cannabisnews.com: Substance Abuse Increases in New York City 





Substance Abuse Increases in New York City 
Posted by CN Staff on May 28, 2002 at 07:36:17 PT
Press Release
Source: PRNewswire 
Survey results indicate that smoking and alcohol and marijuana use increased among residents of Manhattan during the five to eight weeks after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC). Almost one-third of the nearly 1,000 persons interviewed reported an increased use of alcohol, marijuana, or cigarettes following the September 11th attacks. The largest increase was in alcohol use. About one-fourth of the respondents said they were drinking more alcohol in the weeks after September 11th; about 10 percent reported an increase in smoking, and 3.2 percent said they had increased their use of marijuana. 
The survey results appear in the June 1, 2002 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. Dr. Glen R. Hanson, Acting Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), says, "By helping to define the demographic and situational characteristics that were associated with increased alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use following the traumatic events of September 11th, this research will help us to design more effective substance abuse treatment and prevention strategies for individuals coping with severe stress." The investigators found survey participants by randomly dialing New York City phone numbers and screened potential respondents for Manhattan residents living in areas close to the World Trade Center. Interviews were conducted with 988 individuals between October 16th and November 15th, 2001 -- five to eight weeks after the terrorist attacks. Demographic information was collected on each participant and the respondents were asked if they had experienced other major life stresses, such as a divorce or death in the family during the past year; if they had directly witnessed the events of September 11th; if they were afraid for their lives during the attacks; if friends or relatives were killed during the attacks; if they were involved in the rescue efforts; if they had experienced symptoms of panic in the "first few hours" after the attacks; and if they had lost a job or possessions as a result of the attacks. Participants were asked about their cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and marijuana use habits before and after September 11th. During the week prior to September 11, 2001, 22.6 percent of the participants reported smoking cigarettes, 59.1 percent drinking alcohol, and 4.4 percent using marijuana. After September 11th, 23.4 percent reported smoking cigarettes, 64.4 percent drinking alcohol and, 5.7 percent smoking marijuana. Among those who smoked, almost 10 percent reported smoking at least an extra pack of cigarettes a week and among those who drank alcohol, more than 20 percent reported imbibing at least one extra drink a day. The research team, led by Drs. David Vlahov and Sandro Galea of the New York Academy of Medicine, found that people who reported an increase in substance abuse were more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and from depression. People who reported an increase in cigarette smoking or marijuana use were also more likely to have both PTSD and depression, while those who reported an increase in alcohol use were more likely to have depression only. Dr. Vlahov says, "Increased use of cigarettes, alcohol and other substances is a public health concern because these patterns are more frequent among those who have post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and also because continued increased use has other medical consequences. Reversing these trends is an important goal." Persons who were living closer to the World Trade Center were more likely to increase their cigarette smoking, but other factors such as being displaced from home, losing possessions during the attacks, or being involved in the rescue efforts were not consistently associated with increased substance use. Symptoms of panic attack were associated with an increase in the use of all substances. Increase in substance abuse did not differ significantly between men and women or among racial or ethnic groups. Demographic factors such as age, marital status, and income seemed to play a more critical role in determining if the events of September 11th led to an increase in substance use. For example, among the demographic characteristics associated with increased alcohol consumption were age (more than 65 years of age), household income (less than $20,000 a year), and marital status (divorced, separated, or widowed). This study was funded by grants from NIDA, the United Way of New York City, and The New York Community Trust. The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics can be ordered free of charge in English and Spanish through NIDA Infofax at 1-888-NIH-NIDA (644-6432) or 1-888-TTY-NIDA (889-6432) for the deaf. These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at: http://www.drugabuse.gov Contact: Blair Gately of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, +1-301-443-6245Complete Title: Substance Abuse Increases in New York City on Aftermath of September 11thSource: PR NewswirePublished: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 Copyright: 2002 PR NewswireWebsite: http://www.prnewswire.com CannabisNews Articles - NIDAhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NIDA.shtml
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Comment #26 posted by dddd on May 28, 2002 at 16:19:08 PT
......cltrldmg........
......well,,if you think I'm biased,,or perhaps hypocritical,,then I will look back at what I said to make you mention it....I value,and appreciate your critique..and I'm glad you spoke your mind....
