Testing It Up

A barely recognizable Amanda Bynes appeared in court Friday over allegations that she threw a marijuana bong out of her 36th-floor apartment window. She claims that she threw a “vase” and not a bong.

According to NY Daily News, Bynes was found by her building manager rolling up and puffing marijuana in the lobby of The Biltmore along W. 47th St., Rudy Toro. He then called the police, who confirmed to have perceived smoke and the whiff of marijuana upon entering Bynes’ pad. A police source was quoted, “It looks like she realized they saw it, so she took it and threw it out the window.”

Luckily, the flying bong did not hit anyone below, although police officers were unable to retrieve or find the bubbler.

Meanwhile, Bynes denied the accusation, saying that the police officers entered her room without any reason mentioned to her. She denied that she threw a bong out her window. She further aggravated the issue by calling 911 and filing a complaint with the Internal Affairs Bureau of NYPD, citing allegations that the cops were harassing her.

During the court proceedings, Bynes wore a platinum blonde wig, a black sweater and grey sweatpants. She was documented by various media outfits making faces and yelling at reporters.

Bynes was charged with criminal possession of marijuana, tampering with evidence, and reckless endangerment. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Neil Ross release Bynes without bail, on the grounds that she appear in court in July.

A new study reports that Type 2 Diabetes is progressing faster in children compared to adults, according to WebMD.

America Diabetes Association (ADA) revealed this startling information based on their recent research conducted in children and teenagers. Dr. Jane Chiang, who serves as senior vice president of the medical affairs and community information of ADA, shared the impact of this revelation on the health of children. “If these children continue to progress this rapidly, we could see many of the consequences of type 2 diabetes at a much younger age, like kidney disease and heart disease,” said Chiang.

The study was participated by almost 700 children diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes on their 10th to 17th year of age and were already carrying the disease for at least eight months at the time of the research study. The children were given structured education on diabetes, and were divided into three groups of diabetes treatments: one with metformin, the second with metformin plus rosiglitazone, and the third with metformin plus a drastic change in lifestyle.

The growing number of American children diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes poses a higher probability of obesity, which is considered the top risk factor in diabetics. Participants of the study were found to have a body mass index (BMI) higher than 85% of the US population, thereby showing the real risk of obesity in kids with diabetes.

When the study started, about 12 percent of the kids were reported to have high blood pressure. Four years after, the number of hypertensive kids jumped to 34 percent, with a higher inclination towards male children and those with higher BMI. In addition, microalbuminuria — a precursor of kidney disease — increased nearly three times wihin four years.

One of the identified causes for the increased incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in children is the hormonal changes brought about by puberty. Experts are still unsure about the rate of progression after puberty, but the fact that children diagnosed with diabetes are getting younger is already alarming in itself.

Experts agree on one thing: People must be educated on diabetes detection and prevention, such as eating healthy and involvement in physical activity.

A breakthrough drug is making waves in the field of asthma cure, as it was found to reduce attacks by 87 percent, according to Reuters.

The injectable asthma drug Dupilumab showed remarkable results in a recent study, paving the way for an overall improved cure for asthma cases between moderate and severe levels. The study involved the treatment in 104 patients and was conducted by a team led by Dr. Sally Wenzel, director of the Asthma Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Aside from the marked reduction of asthma attacks, treatment using Dupilumab improved symptoms related to the respiratory disease. It also showed significant improvement in lung function, and reduced the need for patients to take existing anti-asthma drugs.

More trials will have to be undertaken to confirm the results of the study. However, researchers have already found positive effects of the drug in reducing severe eczema, which is one of the side effects of existing anti-asthma medication.

What makes this drug unique and promising is the fact that it treats the underlying causes of asthma, instead of just relieving the superficial asthma symptoms, Wenzel said.

The results of the research were presented in the American Thoracic Society’s annual scientific meeting in Philadelphia, as well as in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dupilumab is being developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sanofi.

