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Tag: Drug

  • Jessica Alba Talks About Her Addiction and Drug of Choice

    Jessica Alba Talks About Her Addiction and Drug of Choice

    Jessica Alba claims she is addicted to acting. In fact, she calls the profession her “drug.” It’s plain to see in the trailer for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, which premieres in August, that she is indeed high on her sultry role.

    “It’s been liberating to be able to play someone who’s a badass or promiscuous because that’s the opposite of who I am…It’s like a drug,” she says in the March issue of Nylon magazine.

    Alba adds that her acting roles give her a break from her real life.

    “I don’t have to be a boss; I don’t have to be a wife; I don’t have to be a sister,” she says.

    Playing all of these different characters has helped her gain a new perspective on life and a lot of confidence, too.

    “Before I was so fearful of failure and judgment that I was scared to put myself out there,” she says.

    Now she is secure in the fact that “you don’t have to be a robot, you don’t have to be appropriate all the time.”

    Jessica Alba also talks about another huge bonus–the other skills she has acquired by playing the roles of other people.

    “I know how to ride a motorcycle, I can do wire work like you see in the circuses. I can shoot a gun. I know how to fight, too,” she says.

    Those are some definite pluses to learning while on someone else’s payroll. Just think of what the average person would have to pay to take lessons to learn even just one of these skills.

    Jessica Alba rocks a hot ensemble on the March cover of Nylon, sporting a sexy crop top. Inside the magazine pages she shows off a few looks, including hot pink pants and some menswear, too. She is wearing nOir Jewelry in her cover shot, too, and they were all too happy to share the look with their fans via Twitter.

    This 32-year-old wife and mom does an exemplary job of juggling her many roles. And she embraces all of her acting roles with a passion that will no doubt keep her on the big screen for a long time to come.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Caffeine Use Disorder: It’s a Thing

    Caffeine Use Disorder: It’s a Thing

    Coffee addicts, listen up! Caffeine has now been categorized as a drug in the DSM-5. Need help quitting? That may be coming soon, according to Yahoo.

    “Caffeine is a drug, a mild stimulant which is used by almost everybody on a daily basis,” said Charles O’Brien, chair of the Substance-Related Disorders Work Group. “Normally, there’s no problem with that. But it does have a letdown afterwards,” he added. “If you drink a lot of coffee, usually two or three cups at a time, there will be a rebound or withdrawal effect.”

    In a new study from researchers at American University in Washington, D.C., it is found that drinking several cups of coffee each day can become habit-forming, and when a person tries to quit, they can experience withdrawal symptoms like headaches and fatigue. If you’ve ever tried to quit, as I have, you might agree there is also a good amount of crankiness.

    “The negative effects of caffeine are often not recognized as such because it is a socially acceptable and widely consumed drug that is well integrated into our customs and routines,” said the study’s co-author and American University psychology professor Laura Juliano, reported by Post Media News. “And while many people can consume caffeine without harm, for some it produces negative effects, physical dependence, interferes with daily functioning, and can be difficult to give up.”

    This new study could possibly result in greater clarity in labeling of products containing caffeine and the amounts they contain, according to Juliano.

    “At this time, manufacturers are not required to label caffeine amounts, and some products such as energy drinks do not have regulated limits on caffeine,” Juliano said. “Through our research, we have observed that people who have been unable to quit or cut back on caffeine on their own would be interested in receiving formal treatment — similar to the outside assistance people can turn to if they want to quit smoking or tobacco use.”

    It would be interesting to see what some of those treatments would be. It is a fairly hard habit to kick, but if you can’t, you should at least try to reduce your intake to 2-3 8oz. cups of coffee per day (or 400 mg caffeine) to avoid withdrawal symptoms, according to Juliano.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Krokodil Confirmed as Flesh-eating Drug in Mexico

    Mexican health authorities have confirmed a homemade drug, better known as “the poor man’s heroin,” to be a flesh-eating substance.

