When a baby is in utero, drugs that the mother takes can pass through the placenta and reach the developing fetus. The placenta does not care if the drugs are legal, illegal, in large doses or small doses. It just filters whatever the mother ingests and passes most of it onto the baby. Some people may assume that if they are taking a drug approved by doctors that it can’t cause harm to them or their unborn child. This is a false assumption and it is important that all medications and supplements are doctor approved before a woman takes them during her pregnancy.

For many prescription drug addicts who get pregnant, there may be a false sense of security that because they aren’t using street drugs there is some margin of safety in their addiction, but hospitals across the nation are starting to see a surge in babies born addicted to their mothers’ prescription medications. The newborns must then go through withdrawals from the narcotics, a painful process known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Opioid medications such as Oxycodone, Percocet, and Vicodin are some of the most difficult for babies to withdraw from in their first days of life – and the most commonly seen addictions in newborns.

Dramatic Increases in Prescription Drug Addicted Babies in Tennessee

The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that between 55 percent and 94 percent of children exposed to addictive prescription drugs during pregnancy undergo obvious withdrawals. Tennessee is one of the states hardest hit by the prescription drug epidemic. In fact, one facility, the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, reports that almost 50 percent of all the babies in their neonatal intensive care unit undergo intense withdrawal symptoms from prescription drugs. These symptoms include:

· Constant high pitched crying

· Low threshold for agitation

· Sensitivity to lights and sounds

· Clenched muscles

· Seizures

Tennessee Foster Care System Flooded with Drug Exposed Babies

The prescription drug problem in Tennessee is accelerating at such a rapid rate that between 2010 and 2011 the number of babies entering the world facing NAS increased two-fold. This is causing issues for the state’s social workers that must decide which babies to remove from their biological parents and who can safely care for them. With the doubling of NAS cases in one year, it is no wonder the number of kids in foster care has also increased by 50 percent. Past the immediate worry of proper love and care during infancy, doctors worry about the long-term ramifications for these babies as they grow and may possibly face learning, developmental, and behavior challenges as a result of exposure to prescription drugs before birth.

What actions do you think could reduce the number of babies exposed to addictive medications during pregnancy? All your ideas and opinions are welcome below.

Aging is a natural process and it happens to everyone, no matter what. But we’ve long known that certain activities can increase the aging process – the appearance of the skin, the functionality of different body organs, et cetera. A new study out, however, says that chronic cocaine use can speed up the aging process of the brain, an issue that affects both quality of life and life span.

The Study

The University of Cambridge study published in the April 25 issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry used the brain scans from 60 people who were dependent upon cocaine and 60 people with no history of drug or alcohol abuse and determined that those who abused cocaine had a much higher degree of brain matter loss related to age than their healthy counterparts.

The rate of brain matter loss due to age was significantly higher among cocaine users: study participants lost an average of about 3.08 milliliters as compared to a loss of about 1.69 milliliters – almost twice as much.

Most of the brain loss occurred in the areas of the brain associated with memory, self regulation, attention, and decision making.

Dr. Karen Ersche works at the Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute at University of Cambridge where the study was conducted. She said in a news release: “As we age, we all lose gray matter. However, what we have seen is that chronic cocaine users lose gray matter at a significantly faster rate, which could be a sign of premature aging. Our findings therefore provide new insight into why the [mental] deficits typically seen in old age have frequently been observed in middle-aged chronic users of cocaine.”

Cocaine Abuse and Treatment

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that about 21 million people around the world abuse cocaine and about 1 percent of the population becomes dependent upon the drug. The risks of aging prematurely may be a deterrent to those who experiment with the drug, and learning more about the effects of the drug on the brain can increase the effectiveness of drug addiction treatment. Older drug users especially may feel the effects of the brain aging process of decades of abuse and their treatment may be improved if it reflects this new understanding of how cocaine abuse affects the body.

Women who are fighting cocaine abuse may be able to stop the premature aging process associated with the drug when they seek treatment. Contact us at The Orchid to find out how we can help.

Amanda Bynes may be the next in a string of child actors who have had difficulty making the leap from childhood stardom to adult actress. The comedic roles Bynes was known for as a child so far have not translated to more dramatic adult films, and at the ripe old age of 24, she announced on Twitter two years ago that she was retiring because she did not love acting. She renounced that claim in 2011 saying that she misspoke and really just needed some time off – and understandably so, since she’s been working since she was seven.

Choices that Sparked the Rumor Mill

However, in the two years since her original announcement, Bynes has made a string of questionable choices. She posted racy photos of herself on her Twitter account then talked about preferring one race to another sexually. In March of this year, she was stopped by police for talking on her cell phone – hardly even an offense by Hollywood starlet standards – however, she fled the scene, sparking speculation as to whether or not she had something in her car that she didn’t want police to see. Then just one month later, she was arrested after side swiping a police car while intoxicated.

Bynes Believed She was Sober Enough to Drive Herself After Dinner

As for the driving while intoxicated incident that culminated in an accident with a police car, Bynes claims that she did not drink much at the Standard Hotel that night before getting behind the wheel. Friends who were with her at the hotel also claim that she seemed completely fine and did not appear in any way to be drunk.

