Does Narcan Help With Fentanyl

Watch the Fahrenheit With Your Fentanyl

Fentanyl is an opiate (narcotic) pain reliever typically prescribed to people for severe, ongoing pain or after surgery. This medication is 50 times stronger than heroin and, needless to say, it can be very addictive. Fentanyl can be delivered in ...

Ruthless Drug Dealer Ordered to Pay for His Client’s Funeral

Opioid abuse is killing thousands of Americans each year. Every day, nearly 100 lives are lost to the opioid epidemic. Many of these fatalities are caused by a deadly drug that's secretly added to baggies of heroin (or cocaine) as a cheap way for ...

Trafficking Statistics

Drug abuse is a major problem in the United States, and individuals seeking to abuse drugs generally have little trouble finding those substances. Abuse of prescription and nonprescription opioids continues to be the public health crisis of our ...

Drugs A-Z

What Is Acamprosate? Acamprosate is thought to help recovering alcoholics stay sober by balancing inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission. Acamprosate may be combined with behavioral therapy to decrease a person's chances of relapse and ...

9 Mind-Blowing Facts About W-18

Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse than fentanyl … The street-drug market has a new player - and it's even deadlier than previous killers. W-18 won't deliver a great high; it will, however, deliver death. Introducing W-18 Here are ...

AmeRxica’s Most Medicated

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 54 million people have used prescription medication non-medically - effectively more than 20 percent of the population aged 12 and older. When our doctor puts pen to paper and hands us a ...

Russian Roulette: The Hidden Dangers of Cutting Agents in Cocaine and Heroin

In the United States, more than 47,000 people die from drug overdoses every year . To make matters worse, drug deaths have recently surpassed both automobile and firearm accidents as the leading cause of accidental death in the country. There's no ...

Record-Breaking Number of Overdoses Traced Back to Bad Heroin

A dangerous batch of heroin circulating throughout the city of Chicago has caused a record-breaking 74 overdoses in the span of just three days. When the numbers began to climb at such an astonishing rate, medical professionals began to suspect a ...

Introducing the Drug That Can Kill With a Single Dose

Just when we'd thought we'd heard it all, an even more lethal drug concoction popped up on our radar. It's just the latest killer in the opioid epidemic ravaging our country. Dubbed “gray death” by authorities, this high-potency cocktail is ...

Let's Talk About the Elephant Tranquilizer in the Room

It's 10,000 times more potent than morphine. It's 100 times more powerful than fentanyl . What is it? Carfentanil. Designed as a tranquilizer for elephants, this deadly substance has made its way into our nation's illegal drug market. It's often ...

Cocaine Overdose Symptoms, Signs, Prevention, and Addiction Treatment

Cocaine overdose can be a serious concern for anyone who uses cocaine. This article will help you understand what a cocaine overdose is, cocaine overdose effects, and potential risk factors for cocaine overdose. We will also discuss what you can do ...

Common Street Names for Drugs

People actively misusing legal or illicit substances use slang terms for many reasons—ranging from avoiding detection by law enforcement to ensuring privacy in written and verbal communication. If you suspect that someone you love is misusing ...

Opioids: Side Effects, Signs of Abuse, and Addiction Treatment

Opioids are substances that are known for their pain-relieving effects. They include both legal and some illegal substances that may have the potential for misuse, which can potentially lead to dependence and/or addiction. 1 If you or someone you ...

Cocaine Addiction Side Effects, Symptoms, Withdrawal, and Treatment

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug that comes in the form of a white powder which is commonly snorted, smoked, or injected. 1 Its popularity as a recreational substance is in part due to its perceived positive effects on mood, ...

Famous Drug Abusers

Drug and Alcohol Addiction: A Disease that Touches Everyone According to data from the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 22.7 million Americans need treatment for a drug or alcohol problem. And though it may sound cliché, ...

Methadone Overdose Symptoms, Prevention, and Addiction Treatment

Methadone is a long-acting opioid agonist that works by reducing the effects of other opioids. 1 It is FDA-approved for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), and it can be used on a short-term or long-term basis to help reduce opioid-related ...

Could This Inexpensive Medication Reduce Your Withdrawal Symptoms?

Withdrawal. It's a huge hurdle on the path to recovery. Those struggling to leave opioids behind know they'll eventually have to face the intimidating mental and physical effects of withdrawal. It's a powerful and frightening thought. Some of the ...

Three Lethal Drug Combinations That Can Kill You

We all know that certain drugs can cause dangerous interactions when taken together, but some people either don't take the threat seriously or they're simply uninformed when it comes to specific chemicals and substances. Most Dangerous Drug ...

Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehab Programs

Many prescription medications have the potential to become drugs of abuse if they are misused. Misuse of prescription drugs means taking them other than as prescribed. This includes taking a larger dose, using them more frequently, or taking them ...

Addiction Self-Assessment Quizzes for Drugs and Alcohol

Use the following self-assessment quizzes to better understand common signs, symptoms, and behavioral changes related to substance misuse and addiction. The questions used in the following self-assessments are based on the diagnostic criteria ...

Injecting Drugs: 9 Hidden Dangers

Did you know that injecting drugs into your body can increase your risk for a number of health problems? Additionally, did you know that injection-related injuries not only include bruising, scarring, and venous injury, but also infectious diseases ...

Amphetamine Addiction Signs, Symptoms, Effects, and Treatment

Amphetamines are prescription medications or illegal substances that are also known as stimulants, as they speed up your metabolism and increase your alertness. When legally prescribed, they are typically used to treat attention-deficit ...

How to Help a Tramadol Addict

Help for Tramadol Addiction If you have been struggling with an addiction to tramadol, or you know someone who has, finding the proper treatment program is essential. Treatment for addiction can restore your quality of life. Regardless of how long ...

How to Help Someone With Valium Addiction

How to Help Someone Addicted to Valium If you are addicted to Valium—a sedative-hypnotic drug—you don't have to fight your addiction alone. Treatment programs give people with addictions all the support they need to recover. Regardless of how ...

How to Help an Oxycodone Addict

Oxycodone is an opioid pain reliever prescribed to people experiencing moderate or severe pain. Due to the drug's ability to act on the opioid receptors in the body (and for extended periods, with some formulations) oxycodone is a highly useful ...

Methadone for Addiction Treatment

Methadone is a highly effective treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) when taken correctly and under the supervision of a medical practitioner. 1 Methadone can reduce or eliminate withdrawal symptoms and cravings to use opioids, and studies show ...

Here’s What You Need to Know About Pink

After a simple search online, Ryan Ainsworth and Grant Seaver ordered a bag of U-47700, a.ka. “ pink .” The powder arrived from Shanghai at their friend's house, as planned. What happened next was not planned. The two 13-year-old best friends ...

Prescription Opioid Addiction: Pain Medication Side Effects and Treatment

What Are Prescription Painkillers? Prescription painkillers are medications used to treat moderate-to-severe pain after surgery or injury and specific medical conditions like cancer. 1 Prescription opioids have also become increasingly accepted as ...

The Rise of Drug Deaths in America

This year, drug overdose deaths surpassed firearm deaths for the first time, making the issue of addiction and drug abuse an even greater concern for Americans . The public is aware of the numbers associated with overdose deaths; however, big ...

Mixing Alcohol With Drugs

Mixing alcohol with prescription drugs or illicit drugs (known as polysubstance use), can have dangerous health effects that many people may not realize. Since alcohol is such a commonly used substance, it's even more important to understand how it ...

How to Help an Alprazolam Addict

Help for Alprazolam Addicts Alprazolam—marketed under the brand name Xanax —is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety and panic disorders . Similar to the effects of alcohol, alprazolam works by depressing brain functions . Abuse of this drug ...

I’m Having Opiate Withdrawals – Am I Addicted?

Shelly's knee surgery went great. The doctor said she'd be running again in no time. Before she'd be ready for her next 5K, she'd have to endure some fairly intense pain and a lot of physical therapy. While in the hospital, Shelly received regular ...

MDMA (Ecstasy) Abuse While Pregnant

Ecstasy is an illicit drug that is frequently abused among young adults. This drug, whose chemical name is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA for short, is structurally similar to amphetamine and has both stimulant and hallucinogenic ...

Snorting Heroin Side Effects, Dangers, and Addiction Treatment

Heroin is a highly addictive Schedule I controlled drug. Heroin has a long history—it was first synthesized (as diacetylmorphine) in 1874 from morphine. Paradoxically, heroin was originally marketed as a safer and non-addictive form of morphine. ...

Concurrent Alcohol and Heroin Abuse

Dangers of Abusing Alcohol and Heroin The dangerous combination of alcohol and heroin gets widespread publicity every year from tragedies that remind the public how alcohol amplifies the already powerful effects of heroin on the central nervous ...

How to Help an Oxycontin Addict

OxyContin is a dangerous drug when not used properly, and it's easy to fall into the trap of addiction. Fortunately, there is help out there for anyone who is addicted to the substance, and it's never been easier to get help. How to Approach an ...

