International Archives - Page 110 of 111

Jan272015Jan272016

Is Marijuana a Global Addiction?

A recent U.N. report on drug use revealed that cannabis is the world’s most widely consumed drug, indicating a possible global addiction may be culminating. Marijuana is produced or consumed in some fashion in most countries today. The World Health Organization reports About 147 million people, 2.5% of the world population, consume cannabis annually, compared with 0.2% consuming cocaine and 0.2% consuming opiates.

In 2010, marijuana use was most prevalent in Australia and New Zealand; the U.S. and Canada came in second, followed by Spain, France, Italy and the Czech Republic third, and Nigeria, Zambia, and Madagascar were tied for fourth). With the legalization of marijuana in some countries, and across some states in the US, many people are being conditioned by arguments that the drug is basically harmless. The potential risk of cannabis use may not be demonstrated by overt or sudden seizures and overdose, but marijuana dependency controls and impairs its users, like any substance of abuse, procuring it and smoking it will become the most important aspect of life.

Studies have found marijuana interferes with attention, motivation, memory, and learning. Statistically, students who use marijuana regularly receive lower grades, are more likely to drop out of school, and will show an overall IQ drop of up to 8 points. Generally people who use marijuana regularly report lower satisfaction with their life, are more likely to earn a lower income and more likely to be unemployed.

The global addiction trend shows 5.7 million persons aged 12 or older living in major cities used marijuana on a daily or almost daily basis in the past 12 months. However accessible and available marijuana continues to be, it can’t adequately substitute the benefits found in living a life free of addiction, discovering the potential to contribute to the world in a positive and dynamic way.

If you, or someone you care about, needs help for a drug or alcohol addiction,
contact us at 1-888-457-3518 US, 0-808-120-3633 UK or 1-800-990-523 AU.
We’re here to help you take that first important step.

Jan202015Oct222019

7 Alarming Facts About Global Addiction

International

7-Alarming-Facts-About-Global-Addiction Addiction is not just a personal issue. It is a global threat. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that at least 15.3 million people worldwide have drug use disorders; of those, 2.3 million meet the criteria for drug use disorder. By examining addiction on an international level, agencies like the NIH, the United Nations, and the World Health Organization are sharing information, discoveries and solutions, opening doors to recovery that might have remained closed without public education across international borders.

Some recent findings that may surprise or even shock you:

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, by 2050, the number of illicit drug users is predicted to increase by 25% internationally.
Internet addiction is a growing global problem and now officially recognized as Internet Addiction Disorder (IDA). The first IDA Congress was held in Milan this year.
Turning up to work hung over or coming down from the effects of drugs is common, according to the 2014 Global Drug Survey, with over one-third of those surveyed reporting that they have gone to work hung-over from the use of drugs or alcohol.
The Global Drug survey also reports that In more than half of the world’s countries, prescription drugs were among the top three misused substances
Researchers from Canada’s University of Victoria have found that marijuana use reduces the odds of people between the ages of 15 and 25 entering college.
The National Institutes of Health reports that alcohol abuse is the leading risk factor for premature death and disability among people between the ages of 15 and 49.
Earlier this year, public health inspectors in the United Kingdom reported traces of cocaine in Britain’s drinking water; researchers have attributed its presence to high usage among Brits.

Dec092014Oct032019

Life-destroying “Spice” Drug Overtake Russia

International

Russia, a country with one of the highest per-capita alcohol consumption rates in the world, is now seeing a proliferation of young drug users, many of whom are abusing a substance called “spice”—a concoction intended to mimic marijuana in effect while evading anti-drug laws. The ingredients are often touted as “natural”—derived from herbs—but in fact they are at best synthetic analogs of cannabinoid compounds. Because their manufacture is unregulated, there is essentially no limit to or control over what is added to any product marketed as “spice.”

In recent months, over two dozen deaths and 700 hospitalizations have been attributed to spice, which is essentially a mixture of innocuous herbs sprayed with psychoactive chemicals. Smoking spice can produce a feeling of euphoria, relaxation, and altered perception, but can also produce hallucinations, seizures, and agitation. Other adverse symptoms include elevated heart rate, nausea, and dissociative states. One Russian woman claimed that while high on—and addicted to—spice she became convinced that killing herself and her children was the only way out of her predicament.

Research on spice has been limited, but it appears that the cannabinoid analogs bind to the same receptors in the brain as cannabis. However, some of the compounds seem to bind more strongly to the receptors, possibly resulting in unpredictable effects. This could also explain the increased potential for addiction.

