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Ecstasy-related fatalities seem to include a greater number of otherwise healthy teens than other stimulant-related fatalities, according to a new study by a professor from England's University of Hertfordshire School of Pharmacy and researchers at St. George's University of London's International Centre for Drug Policy. The report covers an 11-year, UK-wide analysis of mortality from stimulant-type drugs.

For the study, researchers reviewed stimulant-related deaths from a government database and from the British Crime Survey 2001-2007. They identified 832 amphetamine and methylamphetamine-related deaths and 605 ecstasy-related deaths. Methylamphetamines include such drugs as speed and crystal meth. In the course of this research, the scientists noted a disturbing trend: Ecstasy-related fatalities were usually identified in victims who were young and healthy.

Professor Fabrizio Schifano, lead author of the paper which will be published online in Neuropsychobiology, commented on the findings: "These data seem to support the hypothesis that young individuals seem to suffer extreme consequences after excessive intake of ecstasy. This is an issue of public health concern which deserves further studies. Ecstasy and amphetamines are very similar -- they are part of the same pharmacological group. But ecstasy does seem to show an intrinsic toxicity that is higher than that of amphetamines."

(Sources: sciencedaily.com; reuters.com)

Labels: ecstasy, death

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

This week, a jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is in the process of determining whether cigarette maker Altria is responsible for the death of a 40-year chain-smoker who was helplessly addicted to nicotine. This case is the first of approximately 8,000 similar cases that are going to trial. In 2006, the Florida Supreme Court upheld a decision that tobacco companies knowingly sold dangerous products and hid the health risks of smoking; however, the Court threw out a $145 billion jury award for a class-action lawsuit. The Court said that each case must be proven individually.

Edward L. Sweda, Jr., attorney for the Tobacco Products Liability Project at Northeastern University Law School, commented on the proceedings: "It is highly likely that the tobacco companies will be forced to account for their decades-long, reprehensible history of corporate wrongdoing." (Sources: www.google.com/hostednews/ap)

Labels: death, liability, smoking

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Over the last few years, Winnebago County, Illinois officials have seen a disturbing trend related to adolescent and teen drug abuse: younger and younger people are dying from drug overdoses.

“’We’re noticing that the trend is getting young and younger. We actually this year have had a 14 year old and a 19 year old die as a result of either opiates and or heroin overdoses,’ said Sue Fiduccia, Winnebago County Coroner. You may think ‘not my teen, they would never search for drugs,’ but kids no longer need to actively search for a dealer, the drugs come to them.” (Source: WIFR-Channel 23)

Schoolyards and street corners are now popular places for buying and selling drugs. Surveys have found that most high school kids know who they’d need to talk to if they wanted to buy drugs. And most of the time, those people are fellow students.

 

Labels: death, teen drug abuse, overdose

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

Putting new taxes on alcohol or raising existing taxes to account for inflation would prevent 600 to 800 deaths a year, according to a study from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• Researchers looked at the number of alcohol-related deaths in Florida and compared them to the financial burden imposed by alcohol excise taxes, and found when taxes went up, death rates went down.
• If Florida taxes on liquor had been allowed to rise with inflation, the tax on distilled liquor would be $14 a gallon, and the tax on wine would be $5 a gallon.

This study appears in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Labels: law, death, prevention

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

Alcohol abuse on college campuses continues to take a deadly toll. The number of alcohol-related deaths around college campuses is rising, according to a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The study found an average of 35 such deaths every week, with 1440 in 1998, compared to 1825 in 2009.

"These are tragically unacceptable high figures that indicate an urgent need for colleges and surrounding communities to implement evidence-based prevention and counseling programs," said Dr. Ralph Hingson, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Alcohol-related deaths among those ages 18 to 24 years old most often occurred during traffic accidents. The study found that more students were binge drinking, that is, having five or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting. The percentage of students who admit to drinking and driving increased from 27% 29% in the past year.

Labels: alcohol abuse, death, college

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 2 Comments

According to the Reuters news service, new research has revealed a rise in drug-related deaths (including both prescription medications and illicit substances) throughout the United States.

The researchers who discovered the increases in drug-related deaths based their study on data that had been collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. The researchers were able to calculate the percentages of individual from different age groups and races who died as a result of accidental poisonings.

According to the researchers, accidental poisonings due to drug overdoses during the first decade of the 21st century were more than 10 times higher than they were in the late 1960s.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that in 2009, about 7 million people were users of pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives - all for nonmedical purposes.

Individuals who feel they have developed a dependence on prescription medication may want to seek substance abuse help from a drug rehab center.
 

Labels: death, overdose

Posted By: Staff Writer 1 Comment