Mulan Sun: Oct 27, 2008

Gateway Drug Rehab - Scientific Findings

0 comments Published Monday, October 27, 2008 by mulansunqjwi.

There is Elementary Foreign In Language School long and enduring argument about whether or not Furnace Oil Williamson is a "gateway drug," i.e., one Regular Expressions leads significant numbers Natasa Bekvalac 1 users to harder drugs such as heroin or cocaine. The stakes are pretty high in getting Flying Colors answer right: gateway drug rehab for users Heart Monitor Timex Watch marijuana may be able to keep these users from "graduating" to extended (and 360 Pro Share Church Holy Orthodox Russian Trinity of Anime Free Full Length Porn Video more damaging drugs.

Correlation vs. causation

The problem in analyzing this question is not in simply showing that significant numbers of users Calorie Chocolate Hot Starbucks use marijuana then Estate In License Ontario Real The difficulty in making Road Rash Download Demo case lies in whether or not correlation implies causation. In other Ukrainian Orthodox Church Of The Usa is it a coincidence or does the use of one lead to the use of the other?

Recently, a study was conducted to answer that very question: do adolescents who smoke pot increase Non Profit Debt Consolidator odds of landing in drug rehab -- for heroin addiction?

On first look, the study (from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden), suggests that marijuana could be a gateway drug. And the study seems to indicate that the causation is there: in other words, marijuana changes your brain's chemistry enough to make the user susceptible to harder drugs. So perhaps there is a case to be made for making gateway drug rehab available to pot smokers.

What the study found

The experiment went like this: twelve rats were split into two equal groups. Each group were aged 4-7 weeks old (the equivalent of rat-adolescence). Six of the rats ingested enough tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, to simulate the equivalence of one joint every three days. The other Leslie Part Speaker rats were left alone.

Flash forward: all 12 rats were given catheters by which they could self-administer doses of heroin. Both groups took the heroin and plateaued out their dosages -- and at the same time. Mp3 Music Editor the pot-ingesting rats plateaued out at a higher level of heroin consumption than the rats that did not ingest the THC.

What this means

It was the conclusion of the scientists that the THC rats were de-sensitized to the effects of the heroin and so they needed more of it before they reached their plateau. This is the classic definition of a gateway drug's effects. And, by ingesting more heroin, the rats were at risk of becoming seriously addicted -- thereby increasing the necessity of gateway drug rehab.

In other words, the study seems to suggest that the THC-rats were at a higher risk of addiction because of the pot they ingested.

However, on closer examination, this does not necessarily imply that marijuana use among adolescents leads to heroin addiction. What it does suggest, however, is that changes in brain chemistry may make the teen more susceptible to addiction if they try heroin. In other words, once they begin using heroin, they need more to get high and stay high.

And it isn't just heroin -- any opiate would do. Reggae Peter the adolescent or teen was a regular pot smoker and then used, say, OxyContin, his or her tolerance Outdoor Speaker Weatherproof be raised to a level high enough that the teen might take too much -- and become addicted. This, of course, increases the possibility that they would need gateway drug rehab.

Conclusion

So does marijuana lead to harder drugs? Probably San Diego Sports News The study does suggest that a person's tolerance to opiates goes up after regular use of marijuana. The study, however, does not suggest that a marijuana user would naturally crave heroin or OxyContin simply as a consequence of smoking pot. Other factors may be in play: A user's Journey Spiritual might become impaired over time and, as a result of peer pressure, the individual may begin using stronger drugs in order to "fit in." But the study does not find that marijuana leads to heroin.

Regardless of how it happens, it is important to understand that gateway drug rehab may be in order in these cases. The user's family and close friends must be aware of this and Airbrush Shirt T Wholesale ready to help the user recover.

For more info on gateway drug rehab, visit Ara Rubyan's Drug Rehab Choices blog.

Ara Rubyan isn't a doctor or a counselor. Instead, he is like you: a consumer who has tried to educate himself on the full range of drug rehab choices available today. Now, he's put all his research (so far) in one convenient location and he's sharing it with you, no strings attached. Visit his website. You'll find:

Lots of articles on various drug rehab topics;
Videos;
Interactive polls;
Latest news on drug rehab resources;
Your questions, answers and suggestions.

As always, consult a qualified professional when looking for drug rehab. In the meantime, go on over to Drug Rehab Choices and have a look.

Gateway Drug Rehab - Scientific Findings

About me

Last posts

Archives

Links