United States

Huffing – Inhalant Abuse

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Huffing is the street term for inhalant abuse. Since the early 1990′s, the practice of intentionally inhaling chemical vapors in order to get high has increased dramatically and remains to this day a popular activity amongst children as young as 8 years old.

Chemical vapors that can be used as an inhalant are available in thousands of products and are easily accessible in every home. Nearly any chemical vapor will cause a loss of sensation and euphoria but while the immediate effects are short lived there are many serious permanent effects that can occur such as muscle spasms, brain damage, hearing loss and damage to the central nervous system. Inhaling chemicals removes the oxygen from the body and as a result death from suffocation or heart failure is a very real possibility when inhaling chemical vapors.

Paint thinner, nail polish, glue, felt-tip markers, spray paint and whipped cream dispensers are all common household items that contain enough harmful chemicals to cause serious bodily damage when inhaled. “Whippets” are balloons or small vials that contain nitrous oxide and are sold at parties and gatherings and contain enough chemical vapors to result in serious harm. Typically found in room deodorizers, cyclohexyl nitrate is also available in capsules that are snapped or popped to release the chemical. These are called “poppers”.

Huffing may initially be difficult to diagnose because the child may only have tried it once or twice. Some symptoms of huffing include:

- Paint or stains on hands, face or clothing
- Slurred speech
- Chemical odor on clothing or breath
- Red or runny nose
- Rash about the face and mouth
- Disorientation
- Finding empty solvent containers

It is the long term effects that are the serious danger. Like with any other drug, awareness and education are paramount. Discussing the dangers of huffing with your child while still young and impressionable may be the only way to prevent long term physical damage or even death.

Filed Under: Drug Abuse | Tagged: Tagged With: Brain damage, Breathing, Chemical substance, Department of Health and Human Services, Executive Branch, Government, Inhalant abuse, United States

Discovering a Problem

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One of the first steps in most recovery programs is the crucial step of the addict admitting that he or she has a substance abuse problem. While this step might be a personal triumph for the individual it took a long time for there to be a collective societal acknowledgement that constant obsessive alcohol abuse was a disease.

Human life was a short and harsh existence in the natural world of earlier recorded history. It took generations of human achievement to build civilizations capable of sustaining life into an old enough age for there to be a pattern of addiction that could be recognized and studied. Discovering that addiction existed and then discussing it became a tipping point in creating rehabilitation models and programs.

Their was a revolution akin to a great awaking where the grouping of all drinkers into the same category was discovered to no longer be sufficient to describe everyone who partook in alcohol consumption. The drinkers became separated from abnormal drinkers.

Part of the problem of discovering and making a distinction was how widespread alcohol consumption and abuse was. Even though some of the puritanical religious sects banned drinking, alcohol was a major part of American culture dating back to the colonies. Each class had its preferred beverages, but abuse did not know a class, gender or race. Even though alcohol addiction predated the American Revolution there was not a lot written or examined regarding combating alcohol consumption in the United States until later.

Per capita alcohol consumption rose after the nation declared its independence from Great Britain. And as prosperity rose and alcohol became more available so did efforts to control drunkenness. Perhaps the earliest example of American coming to grips with its drinking was an 1784 work by Benjamin Rush. Rush’s “An Inquiry into the Effects of Ardent Spirits” described habitual alcohol consumption as a disease. The language was now in place to examine a problem, but like all new concepts it would take sometime and the influence of others to make a good idea into a popular one.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction | Tagged: Tagged With: Addiction, Alcoholism, Benjamin Rush, Centers and Counseling Services, Great Britain, Health, Substance abuse, United States

Creating “Alcoholism”

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It might have taken awhile for the United States to examine if persistent alcohol consumption was a problem, but once a market was established to examine the effects of alcohol abuse it grew rapidly. Benjamin Rush is credited with writing one of the first pieces of popular literature on the effects of regular drinking. And after his thesis gained some recognition so did the concept of over indulging in alcohol as a disease.

