Clarity Testing Services Blog

In 2010 more than 2,000 meth labs were seized is Tennessee, which is more than were seized in any other state in the US.

Methamphetamine (sometimes called meth, crystal meth, or ice) is a highly addictive drug that stimulates the nervous system. While the majority of the world's meth is manufactured in large-scale illegal labs, there are still many individuals cooking up small batches of the drug in unstable home-based labs. Apart from the drugs they produce, these kitchen labs can be toxic. Fumes created from a meth lab can be dangerous to those nearby. Chemicals used in creating meth are often highly flammable and volatile. Fires and explosions are not uncommon.

Earlier this week, Tennessee's Governor Bill Haslam signed the I Hate Meth Bill into law. "Hopefully, we can start changing the tide against what has for too long been too bad of a problem in East Tennessee," Gov. Haslam said. The new law is designed to help law enforcement fight the use and the making of meth within the state of Tennessee.

Though some members of law enforcement wanted the new law to be tougher by requiring prescriptions for drugs containing pseudoephedrine now sold over-the-counter, David Rausch, Chief of Police in Knoxville said this law "is a good start to addressing the issue." Many common over-the-counter medications contain pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient used in manufacturing methamphetamine. Individuals may still purchase over-the-counter products containing pseudoephedrine, but have to show identification and complete specific paperwork. Purchases of pseuoephedrine-containing products are also limited in that an individual may buy only small amounts at any one time.

Since 2005 Tennessee has tracked purchases of pseudoephedrine. Now the new law will require pharmacies to report pseudoephedrine sales in real-time using a privately maintained database. Some drugstore chains such as Walgreens and CVS already subscribe to the system. The law took effect on July 1, 2011. All of the pharmacies in Tennessee are now legally required to tie into the system by January 2012. Said Tommy Farmer, director of the Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force, "We now have mandatory electronic reporting by all pharmacies,"

The I Hate Meth Law will also provide for easier prosecution of those who "smurf" or buy pseudoephedrine products at various times and places, sometimes using false identification in order to amass enough of the drug to manufacture meth.

Another provision of the new law increases penalties and makes it easier to prosecute those who make meth in the presence of children.

"Hopefully this sends a message, but really acts on the problem," Haslam said. "If you're one of the bad guys out there we will find you. We've made it easier for law enforcement to track you and find you and the penalties are stiffer."

References:

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jun/07/start-changing-the-tide/

http://www.wbir.com/news/article/172063/2/Haslam-signs-anti-meth-bill-into-law

http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugsmeth/

www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/methamphetamine.html

This entry was posted on July 25, 2011 at 7:22 PM and has received 213 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Heroin is a fast-acting, highly addictive opiate drug. It is synthesized from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of the Asian opium poppy plant. When heroin was first produced, around 1907, it was openly marketed in the U.S. and other countries as a cough suppressant. Problems with the cough syrup soon had it pulled from the market, but interest in the product remained. (A short time later, the FDA was born.)

Today, heroin is an illicit drug. Heroin may appear as a powder (white or brown) or as a sticky, black substance called "black tar heroin." As a rule of thumb, the whiter the heroin, the more pure it is.

Heroin users generally inject, smoke or snort the drug. All three methods can lead to heroin addiction and other severe health problems. Intravenous injection is the fastest route of drug administration, causing blood concentrations to rise the most quickly, often in a matter of only seconds. Of course, the act of injecting anything carries with it risks of spreading disease if users share needles or do not observe sterile procedures.

Heroin can be smoked by vaporizing the drug in order to inhale the fumes ("chasing the dragon") or by burning it in order to inhale the resulting smoke. Those who snort heroin crush the drug into a very fine powder and sharply inhale it through the nostrils, similarly to cocaine.

Heroin is an opioid (narcotic) and a depressant. Its abusers prize its ability to produce a quick rush followed by an intense euphoria and deep sense of relaxation. When heroin enters the brain, it converts to morphine and then binds to opioid receptors in the brain and brain stem. It is this action of heroin that leads to some of its side effects, including respiratory depression and lowered blood pressure. Heroin overdose typically involves respiratory suppression, which can be fatal.

