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More than half of party drug users take ADHD medication without a prescription, new study finds

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Each 12 months, the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre on the University of New South Wales in Sydney surveys a whole bunch of regular drug users in Australia to seek out out understand trends within the use of psychoactive substances throughout the country.

Today we published Report 2024during which 740 people from Australian capital cities who usually use ecstasy or other illegal stimulants were surveyed.

While the first focus of our research is illicit drugs and markets, we also monitor trends within the over-the-counter use of pharmaceutical stimulants, resembling ADHD medications.

This 12 months, 54% of people we spoke to had used pharmaceutical stimulants previously six months after they weren’t prescribed them, the best percentage now we have seen since we began asking people about this kind of drug use in 2007.

What are pharmaceutical stimulants?

Pharmaceutical stimulants include the drug methylphenidate (trade names Concerta and Ritalin), in addition to dexamfetamine and lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse).

These medications are commonly prescribed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsya chronic neurological disorder that causes excessive sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks through the day.

These drugs work in other ways depending on the kind. However, they treat ADHD by increasing levels of necessary chemicals (neurotransmitters) within the brain, including dopamine and norepinephrine.

However, as with many pharmaceutical substances, people also use these stimulants after they should not prescribed. There is range of reasons someone may select to make use of these medications without a prescription.

Tests University students have shown that these substances are sometimes used to extend alertness, concentration and memory. Studies conducted amongst wider populations have shown that they may also be used experimentor to get high.

All over the world, including in Australiawere significant increases within the prescription of ADHD medications lately, likely on account of increased identification and diagnosis of ADHD. As prescriptions increase, the danger of these substances being diverted to illegal drug markets increases.

Some people may seek pharmaceutical stimulants to extend alertness and concentration.
Ground Photo/Shutterstock

What we found

The percentage of people using stimulants without a prescription has tripled since monitoring began – from 17% of respondents in 2007 to 54% in 2024. It has remained at a similar level lately (52% in 2022 and 47% in 2023).

Frequency of use remained relatively low. Respondents typically reported using non-prescribed pharmaceutical stimulants monthly or less continuously.

In this study, participants most continuously reported using dexamfetamine, followed by methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine. Most (79%) said it was “easy” or “very easy” to acquire these substances, just like 2022 and 2023.

Of course, provided that our study focused on regular drug users, the over-the-counter use of pharmaceutical stimulants doesn’t reflect their use in the final population.

In 2022–2023 National Household Drug Strategy Surveygeneral population survey of Australians aged 14 years and over, 2.1% of the population (comparable to about 400,000 people) reported using pharmaceutical stimulants for non-medical purposes within the previous 12 months. This was just like the proportion of people reporting using ecstasy.

What are the risks?

Pharmaceutical stimulants are considered to have a relatively secure toxicity profile. However, like all stimulants, these substances increase activity sympathetic nervous systemwhich controls various functions within the body during times of stress. This in turn increases heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate.

These changes may cause acute cardiac events (resembling arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats) and, with repeated use of high doses, chronic changes in heart work.

Recent Australian research has documented increase in poisoning involving these substances, although a significant proportion of these seem like intentional poisonings. In the poisonings that involved only pharmaceutical stimulants, the drugs were mostly taken orally, with the median dose being more than ten times the everyday prescribed dose. The commonest symptoms were hypertension (hypertension), tachycardia (fast heart rate), and agitation.

In our study, individuals who took pharmaceutical stimulants most frequently took them in pill form, taking a dose barely higher than that typically prescribed.

However, about one in 4 people reported snorting as a route of administration. This can lead to physical harm, resembling damage to the sinuses, and will increase the potential risks of the drug because it will possibly come into effect faster within the body.

A hand holds a bag of white powder.
Snorting stimulants could also be more dangerous.
Author: DedMityay/Shutterstock

Some pharmaceutical stimulants are “long-acting,” released into the body throughout the day. So there may additionally be a risk of premature re-dosing if people unknowingly use these preparations more than once a day. That is, if people don’t experience desired effects They may take one other dose on the expected time, which can increase the danger of uncomfortable side effects.

