Alert Labs Blog - genetics

Did You Know?

posted on Nov 29th 2009 at 1:00pm by Dr. Harper

ADDICTION: A PREVENTABLE (Through Abstinence), TREATABLE, ADOLESCENT BRAIN DISEASE

According to the National Institutes of Health, addiction to alcohol and other drugs (AOD) is a brain disease that almost always begins in the teen years. It is a family disease passed along genetically. Children of one alcoholic parent, for instance, run a 1/4 chance of developing addiction, compared with a 1/12 risk for the general population.  Risks continue high for those with addicted grandparents. Individuals who have blood relatives---aunts, uncles, and cousins--with AOD problems need to recognize that they also have a high risk of addiction because of their shared ancestry.

Another predictor of addiction is ADD or ADHD. Persons with these disorders are even more likely than the children of addicted parents to develop the disease of addiction. If your child has one of these conditions, he/she must not use addictive substances. Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or “habit-forming” prescription drugs like Vicodin, Codeine, Ambien, etc. will trigger the predisposition and can quickly lead to full-fledged addiction. NOTE: For those with the inherited genetics, addiction to one drug = addiction to all drugs. Thus a "cocaine addict" will also be addicted to alcohol if he/she uses alcohol even a little.

BE TOO SMART TO START:

Those with a family history of AOD problems and/ who have ADD or ADHD are at “High Risk” for addiction. These individuals need to be warned and educated about their risk. As both children and adults, they must avoid using any addictive substance.

New Casa* Report Finds Most Web Sites Selling Prescription Opioids, Stimulants And Depressants Require No Prescription “You’ve Got Drugs!” V:

Prescription Drug Pushers on the Internet. Despite a decline in the number of Web sites advertising or selling controlled prescription drugs, like OxyContin and Valium, Xanax and Vicodin, Ritalin and Adderall, in the past year, 85 percent of Web sites selling such drugs do not require a prescription. Make sure your kids know that these drugs are highly addictive and deadly when misused.