Overdose is a big risk to both new and experienced heroin users because the purity of the drug is unknown when bought on the street. Some individuals who abuse prescription narcotic painkillers prefer those drugs to heroin (although they are both opioids and chemically similar) because they are known to be pure and dosage can be regulated.

Abuse, Tolerance, Addiction

The verbiage surrounding heroin and other drug use can be confusing. There is no appropriate medical use for heroin (unlike prescription painkillers, such as morphine) so all heroin use would be termed at the least misuse or inappropriate use. Those who knowingly take the drug for recreational or non-medical purposes can be said to abuse heroin.

Anyone who takes a narcotic agent regularly over time will eventually build up tolerance to it. Tolerance is actually a known and expected result of prolonged use of an opioid. Tolerance simply means that the person has to take more and more of the drug to achieve the same effect. It is not the same as addiction. In the clinical setting, morphine tolerance can be managed and is observed in patients who are not abusing the drug.

Addiction is typically defined as persistent use of a substance despite its known and experienced harmful effects. Other medical experts define addiction as present whenever abstinence from a particular substance produces withdrawal symptoms.

In the case of heroin users, tolerance and full-blown addiction can occur abruptly, often with only short-term use. The reasons why some people become addicted quickly and others more slowly (or not at all) are unclear.

Adverse Effects

Heroin produces a variety of negative side effects, including:

• Itching
• Constipation
• Confusion, inability to concentrate
• Nausea, vomiting
• Collapsed veins (for those who inject)
• Infection of the heart lining and valves
• Abscesses
• Pneumonia
• Tuberculosis
• Liver and kidney disease
• Slow, shallow breathing
• Convulsions
• Coma
• Death

These side effects are typical for narcotic products, including prescription narcotics. Patients who take such prescription narcotics under the care of a physician may receive other medications to help manage side effects.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Heroin addiction is difficult to resolve and often requires medical intervention ("detox") and rehabilitation programs. Some heroin users try to "kick" without such support, but their success rate is not high. Failure to get heroin on a regular basis exposes patients to very difficult withdrawal symptoms. Among those symptoms are

• Intense craving for heroin
• Sweating
• Chills
• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Severe muscle and bone pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Cramps
• Fever
• Involuntary leg movements

Some withdrawal symptoms may persist a week or more and long-time heroin users say that fatigue and other more diffuse withdrawal symptoms can last months after the drug is stopped.

How Common is Heroin Use?

Once depicted as a street drug of the lowest order, heroin use may be experiencing a bit of a renaissance, partly driven by the burgeoning prescription painkiller addiction. Narcotic analgesics are one of the most commonly abused drug classes in America right now and, in some regions, heroin can be a cheaper alternative to prescription opioids.

Street Lingo

Heroin has many street names. Here are a few:

• Big H
• Boy
• China White
• Dead on arrival
• Dope
• Hell dust
• Horse
• Junk
• Poppy
• Smack
• Thunder
• Train

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin

http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugsheroin/

http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs3/3843/index.htm

http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/heroin.html

This entry was posted on July 25, 2011 at 6:53 PM and has received 482 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Marijuana is a mixture of leaves, stems, flowers and seeds from the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) which have been dried and shredded. These materials contain a psychoactive (mind-altering) drug, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The strength of marijuana is based on the amount of THC is contains. Marijuana is a frequently abused drug and goes by many colorful street names, including:

• Acapulco gold, Acapulco red
• Black Bart
• Colombian
• Doobee
• Fatty (Marijuana cigarette)
• Ganja
• Grass
• Herb
• Indo
• Jay (Marijuana cigarette)
• Laughing weed
• Mary, Mary Ann, Mary Jane, etc.
• Reefer
• Skunk
• Tex-mex
• Weed
• Yesca

Actually, the White House Drug Policy site lists over 200 street names for marijuana.

Marijuana is frequently smoked, either in cigarette form ("joints" or "jays") or in some sort of pipe ("bong"). "Blunts" are cigars in which the tobacco is replaced or supplemented with marijuana. Blunts may also be created which contain other drugs as well, such as crack cocaine or phencyclidine (PCP). Marijuana can be brewed as a tea or incorporated into foods, such as marijuana brownies.

