The length of time that drugs stay in a person’s system will depend on several factors. Those factors depend on a person’s physiological makeup. Height, weight, amount of body fat, age, current state of health, exercise habit, degree of stress, frequency of use, quantity and the length of time of drug use all change how long drugs will stay in a person’s system.

But most all drugs will show up for 3 months. With the government reporting that over 9 million people use marijuana on a regular basis, testing for drugs, illegal and legal, help parents to know if their child is using drugs. Parents and schools use drug testing as a preventative measure to ensure that teens know they will be caught if they use drugs. There is no safe way to use drugs. Trying once leads to experimenting which leads to abuse which leads to addiction.

Parents often think there is little they can do to ensure their kids do not start using drugs. But, the #1 reason why kids do not use drugs is because they do not want to upset the parents. In addition, kids that learn about drug risks from their parents are 50% less likely to start using. In other words, kids who have parents that talk to them about drugs are less likely to try them.

Another way parents can help keep their kids off of drugs is by staying involved in their lives. This is especially important when they enter middle school and high school. They will be more likely to think about what the parent said if they know Mom and Dad care about all aspects of their lives–not just the big ones. Beginning the dialogue  about drugs when the kids are young helps keep them off drugs as well. This is because the message and importance has been drilled into their heads over the years. And monitoring what the kids are doing, where they are, who they are with, and check with other parents to make sure will help keep them clean.

Youth brings about visions of adventure and excitement. When you’re young, it’s commonly thought of as your time to have fun. Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol are often used as a way for young people to get excited and have an adventure, no matter how unsafe or unhealthy.

Quite often, young people are attracted to drugs because they look more exciting than the alternatives. Cities across the nation are realizing that drugs can be combated by providing something clean and cool for young adults. Teenagers want places to hang out that reek of awesomeness, like the adult clubs they see superstars going into. Places like Play Too! in Illinois give teens a place to have fun without drugs. Some teen clubs face being closed, like the club Frozen75 in Las Vegas. In the CBS news article teens and parents agree that if drug-free alternatives do not exist at all, young people will make their own fun - and its not often sober and clean.

Take some time to check out the places where youth are welcome to hang out without drugs or alcohol in your community. Are they attractive and fun without the drama of drugs and alcohol? If so, spread the word and help support them.

There can be lots of personal reasons why people start drugs, and even more reasons why people get caught up in a drug addiction. It causes some to wonder about the common causes for people to take drugs, and if there is a scientific resolution. A new U.S. News and World Report article talks about a research study at The Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Researchers found that when under the same amount of stress, monkeys of a lower social standing were more likely to choose cocaine instead of food; whereas, monkeys of a higher social standing were more likely to choose food over cocaine.

Usually, stress and peer pressure are considered common reasons for taking drugs. It’s more of a challenge to tackle something subjective, like social status. Research like this is a great way to uncover new drug intervention techniques and innovative drug prevention methods. Breaking an addiction is a unique challenge for every individual. Discovering why people take drugs can help reveal how to help them stop.

Street drugs are names that because they are often sold on the street and are used recreationally. They include stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens–many can be put into two of those categories.  Street drugs include but are not limited to marijuana, cocaine, crack, Oxycodone, methamphetimine, ecstasy, steroids,heroin, morphine, Valiun, Xanax,LSD and mushrooms.

Many of these drugs can be classified in other categories. For instance, ecstasy is also considered a "club drug" while it is a stimulant and a hallucinogen. Street drugs are available are number of ways and as people use them experimentally, they often find that they have developed an addiction. When that happens or when the drugs are being abuse, long term drug rehab is the only thing that will help.

There are many different signs that people display when they are using drugs. Not all people display the same symptoms and many that are on drugs never display some. However, the following signs are very common and should not be ignored:

*Person becomes angry, paranoid, disrespectful, confused or moody

*Depressed

*Secretive/begins to lie about activities

*Begins to steal/starts “losing” valuable possessions

*Withdraws from usual activities

*Develops poor hygiene

*Stops sleeping or sleeps too much

*Loss of appetite

*Too much or too little energy

*Drops old friends and favorite activities

*Starts skipping school

*Loss of interest in school work/starts getting low grades

*Begins to sleep in class

*Poor concentration and memory

MSN has recently posted a brief article on the myths about prescription drugs. The main interest point shows that the vast majority of people that are prescribed pain killers and other prescription drugs that follow the doctor’s directions to not become addicted. The article states that most of the people that become addicted have "significant" drug histories and have had addiction problems prior.

What this means is that when someone chooses to ignore what the doctor said and take prescription drugs when they are not needed or take too much or abuse them in any way, that person is on the road to addiction. This article also says that some people become addicted when they followed the directions so it is always best to watch yourself and to pay attention when taking a prescribed drug.

There are treatment centers that are specifically for women throughout the US. Some of these are long term chemical dependency treatment centers but  lot are similar to shelters for abused women. Many that are especially for addicts take clients after they have been clean and sober for at least 30 days. They also usually require the addict to work while she lives there. Many times these centers are a step into mainstream society that helps the women find a balance between the pressures of life while still finding the support needed to maintain sobriety.

Often the reason that the centers are for women only is because the addict’s jump from one relationship to another and many times those relationships are abusive. Many of the women have been abused and are addicted to drugs. These programs help the women focus on the reasons why they allowed themselves to be abused as well as help with the recovery process.

Alcoholic hepatitis is liver disease caused by chronic ingestion of alcohol. This disease is found in heavy drinkers that have been drinking for a very long time as well as binge drinkers and those that drink modestly. This disease can, at times, be reversed in people that stop drinking but for most it turns into cirrhosis and liver failure. There is little known about alcoholic hepatitis and even less is known about how to treat it.

Warning signs do not always occur right away, but as the liver gets worse, the symptoms are much more likely to occur. Those symptoms include:

All drugs of abuse, including nicotine, marijuana and cocaine, affect the brain’s limbic system. The limbic system is the "pleasure" part of the brain, as it releases the neurotransmitter dopamine when it experiences something enjoyable. Dopamine creates a feeling of pleasure and it wants to have the same experience again. For example, when you eat ice cream and like it, the limbic system tells you to crave it or want it  because it created a feeling of pleasure. When a person uses a drug for the first time, an unnaturally strong feeling of pleasure is experienced. It is natural for the brain to want to have this experience again–this is how addiction begins. And no one knows how many times it takes to become addicted.

When the brain produces a flood of dopamine, which makes the user feel "high," neurons begin to produce less dopamine and reduce the number of dopamine receptors. This leads the drug user to need greater and greater amounts of the drug. This is called building a tolerance. Also, when the neurons stop producing as much dopamine, the brain is left with a lower than normal amount and the user feels extremely down and depressed, thus making the brain crave the substance again and in greater dosages.