by Justin Mckibben | Jul 27, 2017 | Drug Abuse, Heroin, Maintenance Drugs, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Vivitrol
(This content is being used for illustrative purposes only; any person depicted in the content is a model)
Opioid and heroin addiction is without a doubt one of the most unrelenting public health issues we as a country are facing today. Overdose death rates continue to risk to staggering heights, while politicians, community leaders and organizations all over America are working to find a way out. One of the companies that produces the lifesaving opioid overdose antidote Narcan is talking about their efforts to develop an opioid vaccine.
This isn’t the first time there has been a conversation about possible opioid vaccines. Naltrexone, also known by the brand name Vivitrol, was initially used for combatting alcohol dependence before being utilized in attempt to combat opioid abuse.
A while back in 2015 Kim Janda, a professor at the Scripps Research Institute created a compound he believed could ultimately be used as a heroin vaccine. Since then the research team has made some impressive strides in achieving their goal. The experts from the Virginia Commonwealth University and the Scripps Research Center discovered that the vaccine, which was the first of its kind to reach this phase of preclinical testing, was effective on rhesus macaques, a species of monkeys. This vaccine generates antibodies that neutralize heroin’s psychoactive metabolite and prevents it from acting on the opioid receptors in the brain.
So will this new opioid vaccine be the real deal?
Opioid Vaccine from Walter Reed
On a FOX News segment this past Wednesday, Dr. Mark Siegel, spoke about a new compound coming from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) and the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA. Dr. Siegel said he was happy to hear it was coming from Walter Reed because of the large issue with opioid drug use among veterans. According to Siegel:
“It uses antibodies to attack heroin or Percocet, or Vicodin; anything like that that’s an opioid, literally you make antibodies. So if it’s in your bloodstream it can’t get to the brain. It doesn’t cause you to stop breathing so you don’t overdose and you don’t have the euphoric feeling.”
According to the interview with Siegel, someone would hypothetically be able to go to a doctor, get inoculated and the opioid vaccine would create antibodies to block the effects of heroin and other opioids.
Dr. Siegel did say that it may end up being a substance that has to be administered periodically. He states human trials with the opioid vaccine have apparently only just started, but animal trials thus far seem to have been very promising.
Dr. Siegel goes on to say that once the opioid vaccine has been administered, the possibility is one could potentially be prescribed another opioid maintenance drug like Suboxone in order to taper off of opioids while not being able to feel the effects of opioids.
Dr. Siegel admits that there is still a lot of testing that needs to be done before the drug can be approved by the FDA, but he believes if the opioid vaccine is successful it could change the entire epidemic.
Opiant Jumps on Opioid Vaccine
A Big Pharma company known for their opioid overdose antidote announced back in late 2016 that they had acquired exclusive development and commercialization rights to the pre-clinical heroin vaccine. CEO of Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Roger Crystal, said in a recent statement:
“Aggressively addressing heroin addiction is part of Opiant’s mission… This vaccine fits our plan to develop innovative treatments for this condition. The vaccine has promising preclinical data.”
The Opiant Pharmaceuticals aspiration is also to create a compound that blocks the effects of opioid drugs like heroin. Dr. Crystal also said that they would like to develop their own version of the Naltrexone implant as a long-term opioid blocker.
Opiant also says that if further preclinical testing of the opioid vaccine is successful, the company plans to team up with WRAIR researchers in the U.S. Military HIV Research Program to eventually combine the HIV vaccine with the potential heroin vaccine, making a huge leap in the direction of fighting back against two of the biggest issues concerning the opioid epidemic.
Would Opioid Vaccine Work?
The bigger question we keep having to ask when talking about the concept of an opioid vaccine- will it work? Not saying that the vaccine won’t be effective at blocking the brains opioid receptors, but is this an effective strategy to combatting addiction?
One question I would think to ask is will addicts who are trying to overpower the vaccine end up taking even more of the drugs until they suffer other severe health complications. Is blocking the opioid receptors a comprehensive way of protecting people from overdosing on opioids? Which opioids would still be extremely dangerous? Will this work on drugs like fentanyl or carfentanil?
Beyond that, the question also becomes- will addicts quit, or will they use something else? If many can substitute their addiction with another substance, will a opioid vaccine make other drugs more popular?