Finally, non-prescribed stimulants can have negative effects when taken with other medications. This can include a “masking effect” (for instance, a stimulant may mask the symptoms alcohol poisoning).

So what should we do?

Pharmaceutical stimulants are necessary medications within the treatment of ADHD and narcolepsy, and when used as directed, they’re relatively secure. However, there are additional risks when people use these substances without a prescription.

Harm reduction campaigns that highlight these risks, including differences between formulations, will be useful. Ongoing monitoring, alongside more in-depth investigation of associated harms, can also be key.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

Car exhaust fumes can be linked to autism, a developmental disorder increasingly diagnosed in black children

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Autism, ASD, car exhaust, autism risks, autism in Black children, theGrio.com

New research has found that exposure to automotive exhaust fumes in utero or in the early stages of a child’s development may cause autism.

According to a study published Tuesday, November 12 in the journal Brain medicineexposure to nitric oxide (NO) – produced during fuel combustion – while pregnant or in the primary months of the mother’s life may pose a “significant risk” of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the kid.

“NO is a common air pollutant, produced mainly by vehicle emissions and the combustion of fossil and industrial fuels. Exposure to NO and its NO2 derivatives while pregnant and early childhood may disrupt normal brain development,” the study authors wrote.

The authors added that “the timing of exposure is key.”

According to the researchers, exposure to these pollutants while pregnant and early development “constitutes a significant risk of ASD because these periods are essential for brain development.”

The study also found that folks with a family history or genetic history of autism spectrum disorder may be at increased risk of developing the condition, affecting the best way individuals communicate, learn, interact and behave.

It’s not nearly automotive exhaust fumes. The study examined other air pollutants, including ozone, wonderful particles and other emissions, and located that every one of those toxins combined increased the danger of developing autism.

In particular, it listed benzene as a “volatile organic compound commonly found in vehicle exhaust, industrial processes and tobacco smoke” that, when combined with NO2, can also increase the danger of ASD.

Air pollutants may promote the event of ASD because they cause inflammation. Experiencing neuroinflammation brought on by exposure to NO over an prolonged time frame may “impact” brain activity related to social and cognitive functions which might be typically impaired by ASD.

“Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy may activate the mother’s immune system, leading to inflammation and abnormalities in fetal brain development,” the authors wrote, adding: “Elevated concentrations of inflammation-related cytokines in maternal serum in utero and early infants have been associated with their lives. with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes.”

One sec nearly 40% of Americans live without healthy airautism disproportionately affects black and Latino children in the US. This condition can be on the rise in this country.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 in 36 children were diagnosed with ASD – a rise from 1 in 44 just two years earlier. Predominantly, the condition still affects boys more often than girls, although this too has been established girls are frequently diagnosed with ASD later in life.

Holly Robinson Peete was

For generations, white children seemed to have the disease at higher rates than other children, but in recent years this risk has modified as more black and brown families gain access to quality health care and earlier diagnoses .

As increasingly black families select to live with an autistic member of the family, several organizations have emerged to help spread awareness, advocate and supply support. These organizations include The color of autismthat gives families with culturally competent support and care; Autism in blackwhich offers educational and counseling services to Black parents raising autistic children; and Black Autism Support Societywhich goals to fill gaps in support for the black community.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Health and Wellness

Perfect Imperfection of Wabi-Sabi Makeup – Essence

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Fairchild/Penske Media archive via Getty Images

Perfection is an addictive ideal of beauty that we have now all fallen victim to. This is clear in every thing from our drugs cabinets full of “anti-aging” skincare products to standardization Botox parties. What’s more, we even see it in horror movies (think: ) – revealing our insatiable desire to research and abandon perceived flaws.

This season, nonetheless, perfection is an outdated trend. Wabi-sabi— a Japanese worldview characterised by finding beauty in imperfection — is gaining popularity as a crucial antithesis to the fear of perfection. While aesthetic surgery is entering itsThe undetectable era” in response to the improvements of the watch, the makeup world is questioning whether beauty even exists in perfection.

