American Association of Poison Control Centers Issues Warning About Reemerging Synthetic Drugs

Marijuana leaves

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) and the experts at America's 55 poison centers are warning the public about a group of dangerous new synthetic cannabinoids which have recently led to a dramatic spike in poison center exposure calls in the United States, according to Stephen T. Kaminski, JD, AAPCC executive director.

Poison centers across the country have been receiving increased levels of calls related to these substances. From Jan. 1, 2015, through April 22, 2015, poison centers have received 1,900 exposure calls from people seeking help for adverse reactions to these drugs; this is almost four times the rate of calls received in 2014. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a health alert stating that New York emergency departments have reported seeing more than 160 patients in a nine day period. Alabama has seen 317 synthetic cannabinoid-related emergency department visits in an 18 day window as of April 20, 2015. Other states such as New Jersey, Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Arizona have also seen dramatic increases in reports, signaling this is a national problem.

Synthetic "marijuana" products, also known as THC homologs, are in reality very different from marijuana. Health effects from the drug can be life-threatening and can include:

• Severe agitation and anxiety
• Fast, racing heartbeat and higher blood pressure
• Nausea and vomiting
• Muscle spasms, seizures, and tremors
• Intense hallucinations and psychotic episodes
• Suicidal and other harmful thoughts and/or actions

Physicians can experience difficulty trying to determine the cause of severe medical problems seen in users of these substances when they present to emergency departments due to the wide variety of chemicals used to make synthetic cannabinoids. These drugs are imported into the United States and can be sprayed on plant material or combined in other ways and marketed under such names as "Spice," "K2," "Keisha Kole," "Summit," "AK-47" and many others.

The harmful effects from these products were first reported in the U.S. in 2009. Since then, the synthetic drugs have spread throughout the country due to ease of access. For example, people are able to purchase them at gas station convenience stores. The chemical formula of these substances changes from one week to the next to avoid regulations banning specific compound formulations. As a result, the same brand purchased at different times may produce vastly different effects.

"These synthetic drugs present a potentially fatal risk that is not well recognized by people consuming these products," said AAPCC President Jay Schauben, PharmD, DABAT, FAACT. "The recent death of five people suspected of using this category of drugs underscores the urgency of controlling these drugs and educating the public of their dangers."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and AAPCC have conducted public health surveillance using data stored in the National Poison Data System (NPDS) since 2000 to help identify and characterize emerging public health threats.

"We're greatly concerned by the rise in calls to poison centers regarding synthetic cannabinoids," said Dr. Amy Wolkin, chief of the CDC's Health Studies Branch. "The perception that these drugs are harmless is dangerous. People and hospitals need to be aware of the potential harm they can do."

"Our research shows that people are playing Russian Roulette with their lives because only the chemist creating the synthetic cannabinoid really knows what is in it," said Dr. Eric Wish, director of the Coordinating Center for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS) located at the University of Maryland, College Park. "We have found very different metabolites in different sites across the country and even in the same site over time."

Erin Artigiani, NDEWS co-investigator, added, "We are very excited about the new partnership between NDEWS and AAPCC and the unique opportunity it provides to work together to identify and discuss new synthetic drugs as they emerge."

"One of the strengths of the poison center network is its ability to identify emerging public health threats virtually in real-time," said Kaminski. "Poison centers are staffed with medical professionals who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer questions about 'K2,' 'Spice,' or any other substances that could be harmful to your health. All calls are confidential."

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, AAPCC associate manager, Public Relations and Member Services, at 703.894.1865 or schuster@aapcc.org.

For information about NDEWS, please contact Erin Artigiani at 301-705-9794 or eartigia@umd.edu.

AAPCC supports the nation's 55 poison center members in their efforts to treat and prevent drug, consumer product, animal, environmental and food poisoning. Members staff the Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-1222 that provides free, confidential, expert medical advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year from toxicology specialists, including nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and poison information providers. In addition, AAPCC maintains the only poison information and surveillance database in the United States, providing real-time monitoring of unusual poisoning patterns, chemical exposures and other emerging public health hazards. AAPCC partners with federal agencies such as EPA, HRSA and the CDC, as well as private industry.
To learn more, visit www.aapcc.org, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@AAPCC), and read our blog at aapcc.wordpress.com.
To learn more about NDEWS, visit http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/cesarfax/vol23/23-12.pdf and http://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2014/07/nih-system-to-monitor-emerging-drug-trends.
People interested in joining the ongoing discussions about synthetic cannabinoids are welcome to join the NDEWS Network, a virtual community of more than 500 substance abuse experts, practitioners and concerned citizens working together to educate each other and the general public about substance abuse and its consequences.

