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Synthetic Marijuana Blamed for Man’s Death

May 16, 2016

Synthetic Marijuana

Some 8,000 Spice poisonings were reported in the US last year, which the Guardian calls “one of the drug’s most damaging years since its introduction to the United States almost a decade ago.” In one suspected case, a Mississippi man died after taking a single toke.

Indeed, potency is hard to predict and “the risk of overdosing is high,” reports the Las Cruces Sun-News, which explains that because Spice is typically sold (at gas stations, for instance) as “herbal incense” that is labeled as not for consumption, it’s out of the purview of the FDA and USDA.

Spice is a mix of herbs (shredded plant material) and manmade chemicals with mind-altering effects. It is often called “synthetic marijuana” or “fake weed” because some of the chemicals in it are similar to ones in marijuana; but its effects are sometimes very different from marijuana, and frequently much stronger.

Of the almost 8,000 poisonings from synthetic cannabinoids reported last year, New York claimed 1,729, while Mississippi reported 1,362 with 17 suspected deaths. Overdose symptoms include kidney failure, stroke, irregular heartbeat, violent outbursts, and paranoia, and the Guardian notes that the screening limitations mean confirmed cases typically occur only when epidemiologists get involved.

Because the chemicals used in Spice have a high potential for abuse and no medical benefit, the Drug Enforcement Administration has made many of the active chemicals most frequently found in Spice illegal. However, the people who make these products try to avoid these laws by using different chemicals in their mixtures.

Spice is a new drug and research is only just beginning to measure how it affects the brain. What is known is that the chemicals found in Spice attach to the same nerve cell receptors as THC, the main mind-altering ingredient in marijuana. Some of the chemicals in Spice, however, attach to those receptors more strongly than THC, which could lead to a much stronger and more unpredictable effect.

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FedEX Driver Who Hit California Highway Patrol Officer Arrested for DUI

5/13/16

FedEX Driver Hit Officer Arrested for DUIA FedEx truck driver who struck and seriously injured a California Highway Patrol officer in Sacramento has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Gregory Anthony Ramirez, 41, of San Lorenzo was arrested and charged with driving under the influence at the time of the collision, the CHP said. Ramirez was booked into the Sacramento County Jail for felony driving under the influence, causing injury and possession of a controlled substance. His bail is set at $50,000.

The CHP said Officer Vincent Smith, an 18-year veteran of the agency, remained hospitalized. The officer was trying to move two vehicles off the eastbound lanes of the highway near 15th Street after they had collided just after 3 a.m., the CHP said.

The rear of the officer’s patrol vehicle was mangled by the impact from the FedEx truck, but the officer was on foot when he was hit, according to CHP. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the FedEx truck struck the officer directly or whether it struck only his patrol vehicle, causing it to hit the officer.

It’s the second major Sacramento crash involving a FedEx big rig in several months. In December, the driver of a FedEx tractor-trailer on southbound Interstate 5 lost control in rainy weather and the truck jumped the center divider, striking a northbound vehicle and killing its driver.

“FedEx Ground is committed to safety as our top priority and we hold anyone providing service on our behalf contractually responsible for operating safely and complying with the law. We are fully cooperating with investigating authorities and will take the appropriate action to address this matter,” FedEx spokesperson Davis Westrick said in a statement.

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Teen Dies of Overdose of New Type of Ecstasy Called MasterCard

5/10/16

Ecstasy Called MasterCardAn English teen died after taking a type of ecstasy, called “MasterCard,” according to police officials, who issued a dire warning Monday to anyone considering popping the deadly pills.

The young woman, whose name and age were not immediately released, was found on the brink of death at 5 a.m. Monday morning after partying at a Manchester nightclub called Don’t Let Daddy Know, Metro reported. She later died at a local hospital.

Police she ingested the pill, which is pink and has a circular shape similar to the credit card company’s logo.

“Sadly, we know it is very unlikely that the girl was the only person to have taken this drug last night,” Greater Manchester Police Detective Helen Bell said.

Ecstasy is a popular party drug that gives users a euphoric-like high that can distort time and cause heightened sexual experiences. People who use Ecstasy usually take it as a capsule or tablet, though some swallow it in liquid form or snort the powder.

Ecstasy can affect the body’s ability to regulate spikes in the body temperature, that can occasionally result in liver, kidney, or heart failure, and possibly death. Many users will take a combination of Ecstasy with other drugs and or alcohol not knowing the possible dangers.

“We are appealing to anyone who may have taken this form of ecstasy, known as ‘MasterCard’ to get checked out urgently,” Bell added. “Even if you took it some hours ago, this pill will still be in your system and could be seriously harming your health.”

