New App Detects Opioid Overdoses

A new app may provide opioid users with a way to ask for help in the event of an overdose. The app, named Second Chance, can detect slowed or stopped breathing as a result of an overdose. It works by converting the speaker and microphone of the smartphone into a sonar system that emits high frequency sound waves that bounce off a user’s chest. In an emergency, the app could call 911 or send a message to friends or family who have access to and could administer the opiate antidote naloxone (Narcan).

“Being able to track an overdose when a person may be by themselves could significantly improve the ability to save lives,” psychiatrist Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in Bethesda, MD, told Science News.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 130 people die from an opioid overdose every day in the United States. And many of the individuals are alone and powerless to call for help.

"We're experiencing an unprecedented epidemic of deaths from opioid use, and it's unfortunate because these overdoses are a completely reversible phenomena if they're detected in time," Dr. Jacob Sunshine, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the UW School of Medicine., told CNBC.

Researchers tested the app on 94 users in Vancouver at a legally sanctioned injection facility where people use heroin and fentanyl under medical supervision in an effort to prevent overdoses. The app detected 47 out of 49 cases where the user stopped breathing and 41 out of 47 cases where a patient was breathing too slowly. The app misjudged five of the 47 cases where the user was breathing frequently enough. Researchers also simulated overdoses with 20 volunteers who received standard anesthetic medications that caused 30 seconds of slow or no breathing. The app detected abnormal respiration in 19 patients.

The team, which is applying for FDA approval, anticipates that the app will be on the market in roughly eight months – and hopefully sooner if they get fast track priority approval by the FDA, researchers told CNBC.

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Young adults (age 18 to 25) are the biggest abusers of prescription opioid pain relievers, according to the NIDA. And early intervention is the most successful treatment. If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid addiction, don’t wait to get help. Call today: 866-930-4673.

Link Between College Binge Drinking and Social Media Addiction

A new study found a link between binge drinking and social media addiction among college students. For the study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, researchers recruited more than 400 undergraduate students, ages 18 to 25, and asked about both binge drinking (defined as five drinks at a time for males and four for women) and the use of social media (including Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter).

Student binge drinkers were more likely to post on social media platforms and on more social media platforms (most frequently on Snapchat and Facebook) while intoxicated than non-binge drinkers. What’s more, binge drinkers showed a greater emotional investment toward social media, which is common among those with an addiction.

“These findings suggest that, in terms of common brain reward mechanisms, perhaps when students get a positive response on social media, this might be ‘rewarding’ to them in a way that is similar to other addictive behaviors, and then over time they get hooked,” lead researcher Natalie A. Ceballas, PhD, of the Department of Psychology at Texas State University in San Marcos, told reporters.

Binge drinking and social media addiction can be a dangerous duo. Beyond the dangers of binge drinking – including an increased risk of injury, suicide, sexual assault, high blood pressure, heart attack, inflammation of the stomach, pancreas, brain, or spinal cord, sexually transmitted infections and memory and learning problems – this behavior can jeopardize a person’s ability to get into college or get a job.

The good news: A reliance on social media may also present an opportunity for innovative interventions, said researchers.

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Binge drinking in adolescence can increase your risk of developing an alcohol use disorder later in life. If you or someone you love has a drinking problem, Hope Academy can help you get the help you need today. To learn more about our young adult alcohol rehab, call toll-free today: 866-930-4673.