The Drug Update

The use of Khat, a stimulant wiith wide acceptance in Eastern Africa, has landed 14 Somali users with DEA charges after a Seattle-area sting. Khat's stimulant effects are attributed to Cathinone, which exhibits chemical similarities to amphetamine. One prominent Somali described the bust as a "classic cultural clash," complaining that the users were not even aware that they were breaking the law by ingesting a stimulant common in their homeland.

Posted by Daniel Walter at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Estimates of opium cultivation hit an all-time high in Afghanistan this year. The area under cultivation increased drastically from 257,000 acres in 2005 to 370,650 acres this year. A report is due from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in September to determine the final figures as well as the amount yielded.

Posted by Matt Nazareth at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week's CESAR FAX revealed a gap between children's drug use and parents' awareness of said use. For 6th graders, 21% report alcohol use in the apst year whereas only 5% of parents of 6th graders believe their child had ever even tried alcohol. The gap shrinks with older children: for 12th graders, its 68% that use and 41% of parents that know about it. The trends are similar for other drugs.

Posted by Matt Nazareth at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

A study provides evidence for a link between marijuana use and early pregnancy failure. Cannabinoids interfere with the body's natural signaling system, which uses cannabinoid-like signaling molecules, and cause a failure of embryo transport from the ovary to the uterus.

Posted by Matt Nazareth at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)