Most Americans say medical marijuana shouldn’t be used by kids or in front of kids – legal or not

4 in 5 people say adults shouldn’t be allowed to use medical marijuana in front of children; support of patient use much lower for kids than adults

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Medical marijuana and children don’t mix, most Americans say.

While nearly two-thirds of people agree that their state should allow medical marijuana for adults, half as many – just over a third – say it should be allowed for children, according to today’s University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health that included a national sample of adults in the U.S.

Eighty percent of respondents go even further, saying adults shouldn’t be allowed to use medical marijuana in front of kids – a view most prominent among parents of children under 18 years old.



Nearly half of states now have laws permitting medical marijuana, and few such as Michigan enforce stricter rules for children’s use of medical marijuana. The Mott poll is the first to measure the public’s views about the use of medical marijuana for children compared to adults.

“We found that while most people support state laws that permit medical marijuana use among adults, the story is dramatically different for children. Medical marijuana is a controversial subject when we’re talking about kids,” says Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the National Poll on Children’s Health and professor of pediatrics and internal medicine in the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the U-M Medical School.

“Our findings suggest that not only is the public concerned about the use of medical marijuana among children, but that the majority of Americans worry that even exposure to it may be harmful to kids’ health. As is typical with anything involving health, the public’s standards are much higher when it comes to protecting children’s health.”

Ten percent of respondents in the Mott poll either have a medical marijuana card or know someone who does, while 7 percent either use marijuana when children are present or know someone who does.

News stories around the country have highlighted the complexity of medical marijuana laws, with cases of children even being taken away from parents using medical marijuana at home. In Maine for example, even though medical marijuana is legal, the state’s Supreme Judicial Court ruled that it can make a person unfit as a parent and therefore risk custody rights.

As more states allow use of medical marijuana, lawmakers, doctors and families also face questions about whether children with qualifying conditions should be able to use it too. In Connecticut, lawmakers are considering a bill that would expand the state’s medical marijuana program to children. In New Jersey, the health department recently took a step toward allowing edible medical marijuana for kids. States like Colorado permit a special strain of cannabis known as "Charlotte's Web" used by hundreds of children.

However, there is little science about the safety or efficacy of treating children with medical marijuana. Research also indicates that the brains and nervous systems of children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to adverse effects of marijuana use, a concern raised by the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

The new Mott poll comes on the heels of new bills in Congress asking the federal government to reclassify marijuana as a controlled substance that can be dispensed legally. This would allow for broader federal funding of medical research about medical marijuana.

Advocates for medical marijuana argue that it can be safe and effective for treating symptoms related to diseases such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS and epilepsy for adults and children. Those opposed are concerned about inadequate scientific testing as a treatment, negative side effects on the brain and other organs and evidence that drug use early in life is more likely to lead to drug addiction in adulthood.

Full report: C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health
http://mottnpch.org/reports-surveys/support-medical-marijuana-use-lower-kids-adults

Additional Resources:
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881
http://norml.org/states
https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/Committees-Councils-Sections/substanceabuse/Pages/marijuana.aspx

Learn more:

C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health:
Website: MottNPCH.org Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mottnpch Twitter: @MottNPCH

Purpose/Funding: The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health – based at the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the University of Michigan and funded by the University of Michigan Health System – is designed to measure major health care issues and trends for U.S. children.

Data Source: This report presents findings from a nationally representative household survey conducted exclusively by GfK Custom Research, LLC (GfK) for C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital via a method used in many published studies.  The survey was administered in November/December 2014 to a randomly selected, stratified group of adults (n=2,176), from GfK’s web-enabled KnowledgePanel®, that closely resembles the U.S. population. The sample was subsequently weighted to reflect population figures from the Census Bureau. The survey completion rate was 54 percent among panel members contacted to participate. The margin of error is ±2 to 3 percentage points.

