Trending drugs in the US changed a great deal between the 1990s and today, as new drugs are constantly being developed and the popularity of the old “standbys” fluctuates with the times. The trends in drug use are based not only on changes in social culture, but on changes in the drugs themselves.

1990s

With the 1990s came “Raves”, high energy, all-night dance parties that attracted kids under the age of 21 due to being “alcohol-free.” Accompanying the Raves was a heterogeneous group of substances coined “club drugs” that were commonly taken to enhance the Rave experience of flashing lights and loud, hypnotic techno music. MDMA, or Ecstasy, was the most popular club drug, one that made shy persons uninhibited, engendered feelings of love and emotional warmth and enabled users stay awake all night.

Other trendy drugs of the time included GHB—“liquid ecstasy”–, Methamphetamine and the infamous “date rape” drugs Ketamine and Rohypnol (Roofies). LSD saw resurgence during this time; its estimated potency was 90% less than in the 1960s, rendering its effects more euphoric and less hallucinogenic

Finally, Heroin use rose significantly in the 90s as it became purer and cheaper, allowing it to be smoked or snorted and thus eliminating the stigma and fear of “needle drugs”. In popular culture “Heroin Chic” was the new fashion, characterized by pale skin, dark circles under the eyes and an overall emaciated appearance.

2000s

In the 2000s the War on Drugs continued to escalate, the Internet became a marketplace for mind-altering substances and “designer drugs” were ubiquitous. “Designer Drugs” are specifically made to fall outside of federal drug laws. They can either be new forms of older illegal drugs or a completely new chemical formulation; the most common designer drugs are created by making a derivative of an existing drug’s chemical structure. This variation allows the drug to have similar effects as the illicit drugs, but the drugs will not fall under the correct formula for many drug laws.

Most of the designer drugs produced during the decade were opioids, hallucinogens, or anabolic steroids.

Today

Much media attention has been focused on the “prescription pill epidemic” over the past five years, but according to treatment data for 2011 from the Department of Justice’s Drug Market Analyses, the current most popular recreational drugs are:

1-Marijuana

2-Crystal Meth

3-Alcohol

4-Pills – painkillers (such as Oxycontin and Hydrocodone) and benzodiazepines (such as Xanax)

5-Heroin and Cocaine

There has been a surge in heroin use in suburban areas during the past decade; experts believe that this is a consequence of the prescription pill epidemic: Persons who begin by taking prescription pain killers become addicted to them and later switch to heroin because it is far less expensive and easier to obtain.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuanause has increased since 2007, with the number of regular users rising from 5.8% to 7.3% of the US population aged 12 and older. In addition, drug use is increasing among people in their fifties—the baby boomers who have historically had the highest rates of drug use as compared to other generations. Most of the increase in illicit drug use over the last decade can be attributed to the rise in marijuana use.

Both Colorado and Washington state legalized marijuana in 2014 and other states seem prepared to follow this trend, so the use of marijuana is likely to continue to increase.

If you have questions or concerns regarding any drug-related topic, including actions and effects of specific drugs and drug-testing options, please contact us.

Every generation has its own trends in fashion, hairstyles, music, media…and drugs. Since recreational drug use exploded into the American consciousness with the rise of the 1960s counter culture, drugs have gone in and out of style along with all other aspects of popular culture—and their use is no longer part of a “counter” culture.

The following article looks at trending drugs in the US from the 1960s to the 1980s, and how these changing trends often serve as a reaction to the attitudes and events of the time.

1960s

In 1969—the first year of polling on drug use–a Gallup poll found that only 4% of American adults said they had tried marijuana. By 1973 that number had tripled, to 12 percent.

During the social unrest of the 1960s, young people sought increased liberation and equality, along with an end to the Viet Nam War and the political policies that led to it. Seeking peace, love and harmony, the use of psychedelic drugs became accepted as an important means of expanding one’s consciousness in order to create a better world. The use of recreational drugs also served as a symbol of rebellion against authority.

LSD gained widespread recognition with Harvard professor and psychologist Timothy Leary advocating its use to broaden users’ perception of the world.

On another front, heroin abuse became “rampant” among U.S. soldiers, with an estimated 10% to 15% of servicemen addicted to it.