How to Help an Opiate Addict

Help for Opiate Addicts Opiates are some of the most abused drugs in America, with prescription opiates accounting for up to 5.1 million cases of addiction. Around 210 million doses of opiates, including morphine , OxyContin , and Vicodin , were ...

How to Help a Steroid Addict

Help for Steroid Addicts People who are addicted to steroids may need professional help to stop taking the drugs. While the dependency that develops as a result of their use may be different from that of other, more commonly abused substances, ...

How to Help a Painkillers Addict

Help for Painkiller Addicts Painkillers are routinely prescribed in the United States for the management of pain , but not all of them are addictive. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often prescribed for the treatment of mild to ...

How to Help a Methadone Addict

Help for Methadone Addicts Methadone is an opioid drug; however, it is beneficial in the treatment of heroin dependence and other forms of opiate abuse. While it is regularly used in the management of opioid dependence, methadone itself is ...

How to Help a Lorazepam Addict

Lorazepam addiction can be extremely dangerous. Fortunately, a multitude of programs exist for those suffering to find help. How to Approach a Lorazepam-Addicted Loved One Few things are more difficult than watching a friend or family member suffer ...

Effects of Cocaine Use: Short-Term, Long-Term, Side Effects, and Treatment Programs

Cocaine is a Schedule II illegal stimulant drug that is highly addictive. It is often used recreationally, and there is a range of dangers associated with the use of cocaine. This page will talk about: What cocaine is and how it is used. Cocaine's ...

How to Help an Ativan Addict

If you struggle with an addiction to a drug like Ativan, it is important to remember that you don't have to fight your battle alone . Finding a rehab facility that offers Ativan addiction help is not difficult. In fact, it's as easy as calling a ...

Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs and Addiction Treatment Programs

For some time now, the abuse of illicit substances such as marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin has been a persistent national problem. In more recent years, however, our country has seen an alarming rise in prescription drug abuse . ...

How Concerned Should We Be About Opiates?

Opiates are a group of drugs that manage pain by depressing the central nervous system (CNS). There are two different kinds of opiates: natural and synthetic. Natural opiates come from the dried “milk” of the poppy plant and include opium, ...

12 of the Most Addictive Drugs

Addiction affects millions of lives in the U.S. It is a chronic disease that frequently includes cycles of relapse and remission, and it is progressive without treatment or participation in recovery work. It is characterized by being unable to ...

Drug Abuse Help

Drug abuse help is available for everyone. Whether it is for yourself or someone close to you, there is a drug abuse help center with a program to suit you. Our website provides confidential help, free of charge and provides you with a team of ...

Are We Creating a Generation of Addicts With ADHD Medication?

During his freshman year, Jack's grades started slipping. He found it hard to keep up. He knew several classmates who used uppers for extra boosts when they needed them. In hopes of finding an endless supply of energy (and improving his grades), ...

How to Help an Inhalant Addict

What Is Inhalant Abuse? Inhalant abuse can be defined as the intentional inhalation of vapors through sniffing or huffing from chemical products to become intoxicated, or achieve a high. These chemical products are commonly found in everyday ...

How to Help Someone With Marijuana Addiction

Marijuana continues to be the most widely abused illicit drug. The increased state-level legality of marijuana may be promoting perceptions of lower risks and higher benefits among high school students. In recent surveying, one third of 10 th ...

What Is Addiction? Drug Abuse Information and Treatment Help

Addiction is defined as a chronic, yet treatable medical disease that is characterized by the repeated, uncontrollable use of substances. When a person has an addiction, they continue using alcohol, medications, or illicit drugs regardless of the ...

Addiction is an Emotional Disease With Far-Reaching Effects…

Spouses, family members, friends, and coworkers are often flooded with emotions as they watch someone they care deeply about struggle in the grip of addiction. But here's something you may not realize: many of the emotions a loved one feels are the ...

Are You Helping Or Enabling? 7 Ways to Spot the Difference

There's no doubt that loving an addict is hard. It's natural for you to want your loved ones to succeed rather than suffer. While reaching out to help a loved one in need is certainly not a bad thing, there's a fine line between helping and ...

Snorting Ritalin Side Effects, Dangers, and Addiction Help

What Does Ritalin Do? Ritalin is sold as both an immediate-release and an extended-release medication. 2 Extended-release Ritalin is designed to gradually release methylphenidate into the bloodstream throughout the day, rather than all at once. ...

