Fourth- and fifth-grade students in one US school were caught smoking and inhaling candy. The children’s fake drugs of choice were Fun Dip, a flavored sugar powder, and Smarties, which can be crushed into a similar powdery consistency. The principal responded by sending a letter home to parents, warning that while the candy may not
Keep ReadingAs teens head back to school, it’s a good time to remind parents to be aware of trends in drug and alcohol abuse among students – even when it comes to the misuse of legal drugs. Mixing substances is also a dangerous practice that high school and college kids are doing without always being aware
Keep ReadingCollege is a time of experimentation, but there are some things you don’t need to try for yourself to know they’re dangerous. As parents drop their kids off at the dorms this fall, they need to be aware of a new trend that could put them at risk. Mixing energy drinks and alcohol – both
Keep ReadingIt’s a story that has spawned hundreds of tabloid reports, a gruesome new tourist destination, tales of zombie attacks, and dozens of punch lines for late-night talk show hosts and comedians. But the attack on a homeless man in Miami that included the alleged attacker chewing on his elderly victim’s face is a bizarre tragedy
Keep ReadingWhile each generation of recreational drug users feels they invented the behavior, the substances they’re ingesting are rarely new. In fact, the use of hallucinogens dates back at least 2,500 years. On islands in the Lesser Antilles, archaeologists have discovered ancient bowls used for huffing hallucinogens. Other cultures also have long histories of using mind-altering
Keep ReadingEither you’re an alcoholic or you aren’t, right? There are very specific, detailed, clinical criteria that define alcoholism, and if you meet those, then you fit the diagnosis. It seems fairly cut and dried, but new research has uncovered another group: the “almost alcoholic.” Before you write it off as a trend or just a
Keep ReadingRecent news of a brutal attack in Miami that has been attributed to the use of bath salts has many showing new interest in these dangerous synthetic drugs. A naked Florida man with only a minor arrest record was reportedly found chewing on the face of an elderly homeless man. When police arrived, he growled
Keep ReadingTaking prescribed medication used to be serious business. You went to the doctor when something was wrong and a medical professional suggested a medication for that malady. They had weird names you’d never heard of before, but you obediently headed to the pharmacy and followed the directions. Today, thanks to DTC (direct-to-consumer) drug advertising, the
Keep ReadingChances are you’ve taken acetaminophen in the past year. After all, it’s a common medication found in a host of popular over-the-counter products, including cold and flu medications. While these seem harmless (they’re available over the counter, after all!), acetaminophen overdose is currently the leading cause of liver failure in the US. The problem isn’t
Keep ReadingWhen it comes to alcohol, we often talk about the dangers of bingeing and how indulging can lead to blackouts, alcohol poisoning and the destruction of brain cells. Recent findings may be surprising, though, because it shows that alcohol use — even when used to the point of blackout intoxication — doesn’t actually kill brain
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