Only more time and more research will show us how effective the new opioid vaccine could be to helping end the opioid epidemic in America. Right now with statistics being as serious as they are, any avenue that has real potential to save lives should be pursued.
Then I have to ask- with many Big Pharma companies that make Narcan and other opioid antidotes jacking up their prices, will Opiant and other vaccine makers use the miracle drug to exploit the desperation of the epidemic with intense prices?
There is no miracle cure for opioid or heroin addiction yet, but it seems many have not given up hope of finding one. What we do have today is safe and effective treatment options that offer unique opportunities to change your life. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free now.
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by Sher Delva | Jul 24, 2017 | Addiction, Addiction Stigma, Addiction Treatment, Drug Abuse, Mental Health, Mental Health Stigma, Stigma, Therapy, Uncategorized, Withdrawal
Recently, Chris Costa was a guest on The Real Deal On… with Dug McGuirk where they discussed the topic of reinvention. Chris Costa is incredibly familiar with reinvention. He turned his entire life around after a long battle with addiction, and now shares his story of strength and hope to help others.
A little over five years ago, Chris Costa was at his breaking point. Costa describes how his family allowed him to reach rock bottom when they kicked him out of the house in the middle of February in Boston. During this time, he realized how unmanageable his addiction had become.
“I was left on my own, and I was left in the position where I really had to come to terms with the fact that I had a problem, and it became more and more apparent every day that it was a problem that I couldn’t fix myself,” he says.
Once his resources dried up, Costa did whatever he needed to support his habit and prevent feeling sick. While he is not proud of his past, he is open about it because he believes it led him to where he is today.
“I’ve had to do things that I’m not proud of. I’ve had to do things that I’ve had to make amends for. I’ve had to do things that certainly wouldn’t hold up to the values that I have today or the values that I even had then,” he admits.
“Waking up on a couch of someone you don’t even know and seeing yourself in the mirror and having the disappointment of what’s happened over the past several years hit you in what they call a moment of clarity… It’s heavy because you feel like you’ve betrayed not only yourself but everybody that cares about you, and it’s hard to understand why you’ve done what you’ve done, and it’s hard for them to understand why you’ve done what you’ve done.”
—
Shortly after his moment of clarity, Costa walked into Palm Partners on February 12, 2012, finally ready to turn his life around.
At Palm Partners, Costa learned about what it meant to be an addict. He realized there were tools that could help him navigate life, and he began to understand the reasons for his addiction.
“One of the things I’ve learned […] is we’re not bad people trying to learn how to be good. We’re sick trying to learn how to be well,” he says.
Learning to Follow Suggestions
When Costa first arrived at Palm Partners, his plan was to stay no more than 30 days before returning home. However, one of the things drilled into his mind in treatment was to take suggestions.
Following suggestions, he ended up staying at Palm Partners for 60 days and then spent six months at a halfway house. While at the halfway house, Costa was required to get a job and earn money on his own.
“I was walking to work in the middle of August in South Florida, and I was hitching rides everywhere I had to go to a meeting,” he says.
“I had to ask for rides, and ask for help, and ask what to do next. It all led to taking suggestions and asking where am I supposed to go and what I am supposed to do because everywhere I looked there were people that had more time than me, there were people that had more experience than me and there were people that had been through this. Who am I to have the answers?”
Chris Costa did not rely on handouts. Instead, he established the tools to become self-sufficient. After eight months of working the 12-steps and meeting with sponsors, Costa returned to Boston with the “toolset” he had developed while in South Florida. Chris Costa knew once he arrived, he needed to surround himself with the right people and create clear boundaries. He had to cut the people from his past that would not serve him.
“I made sure that the people I was returning to, the group of friends that I was returning to, and the people in my life that I knew I would be spending all my time with understood what I was going through, and understood what had taken place in my life,” he says.
Reflecting on the Family Program
One of the biggest revelations Costa had while at Palm Partners was when he realized his family needed help just as much as he did. The family program at Palm Partners helped his family understand his addiction, and process everything that had happened.
“They may not have been running around and doing what I had to do to not be sick, but at the same time, they’re sick in their own way in terms of enabling and not understanding the dynamics of what’s happening.”
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Over the course of his recovery, Costa learned to understand and make amends with those he has hurt in the past.