...If you are mainly referring to my question to EJ,about whether she was more republican than democrat,,,,I didnt mean to suggest that I was attempting to put her into a "party",,I was just curious as to where she stood on republicans,because she seemed to be specifically trashing democrats,,,,You are right,,I did say,,and I do believe that republican and democrats are basically the same...they are a false dichotomy,,they are both part of the Empire!...
...I welcome your criticisms of my commentary......I am kindof outspoken sometimes,,and I am a loudmouth...I have a tendency to go overboard sometimes,,,,,but I try to remain polite...and I hope EJ doesnt think I'm an asshole or something.
....dddd
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Comment #25 posted by cltrldmg on May 28, 2002 at 15:55:32 PT
what the hell?
You are so biased, dddd. Like I think you said in that other thread, it's because people are always categorised as Republican or Democrat that there are all these problems. You get people blindly following, never questioning their party because they've always done it or because a long time ago that party actually believed in the ideals they're supposed to. It's funny how you always talk about 'sheeple' being manipulated by the media and politicians, well maybe you should have a look at yourself before you start judging others. You sound like you have to be in the Democratic party to be against prohibition.
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Comment #24 posted by qqqq on May 28, 2002 at 15:11:43 PT
........EJ........
...are we to assume that you are more of a republican than a democrat?
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Comment #23 posted by goneposthole on May 28, 2002 at 14:44:26 PT
ADSX
If you have a good conscience, you would not have bought Applied Digital Solutions. I watched the stock from 1999 until may of 2000. The implications of such a product are not what one would want to see in the establishment of a good, sound company. It was at a retail price of some two dollars and change. It then fell to 1.11 USD. It then fell to 0.67 USD, and finally to 0.11 USD. I could have bought 10,000 shares for 1100 dollars. Cashed in at 16,000 to 23,000 US dollars. I would rather be that far in debt, than to own such a security.Incorrigible corruption runs rampant.
http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH
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Comment #22 posted by Lehder on May 28, 2002 at 13:37:51 PT
Digital Angel
Yes...and what other 'wonders' can it perform, hmmm?The chips are powered by body heat. They can be activated by satellite or by hand scanner, are capable of two-way communication with satellites, and are connected to the Global Positioning System. They can be used to monitor the locations of people exactly as ranchers presently use the Digital Angel for monitoring their cattle. It can be embedded in the body in ways that make it very difficult to remove.Many beneficial uses can be imagined for such chips, like recovering stolen cars or other property, and many nefarious uses could be found too.It would be a simple matter to enhance the chip with a nano-sensor for detecting the presence of various chemicals in the blood. When a dangerous substance was detected an interdiction team could be alerted by satellite. Digital Angel Corporation is a provider of advanced biosensor
              technology and Web-enabled wireless telecommunications linked to
              Global Positioning Systems, allowing for the monitoring and transmission
              of key body functions. For the nine months ended 9/30/01, total revenue
              rose 90% to $28 million.http://biz.yahoo.com/p/d/doc.html
              Applied Digital
              Solutions, Inc. is an
              advanced
              technology
              development
              company that has
              developed three
              products: Digital
              Angel, for
              monitoring and
              tracking people and
              objects, VeriChip,
              an implantable
              microchip for
              security and medical applications in humans and Thermo Life, a
              thermoelectric generator powered by body heat. Some of the Company's
              largest customers include several agencies of the United States federal
              government....http://biz.yahoo.com/p/a/adsxe.html
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Comment #21 posted by kaptinemo on May 28, 2002 at 13:26:25 PT:
FoM, this is only the tip of the iceberg
Keep in mind that the government is often way ahead of the commercial sector when it comes to technology; they've got all kinds of black-book projects that we see as spinoffs, carefully leaked out of labs and onto your store shelves. It wouldn't surprise me that the technology to do what I just described already exists. That this is being made public only causes me to wonder how long they've had it...and why they choose now to make it's debut...
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on May 28, 2002 at 12:59:13 PT
kapt
Oh my it could be couldn't it? I wondered that too. 
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Comment #19 posted by kaptinemo on May 28, 2002 at 12:54:58 PT:
Mark of the Beast, anyone?
