September 1st, 2009 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Preventive Cities
Scientific studies in many countries show us that drug-use damage is not confined solely to drug users, it affects the whole community. Those studies also teach us that this massive damage increases or decreases according to something that seems obvious but is not: the growth or reduction of drug use.
October 20th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Preventive Cities
Preventive Cities implies the proposal of joint work of Government agencies, NGOs and the participation of the community, as an answer to mobilize a total citizenship movement of healthy change, with mutual support and hope in these difficult times which humanity undergoes. [...]
February 24th, 2004 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Preventive Cities
During your term as ‘Drugs Tsar’ to the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro you made many courageous strides in a difficult climate to promote a culture that was free of drugs. Your conferences, drug education seminars and international co-operation went from strength to strength and you are now an established expert on international narcotic matters. [...]
The world’s best business model has always been addiction. Tobacco and alcohol have been around for ages, but new temptations and spinoffs are being marketed all the time: meth, painkillers, energy drinks, you name it.
Importantly, the study also finds that the risk of violence from patients with psychoses who also have substance use disorder is no greater than those who have a substance use disorder but who do not have a psychotic illness – in other words, schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses do not appear to be responsible for any additional risk of violence above the increased risk associated with substance abuse.
Smoking marijuana over an extended period of time appears to greatly boost a young man’s risk for developing a particularly aggressive form of testicular cancer, a new study reveals. [...]
Relief from pain. In some people, prescription pain relievers also cause euphoria or feelings of well being by affecting the brain regions that mediate pleasure. This is why they are abused. Other effects include drowsiness, constipation and slowed breathing. [...]
On Sunday researchers at the University of Buffalo reported that Ritalin, used on children diagnosed with ADHD, may cause long-term changes in the brain. Many clinicians regard Ritalin as short-acting but the research with gene expression in an animal model suggests that it has the potential for causing long-lasting changes [...]
The body produces many chemicals and hormones, i.e., histamines, steroids, thyroid hormone, digitalis-like substances, adrenalin, etc, all of which work by attaching to corresponding brain receptors. The key is that these natural substances produced by the body are present in nanogram amounts [...]
As California State Assembly member Tom Ammiano put it: “What if California could raise hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue to preserve vital state services without any tax increase?” [...]
“The fight against drugs is actually the fight for Afghanistan,” said Afghan President Hamid Karzai when he took office in 2002. Judging by the current situation, Afghanistan is losing. [...]
Among the things everybody knows is that Democrats, being the party of the little people, raise money in small contributions, whereas Republicans, being the party of fat cats, raise funds in huge basketfuls from wealthy corporate types. At least, that’s the way the world is usually portrayed by the “Today Show,” The New York Times and the Democratic Party. So it’s of more than passing interest to see [...]