“It’s a process in educating the people around you or making amends with the people you’ve hurt or burn bridges with. Not all those bridges are going to be salvageable.”
On Keeping the Momentum Going
Now over five years sober, Costa admits that life is an up and down journey. He’s learned to keep the momentum going even when life gets challenging.
“I think one of the biggest things that I try to come back to, and I think it’s said by the great Tony Robbins quite a bit, is ‘don’t let life happen to you, let it happen for you,’” he says.
Costa believes practicing gratitude is the key to navigating life when it becomes difficult.
“Finding the ability to be grateful on a daily basis, it’s a challenge. But I think us as addicts or alcoholics or people that struggle with certain issues, we’ve been through a lot,” he says. “And that gives us the ability to really appreciate some of the little nuances in life that we might not appreciate.”
Overall, Costa is grateful to have his program and tools that keep him sober. He continues to work hard as a driven Sales Director and share his incredible story of recovery with others.
“I never would be the person that I am today without having to experience what I’ve experienced and do the work I’ve had to do to get to where I am today.”
Watch the full interview to learn more about Chris Costa’s journey and delve into more important topics like achieving career goals and maintaining a strong recovery program. Costa’s story is a fantastic illustration of how working a solid program can transform your entire life. If you are struggling with addiction, please reach out. You do not have to do this alone. Call now.
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by Justin Mckibben | Jul 21, 2017 | Addiction, Addiction Stigma, Celebrity, Chester Bennington, Death, Drug Abuse, Mental Health, Mental Health Stigma, Suicide
(This content is being used for illustrative purposes only; any person depicted in the content is a model)
I remember in junior high school when the guys and I pressured my friends mom to drive through a snow storm to the concert. After bugging a couple buddies to pitch in and buy me and my friend Chris tickets to see Linkin Park live in Columbus, Ohio for their 2003 tour with Hoobastank, Story of the Year and POD. While some of my crew preferred these bands I had history with Linkin Park albums:
- Hybrid Theory
- Reanimation
- Meteora
I mean come on; Meteora was one of the highest selling alternative music albums of all time! Hybrid Theory went multi-Platinum in several countries! You don’t have to love Linkin Park to acknowledge the impact this band had on music.
We were only 13 or 14 years old, and it was a massive crowd, probably full of lost kids just like us. Linkin Park is that sometimes melodic, sometimes growling scream that spoke to something in so many people. At 11 and 12 years old, when their fame was just beginning, their songs put words to things I didn’t know how to say. It was gloom and rage that inspired millions of people.
Granted in years since, I have grown away from their changes in sound and style. But I remember having the LP patches and stickers all over my stuff, next to my Tupac and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
I remember wanting to dye my hair and spike it out… because punk rock! And to freak out my mom.
And I remember listening to Reanimation on repeat trying to learn all the new words to remixes of my old favorites.
I remember when they did a remix album Collison Course with Jay Z.
And I remember stomping around the street in my small Midwestern neighborhood, late night in the pouring rain, banging my head to “One Step Closer” feeling like the most misunderstood kid ever.
So when the news broke today that the lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington had died it was so surreal. But when you look back at the artists music and his life, we have always been given a window into his pain, through a fierce puncturing scream and emotional lyrics.
Early Reports
Initial reports from TMZ were later reiterated by various sources of Bennington’s passing. Brian Elias, the chief of operations for the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, confirmed the death reports. At the tragically young age of 41, Chester Bennington leaves behind 6 children from two relationships. Not to mention a loyal family of musicians and millions of fans all over the world.
According to Elias the singer’s death is currently being investigated as a possible suicide. Chester Bennington was close friends with the other legendary rock vocalist Chris Cornell, who recently committed suicide in May. On what would have been Cornell’s 53rd birthday, Bennington appears to have taken his own life.
Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter were lit up in a matter of hours with thousands and thousands of fans sending their love and support to Bennington’s family and the band. Celebrities from Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to director Joss Whedon, rockers like Corey Taylor of Slipknot and graphic artists like BossLogic, to Chance the Rapper, Killer Mike and Cypress Hill took to the internet to pay homage and talk about how Linkin Park’s music helped them through tough times.
