The U.S.D.A recently approved the drug Vivitrol for the treatment of opioid and heroin addiction. Vivitrol is an extended release formulation of naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist. Clinical trials have shown Vivitrol to be effective in preventing not only relapse to drug use following detoxification, but also to diminish cravings that often drive it. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reported that heroin addiction afflicts an estimated 810,000 people in this country. NIDA's website states that in 2008, 1.85 million people in the U.S. met the diagnostic criteria for abuse or dependence on opioid pain relievers, such as Oxycontin and Vicodin.
Synthetic Marijuana, also known as "K-2" or "Spice" is a mixture of common herbs sprayed with synthetic chemicals that mirror the high of Marijuana. The synthetic product is sold as incense in head shops, tobacco stores and convenient stores. So far, twelve states have banned the sale of Synthetic Marijuana - (Kansas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oregon, Illinois, Michigan, and Kentucky). The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported that within the past year there have been over 500 cases of negative reactions to the still legal yet dangerous drug. On the national level the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently designated certain chemicals that are present within Synthetic Marijuana to the same category that heroin and LSD are part of and further emphasizes the need to be able to test blood and urine for Synthetic Marijuana use. On the local level- The Herald Online reported that Fort Mill,...