In 2010, the UN General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation. Everyone has the right to sufficient, continuous, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use. Some 80 percent of the world’s wastewater is dumped largely untreated back into the environment, polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans. This widespread problem of water pollution is […]
In the scientific community, drugs are defined as substances that can affect a human’s or animal’s biological and neurological states. Drugs can be swallowed, inhaled through the nostrils, injected with a needle, applied to the skin, taken as a suppository, or smoked. Scientists categorize drugs according to their effects. Among their categories are analgesics, which […]
Faking and counterfeiting occur throughout the world with claims that it is more common in some developing countries with weak regulatory programs. It is estimated that more than 10% of drugs worldwide are counterfeit, with up to 50% in some countries. Heightening vigilance and awareness of counterfeiting is one measure for combating faking. Substandard […]
The World Health Organization defines counterfeit drugs as one which is deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source. A counterfeit medication or pharmaceutical product is produced or sold with the intent to deceptively represent its origin, authenticity, or effectiveness. It may be contaminated or contain the wrong or no active ingredient. They […]
What is Rohypnol? Rohypnol is a tranquilizer (Sleep trigger) about ten times more potent than Valium. The drug is available as a white or olive-green pill and is usually sold in the manufacturer’s bubble packaging. Users crush the pills and snort the powder, sprinkle it on marijuana and smoke it, dissolve it in a drink […]
What is cocaine? Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. Although health care providers can use it for valid medical purposes, such as local anesthesia for some surgeries, recreational cocaine use is illegal. As a street drug, cocaine looks like a fine, white, […]
According to the World Health Organization, Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world. Their ability to carry and spread disease to humans causes millions of deaths every year. The worldwide incidence of dengue has risen 30-fold in the past 30 years, and more countries are reporting their first outbreaks of the disease. […]
Drug addiction is a complex illness. It is characterized by intense and, at times, uncontrollable drug craving, along with compulsive drug seeking and use that persist even in the face of devastating consequences. This update of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment is intended to address addiction to a wide […]
What is heroin? Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance taken from the seed pod of the various opium poppy plants grown in Southeast and Southwest Asia, Mexico, and Colombia. Heroin can be a white or brown powder, or a black sticky substance known as black tar heroin. Other common names […]
What is Adderall? Adderall is a prescription medication that contains two drugs: amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. It belongs to a class of medications called stimulants. It’s most commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s also used to treat narcolepsy. Adderall is considered a first-choice treatment option for ADHD. Studies show that it improves attention […]