The effects of marijuana vary widely among individuals depending upon previous experience, expectations, method of ingestion, and strength of the drug. Many first-time users feel nothing at all. Some immediate physical effects of marijuana include increased heartbeat and pulse rate. The user may get bloodshot eyes and dry mouth. Contrary to popular myth there is no scientific evidence to indicate that marijuana improves hearing, eyesight, nor tactile sensitivity. Many users report that marijuana induces a feeling of dreamy relaxation or mild euphoria.

Using marijuana may negatively affect short-term memory, and diminish the user's ability to concentrate. It slows reaction time and hinders balance and coordination, which makes driving and operating machinery dangerous. It can alter one's sense of time, lead to disturbed perceptions and thought, and lower inhibitions. Regular marijuana users suffer higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts than non-users. Schizophrenics who use marijuana regularly may experience exacerbated psychotic symptoms.

The effects of smoking marijuana are usually felt in a few minutes and may last for two or three hours. When marijuana is consumed in tea or foods, the onset of action may be slower.

Contrary to popular belief, marijuana can be addictive. It is considered a "gateway drug" in that many people who use marijuana will progress to using other, potentially more dangerous drugs. Furthermore, smoking marijuana can cause cancer. One joint contains about the same amount of cancer-causing chemicals as five tobacco cigarettes. Chronic marijuana smokers often suffer frequently from chest colds, bronchitis, emphysema and bronchial asthma. Evidence shows that it may also reduce the immune system's power to fight infection and disease.

Marijuana use is widespread and in some circles, the drug is considered to be harmless. Since marijuana may have medicinal uses as well as recreational purposes, some advocates for the drug feel it is "therapeutic." Medical marijuana remains controversial, but, in all cases, would be administered under strict and close medical supervision.

It can be difficult to determine if a person has used marijuana. Users do not necessarily smoke the drug (which can leave a telltale odor) and not all users will exhibit physical signs, such as bloodshot eyes.

Urine drug testing can detect marijuana use up to about three days after ingestion. More sensitive blood tests may find traces of marijuana up to four weeks after ingestion. Because urine drug testing only detects relatively recent marijuana use, regular marijuana users often deliberately abstain from the drug for several days in advance of scheduled urine tests.

References:

http://www.nida.nih.gov

http://www.well.com/user/woa/fspot.htm

http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugsmarijuana

http://www.acde.org/common/Marijana.htm

This entry was posted on July 12, 2011 at 2:09 AM and has received 150 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Inhalants are increasingly in the news, although many people including safety directors may not be as familiar with this type of recreational drug as other better-known drugs. Inhalants are a diverse group of volatile substances or fumes from products that users sniff or inhale to get high. These may be products that are readily available for other purposes (such as spray paint).

Typically inhalants fall into one of four categories:

• Volatile solvents (paint thinners, gasoline, lighter fluid, art supply solvents, etc.)
• Aerosols (spray paint, hair spray, etc.)
• Gasses (propane, whipped cream aerosols (whippets), refrigerant gasses)
• Nitrites ("poppers," amyl nitrite, etc.)

Inhalants affect the brain quickly to produce psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. The high resembles alcohol intoxication. The appeal of inhalants may involve their rapid onset of action and the fact that readily available, legal, inexpensive agents can be used to get high.

Some individuals whose work exposes them to these substances may become abusers. These people may not deliberately set out to abuse any agent, but general contact or access to such substances may eventually lead them to experiment with and eventually abuse inhalants.

The effects of inhalants do not usually last longer than a few minutes. Unfortunately, this short-lived high leads users to repeat exposure, sometimes for as long as several hours, greatly increasing their risk of brain and other nervous system damage.

While inhalant abuse is often considered a teen problem, the truth is that people of all ages are at risk for inhalant abuse. A government study recently showed that more than half (54%) of treatment admissions related to inhalants abuse in 2008 involved adults ages 18 or older. According to the latest figures from SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 1.1 million adults abused inhalants last year.

Some of the potential effects and risks of inhalant use include

• Slurred speech
• Lack of coordination
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Loss in control
• Lingering headache
• Confusion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Hypoxia (suffocation, asphyxiation) leading to brain or other organ damage
• Muscle spasms and tremors
• Addiction
• Liver, lung, and kidney problems
• Muscle weakness

Prolonged abuse can result in:

• Negative effects to a person's cognition, movement, vision, and hearing
• Fatal injuries from falls
• Death from choking on vomit
• Heart attack from irregular or rapid heartbeat

"Sudden sniffing death" may also occur when inhalation of a substance produces heart failure and immediate death. Sudden sniffing death has been reported with prolonged and even with first-time use.