Twenty-three attorneys general addressed a letter to Urban Outfitters requesting the Philadelphia-headquartered chain to cease from selling novelty items that promote prescription drug abuse.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi told The Miami Herald that their move is in line with the country’s fight against prescription drug abuse. While they do not have plans to push for any legal action against Urban Outfitters, the group wants the company to remove “Prescription Line” of glasses, coasters, mugs and drink holders from shelves.

Bondi and colleagues believe these products undermine federal and state efforts in ending a rampant problem and should therefore be stopped as soon as possible.

“We are actively engaged in a campaign of environmental change to educate the public that abuse of prescription drugs is not safe simply because the medication originated from a doctor. By putting these highly recognizable labels on your products you are undermining our efforts,” the letter said.

Urban Outfitters, which targets 18 to 30-year-old customers, is known for selling edgy products, including drinking novelties that look like pill bottles, boxes and pads. One of its products is emblazoned with a text that reads “TAKE ONE CAN BY MOUTH, REPEAT UNTIL INTOXICATED.” Another item looks like a mock prescription of “BOOZEMIN” and bears the name of “Dr. Koholic, Al.”

The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) went sporty this year for its annual conference as it

The NAATP annual conference took place in San Antonio this year from May 18 - 21.

featured both a former NBA player and a former NFLer.

Ex-Boston Celtic and former addict Chris Herren told his story while former Denver Bronco Steven Herndon was there representing the recovery residence he owns in Georgia, “Safety Net.”

The conference, which ran from May 18 – 21, also featured workshops and roundtables on how to better treat addiction.

You can read my Twitter summary of the event or visit the NAATP website for more information.

Founded in 1978, the NAATP has 300 member organizations, which consist of over 600 treatment facilities that offer services for men and women of all ages dealing with addiction. NAATP advocates for fair and equal legal recognition of the services its member organizations provide, with the same fair and equal reimbursement benefits for the patients served by its members.

Marijuana remains a burning issue in mixed martial arts, particularly in the UFC.

A week after Pat Healy tested positive for marijuana after his win over Jim Miller in UFC 159, light heavyweight fighter Thiago Silva shared with BJPenn.com his thoughts about the controversial substance. He said the allegations of marijuana’s effect on performance enhancement has no basis. “To be honest, I don’t think it’s fair, you know, because it doesn’t change your performance,” said Silva.

Silva admits to have smoked pot in the past in order to help him relax. He stopped smoking when he started fighting in MMA, but he understands and feels sympathy for those who are smoking marijuana. After all, some states in the US have already legalized marijuana use for medical purposes. Silva stands by the conviction of marijuana supporters that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and that the substance is not a performance-enhancing drug.

Healy failed his marijuana test, which was administered by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board right after his fight with Miller as part of commission rules. As a result, his victory was overturned, and his bonus pay amounting to more than $130,000 was forfeited.

Other UFC fighters who have been under fire for marijuana use in the past include Robbie Peralta, Matt Riddle, and Nick Diaz.

Silva is set to fight opposite UFC newcomer Rafael Cavalcante on June 8.

Dr. Henry David Abraham says the United States will eventually end its prohibition against marijuana and when that happens, people need to be educated about the drug.

Dr. Henry David Abraham, a psychiatrist in Lexington, MA, and 1985 Nobel Peace Prize recipient as co-founder of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, says marijuana will soon be made legal and regulated, much the same way that alcohol was after its brief prohibition.

Recently, Dr. Abraham shared his thoughts on marijuana prohibition eventually coming to an end with TestCountry and you can read what the doctor has to say about that here.

In keeping with his edict that people should be educated about marijuana as it inevitably becomes legalized, Dr. Abraham has recently published the e-book The No Nonsense Guide to Drugs and Alcohol for teens and young adults, available online at Amazon.com and BN.com.

The staffing industry’s biggest event took place in Toronto last week. 