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire United States, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

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Having Problems Quitting Smoking? Heavy Drinking May Be The Reason.

5/4/16

Quitting Smoking

A small study of Polish men revealed that people that are alcohol dependent process nicotine in their bodies quickly, making it harder for them to quit.

In 2011 and 2012, the researchers studied 22 white male smokers at an inpatient alcohol addiction treatment center in Poland. They analyzed participants’ urine samples to gauge nicotine levels and metabolism at one, four and seven weeks after detoxing from alcohol.

“We didn’t measure what was happening when people were drinking, but after they stopped, their elevated rate of nicotine metabolism slowly subsided,” said lead author Noah R. Gubner of the Center for tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco.

“When nicotine metabolism is higher, people tend to have a harder time quitting smoking,” Gubner stated. The speed of nicotine processing declined by about half over the seven-week period, even though the men did not change how many cigarettes they were smoking per day.

The results might be useful for helping recovering alcoholics quit smoking, they add. More research is needed to know if nicotine replacement therapy is more effective after people stop heavy drinking, however. The researchers write in Drug and Alcohol Dependence that heavy alcohol use may trigger the enzyme in the body primarily responsible for metabolizing nicotine. And faster nicotine processing could explain the poor rates of quitting smoking among people who are alcohol dependent.
 Quitting alcohol and quitting smoking are complicated undertakings, and nicotine and alcohol could have some synergistic effects on reward and pleasure, Gubner said. Also, heavy drinking can affect decision-making, including the decision to smoke less or not at all.
With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire state of United States, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

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14 Year-old Left Blinded After E-Cigarette Explodes

April 23, 2016

14 Year-old Blinded E-Cigarette Explodes

A 14-year-old has been blinded in one eye and potentially faces permanent damage to his hands after allegedly testing an e-cigarette at a mall kiosk in Brooklyn, New York. The latest in a string of similar incidents, the teenager’s injury may raise questions over the safety of the devices as well as how much they are marketed to youth.

Adolescents who try e-cigarettes may be more than twice as likely to move on to smoking conventional cigarettes as those who have never tried the devices, previous research has found. About 2 million middle and high-school students tried e-cigarettes in 2014, triple the number of teen users in 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year.

Many U.S. states already ban sales of e-cigarettes to minors, but vendors need clear guidelines to follow for preventing underage purchases to make these policies more effective, said Adam Leventhal, director of the University of Southern California Health, Emotion and Addiction Laboratory in Los Angeles.

“In addition to the health hazards of vaping nicotine, other forms of nicotine ingestion like swallowing can be deadly,” Leventhal said. “The high concentration of nicotine in some e-liquids if swallowed or absorbed into the body through other means is toxic, especially for infants and toddlers, who may be the siblings of older children who might be purchasing e-liquids and not aware of such hazards.”

Leor Domatov said he was trying out an e-cigarette at the Plaza Vapes kiosk in Brooklyn’s Kings Plaza Mall when it exploded in his hands and face. Domatov, who is only 14, wouldn’t have legally been able to buy one of the products because state and local law forbids the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. Domatov’s father hired Marc Freund, a partner at Lipsig, Shapey, Manus and Moverman, to reportedly sue the kiosk owner and mall.

Employees at the kiosk reportedly distribute promotional cards advertising the company’s Instagram account and packaging that resemble popular breakfast cereals. The employee who allowed Domatov to test the e-cigarette had only been on her second day at the job.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire United States, Accredited Drug Testing is there to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information, contact:

Andrew Gormally
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Court Date Set for Co-Pilot Suspected of Being Intoxicated

April 14, 2016

Co-Pilot Being IntoxicatedBack in March an American Airlines Co-Pilot was arrested on the tarmac as passengers looked on after failing a breathalyzer test. The flight was about to leave the Detroit Metropolitan airport was headed to Philadelphia, was immediately canceled.

A Transportation Security Agent was the first person to witness the pilot acting suspiciously. Minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off, the airport police were contacted. The co-pilot reportedly failed the initial onsite breathalyzer test. The co-pilot also reportedly failed a second test after being arrested.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said that John Maguire will be arraigned and have a pre-trial hearing May 11 in Romulus, where the airport is located. He’s been charged with operating under the influence of alcohol stemming from the March 26 incident. Authorities say he had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit.

FAA rules state that “no person may operate or attempt to operate an aircraft” within eight hours of having consumed alcohol or “with a blood alcohol content of 0.04 percent or greater.” The agency recommends that pilots wait 24 hours from the last use of alcohol before flying.