Understanding Teen Alcoholism and Finding Teen Alcohol Treatment Help

Facing teen alcoholism can be difficult for any family. Even when the teen who is abusing alcohol is ready and willing to accept help, the battle can be tough. If the family needs to stage an intervention in order to get the teen to accept help, it ...

Suboxone Debate: What Is the Big Problem with Buprenorphine?

When it comes to this nation's chemical dependence, few drugs have achieved the notoriety and reputation of opioid drugs. In fact, things have spiraled so far out of control that opiate addiction is now considered an epidemic. Despite leaving a ...

Workplace Adderall Abuse: 9 Signs It’s Time to Get Help

Colleges and universities across the country are struggling to tackle the huge rise in students using ADHD drugs like Adderall as study aid , but the problem doesn't magically disappear after graduation. Businesses across the country are finding ...

The 20 Countries With the Harshest Drug Laws in the World

United States drug laws are often considered harsh, but the penalties for carrying or trafficking drugs in other countries, particularly those in Central America, South America, and Southeast Asia, can be much more severe. Here are 20 countries in ...

7 Not-So-Subtle Signs That a Friend Is Struggling With Alcoholism

I have a girlfriend I'm worried about—let's call her Candace. She chugs cocktails, can't hold down a job, and causes drunken scenes like it's nobody's business. She wears the pain on her face and you can feel anger wafting off of her from across ...

Do I Have to Hit Rock Bottom Before I Get Help?

No! Hitting rock bottom is not a prerequisite to seeking help for substance abuse; help is available whenever you are ready for it. Unfortunately, statistics show that many people who are struggling with substance abuse will not seek help until they ...

How to Help a PCP Addict

What Is PCP? PCP, or phencyclidine—commonly called “angel dust” —was developed in the 1950s as an intravenously administered anesthetic. PCP is no longer approved for medical use, and it is now only found on the illicit market. Most ...

My Teen Son Is an Alcoholic. How Can I Help Him?

If you are living at home with a teen who has become an alcoholic, you have many options for helping your child. Until they are 18, you have guardianship powers and can make many medical decisions for your child, and hospitals will recognize your ...

How to Help a Hash Addict

How to Approach a Hash Addict It is extremely difficult to watch loved ones or close friends with any type of addiction continue to engage in potentially destructive behaviors. Many struggle with whether to confront their loved one and how to go ...

How to Help a Dextroamphetamine Addict

How to Approach an Addict If someone in your life is struggling with an addiction to dextroamphetamine, you may be experiencing a lot of emotions, such as fear, concern, anger, and frustration. You may be willing to try anything to get them into ...

How to Help an Ambien Addict

Ambien is a brand name for zolpidem , a medication prescribed for the management of insomnia . A few other formulations of the same medication with differing delivery methods are marketed under the names: Edluar and Intermezzo —Sublingual zolpidem ...

How to Help a Loved One With Dilaudid Addiction

How to Approach a Dilaudid Addict Helping a loved one with a Dilaudid addiction can be incredibly challenging. It is important to be supportive and helpful without enabling your loved one to continue using. Some tips from the National Council on ...

Help, I’ve Been Arrested for DUI – What Can I Do to Stay Out of Jail?

If you've been arrested for a DUI, you might be in a lot of trouble. One factor that will affect whether or not you stay out of jail will be how much you had to drink at the time of your arrest. Complying with instructions and requests from the ...

How to Get Help for Dexedrine Abuse

How to Approach an Addict If someone close to you is struggling with an addiction to Dexedrine ( dextroamphetamine ), you may be feeling very worried about their health and well-being. It is common to feel unsure of how to express your concern when ...

How to Help Someone With Desoxyn Addiction

You may be surprised to learn that Desoxyn is actually methamphetamine. It is the only remaining marketed pharmaceutical containing methamphetamine. 1 Stimulant abuse is a major problem in the U.S. More than 1.6 million people in the U.S. admitted ...

How to Help Someone Addicted to Cocaine

Knowing how to help a friend, family member, peer, or coworker with an addiction to cocaine is difficult. Addiction can take a serious toll on relationships, making a conversation about addiction treatment even more challenging. While this type of ...

How to Help a Clonazepam Addict

Help for Clonazepam Addicts Clonazepam (brand name: Klonopin ) is a prescription tranquilizer used to treat seizures and panic disorders. It falls within the class of drugs known as benzodiazepines , which are known for their sedating effects. ...

How to Help a Peyote Addict

Where Does Peyote Come From? The psychoactive drug peyote is a variety of cactus that grows in the southwestern region of the United States and Mexico. The top of this cactus features small discs, often called “buttons,” which contain a ...