Chester Bennington: Pain and Addiction
With songs that were full of dark and deeply personal themes and words, it is not hard to imagine that Chester Bennington faced his demons. But Bennington himself has been open about his fight with drug and alcohol addiction throughout his life, and his battles with the abuse he faced in his childhood.
Skimming through multiple sites and past interviews, you find that in life Chester Bennington had seen his fair share of darkness. In an interview years back he opened up about being molested and beaten by an older male friend beginning at age seven. At 11 years old, his parents divorced and he was forced to live with his father. After discovering drugs, he used:
At one point saying in an interview in 2016 he was taking 11 hits of acid a day:
“I dropped so much acid I’m surprised I can still speak. I’d smoke a bunch of crack, do a bit of meth and just sit there and freak out. Then I’d smoke opium to come down. I weighed 110 pounds.”
Benning was able to avoid heavy drug use for a while, but after becoming hugely successful, drugs found their way back into his life. For a few years after getting clean in 2006, Bennington went on to openly discussed how his fight with addiction and his recovery fed into the roaring rage and agony in his music. In an interview in 2009 with Noisecreep, Bennington stated:
“I have been able to tap into all the negative things that can happen to me throughout my life by numbing myself to the pain so to speak and kind of being able to vent it through my music,”
“I don’t have a problem with people knowing that I had a drinking problem. That’s who I am and I’m kind of lucky in a lot of ways cause I get to do something about it.”
One of the most well-known songs Linkin Park ever released was the haunting and heartbroken song “Crawling” from their debut album Hybrid Theory. The video was pretty cool visually for its time, and the song itself is pretty much the pinnacle of emotional screaming “nu rock” of the early 2000s. Linkin Park later won the Grammy for best hard rock performance in 2001 for “Crawling”.
You want to see something intense, watch the clips of Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington sing “Crawling” live on stage in 2008.
Later on Bennington was quoted as saying this song particularly was,
“- about feeling like I had no control over myself in terms of drugs and alcohol.”
He went on to explain the feeling of being able to write the words, sing that feeling into his music and win a Grammy after selling millions of records. In another interview, when discussing his back and forth battle with addiction and relapse Chester Bennington talked about the song “Breaking the Habbit” and how upon reading the lyrics, he broke into tears because he felt that at the time his band mate and fellow vocalist Mike Shinoda was writing about his life.
In His Own Words
In an interview that recently became on viral video in light of the tragic death of Chester Bennington, the singer himself made a profound statement about struggling with life on life’s terms, depression and the desire to give up, saying:
“None of us are immune from just shit happening to you, and not to you but just making poor choices or being human. There’s always that element and for me life got really weird and really hard all at one time.
There was a few times over the last couple years where I was just ready to throw in the towel and just give up on everything, but I found that, for me most of my suffering is self-inflicted.”
He later continues stating:
“I’ve always had this depressive side, and I think that’s something some people may not have gone down the road of injecting and living on the streets and that kind of stuff, so they think ‘Oh my story’s not that bad’. Dude, no man, if you’re here, if you’re here, it’s that bad.”
His words have always been good for striking a nerve. Now especially these words are easy to relate to, and easy to see how Bennington was desperate for something… what, we may never really know.
In death, Bennington has shown us that we don’t always know what people are going through. Back in 2016 he had told an interviewer from Metal Hammer,
“The idea that success equals happiness pisses me off. It’s funny to think that just because you’re successful you’re now immune to the full range of the human experience.”
It has become another tragic and heartbreaking example of how success in the professional or monetary sense does not make someone happy. That recovery and sobriety can be a battle, and no amount of money or prestige can make someone content with their own mind.
In life, Chester Bennington used his music to teach us about experiencing our pain as a beautiful thing, and to find ways to express it. His music showed a lot of young people they were not alone, and that being hurt did not mean they had to be afraid. And even if you were afraid, he admitted that fear is how we fall. He spoke openly in interviews countless times over the years about the traumas he personally had to face, and about the devastation he had put himself through in that process. Chester Bennington taught us we didn’t have to be perfect to be transparent, and for some of us gave us a reason to relish in the fury of youth.
