Drug Abuse

Cannabis-Related ED Visits Rise in States With Legalized Use

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Cannabis-Related ED Visits Rise in States With Legalized Use.

A second poster presented at the AAAP meeting examined “impact on the healthcare system” and showed that 10,532,658 ED visits due to any type of substance abuse occurred between 2007 and 2011 in the United States.

During that period, cannabis-related ED visits increased 67.8%, and alcohol-related visits increased by 49%. Also increasing were visits related to opioids (by 42%), hallucinogens (40.4%), sedatives (40%), and amphetamines (20.6%).

Interestingly, the percentage of visits related to cocaine use decreased by 67.9%.

 

“This poster is definitely starting to bring out some of the real concerns that I have as a healthcare provider ― that you are exposing more people to higher potency and riskier forms of the substance. This is not the shake weed that somebody smoked in the ’70s. This is four times more potent. It’s a much riskier proposition than a lot of people think.”  Dr Ryan Caldeiro

Jimson Weed? No Thanks, I Got Stuff at Home

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Child Health – ADHD Drug Abuse Prevalent Among American Teens | Health News

When researchers evaluated an eight-year period of data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers, they found that calls involving 13- to 19-year-olds related to teen abuse of stimulants, including ADHD drugs, rose from 330 in 1998 to 581 in 2005—a 76 percent increase. Overall, 42 percent of teens involved had moderate to severe side effects and most ended up receiving treatment in emergency rooms. Four of the cases evaluated resulted in death. Study author, Dr. Randall Bond, medical director of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Drug and Poison Information Center, says that because many cases don’t result in calls to poison control centers, the true number of teen abusers who have harmful side effects is likely much higher.

Bye Bye Byetta?

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The FDA just updated their safety information on Byetta to reflect the reports of 6 cases of hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis in people taking the drug. All six required hospitalization and two have died. If you know any diabetics taking this drug, please advise them of this information. Sooner, not later. I’ve added a link to the FDA MedWatch page on the sidebar under drug abuse.