This year hosted by the Association of Canadian Search Employment & Staffing Services, the International Confederation of Private Employment Agencies’ (CIETT) annual event drew staffing industry leaders from over 30 countries to the Canadian city May 15 – 17.

Featuring several workshops and keynote addresses from Bill Strickland, President & CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation and Economist & Demographics expert David Foot, the conference looked at the current state of the staffing industry and its future.

Here is a quick summary of some of the key messages of the event.

Growing markets: Among the findings presented during the conference, were the growth in Asian markets like China, Vietnam, Japan and India. Turkey and Mexico are expected to become powerful economic forces and the Russian market will also continue to grow, as barriers to the industry continue to fall there.

Continued restrictions: Although Russia is growing as a market and regulations are slowly changing, the industry stil remains under political pressure there, as well as South Africa.

Social media: Meanwhile, in North America, staffing agencies are looking at ways to measure the effectiveness of social media and its importance for attracting talent and clients.

Demographics: The main cause of youth unemployment in many countries is due to the baby-boom generation still hanging around and working. This aging population will also greatly affect which industries will be booming in the coming decades.

Skills needed in the temp market: The need for highly skilled temporary workers is a key trend in North America and Europe.

New talent: A core theme of one session of the conference was improving the way the staffing industry attracts, retains and develops staff (as in recruiters themselves).

Making recruitment cool: In order to attract people to the recruitment industry, it needs to present itself better as a ‘cool’ career choice.

You can also check out my Twitter summary of the event.

The use of Adderall and Ritalin by people without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be nothing new. But as a growing number of teens experiment with these drugs to gain academic advantage, many parents remain clueless of the emerging issue.

A survey conducted by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health revealed that only 1 percent of parents think their teens have used ADHD drugs to boost grades. That is despite findings of an earlier national poll which suggested 10 percent of high school sophomores and 12 percent of high school seniors use “study drugs.”

The survey also found that even though white parents are most likely to say they are “very concerned” about children and teens using “study drugs,” only 27 percent of them reported talking with their teens about the issue. Black parents were found to be more vigilant in discussing “study drugs” with their kids.

“What we found in this poll is a clear mismatch between what parents believe and what their kids are reporting. But even though parents may not be recognizing these behaviors in their own kids, this poll also showed that one-half of the parents say they are very concerned about this abuse in their communities,” Dr. Matthew M. Davis, director of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, said in a news release.

Davis explained that taking ADHD drugs for non-medical reasons could lead to some serious health problems, such as acute exhaustion, abnormal heart rhythms, and addiction. He recommends parents, educators and physicians to be more proactive in reminding teens of the dangerous outcomes when they use such drugs without a prescription.

A recent survey reveals that some pharmacists in the High Street of London are giving false and harmful advice to unsuspecting patients. In fact, close to 75% of the pharmacies fail to inform customers about contraindications and risks of incompatible drugs.

The study was conducted by Which?, a UK-based charity that focuses on consumer protection by conducting tests on products and services.

For this particular survey, a group of trained mystery shoppers were planted in more than a hundred pharmacies all over UK. A technical panel of pharmacists assessed the services and advice that the shoppers were given, according to a news report.

About 43 percent of the pharmacies visited received an unsatisfactory rating from the panel because of poor advice. One of the most glaring errors of the pharmacies was giving out advice without enough information about the patient’s medical history and current medication.

The panel emphasized that a bad piece of advice could lead to critical medical effects on the patient’s overall health. For instance, one of the planted customers who was taking a particular anti-blood clotting drug asked for a heartburn remedy medication. The survey showed that more than 70% of the pharmacies failed to confirm that the combination of the two drugs could cause serious bleeding.

In some pharmacies, counter assistants were handing out advice to customers without prior consultation from a pharmacist.

The General Pharmaceutical Council and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society have received the results of the survey and are currently making the necessary changes in the pharmacy industry to improve the services.

In the end, it’s the pharmacy’s responsibility to earn the trust of its clients.