Testing It Up

Prescription drugs are meant to help us, not harm us, but some people turn these tools for health into weapons of self-destruction by abusing them. 

Operation UNITE, based in Kentucky, held the second National Rx Drug Abuse Summit in Orlando, Florida April 2-4 to help raise awareness of prescription drug abuse and to facilitate solutions to the nationwide problem.

This year’s event featured a congressional panel with members of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse, as well as a bevy of keynote speakers that included many of the top names in the fight against drug abuse (both prescription and illicit) in the country.

But keynote speakers were just one element to the summit, which also included educational sessions specific to pharmacists, clinicians, law enforcement, workers’ compensation administrators, insurance administrators and others involved in the dissemination of prescription drugs.

If you happen to have missed the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, check out my Twitter summary and what I garnered from Twitter about the summit.

Thank you to Klean Treatment Center for this guest post!

A group of mothers have taken it into their own hands to spread the word about a lesser known kind of drug abuse among teens; over-the-counter medicine abuse.

Tammy Walsh, who has a son in recovery from OTC medicine abuse, has come forward to use her experiences to help others. Welsh hopes to be an inspiration so people stand up and speak out about OTC abuse. A group called, The Five Moms, is the group that Welsh advocates for. They travel the country making people and parents aware of the risks and dangers of OTC drug abuse. They teach entire communities about abusing cough medicine, how parents should approach their teens, how to monitor medications, and the true scope of the problem.

Welsh says the most important things for parents to remember is never to lecture teens as they will tune you out. Rather help them make healthy decisions. Start talking to kids early on and don’t be afraid to bring the subject up. Teach your kids how to say no and give them every tool needed to do so. Be clear about the health risks associated with drug abuse.

Welsh says that parents must know how to spot the signs of abuse. They need to know what to look for, some of the slang, and a change in habits or patterns.

Teens call the act of abusing over the counter drugs “robotripping” or “skittling” and some teens actively look for substances they can use to get high in the medicine cabinets of their homes where adults just see medicine that is virtually harmless. Many teens today are abusing these very drugs. They can be addictive and dangerous if abused.

A study from 2012, out of the University of Cincinnati indicated that ten percent of middle and high school students had said that they have abused over-the-counter drugs. The most commonly abused OTC drugs included Dextromethorphan, which is found in cough syrups and decongestants.

When children are taught about substance abuse dangers the conversation must include a lot more than just discussing illicit drugs, prescription drugs, and alcohol. Children really need to know that a plethora of trouble lurks right in their medicine cabinet at home. In fact, while parents are putting a lock on the liquor cabinet they should also be putting one on the medicine cabinet too.

Drugfree.org says that when parents teach their children about the risks of OTC drugs they are half as likely to use them.

http://www.kleantreatmentcenter.com

Indeed, dog is a man’s best friend and that has been proven by a Chillicothe couple who credited their dog for warning them about the presence of carbon monoxide inside their home.

Chad and Debbie Immell were sleeping when their dog, Saint kept getting up and trying to wake them, wanting to go outside, the Chillicothe Gazette reports. When finally let outside, the dog was barking aggressively as if she didn’t want to go back inside the house.

“After I brought her in, she got sick, and I got real sick,” Debbie said. “At one point, I was almost passed out by the front door, and we just didn’t think anything of it.”

On top of feeling dizzy, Debbie also began experiencing flu-like symptoms. The couple decided to contact a local utility company which found a carbon monoxide leak in the hot water tank and by the furnace inside the home.

“Saint was barking her head off every two minutes,” Debbie added. “They came in around 1 and told us that we had a high volume of carbon monoxide in the air. Thanks to our dog, she basically saved us.”

The incident prompted the couple to install carbon monoxide detectors in their bedroom and basement.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless toxic gas that can cause sudden illness and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The chemical is found in combustion fumes, such as those produced by cars and trucks, small gasoline engines, stoves, lanterns, burning charcoal and wood, and gas ranges and heating systems. Excessive exposure to carbon monoxide can cause headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.

We already know that air pollution is dangerous to our health, but a new research presented at The Gerontological Society of America’s 65th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego points that it could be especially hazardous to older adults’ cognitive functions, the Medical News Today reports.