By the 1840s there were even societies to assist alcoholics. A group called the Washingtonians is recognized as the first popularly known group of recovering alcoholics. While it was an important step in combating addiction in America it is also an example of an honor that the first President of the United States could probably do without. There was a support group for alcoholics, but using science to study addiction would be a future development. Instead the Washingtonians condemned “drunkenness”. They referred to themselves as confirmed drinkers, drunkards, sots, tipplers and inebriates.

Alcohol itself was an Arabic word that meant the spirit or essence of something. And for the “drunkards” of that era Alcohol was akin to a haunting. There was no knowledge of predispositions towards addiction or family history of drinking. At this time alcohol referred more to any intoxicating drink rather than the actual ingredient that caused drunkenness.

By 1849, science was beginning to notice distinctions in the consumption of alcohol. Swedish physician Magnus Huss introduced the world to the term alcoholism, which was described as a chronic use of alcohol with the intent to become intoxicated that was characterized by a serve disruption in social functioning. It took decades before the term was widely used in the United States.

Alcohol had been a part of human culture for thousands of years by 1849. And abusing alcohol probably dated that far back, but it was not until that year that the concept of alcoholism was invented. The disease was recognized, but now came the difficult task of finding a proper way to treat it.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction | Tagged: Tagged With: Addiction, Alcoholic beverage, Alcoholism, Benjamin Rush, Health, Substance abuse, Support group, United States

Father of Alcohol Treatment

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Perhaps the most important person in getting American alcoholics to admit that they have a problem was Benjamin Rush. Rush is often a forgotten name when looking back at the colonial period of American history, but Rush was a famous person to the Founding Fathers of the United States.

In fact, Rush could be considered a founding father. He was a member of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence, and was the physician-general for General George Washington’s Continental Army. Rush was Princeton educated and on the staff at the Philadelphia College of Physicians.

He was America’s doctor of that era. He was the past day Dr. Oz, and Rush was likely to be sought out if an important medical debate was happening in the colonies. While Rush was qualified to be sought out as an authority on alcohol abuse, he was also a motivated advocate in the field of alcohol treatments. Rush had a difficult relationship with his father. His parents were divorced, and it is believed that his father’s drinking was a major reason why. After his parent’s divorce his mother married a distiller who abused her.

Rush also witnessed alcohol abuse firsthand during his involvement with the Continental Army. It is also the first known time he tried to do something about controlling widespread alcohol abuse. Rush distributed a pamphlet to the soldiers of the army that condemned drinking and distributed the paper to the entire army. His career to raise the public’s awareness of alcohol was launched.

Rush continued his fight after the end of the American Revolution. He published a paper titled, “An Enquiry into the Effects of Spirituous Liquors Upon the Human Body, and Their Influence Upon the Happiness of Society” The 36-page manifesto was the most influential anti-alcohol work of its day. But its ultimate importance was in creating a starting point. Rush was able to define alcohol as a disease, which trumped his lack of scientific research into the field. The seeds had be planted and a movement grew to understand and prevent alcoholism from damaging society.

Filed Under: Alcohol Drug Intervention | Tagged: Tagged With: Alcoholism, American Revolution, Benjamin Rush, Continental Army, Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, United States, United States Declaration of Independence

Temperance Movement

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There was little for anti-alcohol advocates to go on at the dawn of the 19th century, and dedicated teetotalers would have their work cut out for them as the United States entered its infancy.

From 1790 to 1830 the United States went on a bender that would be unparalleled in its history. The United States would become a land of opportunity, if that opportunity was to become blitzed. In 1792 the average American drank 2.5 gallons of alcohol pure year. The annual amount had gone up to 4.5 gallons by 1810. And by 1830 the amount had risen to an astonishing 7.1 gallons per person. Problems of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct were regular occurrences. The nation also had an epidemic of alcohol fueled abuse inside the home.

The young republican had become a victim of its own success. There was relative economic prosperity, an as a result there was more disposable income and more selections to drink. Not all the changes were positive. With rising levels of alcohol abuse, the town tavern had gone from a center of culture to a place that was becoming associated with crime, violence and vice.