“Don’t stress about imperfection. Embrace it. Relaxed, vibrant makeup feels more real and authentic” – MAC Senior National Artist Fatima Thomas says ESSENCE. “Things that are a little bit uneven, like a little blurry or a little bit uneven, can actually be quite visually pleasing.”

Below, Thomas explains the impact of Wabi-sabi beauty and her skilled techniques in achieving this look.

The rise of Wabi-sabi makeup

“A lot of people are taking a less stringent approach to makeup,” says Thomas. “When you worry less about having every line be perfect, every blend being perfect, you can actually enjoy applying and wearing makeup.” With beauty tricks like showering after punching to set the look with steam or sleeping in eyeliner for a soft grunge aesthetic, “Wabi-sabi allows for greater freedom and self-expression.”

Why now’s the proper time to adopt this mindset

“Do you really need to spend an extra 10 minutes to get your eyeliner perfect, or is it already good enough,” she asks. “After the pandemic and global inflation, people don’t want to stress about their makeup,” she continues, as TikTok’s viral “dopamine menu” trend turns beauty right into a form of therapy. “Wabi-sabi is about doing your best, and if it’s a little shaky, it’s okay.”

What does imperfect makeup appear like?

With airbrushes and editing apps distorting our view of achievable beauty: “I believe [imperfection] it is an opposition to digital filters and Photoshop,” he says. “It could be intentional or accidental, but it takes away the urge to rush and refine everything to look photoshopped.”

According to Thomas, the wabi-sabi approach relies more on philosophy than on any particular view. However, the important thing to imperfections is in nuances: “Do your makeup quickly and refrain from fixing minor imperfections.”

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Companies that help insurance companies deny pre-authorization claims –

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Medicare, Melissa D. Hall


KFF survey found that roughly 6 in 10 insured adults have experienced problems while using their insurance. Issues include denied claims, network adequacy, pre-authorization delays and denials. As the investigation shows, this is just not a surprise. A hidden industry makes money by denying doctors’ payment requests, called prior authorizations.

According to a ProPublica investigation, one in every of the important thing participants on this scheme is Evernorth’s EviCore. A ProPublica investigation found that EviCore is owned by the big insurance company Cigna. The largest U.S. insurance companies employ EviCore and supply protection to 100 million consumers.

EviCore apparently uses a synthetic intelligence-supported algorithm that insurance industry insiders call “the shield.” The algorithm system will be customized, which ultimately results in more pre-authorization claim rejections.

What’s even weirder is that EviCore reportedly has some contracts that allow it to make more cash the more it cuts health care spending by insurance companies.

EviCore is just not alone. Another big player is Carelon Medical Benefits Management, a subsidiary of Elevance Health, formerly Anthem. Although the corporate has been accused in court of unlawfully denying legitimate insurance applications, it denies all allegations.

How companies respond

EviCore claims that the approval process ensures that the procedures are protected, obligatory and price-effective.

“We are improving the quality and safety of healthcare, and – by a happy coincidence – we are significantly reducing unnecessary costs,” said an EviCore doctor in the course of the company’s series of webinars.

But based on the investigation, EviCore’s approach is way more sinister than it suggests. EviCore reportedly guarantees a 3-to-1 return on investment, which implies your insurer can pay $3 less for medical care and other costs.

For some perspective, in 2021 in Arkansas, EviCore denied prior authorization requests almost 20% of the time. Medicare Advantage plans denied prior authorization requests about 7% of the time in 2022, based on a ProPublica evaluation of knowledge.

A Cigna spokesperson said on behalf of EviCore: “Simply put, EviCore uses the latest evidence-based medicine to ensure patients get the care they need and avoid services they don’t need.”

The spokesperson added that the corporate uses algorithms in some clinical programs “only to expedite the approval of appropriate care and reduce administrative burdens on healthcare providers.”


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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