Caffeine can be part of a healthy diet for most people, but too much caffeine may pose a danger to your health. Do you drink coffee or tea first thing in the morning, hoping the caffeine in it will jump-start your day? Do you follow it up with more coffee, an energy drink, or other caffeinated beverages throughout the day? …
Missouri Marijuana Poison Control Calls for Children Under 5 Skyrocket by 2300% Over 6 Years
According to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, from 2018 to 2023, the number of marijuana poison control calls for children aged 5 and under increased by 2,300%: 2018: 7 calls 2019: 26 calls 2020: 57 calls 2021: 102 calls 2022: 125 calls 2023: 168 calls This trend is being exacerbated by the emergence of child-friendly products and …
Texas man hides fentanyl in child’s toy, faces nearly a decade in prison
A Dallas man was sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl, including stashing the drugs inside his child’s stuffed bear, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced. Jorge Miguel Arteaga Medina, 23, was sentenced to 97 months by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance …
Older Black men are disproportionately affected by the overdose crisis
Saturday, August 31, is International Overdose Awareness Day, when we collectively remember those who have lost their lives to drug overdose, support those who grieve those losses, and offer encouragement to those who seek recovery from addiction. It is also an opportunity to share new knowledge about the overdose crisis and strategies for confronting it. There is some very good news …
Most baby food isn’t nutritious despite what the label says
Babies bubbling with laughter and toddlers on their unsteady feet are the essence of joy. But, are we providing babies with an adequate amount of nutritional nourishment in their food? The answer might unsettle you. A recent study reveals that a whopping 60% of infant and toddler foods do not meet the desired nutritional standards. What’s more baffling? None of …
Brand of Kratom Tied to One Death, Many Severe Illnesses, FDA Warns
Millions of Americans use the opioid-like herbal supplement known as kratom, but evidence of its dangers continue to mount. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued another alert for consumers to stay away from one brand of kratom in particular, OPMS Black Liquid Kratom. “The FDA recently received an adverse event report of a person who died after using …
Fake Oxycontin Pills Widespread and Potentially Deadly: Report
The rate at which young Americans are ending up in hospital ICUs after using fake Oxycontin pills spiked with fentanyl is soaring, especially in the U.S. West, a new report warns. Medical toxicology data from one unnamed hospital in the western U.S. found the number of cases involving overdoses involving fake “M-30” Oxycontin pills rose from just three in 2017 …
Painkiller Misuse Common Among People Battling Chronic Pain
Nearly 1 in every 10 chronic pain patients treated with prescription opioids winds up addicted to the painkillers at some point, a new review finds. Further, nearly 1 in 3 will show symptoms of opioid addiction, researchers reported Aug. 7 in the journal Addiction. That evidence runs counter to claims made by companies like Oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma that fewer …
Kids’ Bedtimes Might Influence Odds for Drug, Alcohol Use as Teens
Regular bedtimes won’t just help your child be alert for a busy school day; they might also help keep them from abusing drugs or alcohol as a teen, new research suggests. Youth who’d had early bedtimes in childhood and adolescence were significantly less likely to be drinking or using marijuana by the time they were 15, compared to kids who’d …