The findings of the poll reflect the views of the public and do not represent the opinions or positions of the University of Michigan, the University of Michigan Health System, or the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

What To Ask Your Doctor If You Feel Crappy All The Time

By Dr. Chad Larson, NMD, DC, CCN, CSCS, Advisor and Consultant on Clinical Consulting Team for Cyrex Laboratories

Dr. Chad Larson

Do you feel crappy all of the time and don't know why? Well, food sensitivity just might be the cause. In all seriousness, if you are experiencing brain fog, gastrointestinal discomfort after meals, or just feel tired all the time, it may be due to what you are eating. Food sensitivity is an understudied area of health and wellness, consequently there is not much data about just how many Americans have food sensitivities. One thing is certain, food sensitivities can manifest in many different kinds of symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, depression and skin disorders. Food reactivity can negatively influence your overall health. In light of this, I want to share five key questions to ask your doctor if you are experiencing what I like to call FCATT, or Feeling Crappy All of The Time.

1. Do I have an autoimmune disorder? There is an epidemic of autoimmune disorders in America.  According to the American Autoimmune Disease Related Association, over 50 million Americans have autoimmune disorders that impact overall health. What's more, if you are diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, there is a 25 percent chance of developing another condition, according to the National Institute of Health. But why not try to predict and prevent it? A simple blood test can assist your Healthcare Professional in early detection of reactivity associated with possible autoimmune disorder(s) and allows you to make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle to prevent it. 

2. Am I sensitive to wheat and gluten or other foods? Food reactivity significantly impacts your overall health. The gastrointestinal mucosal immune system is the first line of defense when it comes to issues tied to dietary intake. Dietary triggers can cause a person to feel tired and feel discomfort, which can directly be related to how your body processes foods. Make sure to ask your doctor to test food reactivity in raw, cooked and modified foods. There is a difference because food proteins can take new form once cooked or modified.
    
3. Am I getting enough sleep? More and more people are reporting and increase in sensitivity to light.  With the gadgets and devices you peer at late at night and sit on your nightstands emitting light and interrupting your sleep, it is a good idea to confirm you are actually getting the deep, REM sleep your body needs in order to repair and regenerate your body systems. There are some wearable devices on the market that can provide answers. Wearables can measure the depth of sleep, duration of sleep, and give a daily synopsis of just how much rest the wearer is getting. This insight will help your medical provider determine if you are getting enough sleep and how this may be impacting your overall health.

4. Is there a blood test that can help determine why I have brain fog? If brain fog and fatigue are ruining your workday, look to your physician to help you find the source of these unexplained symptoms. Food sensitivities can manifest in numerous ways including gastrointestinal, neurological, dermatological, or behavioral issues. A simple comprehensive test can not only tell you what you are sensitive to, but also how that sensitivity may be affecting your brain and your gut.
    
5. I've removed gluten from my diet but I'm still experiencing FCATT. Are there foods that I could be cross-reacting to? If you're already following a gluten-free diet, and still experiencing FCATT symptoms, ask your doctor to test you for foods that may be making your system cross-react. What this means is that your system is responding to those foods in the same way it responds to gluten. Again, a simple blood test will give your medical provider answers to possible cross-reactive food sensitivity that can help you make necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Unexplained symptoms can be scary especially when they're impacting the overall quality of your life. What's worse is that these symptoms are potentially an indicator of a larger health problem. But rest assured, there is a way to find out why you are feeling crappy all the time, and it begins with a simple blood test. These five questions can help your healthcare provider identify the problem and begin putting an end to FCATT.

About Dr. Chad Larson, NMD, DC, CCN, CSCS, Advisor and Consultant on Clinical Consulting Team for Cyrex Laboratories
Dr. Larson holds a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Southern California University of Health Sciences, graduating with honors. He is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He particularly pursues advanced developments in the fields of endocrinology, orthopedics, sports medicine, and environmentally-induced chronic disease. Cyrex Laboratories is a Clinical Immunology Laboratory specializing in function immunology and autoimmunity. Cyrex offers multi-tissue antibody testing for early detection and monitoring of today's complex autoimmune conditions. Cyrex develops innovative arrays through continuous collaboration with leading experts in medical research and clinical practice. 

