Survey: Teen marijuana use rises, alcohol use down

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LANSING, Michigan (AP) — More U.S. teens are using marijuana and see it as less of a risk, while their alcohol use has dipped to historic lows, according to an annual national survey of drug use released Wednesday.

The findings are based on an annual survey of 47,000 teens conducted by the University of Michigan for the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

One of every 15 high school seniors reported smoking marijuana on a daily or near daily basis, the highest rate since 1981.

"One thing we've learned over the years is that when young people come to see a drug as dangerous, they're less likely to use it," Lloyd Johnston, the study's principal investigator, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "That helps to explain why marijuana right now is rising, because the proportion of kids who see it as dangerous has been declining."

The study said marijuana use among teens rose in 2011 for the fourth straight year after considerable decline in the preceding decade.

One of every nine students in their last year of school before college reported using synthetic marijuana within the previous 12 months.

The synthetic drug survey question was asked for the first time this year. Fake marijuana, sometimes sold in drug paraphernalia shops and on the Internet as incense, contains organic leaves coated with chemicals that provide a marijuana-like high when smoked.

A Drug Enforcement Administration emergency order banning the sale of five chemicals used in herbal blends to make synthetic marijuana took effect March 1. Many states also have their own laws banning the sale of synthetic marijuana.

White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske called on parents to get involved to help stop the use of synthetic marijuana.

"It's not in the vocabulary of parents, and they need to be aware of it so that when they have that conversation about substance abuse that they are knowledgeable and they talk about this," he told the AP.

Alcohol use continued a trend of decline dating to the 1980s and hit a historic low for the survey, which began in the 1970s.

Other drugs showing some evidence of decline in use this year include cocaine, crack cocaine and inhalants.

___

Online:

The survey can be found at http://www.monitoringthefuture.org

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'HIV life expectancy rises' in UK

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12 October 2011 Last updated at 00:36 GMT By Helen Briggs Health editor, BBC News website Guidelines recommend early treatment for HIV Life expectancy for people with HIV in the UK has increased by 15 years in the past decade, thanks to modern drugs and earlier treatment, a study suggests.

Health authorities should consider more widespread testing for HIV, given the benefits of early treatment, UK researchers report in the BMJ.

The Terrence Higgins Trust says people at risk should get tested now.

Figures suggest 80,000 people in the UK carry HIV, and about 25% are unaware they have the infection.

A team led by Dr Margaret May, of the University of Bristol, looked at the life expectancy of the average 20-year-old starting treatment with anti-retroviral drugs between 1996-1999 and 2006-2008.

During that time average life expectancy increased from 30 to almost 46 years, according to the data, reported in the BMJ.

A woman with HIV could expect to live a decade longer than a man with HIV, perhaps because women are tested for HIV during pregnancy and are likely to start treatment earlier, the study found.

'Reassuring'

Co-author Dr Mark Gompels, of North Bristol NHS trust, said: "These results are very reassuring news for current patients and will be used to counsel those recently found to be HIV-positive."

Continue reading the main story Data on 17,661 patients, of whom 1,248 (7%) died between 1996 and 2008Life expectancy for the average 20-year-old with HIV increased from 30 to almost 46 years between the periods 1996-9 and 2006-8Life expectancy for women treated for HIV was 10 years' higher than for menStarting anti-retroviral therapy later than guidelines suggest resulted in up to 15 years' loss of lifeThe HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust said it was good news for people with HIV, their families and friends.

Chief executive Sir Nick Partridge said: "It also demonstrates why it's so much better to know if you have HIV. Late diagnosis and late treatment mean an earlier grave, so if you've been at risk for HIV, get tested now.

"Of course, it's not just length of life that's important, but quality of life too, and having HIV can still severely damage your life's chances.

"While so much has changed 30 years on from the start of the epidemic, condoms continue to be the best way to protect yourself and your partner from HIV in the first place."

