Category: Drug Abuse

Although the marijuana, or cannabis, plant first appears in human history approximately 10,000 years ago, there is limited research that tells us about its role in human development. Indeed, this plant with hundreds of active chemicals when smoked remains a mystery to many, although with over hundreds of millions of people in the world having… Continue reading Marijuana

Although the exact origin of the term gateway drug remains uncertain, the use of the term seems to have accelerated sharply in the early to mid-1980s in conjunction with the U.S. “war on drugs.” The notion that the use of certain substances tends to precede the use of other substances, however, predates the widespread use… Continue reading Gateway Drug

Drunken  driving  motor  vehicle  crashes  remain a leading cause of death and injury to people in the United States. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among people 16 to 24 years of age, and a substantial percentage are alcohol-related crashes. There were 17,419 alcohol-related automobile deaths in 2002, representing one… Continue reading Drunk Driving

With the arrival of the relatively inexpensive and smokable crack form of cocaine, the rate of newborns exposed to cocaine in utero rose dramatically in the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s it was estimated that 1.1% of pregnant women used crack cocaine. Early reports  of  neonatal  behavioral  abnormalities  led  to the label “crack baby syndrome”… Continue reading Crack Baby Syndrome

Cocaine is a frequently used central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that enhances energy and mood. It is also a dangerous drug of abuse, the subject of much regulatory legislation, and a major target of the “war on drugs.” History Cocaine is a naturally occurring substance found in the shrub Erythroxylon coca that grows in the… Continue reading Cocaine