop the pain.
The NSAID’s are COX-2 inhibitors. They do accomplish this, but along the way they can also cause liver and kidney damage, and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. A recently published study reveals even greater risks to these drugs. In the study Danish researchers found that use of NSAID’s among heart attack survivors greatly increased their risk of a repeat heart attack. This risk persisted even six months after the heart attack, and even if the use of the drugs was brief. Translation: for those who have had a heart attack or stroke, the NSAID’s pose a real danger.
Meanwhile, a recent study of acetaminophen (Tylenol) showed that those who take the drug are at an increased risk of some blood cancers. Acetaminophen use is also the leading cause of drug-induced liver failure in the United States. Though acetaminophen is not an NSAID, it poses significant health hazards nonetheless.
Hippocrates said “first of all do no harm.” This should be the guided credo of all the health arts,from pharmacy to surgery. Medicines should heal not hurt, and promote life not take it away. In part due to disappointment with drugs, and in part due to a belief that natural remedies are safer than most pharmaceuticals, many people seek natural remedies to alleviate pain.
Hippocrates also said “let your food be your medicine.” One of the very most effective and potent natural anti-inflammatory agents is curcumin, derived from turmeric root. Turmeric is a yellow spice native to Asia, widely enjoyed as both a food and a dye. Turmeric is the yellow in curry powder, and curcumin is a resinous compound found in turmeric root. Extensively well studied for its anti-inflammatory powers, curcumin is scientifically proven to be highly effective at relieving pain, and very safe. Like the NSAID’s, curcumin inhibits COX2. But unlike the NSAID’s, it does not do so selectively. Instead, curcumin also affects the activity of other key factors in inflammation, including NF-kappaB, PPAR Gamma transcription factors, and 5-LOX. By inhibiting the activity of all these aspects of inflammation, curcumin delivers far superior anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving activity than most drugs.
Ginger root, another common spice, also contains a number of scientifically proven pain relieving agents. Ginger contains a protein-digesting enzyme called zingibain, which appears to relieve arthritis pain by reducing inflammation. In fact, the anti-inflammatory activity of ginger compares favorably with aspirin. Ginger root is also rich in two groups of compounds known as the shaogals and gingerols. These compounds are powerfully antioxidant, thus helping to prevent cells from premature destruction due to exposure to environmental toxins and by-products of metabolism. Even more, these compounds are potent anti-inflammatory agents, and are proven to relieve inflammation throughout the body. Given that oxidation and inflammation are part and parcel of all chronic degenerative diseases, ginger can play a key role in disease risk reduction.
Many plants, including the Amazon bark cats’ claw and the common spice rosemary, also demonstrate powerful anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving properties. And in toxicity studies, the anti-inflammatory plants demonstrate great safety. Many hundreds of plants contain well known anti-inflammatory agents. Hops, for example, an herb used in beer brewing, contains a group of compounds called the humulones, which are being studied for their significant pain-relieving properties.
Among the many plant-based anti-inflammatory products out there, I recommend Curamin, the curcumin-based pain reliever from EuroPharma, and Zyflamend, the ginger and turmeric-based anti-inflammatory from New Chapter. Both of these products work, and the ingredients in them actually contribute to overall health by enhancing immune function, increasing cardiovascular protection, and helping to inhibit the aging process of cells by their antioxidant activity. They are available online and at Whole Foods and other natural retailers.
It is sad when drugs that are commonly used are shown to pose great dangers to health. This is antithetical to their purpose. But the science of plant-based medicines is significantly advanced, and we now have products available to us that will reduce or eliminate pain without being hazardous to health. This is a good thing.
Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. He teaches ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is Explorer In Residence. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide. His field research is largely sponsored by Naturex of Avignon, France. Read more at www.MedicineHunter.com
Sumber : This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2011 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. All market data delayed 20 minutes.
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Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/18/natural-safe-anti-inflammatory-medicines/#ixzz1N970kMeu
An estimated 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, according to the American Pain Foundation. That’s a lot of pain. And that adds up to a lot of drug use, notably the category called NSAID’s, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Voltaren) and Celebrex belong to this class of drugs. These drugs are designed to inhibit activity of what is known as the COX2 enzyme, a major factor in pain. This natural enzyme is created in all of us, and is responsible for the production of some of the agents called prostaglandins, which trigger pain and inflammation.