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With Two More Deaths, Listeria Toll Rises to 23

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An outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe is now linked to 23 deaths in the U.S., making it the deadliest known outbreak of food-borne illness in more than 25 years.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that 116 people have been sickened in the outbreak, including those who died. The number of deaths has now surpassed a 1998 outbreak of listeria in processed meats that was linked to 21 deaths. A 1985 listeria outbreak in Mexican-style soft cheeses killed 52 people.

The CDC confirmed two more deaths in Louisiana that the state had said it was investigating last week. Other deaths were reported in Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.

Colorado's Jensen Farms recalled the tainted cantaloupe last month.

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Death Toll From Listeria in Cantaloupe Rises to 21

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Federal health authorities say a nationwide outbreak of listeria in Colorado cantaloupes is now responsible for 21 deaths and the number may continue to grow.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported new deaths in Indiana and New York. The CDC also confirmed a death in Wyoming that state officials reported last week. CDC said 109 people have been sickened in the outbreak — including the 21 dead — in 23 states from California to the East Coast.

The agency previously reported five deaths in Colorado, five in New Mexico, two in Texas, two in Kansas and one each in Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. CDC said it is also aware of one miscarriage associated with the outbreak.

The number of illnesses and deaths is expected to grow. Louisiana has said it is investigating two listeria deaths possibly related to the outbreak that aren't included in the CDC's count.

CDC officials have said the symptoms of listeria can take up to two months to show up and that they expect more illnesses through October.

MORE: Listeria and Cantaloupe: 6 Things You Need to Know

The death toll in the cantaloupe outbreak is now tied with a 1998 outbreak of listeria in hot dogs and possibly deli meats made by Bil Mar Foods, a subsidiary of Sara Lee Corp. That outbreak was also linked to 21 deaths. The deadliest outbreak in the United States before that is believed to have been listeria in Mexican-style soft cheese in 1985, which was linked to 52 deaths.

Jensen Farms in Holly, Colo., recalled the tainted cantaloupes earlier this month after they were linked to listeria illnesses. They were shipped all over the country but should be off store shelves by now. The last cases of cantaloupes were shipped Sept. 10, and its shelf life is about two weeks.

The Food and Drug Administration has said state health officials found listeria in cantaloupes taken from Colorado grocery stores and from a victim's home that were grown at Jensen Farms. Matching strains of the disease were found on equipment and cantaloupe samples at Jensen Farms' packing facility in Granada, Colo.

The company has said they shipped the cantaloupe to around half of U.S. states, but added that they aren't sure where the cantaloupe went because it has been sold and resold. Thus, many companies may not even know if they bought or distributed the fruit. Fruit Fresh Up, Inc. of Depew, N.Y., issued a recall Thursday of 4,800 individual packages of cut cantaloupes, three weeks after the original recall and several days after the melons surpassed their freshness date.

MORE: California Farm Recalls Lettuce Over Listeria Fears

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said this week that the agency is still investigating the cause of the outbreak. Officials have said they are looking at the farm's water supply and possible animal intrusions among other things to figure out the source of the problem. Listeria bacteria grow in moist, muddy conditions and are often carried by animals.

Officials from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration say that any cantaloupes not from Jensen Farms are safe to eat. The recalled cantaloupes may be labeled "Colorado Grown," ''Distributed by Frontera Produce," ''Jensenfarms.com" or "Sweet Rocky Fords." Not all of the recalled cantaloupes are labeled with a sticker, the FDA said.

Government health officials said this is the first known outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe. Listeria is generally found in processed meats and unpasteurized milk and cheese, though there have been a growing number of outbreaks in produce.

Listeria is rare but more deadly than well-known pathogens like salmonella and E. coli. While most healthy adults can consume listeria with no ill effects, it can kill the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. It is also dangerous to pregnant women because it easily passes through to the fetus. The CDC said the median age of those sickened is 77, and most ill people are over 60 years old.