Bennington talked about finding something worth fighting for, whether it was freedom and human rights, or identity and creativity. By uniting so many people from all over the globe in common emotional intensity, it is music like that of Linkin Park that also removes some of the stigma surrounding depression, addiction and trauma. And this news has inspired a greater call to action for anyone struggling with substance use disorder, depression or abuse to reach out and find help any way they can.
From one kid who knows depression, anxiety and alcoholism… and who discovered unique forms of self-expression through your music and the various projects you were involved with visually and otherwise, thank you for all you gave us.
“In the memory you’ll find me
Eyes burning up
The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up”
In memory of
Chester Bennington
March 20, 1976 – July 20, 2017
If you or someone you love is struggling, please do not wait. Please call toll-free now. We want to help. You are not alone.
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by staff | Jul 19, 2017 | Addiction, Cocaine, Detox, Drug Abuse, Inpatient Treatment, Withdrawal
Cocaine is a strong stimulant categorized as a Schedule II controlled substance, commonly abused as a recreational drug. While this infamous substance has been illegal for recreational use for decades, it hasn’t lost too much of its popularity on the illicit market. But do people really know how dangerous this drug is?
Cocaine not only harms the individual physically, but also harms their psychological and neurological health. Not to mention their personal and professional lives. So what are the side effects of cocaine?
What are the Side Effects of Cocaine: Short Term
This stimulant creates an intense but short-lived feeling of euphoria that is often immediately followed by some uncomfortable side-effects. This is typically why people who use the drug experience such intense cravings for more. Ultimately, there is an assortment of short term side effects of cocaine, including:
- Loss of appetite
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- High body temperature
- Contracted blood vessels
- Increased rate of breathing
- Dilated pupils
- Disturbed sleep patterns
- Nausea
- Hyperstimulation
- Bizarre, erratic, sometimes violent behavior
- Hallucinations
- Hyperexcitability
- Irritability
- Intense euphoria
- Anxiety and paranoia
- Depression
- Intense drug craving
- Panic and psychosis
- Convulsions
- Seizures and sudden death
That last one is especially important because this is something most people fail to realize about cocaine. The reality is, no matter how much of the drug is used or how often, cocaine can cause a stroke, heart attack, seizure or respiratory failure resulting in death with even the first use of a seemingly insignificant amount.
What are the Side Effects of Cocaine: Long Term
Like any other substance put into the body over an extended period of time, a powerful drug like cocaine can cause long term side effects. Some of these long term side effects are directly correlated to the method of use such as:
- Sniffing cocaine can damage tissues in nose, causing the loss of the sense of smell, sniffling, nosebleeds and hoarseness
- Injecting cocaine can cause infectious diseases and abscesses, or allergic reactions and collapsed veins
- Smoking cocaine can cause respiratory failure
Other more general long term side effects of cocaine include:
- Permanent damage to blood vessels
- Malnutrition
- Weight loss
- Severe tooth decay
- Hallucinations
- Sexual problems
- Reproductive damage and infertility (for both men and women)
- Disorientation
- Apathy
- Exhaustion
- Irritability and mood disturbances
- Increased frequency of risky behavior
- Delirium or psychosis
- Severe depression
- Tolerance and addiction (even after just one use)
- Liver, kidney and lung damage
What are the Side Effects of Cocaine: Health Risks
Cocaine is extremely destructive to the body. Just a few examples of how the side effects of cocaine ravage the body include:
- Heart health
Cocaine can impact you heart health in a number of ways. The drug causes inflammation of the heart muscle, increases heart rate and increases blood pressure while constricting the arteries supplying blood to the heart. This can lead to heart attack, even in young people without heart disease.
Cocaine can also trigger a deadly abnormal heart rhythm called arrhythmia.
- Lungs
The most common way cocaine is used is through snorting because the method sends the drug quickest to the brain to be absorbed. But snorting cocaine can cause a variety of serious lung issues, like:
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Edema
- Hemorrhage
- Infection
Chronic cocaine users often have shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and chest pain.
- Brain
The side effects of cocaine on the brain can constrict blood vessels, resulting in strokes. Again, it can happen with even young people without other risk factors for strokes. Cocaine’s impact on the brain also causes seizures and can lead to bizarre or violent behavior. Chronic users can even experience bleeding inside the brain and swelling of the walls of the cerebral blood vessels.
Some studies have indicated that cocaine use also harms the gray and white matter in the brain, impairing cognitive functioning.