Dealing with Roxicodone Addiction

The risk of addiction is not limited to the use of illicit substances like heroin or cocaine. Legal drugs have the potential to cause devastating addiction, as well, even if they were initially legitimately prescribed. The Substance Abuse and Mental ...

Dealing with Troubled Teens: A 7-Step Guide for Parents

When we first become parents, we hear so much about the “terrible twos,” defined by some as “a period in a child's early social development that is associated with defiant or unruly behavior.” While two-year-olds may indeed be a handful, ...

How to Help a Percocet Addict

Help for Percocet Addicts If you're battling an addiction to Percocet (the combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone - an opiate-derived pain reliever ), you're not alone. According to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately ...

Drug and Alcohol Use with Diabetes

The Rise of Tramadol: Exploring the Dangers and Conversations Around This Opioid

Tramadol, also known as Ultram, is a prescription opioid medication used for the treatment of postoperative pain, cancer-associated pain, and chronic pain conditions. While Tramadol is similar to other prescription opioid pain relievers such as ...

Commonly Abused Drugs | Examples of Drugs That Are Abused

Find Drug or Alcohol Addiction Treatment Programs If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help is available and recovery is possible. Treatment can start anyone battling a substance use problem on the path to a healthier and happier ...

Political Parties on Drug Use

A recent Pew Research Center survey indicated that 86 percent of Americans believe the country is more politically divided than ever before. Polarized viewpoints surrounding topics like immigration and foreign trade are broadcasted daily on ...

Xanax Turned My Life Upside Down

“It's the worst mistake I've ever made. I wish I had never gotten that prescription filled.” That's the regret Kelly says sums up her experience with Xanax . At the age of 20, Kelly says she didn't realize what she was getting into when her ...

How Does Ibogaine Treat Opiate Addiction?

Holly started using heroin when she was 18 - at 26, she was at the end of the line. Her whole life revolved around getting high. In the past, she had tried 12-step programs, counseling, in-patient rehab, and even drug-assisted therapy…it seemed ...

What Does Acid Do to You? Short-Term, Long-Term, and Side Effects of Acid (LSD)

What Is LSD (Acid)? D-lysergic acid diethylamide, better known as LSD or “acid,” is a hallucinogenic drug made from lysergic acid, a natural chemical found in a fungus that grows on rye called Claviceps purpurea . LSD was first created in 1938 ...

Ambien Abuse Side Effects, Symptoms, and Addiction Treatment

What Is Ambien Used For? Ambien is a brand name for zolpidem tartrate , a sedative drug that is prescribed to treat insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep). Other brand name formulations containing zolpidem include: Edluar—a ...

How to Get Off Suboxone: 3 Steps to Take When Quitting

Approved by the FDA in 2002, buprenorphine—brand name Suboxone and Zubsolv—is now the “go-to” drug for medication-assisted treatment with opiate addiction. Unlike methadone treatment, it can be prescribed by physicians in the comfort of ...

5 Things About Kratom You Need to Know

Recently, a drug called kratom, has come into the center of national controversy.Also referred to as 'ketum' or 'kakuam', taking kratom produces opiate-like effects. Kratom is legal in the U.S. and many people begin taking the drug to help with ...

What Does It Mean to Be Dope Sick?

Bill found John curled up on the couch; he looked miserable. Bill asked, “What's wrong with you?” “I'm sick, man. You got any?” was John's weak response. As Bill suspected, John was in withdrawal. An active heroin user, John was low on cash ...

Concurrent Alcohol and Ativan Abuse

Ativan is a sedative anxiolytic, or anti-anxiety medication , with effects similar to those of other drugs in its class, such as Valium and Xanax. Ativan is the trade name for lorazepam, which is part of a class of drug called “benzodiazepines” ...

Concurrent Alcohol and PCP Abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes PCP as a serious and illegal hallucinogen that started as a clinical sedative and anesthetic, but was discontinued and made illegal upon discovery of its extremely negative and unpredictable effects. In ...

Substance Use at Live Music Events

If you're gearing up for a music festival, there are some things you probably want to ensure you have with you. Most veterans will recommend not leaving the house without comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a bottle of water. Unfortunately, something ...

Carisoprodol Abuse

Carisoprodol, also known by the brand name Soma, is a prescription medication used to treat muscle spasms and severe muscle pain . However, due to its psychoactive (sedative and anxolytic/anti-anxiety/relaxant) effects, its abuse is becoming a more ...