Rapper DMX Violating Probation

DMX was arrested in Arizona on Tuesday, after violating his probation by regularly using illegal drugs during the last nine months. The artist whose real name is Earl Simmons, reportedly admitted to his probation officer that he had regularly used cocaine for almost a year. DMX has been in and out of jail for drug related offenses over the years, he had been ordered to comply with the terms of his treatment plan and was not, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio told Reuters. He is being charged with five counts of violating the terms of his probation. Simmons has run into a lot of trouble in Arizona especially, he was serving probation for throwing a food tray at a detention officer inside a Phoenix jail last year; he also had to serve 90 days in jail on drug, theft, and animal abuse charges.

"We would hope that he is finally sent to prison," Arpaio said. "We've arrested him five times already. How many times do you have to violate the law"? Simmons is no stranger to jails and institutions and it seems clear that locking him up for drug possession is not the right answer - he clearly needs treatment. DMX has sought out the help of Dr. Drew Pinsky to help the rapper clean up his life by helping get into treatment. Gary Jenkins, DMX's lawyer, thinks that the he would be better off in a drug rehab than behind bars, he believes the solution to his client's addiction problems is Celebrity Rehab host, Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Simmons was booked into a Phoenix jail late Tuesday afternoon and was isolated from other inmates, sheriff's officials said. Jenkins said to TMZ, "He's been battling addiction for some time and he's in need of treatment. We're hoping that maybe Dr. Drew might be able to help him." We have seen time and time again that drug addicts need treatment help, not punishment.

Teens Huffed Inhalants Before Other Drugs

A study shows that twelve year-olds are more likely to have tried huffing than any other drug. The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition published startling results, finding that more 12-year-olds have huffed dangerous inhalants than have used marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined. Teenagers have been known to huff, will breathe in the fumes of just about any chemical solvents or condensed gases to achieve the desired euphoria and disorientation. Getting one's hands on solvents like Dust Off are as easy for teenagers to acquire as it is for the chemicals to kill them. In many cases parents never expect that their children would be consuming these household chemicals that it often goes undetected, inevitably ending with the death of a child.

There is no way to drug test your kids to find out if they have been huffing. "Parents can't see the signs," said Rachelle Gardner, Fairbanks' director of adolescence. "It's not a long-lasting affect like with marijuana or alcohol. You can't see them drunk and you can't see them stoned". You have to be 18 to buy keyboard cleaners and other inhalants like them, which does have some effect and prevents some kids from getting their hands on the potentially dangerous chemicals. Kids still find a way and keyboard cleaner around the house should be locked up or at least out of sight.

Here are some signs that your child might be huffing:

• chronic sore throat
• runny nose
• moody
• exhausted

Huffing is extremely dangerous and every parent should be aware of the dangers. Teenagers are curious people, it would be a shame if their curiosity brought them harm. Legal household substances including: aerosol sprays, nail polish, gasoline and air conditioner refrigerant should be closely monitored according to 6News. Huffing is the most popular in the Mid West but it happens all over the country by countless teens who are not aware of the inherent dangers.

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Zookeepers Have Sent a Chimpanzee to Rehab in Russia

The word "addiction", is a word that once could only be applied to human beings. The thought of an animal becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol is something hard to believe and is almost comedic. Unfortunately, those animals that are not far down the evolutionary ladder from humans are just as susceptible to developing habits and addictions. Chimpanzees have commonly been used for drug experiments over the years. In one experiment, a chimpanzee was taught to hit a lever in his cage, when hit, a dose of cocaine would be administered. The scientists would gradually change the amount of times the chimp would have to hit the lever to get a single dose. The study was finally canceled when the chimpanzee was witnessed hitting the lever 12,000 times to get one dose of cocaine. Other experiments have been done that allowed the animal a choice between a lever for water and a lever for a morphine solution, as you might guess, the lever for water saw little activity. It's pretty clear that brain chemistry in animals is not too dissimilar from human beings. The main difference between a chimpanzee becoming an addict and human beings, is a matter of perception; no one would ever say that an animal that has become addicted to a substance is : attempting to be different, a rebel, a criminal, from a bad family or the product of socioeconomic disasters. Therein lays the key point about addiction that it doesn't matter where you are from or what you have been through; addiction makes no exceptions for the person you are, it is a disease that countless people are born with.

The Moscow Times recently reported that zookeepers have sent a chimpanzee to rehab in Russia after the chimp named Zhora began begging visitors for booze and cigarettes. Zhora, picked up smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol while performing in the circus. Zhora has been at the whim of visitors to the zoo who find it funny to see her smoke cigarettes and stumble around drunk inside the cage. I fail to see the humor in all this, when an animal is an addict it's "funny", yet, when a human is an addict it is pathetic. Nevertheless, wild animals in captivity are subject to whatever we put them through, if you give a substance to an animal like alcohol repeatedly, dependency is bound to develop.