With abuse running rampant, and reports of incidents including children jumping out of windows, Russian authorities are responding to spice by ramping up enforcement and enacting stricter laws. They claim that the drug is manufactured in labs in Southeast Asia and smuggled in by foreigners. Meanwhile, manufacturers play a game of Whack-a-mole with authorities by altering the chemical composition of spice to stay one step ahead of being on the banned substances list. In response, authorities are seeking a broader definition of the drug in order to remain current.

Nov252014Jan272016

War on Drugs Redux: In Turkey this Time

International, Treatment

War-on-Drugs-Redux-In-Turkey-this-Time Last month, President Erdoğan of Turkey gave a speech at International Symposium on Drug Policy and Public Health in Istanbul, in which he claimed that drug addiction is the result of a lack of moral values, and that religion is the best way to counter both problems. He went on to equate drug trafficking with terrorism, stating that his government will treat drug traffickers in the same way that it treats terrorists, and that a war on drugs is the appropriate stance for enforcement. A week earlier, the Turkish prime minister and health minister delivered a joint statement declaring a war on drugs.

In recent years, Turkey has experienced an escalating drug problem, and the government responded in June by increasing penalties against drug traffickers. In 2012, Turkey prosecuted over 130,000 people on drug charges, more than four times as many as in the previous year. A large percentage of these were young people smoking marijuana.

Poppies are a traditional crop in Turkey. Under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, it was classed as a “traditional opium producing country.” In the following years, Turkey reduced its production and eventually banned it. Then, in 1974, it introduced a licensing system for cultivation of poppies for medicinal purposes.

Because of its geographic position at the heart of trade routes going both east–west and north–south, Turkey has long been central to international drug smuggling. In the mid-90s, there was a scandal involving the Turkish government, its armed forces, and organized crime. The government had been economically impacted by the loss of trade due to the Gulf War and the Iraq embargo, and members of the government were complicit in allowing large amounts of heroin to flow westward into Europe.

Although mitigating drug use and smuggling is a legitimate challenge for the Turkish government, political incentives to conflate trafficking with terrorism exist. The Kurdish separatist movement known as the PKK is accused of financing its operations with money gained through the drug trade, and to the extent that it can be called a terrorist organization, fighting its source of funding could be fairly considered part of Turkey’s war on terrorism. However, the social implications of the “war on drugs” have been shown to be generally negative in the West, and the criminalization of recreational drug use results in the disenfranchisement and alienation of mainly young people who might otherwise be productive citizens.

Nov122014Oct222019

Addiction in Afghanistan: No End in Sight

Alternative Treatment, International

In 2012, Afghanistan produced ninety-five percent of the opium consumed worldwide. This unintended consequence of the US-led war there has numerous ramifications, including a flood of heroin available on all continents, a huge source of funding for the Taliban, and a dire internal problem of addiction. In one province, a man named Abdurahim Mutar sold his sister to fund his habit. His wife medicated their children with opium to keep them quiet, and his mother and brother are also addicted.

Lack of information about opiate addiction, combined with availability of cheap drugs, is part of the reason for the ongoing epidemic. Abdurahim and his wife claim they were not aware of the dangers to their children when they force-fed them opium, saying, “It’s very common here.” He has been addicted for thirteen years, having started when he joined the mujahideen.

It is estimated that Afghanistan has over a million addicts. Treatment options are severely limited, with approximately ten thousand addicts receiving treatment each year. Thirteen out of thirty-four provinces in the nation do not offer any kind of treatment at all. Compounding the issue is the fact of police corruption and a general laxity in enforcement.

Also problematic is the addiction rate in neighboring Iran, which has long been among the world’s highest but also recently has seen a rise in the use of crystal meth. Because Afghanistan has a high rate of unemployment, many Afghanis cross the border into Iran for work, where they are introduced to cheap and readily available opium. In some rural villages, drug use is as high as thirty percent, and the attendant problems—crime, health problems, and zero productivity—continue to erode the war-torn economy and social fabric.

The Taliban, a product of the Russian occupation of the 1980’s, originally opposed drug cultivation on the basis that the Koran forbade the use of any intoxicants. After 9/11 and the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, the Taliban took advantage of the weakness of the new government, corruption, and the fact that opium cultivation was profitable to farmers and tribal leaders, and reversed their stance on the morality of the drug market. The problem persists, intractably, with devastating consequences.