A Bad Test Result
I don’t know how often we question the findings, but it makes me think that a critical examination of our own procedures, say on a quarterly and yearly basis, might be a heck of a good idea.
Arc of the Pendulum
Instead, our habit has been to rush head first in one direction, then reverse and rush back the opposite way
As it turns out, thousands of drug tests administered by prison authorities in California, our most populous state, have apparently been invalidated. The culprit: our old enemy, lab error.
Here’s the story, from a recent issue of The Guardian:
Revealed: drug tests in California prisons yielded false positives, affecting thousands of people
That’s not good. Especially given the possibility of requests for parole that were (or will be) wrongfully denied on the basis of a false positive result.
How this mess came about: During a three-and-a-half month span of 2024, the private lab’s testing process changed due to a temporary shortage of a common chemical reagent. A replacement chemical was found and put into use. Suddenly, authorities began to see very different results from the testing process.
For instance:
"From January through April, when the normal chemical was being used, the monthly positive opiate rate... ranged from 6.6% to 6.8% ." But once the new...
Here’s the story, from a recent issue of The Guardian:
Revealed: drug tests in California prisons yielded false positives, affecting thousands of people
That’s not good. Especially given the possibility of requests for parole that were (or will be) wrongfully denied on the basis of a false positive result.
How this mess came about: During a three-and-a-half month span of 2024, the private lab’s testing process changed due to a temporary shortage of a common chemical reagent. A replacement chemical was found and put into use. Suddenly, authorities began to see very different results from the testing process.
For instance:
"From January through April, when the normal chemical was being used, the monthly positive opiate rate... ranged from 6.6% to 6.8% ." But once the new...
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A Bad Test Result
I don’t know how often we question the findings, but it makes me think that a critical examination of our own procedures, say on a quarterly and yearly basis, might be a heck of a good idea.
Detection Dilemma
Seems to me this is just another weakness in the plan to rely on border control and enforcement to stem the rise of synthetic drugs in the US.
Does Minimum Unit Pricing Work?
I'd have to call MUP a blunt instrument. One that does achieve its primary goal-- that’s important-- but not without possible consequences.
- Resources About
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A Visit to Injection Central
Target client for these operations is the chronic daily user, mostly but not exclusively of opioids, and that’s a difficult population for such programs to work with.
About those prescribed stimulants…
...new data suggest that even those who think they are using their stimulant medications as directed may be at risk of substance use disorder
Sad, But Also True
She wasn't being entirely altruistic-- she did charge participants a cool five hundred dollars apiece-- but it's reasonable to assume that she meant well, with no intent to cause harm.
Life in a Hot Spot
Make it a continuing effort, using strategies based in evidence, and harnessing the power of human interaction-- instead of relying on a burst of anti-drug education, however intense.
Aging in Recovery
She emphasizes how much stigma is encountered by older recovering persons in the healthcare system.
A Visit to Injection Central
Target client for these operations is the chronic daily user, mostly but not exclusively of opioids, and that’s a difficult population for such programs to work with.
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- Addiction Clinicians
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“It was never a problem”
That's important in a treatment context, because a history of multiple drug use means they will be tempted to focus on one substance -- their "drug of choice", whatever they may feel that is -- while minimizing the importance of the others.
“It was never a problem”
That's important in a treatment context, because a history of multiple drug use means they will be tempted to focus on one substance -- their "drug of choice", whatever they may feel that is -- while minimizing the importance of the others.
Autism Can Be Expensive
Anxious parents are seeking coverage for proven behavioral therapies and getting turned down.
Exercising for Chronic Pain Relief
We've known for several decades that regular exercise, even the mild sort, helps lessen symptoms of depression. It comes as no surprise that it may also help with CPS and the mood problems that accompany it.
Drugs in Jail
If 70% or more of a jail population has been identified as having a drug or alcohol problem – that does happen – then what you’re really operating is a treatment center that happens to have bars on the windows and guards at the entrance.
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First Person Hard Charger
In fact, in many instances, the trauma that occurs after they’re addicted is more damaging than what happened before.
First Person Hard Charger
In fact, in many instances, the trauma that occurs after they’re addicted is more damaging than what happened before.
Diagnosing Cannabis Use Disorder: Updated
It certainly makes sense that if you suffer from a major mental illness, you should stay away from pot.
Video: Practical Advice on Prescription Painkiller Problems
People have abused opiates for 5,000 years. As much as medicine depends on them, they've always created problems for a percentage of users.
