When the Drugs Don’t Work

A recent article in Reuters press raises the alarm – in a world that has become increasingly reliant upon drugs – what happens and what do we do when the drugs don’t work. In the fight against pain and disease, we have become reliant on drugs – modern medicine and hospital care are dependent upon antibiotics to keep sick people free of bacterial infections whilst being treated for other...

Crack Cocaine – Burning our Bridges

The latest news from the USA is that up to 12,000 prisoners may be released from jail, on average three years early, under the Fair Sentencing Act 2010 for crack cocaine offences. The move is said to address the issue of sentencing for crack cocaine offenders being more severe than jail terms imposed on people for cocaine offences. The penalties under the previous law, that was enacted in 1986, imposed high...

Drug Use Ontario – Have We Lost the Plot?

CAMH the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada has recently released the results of a 2009 survey, conducted about the population of Ontario, and found that people in Ontario are increasingly using alcohol and marijuana, with an increasing number of the population reporting that they have mental health problems. Cannabis use, for both males and females of all age groups, has risen to 13.3% in 2009, from...

Runaway Kids Canada – and Drugs

According to Interpol statistics are, for Canada, in 1999 – a total of 60,360 missing children in Canada – of which 47,585 were runaway kids. Provinces with the highest numbers of runaway kids were British Columbia and Ontario. According to research, children leave home to assert independence or to get away from an abusive situation. It is not a criminal offence to run away from home, but it is not a...

Oxy, Chili & Endorphins

Chili is one of the natural foods, of the Capsicum family, containing the phytochemical capsaicin, that has the ability to raise levels of endorphins in the body. Endorphins are endogenous chemicals that provide natural pain relief, in response to symptoms of pain and stress in the body.  Oxy is oxycodone, a manufactured opioid that is used for pain relief. It mimics the analgesic effects of endorphins and other...