"Just a single session of repeated inhalations can cause permanent organ damage or death," stated Dr. David Shurtleff, acting deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. Research has shown that most inhalants are extremely toxic. Chronic users of inhalants can develop irreversible damage to the brain, kidneys and lungs as well as death. Chronic inhalant abusers may permanently lose the ability to perform everyday functions like walking, talking, and thinking.

There are many potential inhalants and a very long list of street names for these substances. "Bagging" and "huffing" are the slang terms for abusing inhalants. Here are some names for the inhalants themselves (find more here)

• Air blast
• Amys
• Bullet bolt
• Hippie crack
• Medusa
• Moon gas
• Satan's secret
• Snappers
• Texas shoe shine

Find out more information about inhalant abuse here.

References:

http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/1103165331.aspx

http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugsinhalants/

http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/inhalants.html

http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs07/708/index.htm

This entry was posted on July 12, 2011 at 1:58 AM and has received 160 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Many drugs are used in the treatment of cancer and other diseases such as HIV. Although most of these drugs have side effects, the benefits outweigh the potential harm. Ironically, these same drugs pose a hazard to the healthcare workers who administer them. Workers exposed to these hazardous drugs may experience the side effects of them with any benefit. Long-term exposure to these materials may cause:

• Respiratory problems
• Reproductive problems
• Skin irritation
• Leukemia and other cancers

The health risk depends on how much exposure a worker has to these drugs and how toxic they are.

These drugs include:

• Antineoplastic cytotoxic medications (suppress cell division and tumor growth)
• Anesthetic agents
• Anti-viral agents
• Other agents identified as hazardous

Exposure can come from any point along the process from manufacture to administering. Some of the ways are:

• Inhalation of dust
• Skin contact
• Skin absorption
• Ingestion, mainly by failing to wash hands
• Injection, needle sticks

According to NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D., "Potent therapy drugs can have great benefit for patients when used in proper regimens, where doses are controlled and risks are minimized. But they can also have serious consequences to the workers who handle, dispense, mix, apply, and dispose of them without proper controls and training?"

David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA says, "Substances that present a potential health hazard to workers must be included in an employer's hazard communication program, and it should be readily available and accessible to all including temporary workers, contractors, and trainees. We encourage employers to address safe drug handling by committing their management staff to taking a leadership role identifying and remediating hazards, offering employee training, and evaluating workplace injury and illness prevention programs for continuous improvement."

Workers can be protected from exposures to hazardous drugs through engineering and administrative controls, and proper protective equipment.

References:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-165/

http://osha.gov/ooc/drug-letter.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-167/pdfs/2010-167.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hazdrug/

http://osha.gov/SLTC/hazardousdrugs/index.html

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/wp-solutions/2009-106/pdfs/2009-106.pdf

http://osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=19566

This entry was posted on July 12, 2011 at 1:56 AM and has received 166 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Ecstasy is a popular street and club drug that is used recreationally by people of all age groups. Actually, Ecstay is just one of its names. It also goes by the name of Adam, 007s, blue kisses, disco biscuits, E, hug, ice, orange bandits, smurfs, white nothing, X, and is sometimes written or texted XTC. Its real name is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, typically abbreviated by testing centers and clinics as MDMA.

MDMA is a synthetic or manmade drug. It is usually manufactured in makeshift or illegal labs using chemical reactions, distillation, and crystallization. The resulting MDMA power is mixed with binding agents and pressed into pill form or put into capsules.

Like any other street drug, MDMA is produced with little regard for quality control. The drug's purity and strength can vary widely. MDMA may also be mixed with other substances, such as caffeine, amphetamine, ephedrine, ketamine, or other substances. And some MDMA dealers sell pills that contain no MDMA at all.

The substance MDMA is a psychoactive drug, crossing the blood-brain barrier to act on the central nervous system. It is similar to psychotropic drugs like methamphetamine (meth or speed) and the hallucinogen mescaline. MDMA affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior. Most MDMA users report that the drug produces in them feelings of euphoria, high energy, and emotional warmth. It can also distort a user's perception of time and touch.

