30.6.13

Youths who drink or use pot more prone to head injury

Youths who drink or use pot more prone to head injury
School survey reveals effects of drug, alcohol use
By Sharon Kirkey, Postmedia News,  June 26, 2013
Alcohol and drugs can damage a teen’s brain in more ways than people think.

A new study has found that youths who said they frequently consume booze or pot were up to five times more likely than abstinent youths to report having suffered at least one traumatic brain injury that left them unconscious for at least five minutes or hospitalized overnight.

Overall, the survey of nearly 9,000 Ontario high school students found that, in general, one in five teens said that they had had a brain injury at some time in their lives. ....click "Read More" below to continue....

24.6.13

Smoking Pot In Teen Years Lowers IQ Later

Tia Ghose, LiveScience Contributor. Date: 27 August 2012 
Teens who smoke marijuana see their IQs drop as adults, and deficits persist even after quitting, according to a new study.

"The findings are consistent with speculation that cannabis use in adolescence, when the brain is undergoing critical development, may have neurotoxic effects," study researcher Madeline Meier of Duke University said in a statement.

The study followed 1,037 New Zealand children for 25 years. Subjects took IQ tests at age 13, before any of them had smoked marijuana, and again at age 38. Throughout the study, participants also answered several surveys about their drug use....click "Read More" below to continue....

Chronic Cannabis Use May Cause Brain Inflammation

By Rachael Rettner, LiveScience Senior Writer, LiveScience.com – June 23, 2013
Chronic marijuana use may cause inflammation in the brain that leads to problems with coordination and learning, a new study in animals suggests.

The study also teased out why this brain inflammation leads to motor and learning problems, and found a surprising answer — cannabis activates immune cells that appear to play a critical role in how a brain region called the cerebellum works....click "Read More" below to continue....

Parents can help kids stay away from drugs

Published: June 24, 2013
Drs. Oz & Roizen's Tip of the Day:

The list of movies aimed at kids that show (supposedly) loveable stars who use drugs is long and well-known: There's "Cheech and Chong," "Harold & Kumar" and the entire "Hangover" series.

Helping teens stay away from recreational drugs is a big job and one that, unfortunately, some parents don't feel they're up to or don't feel they have the clout to make a difference.

That's info from a new survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration after talking with more than 67,000 Americans over the age of 12.

The upshot: 22 percent of parents don't think what they say about drug use will change how their children act.

But research shows that nothing could be further from the truth. Among kids who feel their parents strongly disapprove of marijuana use, only 5 percent are willing to risk it; but more than 30 percent of kids whose parents don't make their anti-drug message clear are willing to experiment with pot.

Mom and Dad, you are the health guides in all areas - from drugs to doughnuts to sleep.

When you don't just talk the talk, but walk the walk (we love families who get walking together, aiming for 10,000 steps a day), you are amazingly influential.

So gather your kids around (even those teenagers), plan a family meal, schedule regular family walks and set aside time for conversations about the importance of a healthful lifestyle for better grades, higher self-esteem and a brighter future. 
Mehmet Oz, M.D., is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D., is chief medical officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. To live your healthiest, visit sharecare.com. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/06/24/2629040/parents-can-help-kids-stay-away.html#storylink=cpy

14.6.13

"Medical marijuana" bypasses evidence requirements for drugs

Ottawa tables final rules for medical marijuana
"Physicians and pharmacists alike questioned the regulatory changes, saying there is little evidence that medical marijuana is either effective or safe."
By Staff, The Canadian Press,  June 10, 2013, 12:39 pm
OTTAWA – After two years of study and discussion, the federal government has finalized new rules for medical marijuana and granted a reprieve to pharmacists who opposed the rules in their draft form.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq rolled out the regulations today for formal publication in the Canada Gazette on Wednesday.

Under the new regime, the government will no longer produce or distribute medical pot and medical marijuana users will no longer be allowed to grow the product at home.

Health Canada said since the medical marijuana program was introduced in 2001, it has expanded to 30,000 people from the original 500 authorized to use the product.

“This rapid increase has had unintended consequences for public health, safety and security as a result of allowing individuals to produce marijuana in their homes,” the department said in a news release ....click "Read More" below to continue....

10.6.13

Stoned equipment operator killed six

Equipment operator accused of being high on pot before deadly Philly building collapse turns self in
By Maryclaire Dale, Michael Rubinkam and Kathy Matheson, The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — A heavy equipment operator accused of being high on marijuana when a downtown building collapsed onto a thrift store, killing six people, turned himself in on Saturday to face charges in the deaths, police said.

A warrant had been issued for the arrest of Sean Benschop on six counts of involuntary manslaughter, 13 counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of risking a catastrophe.

Authorities believe the 42-year-old Benschop had been using an excavator Wednesday when the remains of the four-storey building gave way and toppled onto an attached Salvation Army thrift store, killing two employees and four customers and injuring 13 others.

Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison told The Associated Press on Friday evening that a toxicology report showed evidence that Benschop was high on marijuana. That finding, combined with witness statements and evidence from the scene, led to the decision Friday to raid his North Philadelphia home and later seek an arrest warrant, he said.....click "Read More" below to continue....