- Lungs and respiratory system
Snorting cocaine damages the nose and sinuses. Regular use can cause nasal perforation. Gastrointestinal tract. Cocaine constricts blood vessels supplying the gut. The resulting oxygen starvation can cause ulcers, or even perforation of the stomach or intestines.
- Kidneys
Long term use of cocaine can cause sudden, overwhelming kidney failure through a process called rhabdomyolysis. Cocaine is also nephrotoxic, meaning users will do damage to the kidneys simply by introducing the substance into the body. In people with high blood pressure, regular cocaine use can accelerate the long-term kidney damage caused by high blood pressure.
The metabolite of cocaine called Cocaethylene also damages kidneys.
What are the Side Effects of Cocaine: Withdrawal Symptoms
Common withdrawal symptoms may include:
- Agitation and restless behavior
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Chills
- Tremors
- Nerve pain
- Muscle aches
- Intense cravings
- Fatigue
- Generalized discomfort or uneasiness
- Increased appetite
- Vivid and unpleasant dreams
- Slowing of activity
All of the side effects of cocaine indicate that a safe medical detox supported by experienced professionals in the field of addiction treatment can be a pivotal turning point. While detoxing off of any drug can be a frightening concept for those who do not know what to expect, it often means the difference between a life worth living and suffering from a fatal illness.
Addressing the withdrawal symptoms and side effects of cocaine addiction is an important piece of getting better and getting your life back. All you have to do is take the first step. If you or someone you love is struggling, please call toll-free now.
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by Sher Delva | Jul 18, 2017 | Addiction, Addiction Stigma, Addiction Treatment, Drug Abuse, Mental Health, Stigma, Therapy, Uncategorized
(This content is being used for illustrative purposes only; any person depicted in the content is a model)
A new Oregon bill is headed straight to the governor’s desk.
If passed, the bill would reclassify certain illicit drugs from a felony to a misdemeanor. The goal is to reduce the state’s prison population.The bill would also increase access to treatment for those without prior felonies or convictions for drug possessions, the Washington Post reports.
The bill would reduce penalties for possession of heroin, cocaine, meth and other illicit substances. The bill was already approved by the state legislature and now awaits the signature of the governor.
“We are trying to move policy towards treatment rather than prison beds,” said state Senator Jackie Winters, co-chair of the Public Safety Committee. “We can’t continue on the path of building more prisons when often the underlying root cause of the crime is substance use.”
Also included in the bill is a new initiative that will track the effects of law enforcement policies and procedures by collecting data on the demographic of Oregonians stopped by police. This initiative aims to identify any potential racist practices and address the disproportionate number of black Oregonians behind bars.
According to a 2016 report, by the Sentencing Project, blacks make up less than 2% of the state’s population; yet represent more than 9% of the state prison population as of 2014. Furthermore, the report found that the incarceration rates for black individuals are 5.6 times that of whites.
“Too often, individuals with addiction issues find their way to the doorstep of the criminal justice system when they are arrested for possession of a controlled substance,” says Kevin Campbell, executive director of the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police. “Unfortunately, felony convictions in these cases also include unintended and collateral consequences including barriers to housing and employment and a disparate impact on minority communities.”
Still, some lawmakers are wary of the bill and disagree with its “soft on crime” approach. State Senator Betsy Johnson, a Democrat who voted against the bill, said the shift toward decriminalization promotes a “hug-a-thug policy.”
The bill is headed towards the desk of Governor Kate Brown who will ultimately have the final say. In the past, Governor Brown has expressed support for the bill.
“While we still have much work ahead, HB 2355 represents an important step towards creating a more equitable justice system to better serve all Oregonians,” said Brown. “Addressing disparities that too often fall along racial and socioeconomic lines should not be political issues.”
While states like Oregon are attempting to address these disparities, on the federal level, things are headed in a different direction. Recently, Attorney General Jeff Sessions attended a D.A.R.E. training conference in Texas. While at the conference, Jeff Sessions praised the D.A.R.E. program of the 80s and 90s and hinted at bringing back that initiative today.
