The chemical methamphetamine hydrochloride is generally simply known as methamphetamine. Common street names for methamphetamine include crank, speed, meth, crystal meth, ice and crystal tea. It has been a popular drug of abuse for many years in its conventional, powdered form, which is usually snorted or injected. Methamphetamine differs from amphetamine in that, at comparable […]
I first answered Africa’s siren song in 1992, when I spent half of my junior year in college in Kenya and Tanzania. In 2008, I returned to Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia, where I started writing my doctoral dissertation in a tent on quiet afternoons. This year, I was invited to South Africa, to Cape Town […]
Marijuana continues to be the most commonly used illicit drug according to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) report. It is also the third most popular recreational drug in the United States, behind alcohol and tobacco. Upward of 24 million people have used marijuana, based on the latest estimates, with 14 […]
Addiction has generally been characterized as a chronic relapsing condition, causing physical or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, such as alcohol, or compulsive involvement in an activity, such as gambling. Current research data suggests that the lack of mindfulness may reinforce addictive behavior and furthermore, teaching mindfulness skills or practices may be one reason […]
Binge drinking is defined as consuming at least four drinks for women and five drinks for men in a single drinking session, at least once every 14 days on average. New research suggests that binge drinking at college is associated with high status and these drinkers are happier with their college social experience than their […]
South Africa, a giant in the global drug trade, is at breaking point with the number of child addicts reaching an all-time high. Research has found that substance abuse in South Africa is double that of the global average and ranked in the top 10 countries concerning the amount of alcohol being consumed each year. […]
Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are valuable tools in mitigating the abuse and diversion of prescription controlled substances from legitimate medical use to illicit use. Drug monitoring programs, the procedures and powers of which can vary significantly from state to state, all share a similar strategy: to require doctors, pharmacists or both to enter all […]
This past week, I presented a paper at the 2nd Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology. The paper was titled, “From Despondency to Hope: Ending Addiction for Good Using a Positive Psychological Approach.” Positive Psychology is a relatively new field of psychological research and intervention. The University of Pennsylvania describes positive psychology in this way: […]
Advocates of hallucinogens claim that substances that alter the conscious may be a key to treating mental illness and can be more effective than some prescription drugs. There has been a resurgence of interest in psychedelic research in the last few years with promising results. However, treatments using restricted Schedule 1 drugs like psilocybin are […]
An alarming number of young people are consuming alcohol nowadays, often binging on the weekends and combining drinking with drug experimentation. These risky behaviors are causing health problems with consequences that will have to be dealt with throughout their adult lives. I should know. I was once that teenage drinker turned alcoholic. As such, these […]