Posted on 07/05/2003 4:39:53 PM PDT by FairOpinion
London - The increasing use of cannabis by adolescents is threatening the mental health of a generation because of the drug's capacity to trigger psychosis, a leading psychiatrist has warned.
Robin Murray, a professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, said growing evidence linking cannabis with mental disorder had failed to curb use of the drug. One study suggested cannabis users were at seven times higher risk of developing mental problems.
"In the past 18 months, a number of studies have confirmed that cannabis consumption increases later risk of schizophrenia," he told the Royal College of Psychiatrists annual conference in Edinburgh. "This research must not be ignored."
As Murray delivered his warning, doctors at the British Medical Association's annual conference rejected by a large majority calls for cannabis and other recreational drugs to be legalised.
'Prohibition does not work' Connie Fozzard, a retired surgeon, told the conference legalisation would help to cut crime.
"Prohibition does not work," she said. "Just look at the experience of the United States when it tried to ban alcohol. What arose out of that was Al Capone and armed gangs - and that is what happening now in this country."
Speaking at the psychiatrists' conference in Edinburgh, Murray said research suggested cannabis might interact with a genetic vulnerability in some people, sufficient to push them over the edge.
His review of research in Sweden, Holland and New Zealand found that cannabis use was higher among psychotic patients than the broader population. It had been thought that patients took the drug to counter the negative symptoms of the illness, but Murray said this had been ruled out by more recent research.
A Dutch study of 4 000 people found that those taking large amounts of cannabis were almost seven times more likely to have psychotic symptoms three years later.
'Just look at the experience of the United States when it tried to ban alcohol' A study in 1987 of 50 000 Swedish conscripts found that those who admitted at age 18 to having used cannabis on more than 50 occasions were six times more likely to develop schizophrenia in the following 15 years.
Research in New Zealand found that those who used cannabis at age 15 were four-and-a-half times at higher risk of developing psychosis by the age of 26.
Murray said the results held even when initial personality was taken into account. He concluded that the impact of cannabis on the mental health of young people "may not be negligible" and that reducing use among the young "may help to avoid some cases of psychosis".
The findings come as the British government prepares to downgrade cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug next year so there will be a lesser penalty for possession. Most people caught in possession of a small amount will have it confiscated and receive a reprimand or warning.
A Home Office spokesperson said the intention was to free police time to concentrate on Class A drugs such as heroin.
This article was originally published on page 2 of The Cape Times on July 04, 2003
http://alcoholism.about.com/library/sa/blheroinfaq05.htm
One of the most detrimental long-term effects of heroin is addiction itself. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and by neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain. Heroin also produces profound degrees of tolerance and physical dependence, which are also powerful motivating factors for compulsive use and abuse.
As with abusers of any addictive drug, heroin abusers gradually spend more and more time and energy obtaining and using the drug. Once they are addicted, the heroin abusers' primary purpose in life becomes seeking and using drugs. The drugs literally change their brains. Physical dependence develops with higher doses of the drug. With physical dependence, the body adapts to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced abruptly. Withdrawal may occur within a few hours after the last time the drug is taken.
Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"), and leg movements. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 24 and 48 hours after the last dose of heroin and subside after about a week.
However, some people have shown persistent withdrawal signs for many months. Heroin withdrawal is never fatal to otherwise healthy adults, but it can cause death to the fetus of a pregnant addict.
At some point during continuous heroin use, a person can become addicted to the drug. Sometimes addicted individuals will endure many of the withdrawal symptoms to reduce their tolerance for the drug so that they can again experience the rush.
Physical dependence and the emergence of withdrawal symptoms were once believed to be the key features of heroin addiction. We now know this may not be the case entirely, since craving and relapse can occur weeks and months after withdrawal symptoms are long gone.
We also know that patients with chronic pain who need opiates to function (sometimes over extended periods) have few if any problems leaving opiates after their pain is resolved by other means. This may be because the patient in pain is simply seeking relief of pain and not the rush sought by the addict.
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse
(Much irrelevance snipped)
"Profoundest" drug? Ok.....
The point, since you seemed to have missed it, is that despite his addictions, he somehow still managed to contribute to the betterment and welfare of those less fortunate than himself. Simply characterizing him as a junky is woefully shortsighted.
One of the demons of the sea in Tahitian cosmology.
On this thread on this forum, Garcia was diabetic and died of all around "system failure". He died in a rehab. center. Soon you will be lauding Kurt Kobain as a "for the children" advocate.
Now I will leave you alone to your hostility.
Ah, you enjoy non-sequitors, I see.
On this thread on this forum, Garcia was diabetic and died of all around "system failure". He died in a rehab. center. Soon you will be lauding Kurt Kobain as a "for the children" advocate.
Yes, he died in a rehab center. No one is disputing that. As for Kobain, why would anyone praise him for something he didn't do?
Now I will leave you alone to your hostility.
If you can't stand the heat, ignore the facts. Brilliant.
Either that, or help breed crack tolerant hominids....
Duuudes! Still bumming that Jerry ain't truckin' no more? Us too. 8-9-95 was a totally rough day. You know what though? You can still feel Jerry's magic - right here on this Web site. Yeah! So crank up the rad tunes, rip a few tubes and join us for a very special reenactment of the most rockingest autopsy of all time!!
No, on second thought, make that an fascination with non-sequitors.
Good luck with that whole comprehension thing. Hope it works out for you.
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