D.A.R.E is famously known as the “Just Say No” anti-drug initiative led by Nancy Reagan that took over school campuses in the 80s and 90s. The problem with the campaign is that there were never any proven results stating the program was effective in lowering drug use.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance:
“To date, there have been more than 30 evaluations of the program that have documented the negligible long-term impacts on teen drug use.”
Although the program has undergone some changes, the effectiveness of the initiative remains uncertain. Overall, it is interesting the different strategies certain parts of the country are taking in regards to addressing addiction. While some are focused on decriminalization, other areas have a tougher approach.
What are your thoughts on these new policies? Getting help can save a life, and treatment can offer a far better future than prison. If you or someone you love is struggling, please call toll-free now.
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by Justin Mckibben | Jul 11, 2017 | Drug Abuse, Opana, Opioids, Prescription Drugs
Oxymorphone is a powerful semi-synthetic opioid analgesic developed in Germany back in 1914. Since the painkiller’s introduction into the medical world it has gone by many brand names, such as:
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Numorphan (suppository and injectable solution)
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Opana ER (extended-release tablet)
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Opana IR (immediate-release tablet)
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O-Morphon in Bangladesh by Ziska pharmaceutical ltd
In the midst of the opioid epidemic in America many pharmaceutical drugs are now under close scrutiny for their addictive potential. Now, a public announcement has come to light explaining that in June of 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked the manufacturer of Opana ER, a Oxymorphone medication, to remove the product from the market.
What is Opana?
Opana or Oxymorphone is meant for use as:
- Moderate to severe pain relief
- Preoperative medication to alleviate apprehension
- Medication to maintain anaesthesia
- As a obstetric analgesic
Oxymorphone extended-release tablets are designated for managing chronic pain. These tablets are also only for people already on a regular schedule of strong opioids for an extended time.
Oxymorphone immediate-release tablets are recommended for breakthrough pain for people on the extended-release version.
Endo International PLC is the Big Pharma empire based in Dublin, Ireland that manufactures Opana.
- 2006- Opana approved for use in the United States
- 2012- Endo changed the drug’s formulation to try to make it harder to abuse. The FDA approved sales of the new version, however the FDA prohibited Endo International from marketing Opana as abuse deterrent.
- 2013- the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an illness associated with intravenous abuse of oral Opana ER in Tennessee.
- 2015- Reports in Austin, Indiana indicated an outbreak of HIV was caused by recreational injection of Opana
Endo primarily makes generic medicines, as well as a number of brand-name specialty drugs. Endo reported that Opana ER last year posted net sales of $159 million.
Opana ER Abuse
The FDA has taken a revolutionary stance after deciding that the risks greatly outweighed the benefits of Opana use.
In a statement on Thursday Endo International PLC said it will voluntarily stop selling the pills. However, the drug-maker does not necessarily agree with the conclusion made by the FDA, adding in their statement that the extended-release opioid is safe and effective when used as intended, and that Endo still believes Opana ER’s benefits outweigh its risks.
And yet, FDA advisers are firm after reviewing the safety of Opana ER and voting 18-8 against keeping it on the market.
The agency said it had perceived a “significant shift” from individuals abusing the drug recreationally by crushing and snorting the pill to injecting it instead. Besides the stories in Indiana and Tennessee, Opana was also called out for contributing to the rising rates of drug overdose and overdose deaths.
According to the FDA there were no generic versions of the reformulated Opana ER on the market, as of June. However, there are two generics of earlier versions of Opana on sale, called Oxymorphone.
The Big News For Big Pharma
The big news here is that this is the first time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has actively taken steps to remove a currently marketed opioid pain medication from sale due to the drugs abuse and the related public health consequences!
Some see this as a major move in the fight toward overcoming the opioid addiction problem gripping the nation.
Thus, Endo International PLC has committed to working with the FDA to try to minimize disruption for patients relying on the drug for pain relief. Of course those prescribed to the drug for medical reasons will also need to be provided with alternative treatments.
But the FDA isn’t done yet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration claims that its agencies will be reviewing other opioid painkillers and could take further action to regulate or even eliminate dangerous opioid medications like Opana ER.
Taking steps to reduce the impact of this epidemic is a step in the right direction. Big Pharma might be in for a bit of a shakedown from the FDA as they attempt to reduce the amount of dependence on opioids. If you or someone you love is struggling, please call toll-free now.
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