According to the analysis made by Jennifer Ailshire, PhD, a National Institute on Aging postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Biodemography and Population Health and the Andrus Gerontology Center at the University of Southern California, senior citizens living in areas with high levels of fine air particulate matter scored poorer on the cognitive function tests.

Ailshire reviewed data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Health and Retirement Study. The study sample included 14,793 white, black, and Hispanic men and women aged 50 and older who participated in the 2004 Health and Retirement Study — a nationally representative survey of older adults.

“As a result of age-related declines in health and functioning, older adults are particularly vulnerable to the hazards of exposure to unhealthy air,” Ailshire said. “Air pollution has been linked to increased cardiovascular and respiratory problems, and even premature death, in older populations, and there is emerging evidence that exposure to particulate air pollution may have adverse effects on brain health and functioning as well.”

Ailshire’s study is the first to show how exposure to poor air quality influences cognitive function in a national sample of older men and women. The finding suggests that fine air particulate matter – composed of particles that are 2.5 micrometers in diameter and smaller, thought to be sufficiently small that if inhaled they can deposit deep in the lung and possibly the brain, may be an important environmental risk factor for reduced cognitive function.

Poor air quality is a problem for everyone because it results to a wide range of health hazards, including breathing difficulties, irritated throat, and burning eyes. Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause cancer and long-term damage to the immune, neurological, reproductive, respiratory systems, and even death in extreme cases.

Chlorine is a widely-known chemical used in swimming pools to keep the water clean and clear. But as consumers demand for more natural alternatives, new technologies are emerging, paving the way for chemical-free swimming pools.

In a Los Angeles Times report, BioNova Natural Pools — a German company with North American headquarters in New Jersey — is planning to install the first public natural swimming pool in the United States next year. The location would be at Webber Park in Minneapolis.

Natural swimming ponds are relatively new to the country, but according to a BioNova Natural Pools spokesperson, there are already 20,000 of these chemical-free pools globally.

“A lot of people are interested in leading a chemical-free lifestyle. We’re not using any devices, sterilizers or chemicals of any kind,” said Alan Weene, spokesman for BioNova, which has partnerships to build natural swimming ponds in more than 30 countries.

The BioNava system uses shallow- and deep-water plants in conjunction with filters to keep the water clear. The water is circulated with pumps to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs.

Compared with traditional swimming pools, the installation of natural swimming pools is slightly more expensive. However, maintenance roughly the same with the use of vacuum and hand skimmers to pluck off surface debris. Additionally, natural swimming pools do not require weekly visits from a pool professional to add chemicals, though, they would need occasional weeding and replanting.

Rice is considered an excellent source of carbohydrates which provide the body with energy. However, it seems that the benefits of rice is now being clouded by the possibility that it may contain high levels of arsenic that can harm the health.

A Huffington Post report says that consumer groups are urging the Food and Drug Administration to set federal guidance on the allowable levels of arsenic in rice.

The reaction came after the Consumer Reports study found higher levels of arsenic in brown rice than white rice, and that an alarming level of arsenic is present in rice produced in Southern U.S. states than in rice from California or Asia.

Despite the findings, FDA officials maintain they have not found any evidence suggesting that rice is unsafe to eat, but assures the public that they are conducting a study to measure arsenic levels in rice products. The study involves 1,200 samples of grocery-store rice products, including short and long-grain rice, cereals, drinks, and even rice cakes.

In response to the growing concern, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg says: “Our advice right now is that consumers should continue to eat a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of grains – not only for good nutrition but also to minimize any potential consequences from consuming any one particular food.”

Hamburg added that they cannot draw any conclusion from the result of Consumer Reports study until FDA completes its own study by end of the year.

Arsenic can be either organic or inorganic. While organic arsenic passes through the body quickly and is essentially harmless, inorganic arsenic — found in pesticides and insecticides — is linked to a number of health risks. Exposure to high levels of inorganic arsenic may result to gastrointestinal problems, muscle pains, red and white blood cell problems, neurologic symptoms, and liver and kidney damage.