    In December, a teenage girl was hospitalized in Mexico after injecting Krokodil (Desomorphine) into her genitals.

    The 17-year-old Texas-native experienced what appeared to be green and flakey skin. Doctors at first assumed her condition was related to a STD outbreak, but after thorough research they soon discovered that lesions were spreading in her genital area.

    Additionally, gangrene usually develops after using the drug resulting in amputation of the affected body part.

    The health condition of the young girl is unknown because she never returned for a follow-up treatment. She was on Krokodil for just two-months before the outbreak began.

    Initially, the usage of Krokodil was denied in Canada, the UK and yes, even the United States. However, Mexico is now blowing the whistle to warn people about its harsh effects.

    According to Business Insider, the drug most likely started its course in Russia where it acquired its named from the Russian word “crocodile.”

    As a cheap alternative for substance abusers, the drug consists of: codeine, paint thinner, gasoline, hydrochloric acid, iodine and red phosphorous. It can give off the same high as heroine but deteriorate the body at a fast rate.

    The drug is said to be very lethal and addicts typically die two years after usage.

    Some say the drug is becoming prevalent in the U.S., especially after its recent expansion to Nebraska went unnoticed; but what synthetic drugs aren’t?

    Synthetic drugs such as spice, knock-off marijuana, and “bath salt” can be purchased online or from local stores. They’re usually made up of unknown ingredients and/or chemicals. Yet, people still use these man-made substances because they’re easily accessible and affordable.

    Drug abuse is already harmful enough, but using synthetic drugs like Krokodil are likely to have some of the most unpredictable outcomes seen thus far.

    Hopefully the U.S. and other nations alike will start to produce more educative reports on the increasing popularity of Krokodil OR we will continue to lose even more people to yet another deadly narcotic.

    Image via Youtube, Vice

  • FDA Approves New HIV Drug, Tivicay

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week approved a new drug for the treatment of HIV.

    Called Tivicay, the drug is an integrase strand transfer inhibitor. In other words, it inhibits HIV by blocking an enzyme necessary for its growth. When taken daily with other antiretroviral drugs, it can reduce viral loads in patients with HIV.

    “HIV-infected individuals require treatment regimens personalized to fit their condition and their needs,” said Dr. Edward Cox, director of the FDA’s Office of Antimicrobial Products. “The approval of new drugs like Tivicay that add to the existing options remains a priority for the FDA.”

    Tivicay is approved for adults and children age 12 and older. Both HIV patients who have had HIV therapy and those that haven’t have been approved to use the new drug.

    The FDA approved Tivicay following a safety and efficacy trials involving over 2,500 patients. It was found to be effective, with side effects ranging from insomnia and headaches to hypersensitivity. Patients with hepatitis B or C were also at risk for “abnormal” liver function. Another trial found that Tivicay is safe for children 12 and over with HIV.

  • Rapper Overdose Confirmed by Medical Examiner

    Chris Kelly of the rap group Kriss Kross died of a drug overdose, a medical office investigator told the Associated Press on Monday.

    The 90’s musician died on May 1 from a mixture of drugs, confirmed Betty Honey from the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office in Atlanta. The office did not release information about the type of drugs found in Kelly’s system.

    Kelly’s mother Donna Kelly Pratt told police that her son used cocaine and heroin the night before his death, according to the Associated Press report. She also told police that he had an “extensive history of drug use.”

    The 34-year-old was found in his Atlanta home by paramedics and could not be resuscitated.

    Kelly and Chris Smith of Kriss Kross were best known for their 1992 hit “Jump.” The trend-setting pair was also known for wearing their clothes backwards.

    Kelly’s mother released a statement to Us Weekly:

    “To millions of fans worldwide, he was the trendsetting, backwards pants-wearing one-half of Kris Kross who loved making music. But to us, he was just Chris — the kind, generous and fun-loving life of the party. Though he was only with us a short time, we feel blessed to have been able to share some incredible moments with him. His legacy will live on through his music, and we will forever love him.”