African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic ... - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 14 – Warnings of Extra Heart Dangersfrom Mixing Cocaine and Alcoholincreasing attraction of combining alcohol and cocaine. A2003 study by scientists at the University of California'sDrug Dependence Research Centre noted: "The combineduse of alcohol and cocaine can produce a sense ofincreased and prolonged euphoria, compared with the useof either substance on its own."This claim is disputed by some scientific studies. Butwhat seems irrefutable is that the two drugs can "stretchthe good times", as one regular cocaine and alcoholbinger told the Observer. "I can drink for ever on coke,"said Dave, a 28-year-old electrician from Manchester."Without it, things can go downhill very fast."His comments are backed up by independent research.The respected magazine Druglink reported that a 2006analysis of 102 alcohol and cocaine users, carried out bythe UK National Addiction Centre, found strong linksbetween snorting cocaine and long, heavy drinkingsessions. Almost half of regular powder cocaine usersquestioned for the analysis said that their last heavydrinking episode had lasted more than 12 hours.The ability of cocaine users to consume vast amounts ofalcohol is being blamed for an increase in sexually riskybehaviour among the young and rising levels of violence.Small studies in Manchester and Merseyside suggest thataround half of all young people arrested for violentbehaviour were on drugs, and of these the majority wereon cocaine. Many had been drinking prior to their arrest.Greater Manchester's chief constable, Peter Fahy, hasalso observed the trend to combine cocaine and alcohol."I am concerned that we seem to be producing a lot ofangry young men at the moment," he said last year. "Weneed to understand why that is, and why some of theseyoung men are quite prepared to use extremes of violenceover nothing. I think alcohol plays a part, but we are alsoconcerned about the mixture of alcohol and cocaine."But while there is emerging evidence about the socialeffects of combining alcohol and cocaine, there is littleresearch into the physiological effects of cocaethylene onthe body.There is a growing suspicion that the drug may be at leastpartially responsible for the perceived increase in thenumber of people in their 30s suffering heart problems.According to US Drug Abuse Warning System,"cocaine/ethanol abuse is a major cause of emergencymedical admissions" and "the cause of increases incocaine-related mortality".Steven Cox, deputy head of the charity Cardiac Risk inthe Young, said around 12 fit young people are recordedas dying each week in the UK from a cardiac-related ill--17- Traditional African Clinic December 2009ness, compared with about four a week in 1995.But Cox said this increase might be down to a betteranalysis of postmortem data, which has raised awarenessof cardiac-related illnesses, rather than any externalfactor.However, he said that an estimated one in 300 peoplewho have been tested by the charity is found to have anunderlying heart condition. "We do know that if you havean underlying cardiac condition certain drugs can triggeran effect," Cox said. But until someone proves the link, itseems unlikely that the trend for people to mix alcoholand cocaine will show any sign of abating.http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/08/cocainealcohol-mixture-health-risks☻☻☻☻☻☻Marijuana - The Wonder DrugLester GrinspoonThe Boston GlobeMarch 3, 2007CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts -- A new study in thejournal Neurology is being hailed as unassailable proofthat marijuana is a valuable medicine. It is a sadcommentary on the state of modern medicine that we stillneed "proof" of something that medicine has known for5,000 years.The study, from the University of California at SanFrancisco, found that smoked marijuana was effective atrelieving the extreme pain of a debilitating conditionknown as peripheral neuropathy.It was a study of HIV patients, but a similar type of paincaused by damage to nerves afflicts people with manyother illnesses including diabetes and multiple sclerosis.Neuropathic pain is notoriously resistant to treatmentwith conventional pain drugs. Even powerful andaddictive narcotics like morphine and OxyContin oftenprovide little relief. This study leaves no doubt thatmarijuana can safely ease this type of pain.As all marijuana research in the United States must be,the new study was conducted with government-suppliedmarijuana of notoriously poor quality. So it probablyunderestimated the potential benefit.This is all good news, but it should not be news at all. Inthe 40-odd years I have been studying the medicinal usesof marijuana, I have learned that the recorded history ofthis medicine goes back to ancient times.In the 19th century it became a well-established Westernmedicine whose versatility and safety were unquestioned.Continued on page 18