Now, Zhora is in treatment fighting off the demons that the audience gave her with a smile on their faces - hilarious, right? Animals have little business in captivity to begin with, they have enough environmental stress day to day inside of their cages; to think that humans would work to shorten a life already shortened by giving them drugs. Sad!

Heroin Drug Abuse Among Teens and Young Adults

Heroin has been sweeping through the suburbs of New York City and is becoming a fast growing trend throughout the northeast. Despite the introduction of cutting agents, chemicals that dilute the strength of the drug providing a bigger yield, toady's heroin happens to be stronger and cheaper than it once was. People are struggling to figure the cause of this new wave of heroin drug abuse among teens and young adults, heroin is commonly thought of only being used by the "low of the low"; this misconception has allowed teen drug habits to progress unchecked, heroin is just such an unbelievable drug for teens to be experimenting with.

Bags of heroin for street purchase are usually marked with a skull and cross bones or words like "Kiss of Death" and "R.I.P". "A bag of heroin can sell for $5 to $25 and induce a six- to eight-hour high, according to officials and former users. Cocaine, by comparison, can cost $40 to $60 for a 30-minute high, while prescription painkillers like Vicodin or OxyContin sell for upward of $40 a pill on the street. The heroin available in the Northeast these days is purer than the kind that ravaged New York City in the 1970s, experts say, and almost certainly as lethal, if not more", according to the New York Times. It is thought that the lethality of the drug plays a large role in teenagers' attraction to it; the idea of cheating death and a sense of invisibility among teens draws many to the drug. According to Bridget G. Brennan, New York City's special narcotics prosecutor, "recent drug raids of so-called heroin mills have yielded hundreds of thousands of bags at a time, up from several hundred bags a year ago".

People are overdosing and dying all over the northeast, many times before anyone even knew they was an addiction problem occurring. In Nassau County, Long Island 25 people died of overdoses just in the first 6 months of 2009; it appears that the number of heroin related overdoses has been doubling every year, making clear the heroin should be a major concern amongst parents, even those in upper-middle class suburbs. Once the hand of heroin addiction grabs a hold of someone, it unfortunately takes repeated pain and suffering before the addict will even consider the remote possibility of seeking out recovery. Very few people have ever managed to "kick" heroin on their own, treatment is usually the only route to freedom with such a powerful drug; often heroin addicts end up checking into treatment multiple times in their life before sobriety sticks to them.

Bolivia Coca Leaf Soft Drink "Coca Colla"

There was a time when Coca Cola contained the drug cocaine as one of the two main ingredients. Invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton it was sold as a medicine before it was a soft drink. When launched, Coca-Cola's two key ingredients were cocaine (benzoylmethyl ecgonine) and caffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut, leading to the name Coca-Cola (the "K" in Kola was replaced with a "C" for marketing purposes). Pemberton made the claim that his creation cured many diseases, including morphine addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headache, and impotence; the original recipe called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup. In 1903 coca leaves containing cocaine were removed from the ingredients, but, interestingly enough in order to retain the flavor cocaine-free coca leaves are used.

The days of soft drinks with cocaine in them are not gone yet, in Bolivia plans to release a coca leaf soft drink called "Coca Colla" is under way and will have a can that resembles the classic Coca Cola logo. With the first indigenous president in office, Evo Morales (known for chewing coca leaves at UN meetings), coca growers from the Morales stronghold of Chapare in central Bolivia submitted a plan to the government last week to boost coca production with the soft drink. La Paz wants to expand Cocaine production, a market which rose 6% in 2008 and no doubt climbed even higher last year; achieving this goal will not be hard considering the strong support of high officials. The Independent reports that Bolivia, "the world's third largest producer after Colombia and Peru, yielded a coca crop of some 30,500 hectares (75,370 acres) in 2008, an increase of six percent over the previous year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime".

Right now, Bolivian law permits the use of up to 12,000 hectares (29,650 acres) to grow coca in the Yungas stretch of forest in the Andes Mountains "only" for traditional uses such as tea, chewing and religious rituals by the Aymara ethnic group. No matter what, a large portion of what is being grown is trafficked and sold, never seeing the inside of a toothpaste tube or a tea bag. If the drugs are not being grown for the international drug market, then why would the The Morales government kick out DEA agents in 2008? Cocaine is extremely addictive, it has the power to destroy lives; 10 million people in the Andes chew raw coca leaves daily to get through the abusively long work days. In this country and around the world the same leaves that people are chewing are also being used to produce cocaine.

Buju Banton Arrested Trying to Distribute Five Kilograms of Cocaine

Another famous musician has got themselves caught up in the drug business. The world renowned reggae artist, Buju Banton, was arrested with two other people allegedly trying to distribute five kilograms of cocaine. Buju Banton (real name is Mark Anthony Myrie), has been in U.S. federal custody in Miami since Thursday. The Associated Press reports, "Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman David Melenkevitz said Sunday that Banton was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. The charge stems from a DEA case in Tampa". One has to wonder why a reggae star, like Buju Banton, would get caught up in the distribution of cocaine of any amount.

