It’s well-known that alcohol stays in the body for some time after consumption, but how long does it stay in the body? And why is it that different people seem to sober up faster than others?

The simple answer to these questions is that alcohol affects each individual differently. Alcohol leaves the body as it is absorbed and completes the metabolic process. The effects of alcohol are felt the most when the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is at its peak. As your BAC goes down, alcohol is leaving your system. Alcohol is absorbed into the body slower if taken with food. This helps keep the BAC at a lower level. Intoxication occurs when the BAC reaches unhealthy levels and can even be deadly. The blood alcohol content is also dependant upon how much water is in a person’s body. A person who has less fat and more water in their body will have more room for the alcohol to be distributed throughout their system.

It’s often cited that it takes about one hour for the alcohol in one standard drink to leave your system.  However, the actual amount of time it takes depends on a number of variables.  People who drink more have built up a tolerance for processing alcohol. A person who drinks heavily and often may have a liver that can process twice or three times as many drinks per hour. It’s also important to note that stressing the liver can lead to liver disease or cirrhosis.

For teens and young adults who engage in binge drinking, risking liver damage at a young age can cause complications for the rest of their lives. Not only is a young body at risk for liver disease, but brain damage is a primary concern for alcohol consumption, as well. Research is showing that the brain is still developing in the early twenties and alcohol causes long-term damage to young minds.

The Office of the National Drug Control Policy recently reported that there are more medical marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks, Taco Bells, middle schools or police stations in San Francisco. This information has garnered national attention, with Jay Leno and network news stations broadcasting the shocking report. The drug control office hopes to shed light on the abuses within the medical marijuana system, and the growing number of undocumented and illegal pot clubs profiting.

The Compassionate Use Act passed in 1996 allows seriously ill Californians to obtain and use medical marijuana as a method of treatment. Patients must be recommended by a doctor, and health conditions that warrant marijuana treatment include: cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, glaucoma, migraine, or any other illness for which the relaxation-inducing drug provides relief. This law has invited a backlash of controversy in California. The thousands of clinics in San Francisco have attracted hoards of drug addicts, stirring fear in city dwellers and requiring stricter regulation. In San Diego, teens have been caught lying to doctors about health conditions to obtain ID cards that permit medical marijuana use.

Bolstering the platform of medical marijuana opponents, in April 2006 the FDA dispelled the notion that marijuana can be considered a medicine, announcing that smoking marijuana is harmful to one’s health. An evaluation constructed by several Department of Health and Human Services Agencies concluded that “no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use.”

As for advocates of its medical use, there are health organizations within the U.S. that support clinical research for cannabis as a therapeutic drug for seriously sick patients. Such respected institutions include American Public Health Association, American Cancer Society and American Medical Association.

With legalized marijuana available to the public comes increased potential for abuse, both in the form of individual addiction and illegal distribution. Until the federal government backs evidence that supports the medical benefits of marijuana (which doesn’t seem feasible any time soon), the risks appear to outweigh the rewards.

Following up on the benefits of detox medication in long term drug treatment, it is important to understand the risks involved in using medication as a recovery mechanism. Detox medications are employed in opiate addiction recovery specifically due to the extreme physical dependency that opiate drug use causes. With prolonged usage, the brain starts to rely on the drugs to function and produce endorphins (good feeling hormones). Nerve cells will degenerate, leading to intense physical pain upon discontinued use. The cardiopulmonary and central nervous system are at risk for permanent damage during withdrawals, and death is also a possibility during the detoxification process. Withdrawal frequently includes sweating, shaking, headache, drug craving, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, inability to sleep, confusion, agitation, depression, anxiety, and other behavioral changes.

Detox medications work to alleviate the onset of painful withdrawals and ease the brain off the abused opiates. As mentioned in the previous post, Suboxone is an opiate addiction treatment intended to support long-term drug recovery. Methadone is also a powerful addiction therapy drug for users of heroin, Oxycontin and other types of opioids, but is tightly regulated by the FDA due to its abusive properties. Suboxone is the only opiate addiction therapy drug that can be prescribed by a physician, and is a treatment method for addicts who seek addiction maintenance and relief from anxiety-inducing opioid cravings. However, abuse of Suboxone and other detox medications like Methadone is a risk factor that may derail the recovery process.

Methadone is only administered through clinics, but Suboxone was created to divert the abusive dangers inherent in Methadone. Both detox medications have the potential for abuse because they are classified as opioids and can produce sensations of euphoria, analgesia and sedation like other opiates, though to a lesser degree. The medications also don’t impair cognitive or motor skills like their addictive counterparts, and work by blocking the effects of more potent opiates on brain receptors, thus disabling the user’s ability to get high. Suboxone has a "ceiling effect" that prevents increased pleasurable effects in the patient, and actually produces uncomfortable, withdrawal-like symptoms upon excessive intake.

Relapse for opiate addiction is very common, making treatment difficult in the long term. Studies show that on average addicts will stop and start detox 10-25 times in their lifetime relapsing back to opiate use each and every time. But recovery is possible, especially with the right combination of treatment methods.

“At addiction centers, longer treatment programs are proving key to ending the relapse-rehab cycle” was the headline for a recent Los Angeles Times news article. Relapse is often the bane of rehabilitation. We often hear about celebrities or witness people in our own communities who are released from 30 day rehab programs only to return several months later. While it’s true that relapse is quite often part of the recovery process, studies are showing that the risk of relapsing occurs less often in people who have received long-term treatment.

