Juul's Popularity On Instagram Explored In New Study

Thousands of posts about the e-cigarette brand Juul appeared on Instagram in just a three-month period in 2018, and more than half were focused on cultures or lifestyles related to young people.Those are among the findings in a new study in the online journal Tobacco Control, which, as UPI noted, also included posts comprised of content that promoted means of purchasing Juul-related products at a reduced cost.Spokesperson: Juul Is Cutting Back On Digital MarketingA spokesperson for Juul said that the company itself only issued eight posts on Instagram during that three-month period, and has actively sought to reduce digital marketing and social media listings, which medical specialists have claimed can contribute to the appeal of such products among young people.The study—conducted by researchers from the non-profit public health organization Truth Initiative, as well as New York University, the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health—looked at discussions of Juul and its products on social media by using hashtag-based keyword queries to collect posts about the e-cigarette brand.They uncovered nearly 15,000 Instagram posts related to Juul, all of which were posted between March and May of 2018. More than half of the posts (55%) contained what UPI described as "youth-related content"—memes, cartoon images and celebrity references, and using Juul products at home, school or other places that were likely to be frequented by teenagers.Another 57% of the posts also mentioned or specifically highlighted using Juul with family or friends during social activities, while approximately one in 10 also mentioned the addictive properties of nicotine, albeit in a "fun light," as UPI said.Juul Deactivates Facebook, InstagramLindsay Andrews, a spokesperson for Juul Labs, said that six of the company's eight Instagram posts in the time period covered in the study were testimonials from former adult smokers.Andrews also said that in November 2018, the company deleted its Facebook and Instagram accounts, removed thousands of social media listings by third parties—including more than 25,000 individual Instagram posts—and limited its Twitter usage to non-promotional items like press releases. But some health specialists remain skeptical of these efforts. Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City said, "Every young person has Instagram, and that's how they share information. The actual industry doesn't have to do anything but let the people using the device share their insights, and advice and encouragement."Study senior researcher Elizabeth Hair, who is also the senior vice president of Truth Initiative's Schroeder Institute, said that stricter regulation on social media could help to stem the tide of posts she and her co-authors uncovered."If we can stop the promotional pieces of it, I think that will help stem a lot of it," she said. "A lot of this content was from companies that were selling the product and had these promotional aspects to it."

Morning Roundup: July 2, 2019

Florida Picks Harm Reduction Over Politics with New Needle Exchange Law [Forbes]On Wednesday, syringe exchange was legalized in Florida. The measure was approved unanimously in the legislature and signed by the governor in the name of reducing disease and supporting addiction-recovery.Parents of Children with Meth Addiction Feel Left Out of Illicit Drugs Report [CBC]Two women who have children in recovery from methamphetamine use disorder say they are in desperate need of support. "I'm suffering from trauma. I don't sleep. I've lost weight. My patience is gone." Free Concert Uses Music to Raise Awareness of the Opioid Crisis, Change Perception [WLOS]"Love is the Drug"—a musical event featuring a youth orchestra and West African percussion group—took place in Asheville, NC on Sunday. The fundraiser was organized to shed light on substance use disorder and harm reduction.The Secondhand Harms of Drinking Impact 1 in 5 Adults, Study Says [CNN]Harassment, feeling threatened or afraid, damage of physical property, physical assault, traffic accidents or financial trouble are among the "secondhand harms" of alcohol that affect nearly 1 in 5 adults. Children were not included in this study. Roy Carroll: Former Goalkeeper Says He Feared Alcohol Could Have Killed Him [BBC]The former Manchester United goalkeeper feared he was going to "end up dying" at the height of his battle with alcohol. "The drink had taken over my life, I didn't care about anybody."What To Know About Section 35 Civil Commitment in Massachusetts [WBUR]A closer look at Massachusetts' Section 35 law that allows the involuntary commitment of people with substance use disorder. A commission has been tasked with studying the "efficacy" of the law.Surgeon General: 'Connect With Community' [UC Davis]Addressing an audience at UC Davis Health last week, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams called stigma the "biggest issue" with America's addiction epidemic. "We need to normalize addiction as a disease." No Harsh Punishment Can Help Prevent Drug Abuse and Trafficking: UNODC Head [RT]An interview with the head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Yury Fedotov. "When we combine both supply and demand reduction, when we act in accordance with human rights standards, in accordance with international treaties we can hope to succeed."