1970s

As the utopian dreams of the 1960s faded, drugs were no longer viewed as a means of expanding one’s consciousness, but rather as a glamorous accessory to lives whose motto was “If it feels good do it”. The word “party” became a verb and people wanted to take drugs that would enhance their experience dancing under the mirror ball at the newly popular discotheques. Cocaine and Quaaludes were particularly fashionable, as both produced a loosening of inhibitions and in the case of Quaaludes, pleasant body effects.

The use of marijuana also continued to grow — in 1973, 12% of respondents to a Gallup poll said they had tried marijuana; that number had doubled by 1977.

1980s

Cocaine was the drugs of the 1980s, so common that in a 1986 poll, cocaine (including crack) surpassed alcohol as the most abused drug in the United States. At the time cocaine was believed to be a relatively benign non-addictive drug, as evidenced by a 1977 Newsweek story that stated, “Among hostesses in the smart sets of Los Angeles and New York, a little cocaine, like Dom Perignon and Beluga caviar, is now de rigueur at dinners. Party-givers pass it around along with the canapés on silver trays… the user experiences a feeling of potency, of confidence, of energy.”

As the times change, so do the popular drugs. The sixties saw a revolution of young people seeking to change the world, while the 1970s responded to their subsequent disillusionment with the desire to simply feel good. Following a number of overdose deaths by music icons including Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin in the 1970s, cocaine came to be seen as a safe, respectable way to experience a feeling of well-being and euphoria.

If you’d like to learn more about drug use, the effects of legal and illegal substances or drug screening options, please contact us. We have a wealth of information on just about any drug question you may have.

Crystal Meth according to the Coalition against Drug Abuse, has surpassed cocaine as the recreational drug of choice among young people. It is a stimulant so named because of the crystalline form that it becomes after being manufactured. Meth is most often smoked but can also be injected or taken in pill form.

Signs and Symptoms

There are a number of signs and symptoms of meth addiction, including dilated pupils, weight loss, eye twitching, loss of appetite, repetitious behavior, and hyperactivity. Users of the drug can stay awake for days and then, after the inevitable crash, stay asleep for days. Meth can cause rotted teeth and sores about the mouth and face.

The long term effects of meth addiction include brain damage, skin abscesses, blindness, respiratory failure, kidney failure, chest pain, internal bleeding, brittle bones and malnutrition. There are also a number of psychological effects involving psychosis, paranoia, aggressive behavior, mood instability, delusions, suicidal thoughts and schizophrenia. These conditions are caused by sleep deprivation, brain damage, and over stimulation.

Treatments

The first step for treatment of crystal meth addiction is to cut off the supply of the drug and to allow the patient to go into withdraw, a painful experience that requires a rehab center and/or the support of friends and family. Since the desire for the drug will still be present, even after the withdraw phase is completed, some effort is made to address some of the underlining causes of the addiction. These can include depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. Medication and psychotherapy is used to treat these conditions and to prevent the patient from having a relapse and returning to meth use. However the fact of the matter is that crystal meth has the highest relapse rate of any recreational drug.

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When people hear the word “opiate”, they often conjure up an image in their mind of the great authors who were addicted to opium such as Charles Dickens, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. However, the fact is that opiates are still a very real part of our society, and they are an extremely addictive and deadly substance. To help people to understand this better, here is a quick overview of whatopiates are, where they can be found in modern society, and how you can tell if a loved one may be suffering from an opiate addiction.

What is an Opiate?

Opiates, also commonly referred to as opiods and narcotics, are a group of drugs that are derived from opium, which comes from the poppy plant. These powerful yet highly addictive drugs have been used for centuries to relieve pain. There are two types of opiates: natural opiates and synthetic opiates. Natural opiates include opium, morpheme, and codeine. A majority of the drugs that are considered opiates are synthetic, or, man-made. These synthetic opiates include Demerol, Oxycontin, Vicodin, Percocet, and Heroin. Heroin however has no medicinal use and is used only as a means to get high.

Prevalence of Opiate Addiction

Unfortunately, while an extremely addictive and dangerous class of drugs, opiate abuse rates have gone up significantly in the last few decades. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), opiates are one of the most commonly abused prescription medications in the United States, with roughly two percent of the population having abused these drugs. The prevalence of opiate use is significantly higher among high school students, with roughly one in twelve students having admitted to using Vicodin for non-medical purposes. This is particularly problematic, as opioids are an extremely addictive class of drugs in which abuse can easily lead to overdose. In fact, opioid overdose death rates in the U.S. have quadrupled since 1999 alone (NIH). Many people question why opioid abuse rates are so high in this country; the main reason for this is due to misconceptions that exi st surrounding the safety of these prescription drugs. Since doctors prescribe these medications, there is a false belief that it is safe to use them recreationally; however, doctors only prescribe opioids for extreme pain, and they monitor those who take them closely due to their addictive qualities.