Everyone knows their cholesterol number, their blood pressure number, and probably their glucose level. While these numbers are certainly useful and important, you must put vitamin D at the top of the list. There is a growing list of health conditions that can be prevented by, treated with, or associated with vitamin D. Most people know that deficient levels of vitamin D is a strong risk factor for osteoporosis and certain types of cancer, but the medical literature has also linked it with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, elevated blood pressure, glucose intolerance, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's thyroid disease. Now we can add to the list: heart failure.

Watch Dr. Chad Larson Discuss Vitamin D

Heart failure death occurred two to three times more often in people with vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency compared with those who had normal levels of the vitamin, according to data from a government survey.

Premature mortality, defined as death before age 75, also had a significant association with vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. "These data may represent yet additional justification for the idea of studying vitamin D supplementation in appropriate patients to determine whether a causal relationship exists and whether this is a potentially treatable condition," said Howard J. Eisen, MD, of Drexel University in Philadelphia. The analysis comprised data on 13,131 adults ages 35 and older, followed for a median of eight years through 2000. Serum 25(OH)D was measured at enrollment by radioimmunoassay.

Recipe: Moroccan CousCous with Beef

Original recipe makes 8 servings

2 pounds of beef steak or roast

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

 1 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

 1 red, green, or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces

 2 zucchinis and/or yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 3/4 inch pieces

 1/2 cup golden raisins

 1 teaspoon kosher salt

 grated zest of one orange

 1 (14.5 ounce) can low sodium garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups of beef broth

 1/2 cup orange juice

 1 1/2 cups couscous

 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Optional: turnip, carrots, and potatoes

Cut the beef into bite sized cubes. Place a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.  Add olive oil. Brown the beef with crushed garlic cloves. Then add 2 cups of beef broth. Turn heat down to simmer after the broth boils.  Simmer for 2 hours.

After two hours, in another pan stir in the cumin, ginger, cloves, cayenne, cardamom, coriander, and allspice; gently toast until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in oil and onion, cook until softened. Add to beef. Add in optional potatoes, carrots, and turnip. Stir in the bell pepper, and zucchini; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the raisins, salt, zest, and garbanzos.

Pour 1 ½ cups of beef broth and orange juice into a third pan; turn heat to high and bring to a boil. When the mixture is boiling, stir in the couscous and remove from heat; cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and fold in chopped mint.

Calories: 430 for 1 cup

7 Push-Up Mistakes You're Probably Making

By Tony Horton

There's a lot more to push-ups than getting on all fours and moving up and down. And knowing the proper technique is important: It'll reduce your risk of injury, improve core strength, and burn more calories. Make note of these common mistakes, then visit pushupsforcharity.com to see how doing push-ups can also help veterans nationwide.

The problem: Your butt rises
Push-ups are a great ab exercise, but this is a clear indication that you're not engaging your core.
The fix: Engage your glute muscles by squeezing the cheeks together. This will helplower your butt and raise your lower back.

The problem: Your back looks more like a hammock and less like a board
Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
The fix: Raise your low back toward the ceiling while simultaneously tilting your pelvic bones in the direction of your upper body.

The problem: Improper arm placement
Lots of people place their hands too far forward, which puts strain on the shoulder joints, making it difficult to comfortably engage the buttocks, low back, and abdominal area.
The fix: Your arms need to be straight up and down like a pillar holding up a building, allowing the bones in both arms to better support the weight of your body.

The problem: Poor head alignment
This happens when the chin and jaw are too close to your chest during the exercise.
The fix: Try to imagine a grapefruit-size space between your chin and upper chest, which will align your spine and relieve pressure from your neck muscles.

The problem: Dead legs
Most people think that their legs are just along for the ride. Not true.
The fix: To achieve more muscle recruitment and better alignment during a push-up, it's important to push the backs of your knees toward the ceiling and your heels toward the floor, while flexing your quadriceps ever so slightly.

The problem: You're holding your breath
This one is obvious, but quite often the most overlooked. It's difficult to do anything well while holding your breath.
The fix: Don't force it—just make sure you're exhaling on the way up and inhaling on the way down like you would breath naturally. No yoga-style exhales here.

The problem: You're only doing half a push-up
Far too often people don't go low enough or high enough, but you can't improve or get stronger doing a half push-up.
The fix: Try to straighten your arms at the top of every push-up and be conscious that your upper arms/triceps are at least parallel to the floor at the bottom, creating a 90-degree angle with your elbows.

For more from Tony Horton, check out tonyhortonlife.com
For more information go to Fitness