Defense attorney Frank Manley says he’s taking the case “very seriously” and doing “everything necessary to protect the public and Capt. Maguire.” Manley adds his client “has an outstanding record as a professional pilot.”

“This is a serious matter and we are assisting local law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration with the investigation,” American Airlines said in a statement. “We will handle this matter appropriately as the safety and care of our customers and employees is our highest priority.”

Related Article

Pilot Arrested After Failing Breathalyzer

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Synthetic Drugs On the Rise

April 13, 2016

Synthetic DrugsAdolphe Joseph, 34, is serving a 10-year prison sentence for smuggling fentanyl, an opiate 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. But he has not been charged for the nearly three pounds of a synthetic opiate more than 10,000 times as powerful as morphine investigators found in his South Florida home last Fall. Nor will he be, say prosecutors.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opiate analgesic similar to but more potent than morphine. It is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, or to manage pain after surgery. It is also sometimes used to treat people with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to opiates. It is a schedule II prescription drug.

Like heroin, morphine, and other opioid drugs, fentanyl works by binding to the body’s opiate receptors, highly concentrated in areas of the brain that control pain and emotions. When opiate drugs bind to these receptors, they can drive up dopamine levels in the brain’s reward areas, producing a state of euphoria and relaxation.

W-18 is one of thousands of synthetic opiates that is not scheduled as a controlled substance and thus not subject to criminal drug penalties, and one of a handful of drugs that law enforcement officials and scientists say they have seen in increasing numbers in the last six months, as use, abuse and overdose deaths continues to rise.

U-47700, which is seven to eight times stronger than morphine, has been the source of overdoses over the past year in at least 10 states since the first US incident was discovered in Knoxville, Tennessee, in June 2015.

Barry Logan, the executive director for the Center of Forensic Science and Education, said his lab has been able to track down 17 overdose cases of U-47700. And several other overdose deaths and hospitalizations have been identified by local law enforcement in Florida and northern Texas.

Overdoses on synthetic opioids “may be reported as a heroin overdose death unless the medical examiners dig down deep”, said Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Russ Bare. He said forensics scientists often will not take steps to search for existence of a specific compound unless an individual overdoses near drug paraphernalia, or there is other environmental evidence.

Jim Hall, a prominent South Florida epidemiologist, said the chatter he’s been hearing from experts and law enforcement about U-47700 in the last few weeks reminds him of the beginning of the Flakka epidemic. Flakka caused panic in the Broward County area over the last few years due to high fatal overdose rates and its effects of causing violent hallucinations paired with superhuman strength.

When Broward prosecutor Anita White was charging Joseph, she found that W-18 was too chemically different from any other controlled substance to make a case at all. Since opiates already resemble the brain’s own natural substances in chemical structure, the brain easily assimilates opiate effects within its chemical system. As tolerance levels increase, a dependency cycle takes root leaving the brain unable to regulate chemical processes normally without the drug’s effects.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire United States, Accredited Drug Testing is there to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

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Mr. James A. Greer Elected to National Board of Directors

April 12, 2016
(Orlando, FL) Accredited Drug Testing Inc. announced the election of Mr. James A. Greer, to a three-year term as James A Greer a member of the Drug and Alcohol

Testing Association’s national board of directors. Mr. Greer currently
serves as the President/CEO of Accredited Drug Testing Inc. and Health Screenings USA Inc., both companies which provide drug, alcohol and DNA testing nationwide.

Philip Dubois, Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA) Chairman, stated the following, “The Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association welcomes Jim Greer to our board of directors, and looks forward to utilizing his extensive experience both in business and government in achieving DATIA’s goals and objectives. As President of one of the nation’s leading providers in drug testing, Jim understands the issues and challenges our industry faces.” 

Joseph Reilly, past DATIA Chairman and current board member also stated, “As the former Chairman of the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association, and as a current board member, I am pleased that Jim has been elected to our national governing board. Jim’s experience as a successful businessman and elected official, along with his knowledge of the political process on the state and national level will be a great asset to achieving DATIA’s goals.”

Jim stated, “I’m honored to have been elected to the DATIA Board of Directors, and I look forward to working with the DATIA membership and staff in achieving the organization’s common goals.”

Jim Greer currently serves as a member of DATIA’s Legislative and Regulatory Committee and Marijuana Outreach Committee. From 1984 to 2007, Mr. Greer was Chairman/President of Regulatory Compliance Services Inc., a firm providing regulatory training to the nation’s hospitality industry with revenues exceeding $4 million annually. In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Greer has served as a Senior Political Advisor to various political campaigns, and has held elected office on the local, state and national levels. His community service includes; serving as President of his Rotary International Club, a member of the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce and a volunteer with Helpful Hands Inc., a community charity program. Mr. Greer and his wife Lisa, have five children, Hunter, Amber, Austin, Aidan, and Hope.

