Alerts

Teenager Almost Died from First Time “Testing” Heroin

Dr. David Sharp, an emergency room doctor, reports a near death case of a heroin overdose from an individual who tried a “tester “ - a small pack of unknown substance with a phone number attached to the packet if the user likes it.

The “tester” is thrown from a car to a potential user as a marketing ploy.

Synthetic Cannabis Laced With Poison Linked to Severe Bleeding, CDC Warns

Synthetic cannabinoids sold under a variety of names, such as Spice and K2, have been linked to serious, unexplained bleeding in several states, federal health officials are warning.

From March 10 through April 5, 94 people have presented to emergency departments (89 in Illinois, two in Indiana, one in Maryland, one in Missouri, and one in Wisconsin) with potentially life-threatening vitamin K–dependent antagonist coagulopathy after using synthetic cannabinoids.

Teenagers Are Using Less Drugs, but Overdosing More on Heroin and Fentanyl

When it comes to teen drug use, there is both encouraging and alarming news: Fewer adolescents are using illicit drugs, but overdose rates have gone up.

In 2015, the rate of drug overdose deaths among teens aged 15 to 19 climbed by 19 percent, after years of slow decline, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of these fatalities were due to opiates like heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and and tramadol.

Marijuana May Hurt The Developing Teen Brain

The teenager's brain has a lot of developing to do: It must transform from the brain of a child into the brain of an adult. Some researchers worry how marijuana might affect that crucial process.

"Actually, in childhood our brain is larger," says Krista Lisdahl, director of the brain imaging and neuropsychology lab at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. "Then, during the teenage years, our brain is getting rid of those connections that weren't really used, and it prunes back.