Morning Roundup: July 1, 2019

In West Virginia, Free College—After Students Pass a Drug Test [CBS News]Students seeking free college tuition in West Virginia must pass a drug test each semester. It is the first state to add this requirement for a student to qualify for free tuition.Gambling Addict's Parents Launch Action to Hold Government Liable for His Death [Guardian]Charles and Liz Ritchie, who lost their 24-year-old son Jack, is urging the government to increase regulation on gambling and to warn the public about the risks associated with gambling. "Any suicide connected with gambling harm is one too many."Malaysia Plans to Decriminalize Drug Use to Battle Addiction [Miami Herald]Despite having one of the world's harshest penalties for drug possession (death), the Malaysian government is planning to decriminalize small amounts of illegal drugs—acknowledging that addiction is a health issue, not a crime.Eight Months After Kensington's Disaster Declaration, Progress Tempered by the Realities of the Opioid Crisis [Philadelphia Inquirer]The Philadelphia neighborhood of Kensington still has a long way to go before it is cured of its drug issues. Despite a slew of initiatives by the city, Kensington is still plagued by drug use.Feds: Former Warden Accepted Prescription Drugs, Gifts [US News]A former superintendent of a Virginia jail accepted prescription drugs from a pharmaceutical company that did business with the jail, according to federal authorities. John Marshal Higgins also has a number of other misconduct allegations against him.'I Feel Trapped': Photos Capture Experiences of People Who Use Drugs [WTTW]A photography project collected photo submissions from 25 people who use heroin, giving them a platform to express their "photovoice" via images captured through their eyes. Can a Psychedelic Drug Save the Terminally Ill from Their Deepest Fears of Death? [The Age]Specialists at a Melbourne hospital are set to investigate a new form of relief for those facing death who are struggling with severe depression: a drug linked with magic mushrooms.Fentanyl Rising as Killer in San Francisco—57 Dead in a Year [SF Chronicle]Fentanyl has apparently surpassed other opioid substances as the leading cause of opioid overdose deaths in San Francisco. "Fentanyl has just flooded the market."

Stopping Booze Even Temporarily Has Health Benefits

Today, sobriety is trendy, and more and more people around the country are stepping away from alcohol and giving sober life a try. Anecdotes and research show that giving up booze can boost your happiness, help you lose weight and improve your liver health even if you’re just abstaining temporarily. "The findings of these studies are actually very surprising," Aaron White, the senior scientific adviser to the director at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, told NPR. White pointed to a study published in the British Medical Journal last year. Researchers concluded that taking a break from drinking helped reduce risk factors for cancer, diabetes and other health conditions. "They found that at the end of that month — just after one month — people, by and large, lost some weight,” White said. "They had improvements in insulin sensitivity, their blood pressure numbers improved and their livers looked a little healthier." Another British study published in 2016 followed participants of “dry January.” Eighty-two percent of participants reported a sense of achievement, 62% reported better sleep and 49% said they had lost weight. Stephanie Forte, who was sipping virgin cocktails at a Los Angeles bar recently, was not surprised by those results, since she had seen similar effects herself when she stopped drinking. "Oh my gosh. Well, one thing that was noticeable to pretty much everybody was my overall health and, like, my skin, my eyes. ... I lost weight," she said. Her friend Kathy Kuzniar lost 30 pounds and felt reinvigorated. "I'm creative again," she said. "And I know I wouldn't be doing those things if I was still drinking.”Forte said that she is seeing more and more people opt to stay sober, even when they are out among people who are using alcohol. "Not everybody wants to get wasted when they go to the bar," she said. Chris Marshall, who has been sober for 12 years, wanted to give people the chance to have the same community experiences that they would have in bars or clubs, without the alcohol. He opened a sober bar in Austin that has seen great success. "All my drinking was really centered around community and wanting that connection so badly with other people,” he said. His establishment, Sans Bar, gives people that opportunity. “What I want to create across the country are these little incubators for social connection.”With that, people won’t need to explain their sobriety. "You know, alcohol is the only drug in which you have to give a reason for why you don't do it,” Marshall said. 

5 Ways to Meet Sober Dates

There are very few things about life in addiction that were easy. But, meeting someone new was pretty simple. After all, you simply needed to stroll into a bar or a party, get some liquid courage and offer to buy a cute person a drink.In sobriety it can be much trickier to meet people who you are interested in romantically. You’re not comfortable slipping into a bar or a booze filled mixer, and you can’t rely on substances for a confidence boost.Despite that, summer is a great time to connect with other people who are in recovery. Here are five ways to meet sober dates, and ensure you have a summer to remember.Use sober dating sites.Today, more people than ever meet online. Not only have dating sites and apps allowed you access to more eligible singles than ever before, but they have also allowed people to look for people in specific niches. In recent years, more sober dating sites have popped up to connect people who are in recovery and looking for love.Sober dating sites are great, because you don’t need to worry about breaking the news of your sobriety. Instead, you know that you’re in a group of like-minded people, taking one big worry off the table from the start.Connect with the sober-ish movement.If you’re not sure whether you want to date someone else who is in recovery, you can try meeting people who are involved with the sober-ish movement, reexamining their relationship with alcohol and other substances. These people have already rejected society’s idea that alcohol is necessary to have a good time, and they’re open to meeting other people who are sober. The movement is becoming so popular that some are calling 2019 the Sober-ish summer.VolunteerAny activity that gets you out and about will help you meet new people that you might be interested in dating. But volunteering is an especially great way to meet people. That’s because you are automatically aligning with people who have shared interests: if you’re volunteering at an animal shelter you’re going to meet fellow animal lovers, for example. In addition, people who are volunteering are giving of their time freely, so they’re likely connected with their personal growth or higher power, just like people in recovery.Take advantage of summer outingsSummer is the perfect time to try new outdoor activities. Although these outings are explicitly for people looking to date, they are a great way to connect with a new group. Community centers, Parks and Recreation Departments and outdoor clubs all organize summer hiking, kayak trips and other adventures that are perfect for connecting with others. People in these groups are generally health-oriented, and are likely open to dating someone who is sober.Take a classDuring the summer, school is out, but there are many opportunities to learn a new skill. Cities, museums and restaurants all offer summer classes on everything ranging from pottery to cooking. Even if you don’t meet someone interesting during the class you’ll come away with a new skill and a fun memory. After all, what’s life in recovery about if it’s not trying something new every now and then?Although it’s tempting to date within the rooms or with other people who are in your recovery program, it is generally best to avoid this. You want your recovery group to remain your safe space, without the complications of a budding relationship. If you do wind up dating someone in your program, it is a good idea that both of you keep some parts of your recovery separate, like maintaining separate meetings in addition to the ones you attend together. That way, you always have a safe space to focus on your sobriety without the distractions of your relationship.Sober Dating Site connects people in recovery.