San Tan Valley residents can now breathe a sigh of relief after Johnson Utilities announced on Thursday that their water supply system is free from any harmful bacteria

Johnson Utilities recently sent a memo to the Florence Unified School District advising customers to boil their water before using after E.coli was found in their water on Aug. 16. The memo explained that while the 75 additional follow-up samples collected earlier did not show any E. coli bacteria, one sample still tested positive for the presence of total coliform bacteria.

The company sent water samples to two state-certified laboratories to be retested and they learned that the water is not contaminated. Following the latest findings, Johnsons Utilities lifted their “Drinking Water Warning,” assuring their customers that they no longer have to worry about drinking contaminated water.

Johnson Utilities apologized to their client base and explained that although water can sometime get contaminated, the false positive tests were likely caused by sampling errors or cross-contamination at the laboratory.

To make sure that they continue to provide safe and reliable drinking supply, Johnson Utilities said they will exceed the mandated water testing frequencies established by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

When we think of air pollution many of us seem confident about not having it inside our homes. Just because you don’t have pets or you vacuum almost every day doesn’t mean you and your loved ones are already free from microscopic allergens.

If you have a child with asthma or elderly living in your house, it’s only important to be more cautious with your indoor air quality. And even if everyone in the household is healthy, repeated exposure to indoor pollutants can eventually take a toll on your health, as well as that of your family members’.

Among the most common pollutants that could get mixed in your indoor air include lead, formaldehyde, fire-retardants, radon, and even volatile chemicals from fragrances used in conventional cleaners.

Keeping a healthy level of humidity is one of the best ways to improve your indoor air quality. A dehumidifier can help reduce moisture, a well-loved area by dust mites and mold, inside your home and effectively keep allergens under control. Similarly, using exhaust fan when cooking, running the dishwasher, or bathing is a good way to dehumidify your home.

You might also consider banning smoking inside your home because cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals that can harm your indoor air. According to research, secondhand smoke increases children’s risk of developing ear and respiratory infections, asthma, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Testing for radon, lead, and asbestos will also be helpful to treat hazardous, unseen, and odorless chemicals lurking inside your house.

One of the things that people will probably least expect is for a newborn to test positive for marijuana – but a hospital in North Carolina became concerned after a high incidence of newborns testing positive for marijuana exposure was observed.

The incident led to the conduct of a study, which found that the positive marijuana test results among newborns may be attributed to chemicals found in baby soaps and shampoos, including brands manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, Aveeno, and CVS brand products.

Initially, the researchers could not specifically identify the reason behind why urine tests of newborns came back positive for marijuana, according to Dr. Catherine Hammett-Stabler, lead study author at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

She shared the following with ABC News: “We went up to the nursery, followed the nurses and the staff around to identify everything that was done, everything that was essentially touching those babies’ skins, could possibly come into contact with the urine that we were subsequently testing.”

The researchers looked into various commercial products and materials that newborns usually come into contact with. The results of their study showed that there are chemicals found in baby soaps and shampoos – such as polyquarternium-11 and cocamidopropyl betaine – that can trigger positive THC results.

The researchers believe that trace amounts of these chemicals, defined as 0.1 ml or less, may have found their way into urine samples after being washed off the babies’ bodies. Among the products that led to false positives were Johnson & Johnson’s Bedtime Bath, CVS Night-time Baby Bath, Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash and Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered the minimum threshold for lead poisoning for children younger than 6.

The CDC has defined lead poisoning as five micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, which is half of what the minimum threshold used to be. The move is a reflection of growing research that suggests that even small traces of lead in the bloodstream may lead to lower IQ and stunted brain development.

For young children, the effects of lead in the blood stream, even at lower levels, may lead to stomach aches, irritability, or hyperactivity, and despite the fact that the effects are more subtle, they are just as harmful.

The changes were announced by the CDC through their website, following recommendations made by an advisory panel last January.

In its report, the CDC said: “The proposed methods to address recommendations are contingent on the availability of resources. In FY 2012, funding for CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention activities was reduced significantly from FY 2011. As a result, funding is not available for state and local Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs (CLPPPs). In many instances, these reductions limit CDC’s ability to fully implement many of these recommendations in the short term.”

Officials believe that an estimated 77,000 to 255,000 children have high levels of lead, although it may be difficult to determine the exact figure as there are quite a number of cases that remain undiagnosed. With the new standards, this statistic may shoot up to as much as 450,000.