Mr. Greer has received numerous awards and recognitions for his leadership and business success including: Business Person of the Year, Paul Harris Fellow Rotary International, and Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Mr. Greer holds a degree from Seminole State College and is a graduate of the Advanced Institute for Elected Officials. He also holds certification as a professional collector trainer (CPCT).

For additional information, contact:

Andrew Gormally
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Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
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Drug Store Paternity Test, Are They Accurate?

April 6, 2016

DNA TestingEngland’s controversial talk show host Jeremy Kyle, of the “The Jeremy Kyle Show,” recently released a brand of at home paternity tests that are flying off the shelves. AlphaBioLabs in Warrington started selling the DIY kits through discount retail chain stores about 18 months ago and they have seen amazing sales figures.

Three thousand tests have been purchased over the last 18 months, and continue to be snapped up all over the country. AlphaBioLabs sells them for £5, which is about seven U.S dollars, and are available across the country. The tests claim to be 99.9% accurate, and results can be sent back within 24 hours, although you will have to pay nearly £100 ($140) for this service.

Managing director of AlphaBiolabs, David Thomas, said: “We were convinced that consumers wanted the option of being able to see the product and walk away with it in their basket. “These are not accredited to the high standard which the UK public want, so we want AlphaBiolabs to always strive to bring the fastest, most accurate DNA testing service available and fly the flag for UK.” The Liverpool firm behind the kit have recently invested a million pounds into analytical equipment, enabling them to lead the way in the industry.

According to the directions, you take a cotton swab and rub it inside the child’s mouth. That will provide enough DNA for the test. The man who may or may not be the father has to do the same. After you collect the DNA and send it in, it takes three to five days for the test to come back, and you go to a confidential Web site and get the results.

While the tests are believed to be accurate there are some reasons why women and couples may want to consult a professional laboratory for paternity tests, said Brad Imler, president of the American Pregnancy Association.

“There’s no risk of harm from a medical standpoint,” he said. “Although they’re not admissible in court. And, from an emotional standpoint, it’s a good idea to see a professional. It doesn’t have to be a doctor, but someone who is prepared to discuss the result with you if it comes back in a way you were not expecting.”

With paternity testing centers throughout the entire United States, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your paternity testing questions and needs.

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Drug Overdoses at a Record High

April 3, 2016

Drug Overdose“Overdoses from heroin, prescription drugs, and opioid painkillers have overtaken car accidents to become the leading cause of injury-related deaths in America,” The Economist reports. “In 2014, they were responsible for 28,647 deaths.  Between 2001 and 2014, deaths from heroin overdoses alone increased six-fold, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. On average, 125 people a day die from drug overdoses, 78 of them from heroin or painkillers.

“Heroin use, which used to be concentrated among low-income men in urban areas, now cuts across regions and demographic groups,” The Economist continues. “It is rampant in rural and suburban areas, like West Virginia and New Hampshire, and increasing among women and Americans in higher income brackets. Among adults aged between 18 and 25, heroin use has more than doubled in the last ten years. The problem has come increasingly into public view as police find users unconscious or dead in bathrooms, restaurants, parks, and libraries.”

Heroin is an opioid, that is synthesized from morphine. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2011, 4.2 million Americans (aged 12 or older) had used heroin once in their lives. Prescription opioid pain medications such as OxyContin and Vicodin have similar effects to heroin, and when abused, are common gateways to chronic heroin use. Heroin and similar opioids can be easily detected in a 10 panel drug screening.

In St. Louis, one of America’s most dangerous cities, turf wars among drug dealers responding to an influx of cheap heroin from a Mexican cartel fueled a sharp spike in the murder rate. In a trend mimicked in large cities nationally, many of the heroin consumers in St. Louis are young whites in their 20s, who drive into the city from suburbs and distant rural areas. And while most heroin overdose victims here are white, nearly all of the shooting victims and suspects in St. Louis this year have been African-American men and boys. Due to its potency, many users continue and even increase use of the drug to “chase the same high,” to ease the physical dependency. Chronic users become physically dependent on the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Police departments are training their staff to use naloxone, the lifesaving antidote for heroin overdoses. Unlike paramedics, the police department will be trained to administer the antidote using a nasal spray. Law enforcement officers are generally the first to respond to emergency calls, and training them to resuscitate a heroin overdose can mean life or death.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire United States, Accredited Drug Testing is there to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs.

For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
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Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
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