Take a look at this:VERICHIP™ SETS MAY 1ST LAUNCH OF NEW GLOBAL VERICHIP SUBSCRIBER (GVS) REGISTRY SERVICE
http://www.adsx.com./news/2002/040902.htmlfrom the web page:VeriChip is a miniaturized, implantable, radio frequency identification device (RFID) that can be used in a variety
of security, emergency and healthcare applications. About the size of a grain of rice, each VeriChip is composed of FDA-accepted materials and contains a unique verification number that can seamlessly integrate to the GVS Registry.The GVS Registry is hosted and maintained by Digital Angel Corporation’s (Amex: DOC) state-of-the-art, FDA-compliant operations center in Owings, Maryland. Information provided by the subscriber will be stored in the GVS Registry database. Only information authorized by the subscriber will be available for access via VeriChip’s proprietary scanner. Instant access to such vital information as allergies to medications, medical device implants, pre-existing medical conditions and emergency contact numbers could save lives in an emergency and enhance the peace of mind of subscribers and their loved ones.Yes...and what other 'wonders' can it perform, hmmm? Like release a poison into the blood stream on command? Or perhaps a charge of explosive? Or maybe something even more insidious?
                                  
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Comment #18 posted by E_Johnson on May 28, 2002 at 12:30:21 PT
Who could have stopped the LACRC raid?
If Bill Clinton had one single tiny shred of respect for the turth, he would have acted on the IOM report and protected medical marijuana in the states. He would not have had Janet Reno institute the case against that ended up in the Supreme Court. Then by the time whoever was elected in 2000, medical marijuana would have been removed as a federal target, and if Bush wanted to do anything about it, he would have had to initiate a whole new campaign completely on his own.Sorry but to me, Bill Clinton and Al Gore and murderers. Bush is their new accomplice. But everything Bush is doing now against medical marijuana was in fact planned and initiated by the Clinton administration.Democrats just don't take responsibility for anything. I am learning that now.
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Comment #17 posted by E_Johnson on May 28, 2002 at 12:24:34 PT
That famous liberal tolerance of criticism
Please start doing more research on the Crime of the Century E.J., Gore hasn't done a damn thing wrong compared to the 'Brink of world destruction bush boy' that you seem to have a hard time focusing on.What Gore did was wrong and I object to what he did and i will continute to object to what he did.If you decide to brand me with some accusatiory political label for doing that, then you will only succeed in driving me further from the democratic Party than Ihave already been driven by Gore fanatics so far.You are on the verge of succumbing to a cult of personality.Gore is not the way. Gore fanaticism is definitely not the way.
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Comment #16 posted by Nuevo Mexican on May 28, 2002 at 12:14:51 PT
The myth of the liberal 'E.J.' oops, I mean Media!
Please start doing more research on the Crime of the Century E.J., Gore hasn't done a damn thing wrong compared to the 'Brink of world destruction bush boy' that you seem to have a hard time focusing on. You are more preoccupied with Gores' hypocrisy on Cannabis than the right wing was with Clintons' Penis. Had he not had the election stolen from him, you would be entitled to obsess on Gore, but Bush is in office, now go get him! Your articulation would be appreciated, but the Gore thing is irrevelant at this point. The ship is sinking and all you can say is 'Gore smoked pot and is a hypocrite, ignore the Captains orders to abandon ship! If you don't like bush, you haven't given him the Gore treatment. Why? The Myth of the "liberal" media
http://www.bartcop.com/libmedia.htmThe second half of the question:
What did the press know and why didn't they tell us?
By Christian Livemorehttp://www.americanpolitics.com/20020517Outrage4.htmlHow AL GORE won the 2000 election
Links to news storieshttp://www.americanpolitics.com/2001gore.htmlWHY OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE on 9.11?http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=182918&group=webcast
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Comment #15 posted by CorvallisEric on May 28, 2002 at 12:12:53 PT
iceback: letter on Stephen Jay Gould
At the end of this page:
http://www.iht.com/articles/58728.html
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Comment #14 posted by E_Johnson on May 28, 2002 at 11:38:16 PT
The Old Gnome and the 2000 Election
I used to read a lot of fairy tales and a lot of them are about the same thing -- some old gnome and some young fool.The young fool goes off to win the kingdom but he meets an old gnome along the way. The old gnome says he is hungry so the young fool shares his meager supply of food with the old gnome. Aha but this hunger story was merely a ruse to test the compassionate character of the young fool. The old gnome is pleased with the young fool and so imparts some wisdom to him that the young fool needs to win the princess and become the new king by marrying her. (Notice these fairy tales always need a matrilineal royalty...)So the young fool does just that.But the old gnome wants to be invited to the wedding! Aha, but the ruling class of the kingdom does not like old gnomes at all and wants them exterminated.So the young fool decides not to invite the old gnome to his wedding to the princess. Instead he gives permission for the royal thugs to go stomp the old gnome back into the ground.And guess how that story ends? It ends up with the laws of karma being enforced when the young fool loses the princess and hence the kingdom to some wily coyote from Texas.
