Wood County Prevention Coalition
Uniting For A Drug-Free Community Since 2004
Could Alcohol During Adolescence Affect The Brains Of Future Generations?
Forbes.com
by Alice G. Walton
NOV 14, 2016
In the last few years, it’s become clear that what we do in our lives prior to conceiving a child can affect the health and mental health of the child years down the road. And this goes for both parents, not just the mother. Now, a new study published in the journal Alcohol finds that when alcohol is consumed during adolescence and before conception, it can affect the brains of the offspring—if you’re a rat, anyway. But the researchers say that given the overlap in the two species’ brains, and what we know from prior human studies, the results likely apply to humans. Which means that a few bingeing episodes in high school or college might actually affect the health of one’s child down the road.
The researchers exposed certain groups of male and female rats to the equivalent of six bingeing episodes during their adolescence. Then, after the rats were “sober,” different groups of mice were paired up in various ways to have offspring. For instance, females who’d been exposed to alcohol mated with males who either had or had not been exposed to alcohol. And male rats who had been exposed to alcohol mated with females who either had or hadn’t been exposed.
The expression of genes in certain brain regions of the offspring were shifted, compared to those of animals whose parents hadn’t been exposed to alcohol. In the hypothalamus, for example, which is the area that governs body functions like sleep, stress, eating and reproduction, there were a number of genetic changes. And overall, there were changes to 159 genes in the offspring of mothers who’d been exposed to alcohol, and 93 in the offspring of fathers who’d been exposed, and 244 genes in the offspring of both parents.
Again, the study took place in rats, so it’s unclear how the results would apply to humans. There are lots of known overlaps in the brains of rats and people, but we don’t know much about how teenage binge drinking in humans affects the brains of offspring years later. It would be unethical to devise an experiment like this in humans, of course, but we do have some clues from other types of studies.
Should People in Recovery From Alcohol or Drugs Use Medical Marijuana?
Nov. 16, 2016, at 12:30 p.m
Should people in recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction use medical marijuana? Can medical cannabis provide alcoholics and drug addicts in recovery needed pain relief, or is it a threat to their recovery – and their lives?
As recently as 20 years ago, this dilemma would have been primarily academic. In 1996, California became the first state in the U.S. to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, and its use has grown quickly in recent years. As more states approve it, an increasing number of alcoholics and addicts in recovery and medical professionals are grappling with the question of whether the substance is safe for people in recovery. Currently, 28 states and the District of Columbia allow the use of medical marijuana for a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, anxiety and nausea from chemotherapy. Like anyone else, alcoholics and addicts in recovery suffer from these and other conditions that medical marijuana is used for.
Unlike other patients, people in recovery have a history of substance abuse – and using a potentially addictive substance could be disastrous for those who are essentially in remission from their drinking problem and/or drug addiction, several addiction specialists say. Using medical marijuana could wreck an alcoholic’s or addict's recovery, they explained.
Alcoholism and addiction can be arrested but not cured, says Warren Zysman, chief executive officer and chief program officer at ACI, one of the largest providers of chemical dependency services in New York City. For an alcoholic or addict, using an addictive substance – such as marijuana – “is like turning that light switch on,” Zysman says. In almost all cases, Zysman says he would not recommend people in recovery use medical marijuana. One exception would be someone suffering from a terminal illness who is seeking pain relief. "In that instance, the primary focus for someone who is dying is to keep them comfortable, and we wouldn't necessarily look at their addiction issues," Zysman says.
A Relapse Threat
Even if marijuana isn't someone’s drug of choice, using cannabis can trigger a relapse.
One Employer Fights Against Prescription-Drug Abuse
Wall-Street Journal By RACHEL EMMA SILVERMAN
Nov. 15, 2016 5:30 a.m. ET
A handful of companies are trying strong medicine to limit employees’ use of prescription painkillers like OxyContin.
Engine-maker Cummins Inc. is one of the few large employers aggressively responding to opioid misuse in their ranks. After managers found evidence of drug activity in one of its plants in 2013, the Columbus, Ind., company now requires personnel to take drug tests for prescription painkillers and encourages employees to seek alternatives to their use.
According to federal data, nearly two million Americans are abusing prescription opioids, with sales of those prescriptions nearly quadrupling from 1999 to 2010.
Prescription opioid-related dependence and abuse cost the country an estimated $78.5 billion, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research based on 2013 data. Employers bear a large share of those costs; some $16.3 billion is lost due to reduced productivity and increased disability, and $14 billion is borne by private health insurers, according to the study. Cummins says it is treading carefully, since most prescription painkillers are legally prescribed and most workers don’t end up abusing them. All the same, they can impair users’ judgment, leading to safety risks at work.
“We don’t want someone not to have access to something they could use to reduce their pain,” says Dexter Shurney, chief medical director at Cummins. “But we don’t want to encourage addiction and abuse.”The 55,000-person company requires employees in some plants to attend training sessions on identifying and addressing drug activity and prescription-drug abuse. The company has also added opioids to its panel of drug tests for new hires and current employees when drug use is suspected, Dr. Shurney says.
Testing positive for prescription opioids isn’t necessarily a fireable offense at Cummins. After a positive test, the company steers workers to treatment if needed and reassigns them from safety-sensitive jobs. Opioid abuse among workers also comes at a cost to employers. Nearly one in three opioid prescriptions covered by employer health plans is being abused, according to research conducted by health-care firm Castlight Health Inc.
Employer's Corner: Marijuana's Impact on Worker's Compensation
Environmental Scans as Tools for Reducing Excessive College Drinking Webinar
Wednesday, Nov 30, 2016, 02:00 PM
Wood County Educational Service Center 1867 N Research Drive, Bowling Green, OH, United States
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
About Us
Our Vision: Helping youth be drug-free, productive and responsible citizens.
Our Mission: We are a coalition of compassionate community members working together to coordinate high quality programs for the prevention of youth substance abuse in Wood County.
Email: mkarna@wcesc.org
Website: wcprevention.org
Location: 1867 Research Drive, Bowling Green, OH, United States
Phone: (419)-354-9010
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPCoalition
Twitter: @woodpccoalition