Symptoms include fever and muscle aches, often with other gastrointestinal symptoms.

MORE: What's Lurking in Your Meat and Poultry? Probably Staph

The CDC has reported illnesses in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Colorado has the most illnesses, with 32 sickened. Texas has 16 reported illnesses, New Mexico has 13 and Oklahoma has 11.

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For women, risk of depression falls as coffee intake rises

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Some experts have speculated that the antioxidants in coffee may have health benefits.Some experts have speculated that the antioxidants in coffee may have health benefitsWomen who drink caffeinated coffee are less likely to become depressed, study saysThe study included more than 50,000 women between the ages of 30 and 55

(Health.com) -- A few cups of coffee a day may help keep the blues at bay. According to a large new study, women who drink caffeinated coffee are less likely to become depressed -- and the more they drink, the more their risk of depression goes down.

The study, which was published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine, included more than 50,000 women between the ages of 30 and 55 who periodically filled out surveys about their coffee consumption and health. None of the women had depression symptoms (or a history of depression) at the start of the study, but during the next 10 years roughly 5% received a depression diagnosis or began taking antidepressant medication.

Compared with women who drank little or no caffeinated coffee, those who averaged two to three cups per day were 15% less likely to develop depression, even after the researchers took into account a wide range of potentially mitigating factors including marital status, church or community participation, and various health measures. Drinking four cups a day was associated with a 20% lower risk of depression.

Health.com: The 10 most depressing states in the U.S.

The study doesn't prove cause and effect, so there's no reason to believe that drinking cup after cup will actually prevent depression, the researchers say.

"There's no need to start drinking coffee," says study co-author Alberto Ascherio, M.D., a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. "The message is that coffee is safe to drink, with no adverse effects. That's really all that can be said."

Previous research, including a study published last year that was conducted among men in Finland, has linked caffeine consumption to a lower risk of depression and suicide.

"A couple of past studies found similar results," says Daniel Evatt, Ph.D., a psychiatry research fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in Baltimore, who was not involved in the new research. "This study validates the association, and it was done in the best possible way."

Health.com: Big perks: coffee's health benefits

It's not clear why coffee might protect against depression. Some experts have speculated that the antioxidants in coffee may have health benefits, but in the new study people who drank only decaf were no more or less likely to be depressed than women who drank no coffee at all.

The caffeine might be responsible, but the researchers weren't able to confirm or deny this theory because there wasn't enough data available to determine whether drinking caffeinated tea or sodas is linked to depression risk in the same way as coffee consumption. Eighty-two percent of the study participants drank coffee, while only 13% and 6% drank tea and soft drinks, respectively.

Evatt, who studies the psychological effects of caffeine, is "not terribly convinced" that caffeine can prevent depression. "There's a very strong indication that there is a real relationship there, but that doesn't mean that coffee will stop depression," he says. "We need to come up with a hypothesis for the mechanism at work, and then try to see what's really happening."

Health.com: 12 surprising sources of caffeine

Another possibility is that people who aren't depressed may simply be more drawn to coffee than their depression-prone peers. Non-depressed people tend to be more "behaviorally activated," and coffee drinking may therefore fit in better with their lifestyle, says Scott Bea, Psy.D., a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic who was not involved in the study.

Similarly, Bea adds, some depressed people may steer clear of coffee because it can heighten anxiety, which often goes hand in hand with depression.

"We shouldn't rush to the conclusion that I should drink more coffee if I don't want to be depressed," Bea says.

Health.com: 12 nondrug remedies for depression

For his part, Evatt stresses that caffeine can have negative consequences for many people, whether they're experiencing depression symptoms or not.

"We shouldn't put caffeine in too positive a light," he says. "Some people have a relationship with caffeine that's similar to an addictive drug. I don't want to pin it as a public health problem, but people can become dependent on coffee and have troubling withdrawal symptoms."

Copyright Health Magazine 2010

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