Addiction Blog

Because of recent clamp-downs by the U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) including moving the over the counter drugs used to make meth behind the counter, Mexico has emerged as the number one source for the drug. According to the World Drug Report, there are now 12 million meth addicts in the United States.

The DEA has seized approximately 6,000 U. S. meth labs in the past couple of years, opening up an opportunity for Mexican drug cartels to export the drug. Mexican authorities have also been working to keep the precursor drugs unavailable in the pharmacies. The major problem, however, is that the drug lords are finding ways to import the chemicals used to make meth that thwart the authorities’ efforts.

Researchers at China’s Peking University have discovered 396 genes linked to addiction. These so-called “addiction genes” are linked to pathways for substance abuse problems involving alcohol, cocaine, opium and nicotine.

According to the director Wei Liping, “The research provides a more complete picture of drug addiction, as genetic factors contribute to about 60 percent of the vulnerability to drug addiction.” By identifying genes and pathways to addiction, researchers are able to more accurate development treatment methods.

There is a blog post at the Real Mental Health website that lists celebrities who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I’m not sure the list is 100-percent accurate, since to the best of my knowledge, Britney Spears, who is on the list has never been officially diagnosed as such.

Be that as it may, I know factually that other stars who are on the list have been diagnosed. What I find interesting is the number of celebrities who appear both on this list and the famous addicts list that we have on this website. Names like Robert Downey Jr., Carrie Fisher, Patrick Kennedy, Ozzy Osbourne and Darryl Strawberry have made their way onto both lists.

It’s no secret that when people go into drug and alcohol rehab, that they many times will have a dual-diagnosis. What is interesting, though is to see just how often serious mental illnesses will lead a person into substance abuse problems in order to try to self-medicate to dull the pain of the illness.

Two researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas have been testing a vaccine for cocaine addiction. The new cocaine vaccine uses antibodies that attach to the drug and prohibit the cocaine from passing the blood-brain barrier.

Because the cocaine cannot be absorbed and passed to the brain tissue no high is experienced by the addict. Dr. Tom Kosten and his wife, Therese, a psychologist and neuroscientist respectively have been working on the cocaine vaccine for the past 10 years. If approved by the FDA, the vaccine is expected to be used in conjunction with other cognitive and behavioral therapies.