overdose
Overdose describes the ingestion of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced, and can lead to death. Drug overdoses are sometimes intentional, as in committing suicide, but many drug overdoses are accidental and are usually the result of either irresponsible behavior or the misreading of product labels. It often happens as a result of the use of multiple drugs (such as combining heroin or certain prescription pain medications with cocaine, amphetamines, or alcohol.) Substances that commonly cause overdose are alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opioids, stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine, and drug “cocktails” such as heroin and cocaine together.
Posted under Celebrity Addiction
Singer Amy Winehouse Dead at 27
Grammy Award-winning soul-jazz diva Amy Winehouse was found dead in her North London flat July 23. She was just 27 years old.
Unique in the music world, Winehouse, with her beehive of black hair, thickly lined cat eyes, and old-fashioned sailor tattoos, had inspired singers like America’s Lady Gaga and Britain’s Adele and Duffy. Continue Reading
Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction
Unintentional Overdoses Major Cause of Death
Many people begin to use painkillers prescribed by a doctor to relieve an injury or medical condition. Many prescription painkillers, such as methadone and OxyContin, are very easily addictive, and as the patient builds up a tolerance, they put their lives in danger.
Posted under Addiction News
Los Angeles Coliseum Hosts Dangerous Raves
There are raves, and then there are RAVES. When we think of raves, we typically think of a house party with minimal lighting, loud, pulsing music, psychedelic colors, and some mind-altering substances.
Posted under Drug Crime
Tainted Drugs Suspected in Death Caused at Rave
A 23-year-old man from Santa Clara died on Saturday, May 29, 2010 after attending a rave in Daly City, CA where he possibly ingested tainted drugs. The rave, known as “Pop 2010: The Dream,” is a large annual event held at the Cow Palace arena and attracts thousands of gatherers each year. This year’s event drew more than 16,500 attendees. The rave is a well-known location where drugs such as MDMA—also known as Ecstasy—are illegally sold and used by attendees while they dance for extended periods of time inside confined and poor ventilated environments. Nearly a dozen other attendees were hospitalized with life-threatening symptoms early Sunday morning. Five remained in critical condition as of Monday. Police are now investigating the man’s death as possible homicide.
Posted under Celebrity Addiction
Corey Haim’s Death Linked to Illegal Prescription Drug Ring
Corey Haim’s death is linked to an "illegal and massive prescription-drug ring," California Attorney General Jerry Brown said Friday. Alan Duke of CNN.com reports that Brown’s office is investigating "an unauthorized prescription under the former child star’s name that was found during an ongoing investigation of fraudulent prescription-drug pads ordered from a vendor in San Diego."
Posted under Celebrity Addiction
Corey Haim Spoke About Drug Addiction in 2007
Corey Haim made no secret of his past battles with drug addiction and his multiple stays in rehabilitation centers over the years. Now that the ’80s star has died of an apparent drug overdose at the age of 38, MTV News went back into their archives to an August 2007 interview during which Haim spoke honestly and insightfully about his struggles with substance abuse and the day he finally got clean. "They built rehabs because of me," he said during the interview in MTV’s New York newsroom.
Posted under Club Drugs
Ecstasy Fatalities Increasing
Youth and healthy individuals are increasingly dying from ecstasy use. A new release in Science Daily highlights a paper by a University of Hertfordshire academic which reports that ecstasy-related death rates in young users is cause for concern.
Lead author on this paper is Professor Fabrizio Schifano at the University’s School of Pharmacy. Schifano and his colleagues reviewed stimulant-related deaths from the np-SAD database and from the British Crime Survey 2001-2007 results. In this review, the researchers found 832 amphetamine and methylamphetamine-related deaths and 605 ecstasy-related deaths.
The element of higher concern identified the fact that the fatalities from ecstasy during that period
Posted under Public Policy
Save a Life: Get an Overdose Rescue Kit
Most of us have first-aid kits in our homes, offices, and cars-the vast majority of these kits go unused, but knowing it’s there in case of emergency is reassuring. So why not make the same safety tools available for those who may overdose on drugs? Many people, including public health workers across the nation, are preventing thousands of deaths by having overdose rescue kits on hand. These $9.50 kits contain a vial of naloxone, or Narcan, a non-addictive nasal spray that blocks the brain receptors that are activated by heroin, instantly reversing an overdose.
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