Does Someone I Love Use Opiates?

Unfortunately, if someone you love has an opiate addiction, but they are consuming non-prescription opiates, it can be difficult to ascertain if they have an opiate addiction without first discovering the drugs. However, you can often discover an addiction if your loved one begins to act irregular, paranoid, and if they have sudden mood shifts from high to low. If someone you love is taking prescription opiates for pain and has become addicted to them, they may be exuding these same symptoms, and you may notice them taking more than the prescribed dosage of their medication.

Opiates can be perfectly safe painkillers when used under the guidance of a doctor for medicinal purposes; however, these powerful drugs can be extremely addictive, and can be dangerous if their consumption is not controlled. Contact us to learn more about this class of medications, as well as to find out what you can do to help someone fighting an opium addiction.

When actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his apartment of a heroin overdose in February, the syringe was still in his arm. Investigators found a supply of buprenorphine,  sold under the brand names Suboxone, Subutex and Butrans. 

Buprenorphine is a relatively new opioid (narcotic) medication that was approved in 2002 to treat addiction to heroin and other narcotics. It has fewer side effects than methadone, and taking larger amounts does not produce a greater high, which means there is a lower risk of abuse and overdose. Buprenorphine can still be addictive, however, and has become a popular street drug.

Purpose and Use

The purpose of using a substitute narcotic to treat narcotic dependence is this: taking buprenorphine, (or methadone) prevents the body from going into withdrawal, but does not produce the high associated with heroin or other narcotic drugs. Thus a person taking Suboxone, for example, is able to withdraw from their drug of choice without having to experience the side effects of withdrawal. Side effects can be severe and include intense cravings, profuse sweating, severe muscle and bone aches, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

Buprenorphine is also FDA-approved to treat moderate to severe pain, and is sometimes used off-label to treat depression.

Effects

Users of buprenorphine report that it makes them feel calm and relaxed; an overall good feeling, but very unlike the euphoric high of heroin and some prescription narcotics. Side effects include slow breathing; dizziness or confusion; problems sleeping; nausea; sweating; stomach pain; or constipation.

Incidence & prevalence

In a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) buprenorphine ranked last in prevalence of abuse among seven commonly abused narcotics, including  oxycontin, hydrocodone, methadone and morphine, among others.

The investigators found that the majority of buprenorphine abusers were young white males who had “extensive histories” of substance abuse. Additionally, more than a third of those users said they took buprenorphine in an effort to self-medicate or to ease the symptoms of heroin withdrawal

Trends in the use of buprenorphine (in the US)

Buprenorphine is increasingly being prescribed by physicians to treat opioid withdrawal.  When using methadone for treatment, clients have to make daily visits to an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) to receive their daily dose. This is difficult for those who don’t have easy access to an OTP—especially rural populations—and can interfere with jobs and other activities.

Prescriptions dispensed for buprenorphine, increased from around 50,000 prescriptions in 2002 to approximately 5.7 million prescriptions in 2009. Additionally, the number of OTPs offering buprenorphine increased from 11% in 2003 to 51% in 2011. According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) the number of physicians certified to prescribe buprenorphine doubled between 2005 and 2007.

NIDA plans to test the efficacy and safety of this medication across a range of populations, including teenagers and pregnant women, and to “spread the word” about the value of buprenorphine in the treatment of narcotic addiction. So while the abuse of the drug is decreasing, the legitimate use of buprenorphine is increasing, and the drug is becoming more available through both physicians and OTPs.

Mortality

A one year study published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 2006 found that the mortality rate for buprenorphine was similar to that of methadone, about 1%. Subjects in this study did not necessarily die from an overdose, as there is a high comorbidity among opiate addicts.

Mortality reported to poison centers and compiled by the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center between 2006 and 2007 found that there were 5 deaths associated with buprenorphine, compared with 126 with methadone during the same time period.

If you’d like to find out more about buprenorphine, or if you have questions about drug testing, please contact us.