The role of inflammation in pain is pretty straightforward. Any of a variety of insults can cause inflammation in the tissues of our bodies. External insults like burns, bites, scrapes, stings, cuts and bruises cause skin tissue to swell as protective fluids pour into damaged tissue between cells. Nerves may also be directly hurt. All of this activity is accompanied by pain. This is also the case with internal insults that may be diet-related or the result of wear and tear. Aging joints and ligaments can become occasionally or chronically inflamed, resulting in pain. Inflammation is now recognized as a key factor in virtually all chronic and degenerative diseases, including arthritis, heart disease, asthma, neurodegeneration, cancer, and kidney and bowel diseases. The idea behind anti-inflammatory drugs is simple. Stop the inflammation; stop the pain.
The NSAID’s are COX-2 inhibitors. They do accomplish this, but along the way they can also cause liver and kidney damage, and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. A recently published study reveals even greater risks to these drugs. In the study Danish researchers found that use of NSAID’s among heart attack survivors greatly increased their risk of a repeat heart attack. This risk persisted even six months after the heart attack, and even if the use of the drugs was brief. Translation: for those who have had a heart attack or stroke, the NSAID’s pose a real danger.
Meanwhile, a recent study of acetaminophen (Tylenol) showed that those who take the drug are at an increased risk of some blood cancers. Acetaminophen use is also the leading cause of drug-induced liver failure in the United States. Though acetaminophen is not an NSAID, it poses significant health hazards nonetheless.
Hippocrates said “first of all do no harm.” This should be the guided credo of all the health arts,from pharmacy to surgery. Medicines should heal not hurt, and promote life not take it away. In part due to disappointment with drugs, and in part due to a belief that natural remedies are safer than most pharmaceuticals, many people seek natural remedies to alleviate pain.
Hippocrates also said “let your food be your medicine.” One of the very most effective and potent natural anti-inflammatory agents is curcumin, derived from turmeric root. Turmeric is a yellow spice native to Asia, widely enjoyed as both a food and a dye. Turmeric is the yellow in curry powder, and curcumin is a resinous compound found in turmeric root. Extensively well studied for its anti-inflammatory powers, curcumin is scientifically proven to be highly effective at relieving pain, and very safe. Like the NSAID’s, curcumin inhibits COX2. But unlike the NSAID’s, it does not do so selectively. Instead, curcumin also affects the activity of other key factors in inflammation, including NF-kappaB, PPAR Gamma transcription factors, and 5-LOX. By inhibiting the activity of all these aspects of inflammation, curcumin delivers far superior anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving activity than most drugs.
Ginger root, another common spice, also contains a number of scientifically proven pain relieving agents. Ginger contains a protein-digesting enzyme called zingibain, which appears to relieve arthritis pain by reducing inflammation. In fact, the anti-inflammatory activity of ginger compares favorably with aspirin. Ginger root is also rich in two groups of compounds known as the shaogals and gingerols. These compounds are powerfully antioxidant, thus helping to prevent cells from premature destruction due to exposure to environmental toxins and by-products of metabolism. Even more, these compounds are potent anti-inflammatory agents, and are proven to relieve inflammation throughout the body. Given that oxidation and inflammation are part and parcel of all chronic degenerative diseases, ginger can play a key role in disease risk reduction.
Many plants, including the Amazon bark cats’ claw and the common spice rosemary, also demonstrate powerful anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving properties. And in toxicity studies, the anti-inflammatory plants demonstrate great safety. Many hundreds of plants contain well known anti-inflammatory agents. Hops, for example, an herb used in beer brewing, contains a group of compounds called the humulones, which are being studied for their significant pain-relieving properties.
Among the many plant-based anti-inflammatory products out there, I recommend Curamin, the curcumin-based pain reliever from EuroPharma, and Zyflamend, the ginger and turmeric-based anti-inflammatory from New Chapter. Both of these products work, and the ingredients in them actually contribute to overall health by enhancing immune function, increasing cardiovascular protection, and helping to inhibit the aging process of cells by their antioxidant activity. They are available online and at Whole Foods and other natural retailers.
It is sad when drugs that are commonly used are shown to pose great dangers to health. This is antithetical to their purpose. But the science of plant-based medicines is significantly advanced, and we now have products available to us that will reduce or eliminate pain without being hazardous to health. This is a good thing.
Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. He teaches ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is Explorer In Residence. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide. His field research is largely sponsored by Naturex of Avignon, France. Read more at www.MedicineHunter.com
Sumber : This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2011 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. All market data delayed 20 minutes.
fox news
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/18/natural-safe-anti-inflammatory-medicines/#ixzz1N970kMeu
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