MDMA reaches maximum serum concentration 1.5 to 3 hours after it is taken. It is metabolized slowly in the body and levels decrease to half their peak concentration (half-life) at about 8 hours. The drug is excreted from the body.

Because MDMA is very popular among recreational drug users and denizens of the club scene, it is often used concomitantly with other drugs. Marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and sildenafil (Viagra®) are the most common "mixers" for MDMA. In fact, some of these drug combinations even have their own nicknames:

• Candy flipping (LSD and MDMA)
• Hippie flipping (psilocybin mushrooms and MDMA)
• Kitty flipping (ketamine and MDMA)
• Elephant flipping (PCP and MDMA)

Because in some users, it may provide energy, stamina, and positive feelings, MDMA is increasingly used by members of the workforce on and off the job. Although MDMA is not considered a highly addictive drug (in the sense that prescription opioids are addictive), it can be addictive in some people. Furthermore, some people may become regular users of the drug because they like it or come to rely on the energy boost it provides. MDMA induces feelings of "drug craving" in some users.

Clinically, MDMA increases heart rate and blood pressure. In some people, it may cause muscle tension (including clenching of the teeth), blurred vision, feelings of wooziness or lightheadedness, sweating, chills, or the sensation that one might faint. On rare occasions, it may be fatal.

Not all MDMA users report feelings of euphoria and vigor. MDMA has also been associated with confusion, depression, sleep problems, and anxiety. While these effects may be immediate, they sometimes occur days or weeks after taking MDMA. Chronic MDMA use may lead to memory loss and lower scores on certain cognitive tests. However, many long-term MDMA users take MDMA in combination with other drugs and take other substances as well. Thus,

it is unclear whether these lower test scores can be attributed solely to MDMA or might also be caused by some other drug or combination of drugs.

Important things to remember about Ecstasy or MDMA:

Although it is best known as a club drug, MDMA is taken by many people during the workday.

• Many drug panels now test for MDMA.
• MDMA is often taken in combination with other drugs.
• MDMA can affect cognition in ways that the user rarely is able to recognize.

References:

http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/ecstasy.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDMA

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/ByType.asp?intTypeID=7

http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs/drugculture/drugorigins/ecstasy

This entry was posted on June 3, 2011 at 7:51 PM and has received 172 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

On October 1, 2010 the DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) made some changes to their drug testing requirements. One of these changes is the addition of 6-Acetylmorphines or 6-AM to the list. 6-AM is a short-lived metabolite of heroin. It is produce in the body only from heroin and not from other opiates like codeine or morphine. Therefore, the presence of 6-AM in a specimen would be a clear indication of heroin use...or would it?

While it is true that 6-AM is a metabolite resulting only from heroin use, it is also an impurity present in the manufacture of legitimately prescribed opiates such as Oxycontin®, Vicodin®, morphine, and others. This impurity is not known to pose any harm to the patient taking the prescribed drug, but it may be detected by drug tests. This was not an issue until the DOT initiated its new, more sensitive test for 6-AM.

There is no way in the lab to differentiate if 6-AM is present because of appropriately prescribed pain medication or because of heroin use. However, when 6-AM shows up on a drug test, the donor and his or her employer should care about where it came from!

The American Association of Medical Review Officers (AAMRO) has put out an alert regarding a potential problem with the new requirement to test for 6-Acetylmorphines as an indicator for heroin use. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) does not seem to agree. Here is what the FTA said in Drug and Alcohol Regulation Updates, Issue 42, Summer 2010:

"An additional test for 6-Acetylmorphines (6-AM) will be conducted for opiate positives above the initial test cutoff concentration of 2000 ng/mL. The 6-AM test is a definitive marker for heroin use. There is no legitimate medical explanation for 6-AM positive tests. The MRO must confer with the laboratory to determine if there was confirmed morphine below 2000 ng/mL."

This is a case where the various agencies are contradicting each other. The DOT says that 6-AM is a definitive marker for heroin and no other medical explanation can be entertained. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on the other hand, says that 6-AM is an impurity in the manufacture of a variety of controlled substances which may be legitimately prescribed.

The AAMRO says that the presence of this impurity will present, "A significant technical issue for MRO verification of 6-AM in DOT and HHS [Health and Human Services] urine tests." They say this problem will arise because "6-AM is present in very low levels in pharmaceutical morphine preparations."

