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The Florida Drug Addiction Helpline is committed to helping those who struggle with drug addiction to find treatment. These resources will provide readers with articles and up to date reports on issues concerning drug addiction and treatment programs. Check back frequently for new and exciting material.

Cocaine-exposed babies- Born addicted to drugs!

Addiction is a fallout in the personal front, but what if one was born addicted to drugs? Using cocaine while pregnant is not only harmful to the mother but also to her baby. Cocaine use can harm a pregnant woman and her unborn baby in more ways than one. When abused by a pregnant woman, the drug passes through the placenta and affects the baby and might even damage the fetus. The unborn babies exposed to a dangerous drug like cocaine during fetal development  might face many health problems, ranging from understated to life-threatening ones. It may also lead to later defects in some children, including behavioral problems, deficiency in cognitive performance and attention-related problems. Continue reading →

Jinxed Forever 27 Club – How drug overdose killed these 5 musicians

The term ‘Forever 27 Club’ was never consciously created to depict the phenomenon for which it is now infamous. Moreover, it was not coined until after the death of the Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain on Apr 8, 1994 at the young age of 27. However, by then, the number ‘27’ had taken on mythical proportions due to a series of mysterious deaths of many influential musicians at precisely this age—27 years. Continue reading →

Hospitals can do more for survivors of opioid overdose, suggests study

The United States’ opioid crisis has cost the nation billions in terms of lost productivity, health care services, increased criminal activities and untimely loss of precious lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 33,000 people died of drug overdose in 2015, which included prescription opioids, heroin and fentanyl. While the overdose cases causing death get reported, many nonfatal ones are swept under the carpet. According to clinicians and researchers, it is important to look beyond the fatal incidents. Nonfatal overdoses could be an indication of illegal practices such as over prescription and doctor shopping.
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How to deal with peer pressure, a key risk factor for drug abuse in teens

Who doesn’t wish to be accepted and admired by others? But the desire to be admired by all is particularly strong in teenagers. As social beings, the psychological need to connect and control is quite prevalent among human beings. Though such a feeling plays a pivotal role in building familial bonds, it also renders people susceptible to both good and bad peer pressure. Continue reading →

Social anxiety concerns in recovery

Life in recovery is not easy, but full of challenges. One of the major concerns faced by many people in recovery is fear of socializing. Rebuilding life after quitting substances is not a cakewalk. Interacting with people on various platforms, both personally and professionally, can get so overwhelming that it might lead to a relapse. Therefore, one must be prepared in advance about the social anxiety issues one might have to deal with in sober life. And in such a state, the very thought of reaching for a small drink or pill can sabotage one’s recovery in a big way. Continue reading →

Factors that spur drug-seeking behavior in adolescents

Adolescence is a phase when the human body goes through a lot of changes. Involving a lot of critical developments, both physical and mental, it shapes the life of the individual. Ironically, it is also an age when the teens love to try new things or start using one substance or the other to overcome the challenges posed by bodily changes or under peer pressure. The early initiation of drug use potentially augments the risk of developing substance use disorders (SUDs) by interfering with the ongoing neurodevelopment that brings about unfavorable neurobiological changes. That’s the reason, teenage paves the way for SUDs for many. Continue reading →

Anabolic steroid abuse responsible for bad heart health and other conditions

In the 1930s, anabolic steroids were primarily used for treating a condition called hypogonadism, a state when the testes are not able to produce the requisite testosterone for normal body growth, development, and sexual functioning. They were also used as an effective solution for male impotence, delayed puberty, and wasting of the body as seen in people afflicted with the deadly HIV. Continue reading →

New FDA commissioner on a mission to stem the US opioid crisis

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the new Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is all prepared to take effective measures to control the opioid epidemic. In an email sent to all of his colleagues in May 2017, he chalks out the immediate steps to achieve the goal of public health. He affirms that FDA will continue to play an important role in addressing the crisis of opioid addiction and bringing a significant reduction in the number of new cases is their immediate priority. Continue reading →

Devastating effects of drugs on the developing brain of teens

The human brain takes about 25 years to develop fully. In view of this fact the brain of a teenager is considered as “work-in-progress” that is likely to witness many developmental changes to function in an ideal manner.

As the bulk of the changes take place during adolescence, one witnesses a sudden growth in the unpredictable and reckless behavior that is a constant companion of the adolescent years. With the consistent development of different parts of the brain, the neural connections are strengthened only with the passage of time. Continue reading →