The growing problem was soon paired with a possible solution. The problem had become so bad that major figures such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were asked about their views on alcohol. The American Temperance Movement was conceived during this era of heavy alcohol consumption. Dr. Bill Clark founded the Union Temperance Society in Moreau, New York in 1808. From this early movement a model was established and soon temperance groups were being founded throughout the country.

Temperance became a religious issue as Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists made abstaining from alcohol an important part of faith in may congregations. The temperance movement’s initial goal was reflected its names. Tempering the amount of excessive drinking and replacing it was a more responsible level of consumption. As the movement grew so did the goals. America had a religious war on its hands, and one side was against the use of any alcohol.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction | Tagged: Tagged With: Alcoholism, American Temperance Movement, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, New York, Temperance movement, Thomas Jefferson, United States

Lindsay Lohan in Rehab

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When Lindsay Lohan made her film debut she appeared to be a modern version of Haley Mills. She even took a role that Mills had once had in the Disney remake of the Parent Trap. Lohan was a cute freckled girl who was wise beyond her years on film, and showed the ability to steal a scene at the age of 10.

By the time she was 24, Lohan had gone from cute little girl to a public relations nightmare that no studio wanted to work with. The transformation played out in front of the public’s eyes, but for fans that had been won over by Lohan’s charm and talent it was a shocking fall from grace. Looking back on Lohan’s career, it becomes clear that there were troubling signs even as the actress could seemingly do no wrong.

Lindsay has been has had a difficult relationship with her father Michael her entire life. Michael Lohan has been in an out of prison since his contempt of court conviction due to insider trading in the 1990s. Michael was also arrested for a problem that would plague his daughter driving under the influence.

Lindsay Lohan’s child success translated to teenage success after the commercial and critical success Mean Girls. After Mean Girls, Lohan was a Hollywood “it” girl and the one-time child start had become a sex symbol. Lindsay leveraged her status and success to gain access to the Los Angeles party scene, where she has been a fixture since she was a teenager.

Hollywood blogs had been documenting Lindsay’s partying for years before her first DUI arrest in 2007. While some hoped that it would be the warning she needed to stay out of trouble, Lohan was arrested for a second DUI that same year. After her second arrest Lindsay made a mockery of her criminal sentence by falling to attend her alcohol education classes and checking in and out of rehabilitation clinics as if they were hotels. Her story is not uncommon in a place where too much too fast is just part of the lifestyle.

Filed Under: Drug Addiction Facilities | Tagged: Tagged With: California, Counties, Driving under the influence, Lindsay Lohan, Los Angeles, Michael Lohan, Parent Trap, United States

From Coco Leaves to Crack

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One of the images that emerged during the 1980s is of the disintegration of the American inner city. White flight, the collapse of the American industrial base and other demographic shifts were part of the problem. But nothing caused the rise in violence and the breakdown of communities more than the rise of the crack cocaine drug trade.

While the phenomena of a massive organized international drug trade was a new invention in the 1980s, the United States had a long history with the additive nature of the coca plant. The leaves of the coco plant yield cocaine. (Chocolate comes from the cacao plant) Coca plants grow naturally in the Andes Mountains of Peru and Bolivia. The plant had once been important to the Incan civilization. Native Incans thought the plant had healing powers. Incans knew that chewing on the leaves of the plant allowed them to stay awake longer and work harder. The plant was also used in Incan religious ceremonies.

Once Europeans came to South American, the Incans shared the secrets of their mystery plant. Cocaine was introduced to Western Civilization, and prior to the United States government overseeing the standards of foods and medicines cocaine made its way into a variety of over the counter produce and “miracle” medicines. The addictive power of Coca Cola might be strong today, but the sugar addiction of the modern Coke does not compare with the cocaine laced original formula.

Cocaine had plenty of detractors and had been limited by states after the turn of the century, but an effective and policed nationwide ban of cocaine was no instituted until the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Might have been outlawed, but it would soon become more popular that ever before.