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Comment #13 posted by E_Johnson on May 28, 2002 at 11:27:37 PT
And Al Gore's own life story...
When Al Gore came home from Vietnam, he was broken down and disillusioned like so many others of that time.Then he spent the next eight years basically working on a small newspaper and smoking weed every day, according to his former neighbor and dealer.Then he reemerged ready to stand up and fight for what he believed in. After eight years of smoking weed with his dealer friend next door, he decided to go for the big one and run for Senate.Maybe it was those eight years he spent smoking weed that helped undo the shattered state of loss of faith in mankind and in his own country that he brought back from Vietnam.But nobody can ever try to parse the historical meaning of Al Gore's eight year marijuana retreat if nobody wants to ever admit that Al Gore ever went on an eight year marijuana retreat.Thanks to the wonderful PC liberal media, and the wonderful PC liberal academics, this question will probably never be asked or answered.
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Comment #12 posted by E_Johnson on May 28, 2002 at 11:14:06 PT
And the real job of NIDA is...
The real mission of NIDA is to prevent this understanding of the sociomedical role of cannabis in the politics and economics of mass traumatization from being understood and elucidated by modern science.
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Comment #11 posted by E_Johnson on May 28, 2002 at 11:08:35 PT
The underlying sociomedical reason for prohibition
Dr. Vlahov says, "Increased use of cigarettes, alcohol and other substances is a public health concern because these patterns are more frequent among those who have post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and also because continued increased use has other medical consequences. Reversing these trends is an important goal."
Well I know from personal experience, and every shrink at the VA who has treated Vietnam veterans knows from years of clinical practice, that marijuana is an effective remedy for post traumatic stress disorder.It is particularly powerful at relieving emotional numbing and sleep disturbances.But now why would such a valuable herb be so hated by authorities -- yet so loved by the people they rule?Well, if the poor and powerless are traumatized by the harsh conditions of their existence, then cannabis could lift them out of their disorder to be effective people, to fight back.What was that famous Anslinger quote?Reefer makes a darkie think he's equal to the white man.That I think is the most important explanation of marijuana prohibition to ever surface from the lips of those who instigated it.Take that staement back through the ages to the site of every decision to prohibit cannabis and I think it's always been the same thing.During the witch hunts, cannabis was accused of leading people into mockery of the Church.The Church well deserved to be mocked for believing that torturing innocent women to death brought them any closer to God.Under such mass terror -- if people still have the moral sense of self to engage in mockery of the perpetrators of the mass terror -- then the role of cannabis in society is proved by that example to be nothing short of heroic.
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on May 28, 2002 at 10:05:14 PT
idbsne1 
I know you're right.
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Comment #9 posted by idbsne1 on May 28, 2002 at 10:00:19 PT
So that's what they do....
"The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice."85%?!?!?!FoM...I believe there was a misprint or mistype...I believe it should of read:"The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's propaganda on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of propaganda and its implementation in policy and practice."idbsne1
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Comment #8 posted by goneposthole on May 28, 2002 at 09:44:43 PT
good for them
I would hope that there would be an increase, give 'em a freaking break. It was freakout time.
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Comment #7 posted by iceback on May 28, 2002 at 09:18:38 PT
Stephen Jay Gould - R.I.P.
(sorry for being off topic)
Now we can add yet another name to list of brilliant and respected scientists who admit to being pot users (the former being Carl Sagan). Stephen Jay Gould, considered the "Darwin" of the 20th century, was a medical marijuana smoker before he died last week of cancer. In a letter to the editor in the International Herald Tribune (WSJ and Washington Post join European edition, May 24 or 25), a reader pointed out Dr. Gould's use of cannabis and quoted him as saying something like, "I cannot understand that any humane person would oppose the use of medical marijuana for dying people." Does anyone have that quote, or have access to the print edition of that IHT letter?
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Comment #6 posted by hempcanadian on May 28, 2002 at 08:54:03 PT:
I'm a fricken Study!
I hold a legal exemption from Health Canada to use Cannabis to fight my stress disorder.
After almost 9 years of illness which has included crippling bouts of depression and anxiety and rage attacks
and side effects of Pharmaceutical drugs I have been deemed cured by hashish and marijuana and cannabis oil.