At very low levels, this 6-AM might not be detected. But for people with prescriptions for high-strength opioid pain killers, it might be possible for levels of 6-AM to be detected that exceed established thresholds.

Laboratories involved with monitoring opioids have known about "process impurities" for a long time, but workplace drug testing lab have never had to deal with it.

The current regulations do not address this problem. This could become a serious "technical issue" for companies who find out certain employees are "heroin users" and for those employees who lose their jobs because they were taking prescription pain killers.

According to the AAMRO, the best course of action in the case of 6-AM detection in a donor who is taking a prescription opioid pain killer:

• The Medical Review Officer (MRO) should follow current guidelines, taking care to address safety concerns
• The MRO should contact the appropriate regulatory body for additional guidance
• The MRO should ethically discuss the possibility of "process impurities" with the donor.

References:

http://www.aamro.com/docs/news/27.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoacetylmorphine

http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/drugandalcohol/Newsletters/issue42/pdf/Issue42.pdf

http://arthritisinsight.com/medical/meds/opiates.html

http://www.fsijournal.org/article/S0379-0738%2898%2900074-7/abstract

This entry was posted on June 3, 2011 at 7:46 PM and has received 215 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is temporarily placing five synthetic cannabinoids into the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) pursuant to the temporary scheduling provisions under 21 U.S.C. 811(h) of the CSA. The substances are:

• 1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-018)
• 1-butyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-073)
• 1-[2-(4- morpholinyl)ethyl]-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-200)
• 5-(1,1- dimethylheptyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol (CP-47,497)
• 5-(1,1-dimethyloctyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol (cannabicyclohexanol; CP-47,497 C8 homologue).

The DEA says this action is "necessary to avoid an imminent hazard to the public safety" and "there are no recognized therapeutic uses of these synthetic cannabinoids." They cite that these chemicals are not FDA approved for human consumption and are "manufactured in the absence of quality controls and devoid of regulatory oversight."

Although these products are marketed as incense with such names as "Spice," "K2," "Blaze," and "Red X Dawn," they can be smoked by users to achieve a high similar to marijuana. Marketing efforts have targeted teens and young adults. While they were legal, they could be bought, sold, and used without fear of criminal penalties. Some advertisements for these products claim that they cannot be detected in drug tests. This will all change with the new DEA classification.

For the next year, the DEA will class synthetic cannabinoids as Schedule I controlled substances which means:

(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.

(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

No prescriptions may be written for Schedule I substances, and such substances are subject to production quotas by the DEA. It will be illegal to manufacture, distribute, possess, import, and export synthetic cannabinoids.

During the year long period, the DEA will study these compounds to determine if these compounds will remain Schedule I substances permanently.

References:

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-29600.htm

http://datia.org/

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/nov/24/dea-issues-emergency-ban-5-chemicals-used-make-fak-ar-1129798/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_Substances_Act#Schedule_I_controlled_substances

This entry was posted on June 3, 2011 at 7:36 PM and has received 196 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

A panel of experts from the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, a UK-based independent drugs advisory committee, set up and chaired by Professor David Nutt, recently studied 20 drugs and came to the conclusion than alcohol is the most harmful of the bunch.

The study, funded by London's Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, was recently published in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet. Besides alcohol, some of the drugs studied were crack cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine (crystal meth), marijuana, ecstasy, LSD and tobacco.

The group used a new scale to evaluate the harms that the drugs cause. The scale uses 16 criteria; nine criteria focus on the harm that a drug may cause to the individual user and seven criteria focus on its harm to others. Of a possible 100 points, alcohol received a score of 72.

Some of the criteria relating to how drugs harm individual users were:

• Is this substance addictive?
• Will it contribute to poor health?
• Does it impair mental function?
• Will it result in loss of friendships?
• Can it be fatal?

The criteria examining how harmful a drug might be to society included:

• Can this substance damage the environment?
• Will it lead to the breakup of families?
• Will it have a negative impact on communities?
• Does it cause crime?
• Does it lead to incarceration?
• Can this substance increase healthcare or social service costs to society?