On April 5, 2004, Banton was fined $9000 for drug possession and cultivation of cannabis; two mature marijuana plants were found in his studio. Banton's defense was that he had just got back from a tour and the plants were there. It is clear that Banton had a history with drugs, but, two marijuana plants is a far cry from 5 kilos of cocaine. "Gargamel Music Incorporated (Banton's label) has announced loyal support for Banton, real name Mark Anthony Myrie, who was arrested December 10 on federal drug conspiracy charges", according to BET. Buju Banton will have help from one of the top law firms in the country, the legal aid will come in the form of David Oscar Markus. Markus defended the former Panama military dictator Manuel Noriega, so it is fair to say that Marcus is known for high-profile drug cases.

It is not clear yet which direction this case will head, there still are many facts that will need to be considered. It appears that Banton has a long trial ahead of him and there are many people who are against Banton and what he stands for. We will keep you updated as to the progress of this trial.

Crack Inhalation Room Where Addicts Can Go To Smoke Their Cocaine

There is talk in British Columbia about an experimental new study that would help the government determine why HIV and AIDS rates among Crack smokers are rising. The plan on the drawing board is to set up a crack inhalation room where addicts can go to smoke their cocaine in a sterile environment in order to see if it stops the increase of HIV/AIDS numbers. "Researchers tracked 1,048 crack cocaine users over a nine-year period and found that 137 became HIV positive. The reason for the increase is not definitive. But researchers, which included the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, said disease transmission could be attributed to wounds produced around the mouth when smoking crack from a pipe", according to the Vancouver Courier. British Columbia is well aware that the war on drugs is not being handled properly and that drastic steps may be needed if the problem is going to be helped. Obviously, let's face it, there is a lot of hesitation regarding this subject matter; having a place where Crack smokers can get high just seems counter-intuitive.

Proponents of the trial inhalation room like Dr. Evan Wood, who was behind the study that showed the spike in HIV/AIDS rates among Crack cocaine users, point to the United States as an a reason for trying out the controversial inhalation room. "He pointed to research in the United States that showed a high number of people incarcerated for cocaine offences who are not receiving treatment. He noted the so-called "war on drugs" in the United States and in Canada has done nothing to stem the flow of drugs. Wood suggested he could buy drugs in less than 10 minutes of walking outside the Carnegie Centre, the location of the press conference", reported the Vancouver Courier. Canada has always had a more relaxed view on drugs than the United States; it is not surprising that leaders would be interested in such a drastic experiment.

The inhalation rooms could be a place where councilors and doctors could have a chance to help addicts get into recovery. Ultimately, if drug use drops then it stands to reason that disease rates would too. It wouldn't be a bad thing to have an experiment to determine how the virus is being transmitted, but, it seems the number one objective should be getting the addicts off the streets by providing the option of treatment as much as possible. Prevention is always the best answer in a country where crack and methamphetamine use is rising.

Vaccines For Drug Addictions Are Showing New Promise

The disease of addiction is a biological disorder in the brain that affects the award system and is in no way a moral failing by any means. Science has shined a new light on addiction and has given us the ability to understand what is operating in the human brain. Addiction is inherited and is not something that anyone asks to have, new developments in science have shown us that it may be possible to create a medical solution to the disease. Vaccines for drug addiction are showing new promise; it may not be long before we have a vaccine for all addictive substances. A report in the LA Times stated, "Vaccines to help people recover from such addictions as nicotine, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines now appear scientifically and medically achievable after doctors reported Monday that a vaccine to treat cocaine dependence had produced a large enough antibody response to reduce cocaine use in 38% of addicted individuals". 38% is an amazing number and one that reaffirms the promise of these kinds of scientific pursuits.

A vaccine for addiction will not work the same way as normal vaccines. If you are born with a hereditary disposition towards drugs and alcohol there is no way to reverse it. However, a vaccine could potentially keep drugs that enter the body from reaching the brain thus preventing the high from ever being experienced. The vaccines stimulate the body's immune system to create binding antibodies that will attach themselves to the drug preventing them from ever reaching the brain. Unfortunately, creating vaccines does not equate to dollars for pharmaceutical companies to create these vaccines. They can make a lot more money from addiction maintenance than they could off a vaccine. This problem makes it very hard for certain studies to take place because of the lack of much needed funding which is in the 100's of millions. An ethical dilemma is clearly visible and I am sure will be addressed in the coming years.

Studies with the goal of creating a vaccine is a huge step in modern science and shows us that with understanding we can treat the most baffling of diseases. In the coming years we will see what role vaccines for drug addiction will have around the world and whether the pharmaceutical companies will set greed aside and hop on board. I encourage you to watch a Dr. Nancy Snyderman video on the subject:

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