The article cites two distinct studies conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and one UCLA study focusing on teens. In all of these studies, the research shows relapse rates are higher for people who received short-term treatment. It’s reported that people who received treatment for 90 days or longer were less likely to revert to their previous abusive habits. Some other interesting points:

-  “Treatment programs of 28 or 30 days are still common. But this template was never based on medical evidence, says Dr. David Lewis”

- “Brain scans of recovering addicts support the idea that changes are still taking place three months or more after treatment. Chronic drug use damages the brain, such as reducing the number of dopamine receptors, chemical pathways that allow for normal brain functioning. Changes in the brain during recovery correlate to clearer thinking and more honesty on the part of the patient” – Dr. Harry Haroutunian.

The issue of jail was also brought up. After release from imprisonment many addicts return to drugs and/or alcohol. This supports the idea that it isn’t just abstinence that helps people recover. To successfully change a person’s lifestyle, they need time to “learn to handle stress, develop ways to cope with environmental cues that could trigger drug use and improve relationships that are needed to sustain recovery.”

An addict’s acknowledgment of the need for help is a major first step in a path towards recovery. Knowing which treatment method to pursue can be just as influential of a decision in the process of overcoming addiction. The withdrawal effects of substances vary, and the severity and duration of detox is often the deciding factor in one’s recovery route.

Health Day News recently reported that extended therapy combined with detox medications have shown to produce noticeable results for opioid addiction in young adults. Detox medications buprenorphine (Suboxone) and naloxone relieve withdrawal symptoms and prevent the physical effects of injected opioids, and have proven more successful in treating addiction when administered over an extended period as compared to short-term treatment programs. The study compared 12 week and  2 week-long treatment programs with the defined drugs, and found that extended treatment patients reported less use of opioids, cocaine and marijuana, less injecting, and less need for additional addiction treatment after 12 weeks. The researchers also found that patients in the long-term program tested positive for opioid use in urine tests more times in weeks four and eight, than at week 12.

This information demonstrates the benefits of prolonged use of detox medications in transforming deep-rooted lifestyle habits. Medication coupled with continuous counseling aids addicts in reaching their long-term goals. Although the administration of such detox medications is controversial due to the risk of dependence, this report reinstates the necessity of viewing addiction recovery as a lifelong process that can’t be wiped clean of the body instantaneously. When considering treatment methods, addicts shouldn’t follow a method that they consider a quick fix; rather, look at treatment as an ever-evolving self-healing process that requires patience and constant care.

Last week, our nation voted on several key propositions that are sure to have an effect on drug abuse across the country. Here is a recap on how voting went for some of the drug and alcohol propositions:

Massachusetts:  The people of Massachusetts voted to decriminalize marijuana usage for clinical purposes and for people in possession of small amounts. A $1,000 fine or mandatory drug awareness program will await offenders instead of jail time.

Michigan: Proposition 1 was supported by a large majority o f the population in the Great Lakes State, and it legalized medicinal marijuana use. In the area

California: Booze is now officially banned at the beaches in San Diego, despite strong opposition.  However, the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act failed to pass. Proposition 5 was defeated by about 20 percentage points.

While opinions on the propositions differ greatly amongst people across the state, the one thing everyone agrees upon is that it’s impossible to tell what the impact of these measures will be. It will be interesting to see how (or if) the local communities change. Will there be fewer addictions? Less crowding in jail? Fewer kids on drugs? Voters chose to support the initiatives that they believed would be best for our country and society. Only time will tell the story of how Democracy changed our drug policy and reformed lives.

Slang is a prevalent part of drug culture: It’s a form of self expression, method for discreet communication and way for drug users to project their mastery in the subject area. Street terms for drugs are often more relevant than medical terminology; words that don’t tend to roll off the tongue as smoothly, like diacetylmorphine and desoxyephedrine, aren’t popular among groups actually using the substances. Interpreting the way in which drug users converse may provide a better understanding of their lifestyles. The following is a condensed list of popular drugs and their corresponding slang terms, many of which come from the Indiana Prevention Resource Center:

Marijuana: Bammy, funk

Smoke marijuana: Blow a stick, blast a roach

Heroin: Dope, smack, skag
Inject heroin: Dip and dab       

Smoke heroin: Chase the tiger

Heroin and cocaine mixture: Speedball, Belushi

Cocaine: Candycaine, weasel dust

Addicted to cocaine: Flaky

Inhale cocaine: Blow blue

Crack cocaine: Cat’s pee, crackers

Crack: Apple jacks

Smoke crack: Blast

Methamphetamine: Crystal, crank, tweek

Injecting methamphetamine: Bangin’ it in

When kids and young adults are abusing drugs, it’s a challenge for parents to confront them about their problems. It’s much easier to deny the warning signs or to just wait for these young adults to seek out help; but, when kids are dying from drug overdoses, it’s reasonable for parents to worry and want to do more to prevent addiction from taking hold of their children.

In New Jersey and Ohio, a company called Sniff Dogs rents drug detection dogs to parents and employers to find any traces of illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, meth, heroin, and ecstasy. It’s one way for parents to find out if substances are present inside their home or if chemical residue from the drugs lingers on their child’s dirty laundry.

If the dogs find something or nothing at all, communication between the parent and child is priceless. Talking about drugs with kids or teens lays the foundation that they need to fend off the peer pressure or low self-esteem that can lead to drug abuse. If the child is already using or suffering from addiction, talking about the problem is the first step to getting help.

While drug sniffing dogs may be a discrete method for dealing with addiction at home for some families, it may not work well in all parent and child relationships. ABC News reported that some psychologists are highly critical of parents using drug dogs and other surveillance methods, because it implies a lack of trust on the parent’s behalf. Kids need to feel that they can go to their parents for help, but that is tough to accomplish without a mutual sense of trust and respect.

As a parent, would you consider using a service like this one to find out if your child is using drugs?