The study determined that

• Society was most harmed by alcohol, heroin, and crack cocaine
• Individuals were most harmed by heroin, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine

People concerned about drug abuse may be surprised to see alcohol topping the list of substances most harmful to society.

One reason this study may have concluded that alcohol is so much more harmful than other drugs is because alcohol is legal and plentiful.

• In August 2010, a Gallup poll found that 67% of adults in the US consume alcohol.
• This is the highest alcohol consumption rate since the 1980s.
• Alcohol is the most widely used substance on the list.

What makes alcohol so dangerous? The fact that it is legal, widely consumed, and perennially popular may contribute to the mistaken concept that it is harmless.

• Taken in excess, alcohol can damage almost all organ systems.
• Alcohol is addictive.
• It is related to more crime than most of the other substances on the list.
• It can profoundly impair those who abuse it.
• Consuming large quantities may be fatal.

The study has met with its critics, including Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA). She spoke out against the study saying that to compare drinking beer to taking heroin or crack cocaine is irrational. "Alcohol misuse amongst a minority is an issue that the industry is working with government to address. This deliberately sensationalist headline grabbing language risks distorting debate, and alienates sensible people from discussing the sort of balanced and proportionate actions that do need to be taken."

While alcohol is harmful, the dangers of its abuse should not trivialize the fact that heroin, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs on the list are extremely dangerous.

It might be noted that David Nutt, co-author of The Lancet article caused a controversy last year when he wrote in the Journal of Psychopharmacology that taking ecstasy was less dangerous than riding a horse and that society "does not adequately balance the relative risks of drugs against their harms."

Later he apologized explaining that he was did not mean to trivialize the dangers of ecstasy, but only to point out the relative risks of the two activities.

References:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/01/alcohol.harm/index.html?hpt=C2

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/11/01/alcohol-deadlier-than-heroin-crack/

http://www.healthrelatedinfos.com/alcohol-more-harmful-than-crack-heroin-1998/

http://www.parentdish.com/2010/11/02/booze-may-be-worse-than-crack-cocaine-meth-study-says/

http://www.google.com/search?q=alcohol%20worse%20than%20crack&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbs=nws:1&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wn

http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=68304&c=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Scientific_Committee_on_Drugs

This entry was posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:22 PM and has received 159 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Since the introduction of the breath analyzer to law enforcement, there have been those who seek to defeat it. Many methods have been tried, but do they actually work?

Breath-analyzing equipment, sometimes called Breathalyzer™ equipment, estimate blood alcohol content (BAC) from a breath sample by measuring a chemical reaction that occurs between the alcohol present in breath and a substance inside the machine itself.

Generally, breath tests are conducted by police officers on the spot when drivers are suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. It is recommended that the subject be observed for 15 to 20 minutes prior to the test to ensure that "mouth alcohol" does not influence the results. Mouth alcohol refers to traces of alcohol that can stay in the mouth for up to 20 minutes after a drink.

While people may expend a lot of energy in order to beat the breath test, their efforts are often wasted. Breath tests are often followed by more accurate blood tests.

Breath tester countermeasures have included

• Pennies held in the mouth
• Use of chewing gum, mints, breath sprays, and mouthwash (some recommendations are brand specific)
• Onions eaten just before the test
• Denture cream
• Batteries held in the mouth
• Burping during the test

While some of these tricks can mask the odor of booze, studies have shown that none of them has the desired effect on the chemical reaction measured by the breath analyzer. In fact, certain alcohol-based mouthwash and breath sprays may even have the opposite effect by increasing mouth alcohol.

The last-ditch effort of a driver suspected of driving under the influence (DUI) has always been to simply refuse to take the breath test. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 25% of DUI suspects refuse the breath test. Until recently, a refusal to take a breath test may have helped some drivers avoid a guilty verdict in that there was no evidence of blood alcohol level. That has changed with new "no refusal" laws already in force in many states.

Under the "no refusal" laws, law enforcement officers may contact on-call judges and obtain warrants for blood samples from suspected drunk drivers who refuse to take the breath test. "No refusal" laws seem to be having two desired effects. First, they have reduced the number of DUI suspects who refuse to take breath tests and, second, it has increased DUI convictions.

References:

http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/12/no-refusal.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breathalyzer

http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/breath.asp

This entry was posted on May 13, 2011 at 2:32 PM and has received 233 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.