To produce street grade cocaine or crack, the leaves of the coco plant are crushed and then mixed with kerosene or acid to produce a mash. Once the mash dries out, the signature white power is produced. Crack is produced by mixing the powder with baking soda and boiling the substance. Cheap, available crack has been a habit America cannot kick.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction | Tagged: Tagged With: 1980s, Bolivia, Coca Cola, Cocaine, Federal government of the United States, Sodium bicarbonate, Substance abuse, United States

Alcohol Consumption and the Noble Experiment

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Alcohol is poison to humans that works to slowly poison then. The immediate effects cause what is known as drunkenness, when excessive amount of alcohol has entered the bloodstream. But the long term effects can include heart or liver failure. Yet despite knowledge of the effects of alcohol, drinking remains a popular past time in the United States and around most of the world.

Part of the reason that alcohol remains part of the culture is that it is addictive both physically and mentally. The bodies of regular drinker crave the substance, and the cravings can be multiplied by conditioning. For example if a person drinks to get over a stressful situation, any stress could trigger a drinking episode.

While every society that drinks must deal with the negative effects of alcohol consumption, the negatives today are not nearly as bad as they once were. Alcoholism was once so widespread in the United States that it inspired a movement to completely ban consumption. Alcohol was considered the venom of man, and by some in religious circles as too dangerous for anyone to become involved with.

There was good reason to fear the effects of drinking in 19th century America. Crime rates soured on holidays when saloons poured freely. Women who had limited rights in the court systems of the day were also frequent victims of husbands or other men who had allowed alcohol to get the best of them.

Their were numerous anti-saloon leagues that had formed and united to become a political force in the United States. They had grown so powerful at one point that anti-drinking advocates proposed exiling drinkers to remote islands. While this proposal did not gain much political traction, the United States engaged in a great social experiment by passing the 18th Amendment. After Jan. 18, 1920 it was illegal to purchase or consume alcohol in the United States. The government hoped to save addicts from themselves. A great question would be asked and answered: can governments justly enforce morality? The Noble Experience was underway.

Filed Under: Alcohol Drug Intervention | Tagged: Tagged With: Alcohol, Alcoholic beverage, Alcoholism, Government, Health, Specific Substances, Substance abuse, United States

Prohibtion to Fight Addiction

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Governments have long tried and continue to attempt to control alcohol addiction from a macro level by banning alcohol. The bans are most effective in controlled economies where the punishment for breaking the law is harsh. Alcohol is difficult to acquire in Muslim nations such as Iran or Saudi Arabia, but even in these nations there have been reports of a black market for alcohol.

When the United States launched its own Noble Experiment, banning alcohol with the 18th Amendment, the nation did not have the nearly unlimited police powers enjoyed by enforcement agencies in nondemocratic states. When Prohibition was launched in the United States the police still had to follow procedures, while enforcing a law that was unpopular and ignored by a large percentage of the population.

The story of Prohibition has been often told in popular culture. Al Capone and the Untouchables make for great drama, but for all that was made about organized crime there were some benefits to Prohibition. Studies show that banning alcohol had a positive effect on public health. There were declines in alcohol consumption, alcohol related accidental deaths, cirrhosis of the liver and crime related to alcohol consumption. Divorce rates also went down. While the immediate impact had positive effects, by 1930 the rates were creeping back up toward pre-Prohibition levels.

As the positives flagged, the negatives grew. The court system struggled to deal with the amount of alcohol related cases it received. The minor infractions caused a dilemma of how to handle people just looking for a drink. Organized gangs became powerful forces that were past the ability of local law enforcement to keep in check.

And after the levels of consumption rose to pre-ban levels a serious health risk was revealed. Without the government mandating and monitoring health and safety standards, the bath tub whiskey people consumed caused damaging effects to drinkers. The anti-Prohibition crowd soon swelled. Alcohol addiction was to remain a problem in the United States, but fighting it with an all out ban proved to be more costly that the drain of combating the disease in other ways.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction | Tagged: Tagged With: Alcoholic beverage, Alcoholism, Health, Law, Public health, Saudi Arabia, Sexually transmitted disease, United States