Unfortunately, many people believe themselves and others to be “fine” after drinking over dinner – and suffer fatal consequences as a result. Alcohol affects everyone differently and even the same person may have a different reaction from day to day depending on a variety of factors. Most experts say that one drink is too many to safely drive because it slows reflexes and response time.

Ultimately, Bynes was held overnight at the police station because police policy dictates that anyone who is intoxicated should be held until they can “safely take care of themselves.” In other words, you won’t be released until you are sober.

Lesson Learned: Don’t Try to Drive After Drinking

Only Bynes and those close to her know whether or not she is headed down a dangerous path of alcohol or drug abuse or if she has just made a few poor decisions as she struggles to transition fully into adulthood. Either way, if her mistakes can teach other young people how to stay safe when drinking then something positive can be gained from the experience.

If someone you care about is in need of drug or alcohol rehabilitation, give us a call. We can assist you in finding a treatment program that meets the needs of your whole family. Women in search of top notch drug and alcohol rehabilitation can find the services they need to heal here at The Orchid.

In Volusia County, Florida, Michael Lomangino, a pharmacist, has been charged with stealing prescription medications from the pharmacy that employed him and then reselling those pills on the black market. His accomplice, Allina Kirkland-Michaud, has been arrested as well. They were both caught when a sheriff’s deputy pulled them over and found more than 250 prescription pills as well as drug paraphernalia and a small amount of marijuana.

Police did a search of Lomangino’s home and found what was described as a “veritable home pharmacy.” In his house was a wide range of narcotic and sedative medications that included drugs like OxyContin, Valium, Xanax and others. All told, police pulled about 5700 pills, about $5000 in cash, and a handgun that was loaded out of Lomangino’s house.

For his part, Lomangino is denying little. According to Wesh.com, he confessed to taking some of the pills from his old employer, Steve’s Pharmacy.

Tim Jobson is the owner of Steve’s Pharmacy. He said that during the 10 years that Lomangino worked for him, he never once questioned his honesty or work ethic. And though he installed cameras in his store when pharmacies like his became the common target for prescription drug addicts, he says he didn’t have a clue what Lomangino was doing.

Said Jobson: “You really don’t know the nightmare I’m going through right at the moment. I find it extremely hard to believe that this has occurred and to the extent that I just found out. I would just never in a million, trillion years think that Michael would have done something like this.”

According to law enforcement, Kirkland-Michaud described Lomangino as a drug kingpin in the county. He was using some of the pills he got from Steve’s Pharmacy to feed the addiction of Kirkland-Michaud and selling other pills to buy more of Kirkland-Michaud’s drug of choice, roxycodone.

Some of the charges that the two will face include trafficking of both hydrocodone and oxycodone, possession of Schedule III and Schedule IV narcotics, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both are incarcerated with bail amounts set at more than half a million dollars.

The case is still under investigation as law enforcement determines the extent of Lomangino’s scam and whether or not he had more sources for pills than Steve’s Pharmacy.

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers thinks so. He recently wrote a report outlining all the problems related to medical marijuana and how access to legal marijuana for anyone has led to an epidemic of marijuana abuse among teenagers and young adults.

Medical Marijuana in Colorado

In Colorado, medical marijuana has been legal for 11 years under the Amendment 20 to the Colorado Constitution. More specifically, it removed the ability of law enforcement to enforce state marijuana laws against those who had a doctor’s approval to use the drug. Since that time, medical marijuana has taken on a life of its own. In the beginning, there were about 1700 patients with a medical marijuana card and a few people who grew small amounts of the drug for medical usage. Now, there are tens of thousands of patients using marijuana medicinally and hundreds of large-scale grow operations and marijuana dispensaries.

The Problem with Teen Marijuana Abuse

The biggest problem identified by Suthers as an issue in Colorado after the legalization of marijuana is not the development of marijuana addiction among patients legally smoking the drug or an increase in accidents under the influence.

As Suthers states: “We know from decades of experience that adolescent use of marijuana is a function of two things: accessibility and acceptability. Marijuana has always been highly accessible to adolescents, but medical marijuana dispensaries on every street corner have taken that to a new level. The majority of teenagers in marijuana addiction treatment indicate that marijuana patients are their primary source of the drug.”

Statistics of Marijuana Abuse in Colorado

According to Suthers, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports that 38.5 percent of Coloradoans between the ages of 12 and 25 smoke marijuana. That is 10 percent higher than the national average. Why is it so high? Suthers believes that it is because marijuana is perceived as a medically safe drug smoked without repercussions by many in addition to the fact that it is everywhere. It’s not hard for teens to locate a medical marijuana patient and either have them buy them some marijuana or just take it from them. With easy access to the drug and no fear of consequences, teens are abusing the drug and losing out on their potential in life.

Is someone you care about letting their life pass them by due to abuse of medical marijuana? Whether you live in Colorado or anywhere in the United States, we can help here at The Orchid. Call now for more information about our program.