I am now fit for employment and been given the green light to proceed with the rest of my life.
Yesterday my MD gave me the news of all his most recent tests and found my lungs-prostate-blood-urine etc to be aok
and all I need is more excercise to become superhuman again.
Good news yes
BUT more importantly proof that Cannabis does indeed help mitigate stress disorders and related symptoms.
And more proof that there are other remedies that cure other than traditional western pharmaceutical concoctions.
My last specialist kicked me out of her office stating I should be in the Clarke Mental Institute for using Marijuana to help heal myself!
Well I've got 2 words for you Ms Psyciatrist and they aint pretty!
My MD I think is shocked and amazed at what pot has done for me! He was looking for some bad evidence I think to prove that western medicine is better and that all the hype about how bad smoked cannabis is -is really true!
Well he's shaking his head now and talking to himself!
Face it Doc- the damn shit has cured me with NO bad side effects!
So now myself and 7 other medical users are taking the Canadian Government to court to fry their asses over some hot coals for torturing us sick people over a benign herb!
Keep yer eyes and ears posted boys and girls for news of the great Canadian Lawsuit now taking place in Ontario, Canada.
Could be the collapse of all the reefer madness in North America over time
I sure hope so.
Especially for our sick and dying brothers and sisters in the USA who so desperately need cannabis in their bathroom medicine cabinets.
Hopefully in this case the rivers of freedom will flow south
and peace will once again embrace our lands.
regards
herbman
Damn thats fine shit I'm smokin lol
The Hemp Canadian
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Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on May 28, 2002 at 08:44:19 PT:
Boy, true to form, isn't it?
Last year, while cruising DEAWatch (and sampling the naked bigotry that you don't have to look hard to find) there was an interesting gem of wisdom supplied by a low-level poster. Unfortunetely, I did not save the comment, but it had to do with worsening times (emotionally and economically) providing a windfall for the DEA. The reasoning went like this: bad times make people use drugs of all sorts to experience some sort of catharsis from their godawful situations. That means more illegal drug use...which leads to work for the DEA. Which means, as the author of the remark had stated, job security for DEA agents.I wish that I had saved the remark, because it illustrated perfectly the moral bankruptcy of it all; the DEA agent had only 'privately' stated (no doubt forgetting that DEA agents aren't the only eyes perusing the site) what they wouldn't dare trumpet too loudly, for fear it's blow crassness would tick off their fickle political support.
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Comment #4 posted by Dark Star on May 28, 2002 at 08:22:29 PT
Coors Light Commercials
Perhaps Dr. Hanson might have some comments about the latest Coors Light commercials: rotund losers with painted beer-bellies, loose lushes sitting on laps, dudes pinning on their heads. Now that's a way to have fun.As long as this society lauds the repulsive behavior, and shrugs at the untold death and disease that alcohol engenders, the hypocrisy barrier is so grand as to be sickening. 
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Comment #3 posted by greenfox on May 28, 2002 at 08:11:06 PT
Why are they wasting our money?!!?
This is an absolute waste. Who cares if people's use of a substance goes up or down? It blows my mind that we are literally fighting terror and here we have these people pulling "studies". So as we fight the couple grams comming through the border, MEANWHILE, actually dangerous stuff is comming through...
,
smart, really smart...0gf
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on May 28, 2002 at 08:09:53 PT
Wisconsin Briefs - Weedstock
Last Updated: May 27, 2002
Beaver Dam 
Weedstock crowds never top 200
Weedstock wilted Monday.
Police Lt. Dan Schubert said crowds never grew larger than 200 people during the pro-marijuana rally in Swan City Park. Police patrolled the park heavily and videotaped the crowd but made no arrests.
Weedstock organizer Ben Masel moved the festival to Dodge County from Sauk County, where officials shut it down last year.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/State/may02/46748.asp
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Comment #1 posted by Dark Star on May 28, 2002 at 08:09:21 PT
The Pharmaceutical Industry's Antidote
From the article: "Dr. Glen R. Hanson, Acting Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), says, "By helping to define the demographic and situational characteristics that were associated with increased alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use following the traumatic events of September 11th, this research will help us to design more effective substance abuse treatment and prevention strategies for individuals coping with severe stress." I suppose he means that taking a benzodiazepine with the alcohol will do the trick: memory wiped out! Addiction just around the corner! Now that's harm reduction!
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