Does Binge Drinking Increase Chances Of Opioid Misuse?

Binge drinking and opioid misuse are closely related, according to a new study examining drinking patterns and prescription pill misuse. The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, aimed to examine the connection between drinking and using opioids. It drew on information from more than 160,000 people who provided information on their substance use as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2012-2014 as well as socioeconomic information. Researchers found that binge drinking increased the chances that people misused opioids.“More than half of the 4.2 million people who misused prescription opioids during 2012–2014 were binge drinkers, and binge drinkers had nearly twice the odds of misusing prescription opioids, compared with nondrinkers,” study authors wrote. This is especially alarming since opioids and alcohol are a dangerous combination physically.“Binge drinkers who misuse prescription opioids are likely to be at substantially increased risk of overdose because of the combined effect of high blood alcohol levels and prescription opioids on the central nervous system,” they wrote. “The high prevalence, frequency, and intensity of binge drinking among adults and adolescents in the U.S., along with the heightened prevalence of prescription opioid misuse among binge drinkers, emphasizes the importance of adopting a comprehensive and coordinated approach to addressing both binge drinking and prescription opioid misuse to reduce the risk of opioid overdoses.”The study found that opioid misuse was most common among men, people with an annual family income of $20,000 or less, and people ages 18-34. Binge drinking was also most common among men in that age bracket, although it was also associated with people with some college education, according to The American Academy of Family Physicians.About two-thirds of people who misused opioids and binge drank were older than 26. However, among younger adults the connection between binge drinking and opioid misuse was especially strong: 8.1% of teenage binge drinkers misused opioids, compared with just 1% of nondrinkers and 3.6% of people who used alcohol but did not binge drink. Since family medical providers are often on the front lines of dealing with patients with problematic drinking, they could also help interrupt this pattern of opioid misuse, said Dr. Roger Zoorob."Family physicians are well-positioned to identify and address binge drinking and opioid misuse,” he said. Sometimes that can be as easy as pointing out that a patient’s drinking habits are veering toward unhealthy. "Many times, patients are unaware that their drinking patterns are harmful, and a simple, brief intervention by the family physician has been shown to reduce unhealthy alcohol use in the primary care population," Zoorob said.

Chester Bennington's Widow Aims To #ChangeDirection On Mental Health

The widow of Chester Bennington is continuing the legacy of her late husband with a new social media challenge to raise mental health awareness.“I challenge you to do a 30-second video on why mental health is important to you,” Talinda Bennington said in a video posted on Instagram. “For me it’s very personal. And I’ve dedicated my life to change the culture surrounding mental health.”Even though the Week To Change Direction Challenge was issued last Monday (June 10), people have continued to post videos to add to the conversation using the hashtag #ChangeDirection.To kick things off, Talinda challenged Lisa Ling and Linkin Park band members Mike Shinoda, Joe Hahn and bassist Dave Phoenix Farrell to post their own 30-second videos.Actor Ken Jeong joined the conversation on his Instagram: “As a former physician having dealt with multiple cases of depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, it’s important as a community that we all change direction, change our attitudes, evolve our attitudes towards mental health. We as a community should remind each other life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. And I challenge everyone to change direction.”Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan made a video as well with singer-songwriter Shooter Jennings: “This is something we can all do something about… Learn to recognize the signs of people who are suffering.”ABC Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton used her platform to shed light on maternal mental health: “The reason that I am passionate about mental health awareness is because it is a leading cause of maternal mortality in this country,” she said in her video. She encouraged women’s health care providers to speak to their patients about mental health.Chester Bennington died by suicide in 2017. In the days prior to his death, the beloved Linkin Park vocalist—who long battled depression and substance use disorder stemming from trauma—showed no sign of what was to come, according to Talinda.“This was not a time where we or any of our family suspected this to happen… We thought everything was OK,” she said in June of 2018.Guitarist and friend Ryan Shuck said that Chester would detail his “hour-by-hour battle” with the urge to drink.Since her husband’s passing, Talinda Bennington has channeled her pain to help expand the conversation about mental health. She engages with people on social media, encouraging meaningful dialogue by promoting hashtags like #FuckDepression and #MakeChesterProud.