[Dangerous Attraction (2000): Download Online 1
Laurice Whack
Young people experimenting with drugs and alcohol is nothing new; however, social networking sites are offering new and dangerous opportunities for adolescents to be exposed to drugs. Teens are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of what they see on social media, as this age group is highly susceptible to peer influences and pressure. Sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat provide an environment where kids are exposed to famous and normal people alike engaging in risky behaviors involving drugs and alcohol.
A study conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that teenagers who regularly use popular social media outlets were more likely to drink, use drugs, and buy tobacco than adolescents who either did not use social media or used it less frequently. The survey asked 2,000 adolescents about their drug use and social media habits and 70% said that they use social media on any given day. Researchers found that, compared to nonusers or infrequent users of social media, this group was:
In addition to drug exposure through marketing and advertising, social media is the catalyst for many mental health problems that can lead to substance abuse. Social media perpetuates social comparison in a world where everything is curated, which is particularly problematic for teens who are more prone to depressive cognitions in the face of social comparison. Social media use is associated with mental health issues including depression, sleep disturbance, and disordered eating among young people.
Social media use amongst teens is nearly universal today. About 92% of adolescent users report checking social networking sites more than once a day. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are the top social media platforms for young adults.
For young, impressionable people, seeing their friends and family in Facebook posts or Instagram pictures having fun while partying can tempt them to make risky choices in an effort to fit in. For others, it can depress them to the point that they turn to drugs or alcohol for solace.
In addition to being exposed to these acts by their peers, the ads found on social media can also encourage underage drinking and drug use. Tobacco, electronic cigarettes (especially those marketed by Juul), and alcohol manufacturers have widely integrated social media platforms into marketing strategies that are fully accessible to teens. Through the use of social media advertising, these industries are able to market to youth, despite the fact that direct marketing to minors is against the law.
A study performed by Michigan State University found that people who were shown Facebook ads promoting beer were more likely to indulge in an alcoholic beverage than those who viewed bottled water ads. After seeing the Facebook ads, the 121 test subjects were given a choice between receiving a gift card for a coffee shop or a bar as compensation for their participation in the study. While 73% of those who saw the beer ads chose the bar gift certificate, only 55% of those who viewed water ads selected the bar as well. Exposure to substance use imagery is associated with subsequent onset in use, which is why there are limitations on advertising such products in the media to minors; however, social media is proving harder to regulate.
Social media not only can cause unhappiness and a general dissatisfaction with life in users, but also increase the risk of developing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. In fact, an estimated 27% of children who spend 3 or more hours a day on social media exhibit symptoms of poor mental health. Kids who are depressed or suffer from anxiety (both of which are often exacerbated by social media use) may then attempt to use alcohol or other drugs to cheer themselves up.
In addition to feelings of social isolation and depression, social media has also been found to be associated with negative body image in young adults. The ongoing exposure to unrealistic beauty standards through visual sites like Instagram can affect how teenagers perceive themselves and cause them to develop low self-esteem or eating disorders. Much like adolescent depression, individuals with low self-esteem may have trouble overcoming negative thoughts and feelings. Subsequently, in an effort to forget or change those feelings, they turn to drugs or alcohol as means of escape. Substance use can seemingly heprep to quiet the negative thoughts in young users with poor mental health. However, self-medicating with drugs and alcohol only temporarily alleviates those symptoms, and chronic use actually makes them worse.
The best way to protect your children from these influences is by having open communication and educating them on the risks of substance abuse. However, if your child is struggling with excessive alcohol or drug use, simply talking to them might not be enough and may require professional help. For more information on online therapy options for substance use, mental health concerns, or social media addiction, click here.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released the Work-Related Lung Disease (WoRLD) Surveillance Report for 1999.
According to a notice to readers in the March 24, 2000 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the WoRLD Surveillance Report is the fifth in a series of WoRLD reports that present summary tables and figures on various occupationally relevant respiratory diseases, including pneumoconioses, occupational asthma, other diseases of the airway and other respiratory conditions.
The report is divided into three main sections: summary highlights and limitations, disease-specific tables and figures, and appendices that describe data sources, methods and supplementary information.
The WoRLD report presents national and state summary statistics such as counts of crude and age-adjusted mortality rates, and years of potential life lost to age 65 and to life expectancy. U.S. maps showing the geographic distribution of mortality by state are included, as are tables and figures that summarize selected occupational exposure data for asbestos, coal and coal mine dust, silica dust, cotton dust and other substances. The report also includes tables summarizing silicosis and asthma surveillance data collected by states funded by the Sentinel Event Notification Systems for Occupational Risks Program.
The program will allow users to access current information on the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of HCV infection and HCV-related chronic disease. Study questions at the end of each section and case studies at the end of the program are available for users who want to test their knowledge of the program material. Continuing medical and nursing education credits are available free from the CDC on completion of the training. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) will also grant AAFP education credits on completion of training and filing with the AAFP.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Thermachoice II uterine balloon therapy system for the treatment of excessive menstrual bleeding from benign causes in premenopausal women who have completed child-bearing. The device is designed to reduce excessive bleeding to normal levels of menstruation or less.
Using the balloon therapy, global endometrial ablation is performed under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. Heat is used to remove the endometrial lining of the uterus, which is the main source of excessive menstrual bleeding. A balloon catheter is inserted vaginally through the cervix and into the uterus. The balloon is inflated with sterile fluid, which is then heated to 87C (188F) for eight minutes. After treatment is completed, the balloon is deflated and the catheter is withdrawn and discarded. The entire procedure typically takes less than 30 minutes. Following the procedure, an over-the-counter, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug is given to patients to relieve pain. Patients are usually able to resume normal activities the next day.
The Thermachoice II system is contraindicated in women who want to have children because pregnancies after ablation could be dangerous for the fetus and the mother. If there is a chance that pregnancy could occur, contraception or sterilization should be used after treatment. Rare adverse events associated with the Therma-choice II system may include blood loss, heat burn of internal organs, electrical burn, perforation or rupture of the uterine wall, or leakage of heated fluid from the balloon or tissue into the cervix or vagina. Accumulation of blood or tissue in the uterus and/or fallopian tubes during the months following the procedure is also possible; correction may require an outpatient procedure. Infection is a possibility, but infection usually can be managed with oral antibiotics.
According to the ACSM, stress fractures make up between 0.7 and 15.6 percent of all athletic injuries. Runners, jumpers, gymnasts and dancers are especially at risk for stress fracture, and women have higher rates than men. The bones most often injured are the metatarsals, fibula and tibia.
The ACSM reports that the following factors contribute directly or indirectly to the incidence of stress fracture: changes in training (e.g., terrain, shoes, activity, intensity); running and jumping activities; inappropriate footwear; muscle inflexibility or weakness; excessive muscle strength; lower extremity alignment anomalies; poor running technique; previous history or injury; low bone mineral density.
Positive symptoms of stress fracture are local tenderness, pain with direct and/or indirect percussion, and pain with weight bearing. Rest is an effective treatment under most conditions; however, prevention is the best management approach.
The brochure provides women with four main goals related to medication: (1) read the label, (2) avoid problems, (3) ask questions, and (4) keep a record. According to the brochure, women should closely read the label of any medications for a list of ingredients, warnings and an expiration date. Women can avoid medication-related problems by discussing side effects with a health care professional, by organizing their medications, by not sharing or skipping medication, and by not taking medication in the dark. The brochure provides a list of questions women might ask their physicians or pharmacists about medications they are taking. The brochure also provides areas for listing over-the-counter and prescription medications.
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