This Drug Could Save Thousands Of Lives A Year, So Why Aren't We Using It?

By: Nick Wing

The Huffington Post
Aug 31, 2013

The national drug overdose epidemic has been steadily on the rise for nearly 20 years. From 1999 to 2010, deaths surged a colossal 102 percent. And while overdoses kill more people each year than either cars or guns, the debate over what can be done to address the disturbing trend often gets overshadowed by noisier killers.

On Saturday, the 13th annual International Overdose Awareness Day, drug policy reform advocates and those affected by overdoses will gather around the world, putting solutions front and center.

One such solution is naloxone, a prescription-only opiate reversal drug that has already been used to save thousands of lives. Supporters say it could easily save thousands more if it was more widely distributed. Opiate-based prescription drugs and heroin account for the vast majority of overdose deaths, making the debate around naloxone particularly critical.

On its own, naloxone isn't controversial. It was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration in 1971. It's non-addictive, non-toxic, fairly cheap and easy to administer through nasal or intravenous application. Studies have been found that naloxone is capable of reducing overdose deaths by as much as 50 percent when paired with proper training and distribution.

The New York Times explained how naloxone works to counter an overdose in a recent story about a New York state effort to more widely distribute the generic drug:

Opioids function in the body by attaching to specific proteins, called opioid receptors. When opioids attach, the body relaxes and breathing slows. But too much of an opioid can cause respiration to slow to a lethal level.
Naloxone acts by competing with opioids for the receptor sites, essentially pushing the opioids out of the way and reversing the effects of the drugs.

Despite the effectiveness of naloxone, many states have yet to adopt measures that would remove obstacles to distributing the drug to addicts, family members and first responders. The Fix, a website that covers addiction and recovery, explained opposition to naloxone as a "moral discomfort among drug warriors who apparently feel that the wages of drug use should be death." Many of the drug's critics claim that increasing access to naloxone will only encourage increasingly dangerous drug use, though studies have not been able to confirm this hypothesis. Proponents are quick to point out that any risks associated with naloxone would be minimal compared with the alternative -- death.

At least 15 states -- Virginia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, North Carolina and Washington state, as well as the District of Columbia -- have passed laws addressing the drug. These measures range from giving legal protection to those who administer naloxone to an overdose victim, to providing training and doses of the drug to first responders or family members who may not have a prescription for it themselves.

Monsanto Dumped due to Petition

Last week, we presented an article about how the Italian Agriculture Ministry banned the sale of Monsanto GMO corn in Italy with an 80% public approval rate. Now, another region has joined the fight against Monsanto’s empire. The people of Rotterdam, a city in the Netherlands, have signed a petition gathering more than 600,000 signatures.

Called “Non-toxic sidewalks for our children,” this petition effectively banned Roundup, one of Monsanto’s flagship products. While the fight against Monsanto’s hold on world agriculture still has a way to go, this is another important step to becoming better stewards of our planet. Keep reading to learn why Roundup is much more dangerous than you may expect and how you can use natural alternatives to keep your garden and yard weed-free — all without deadly pesticides.

The Dangers of Roundup

As you’re probably aware, Roundup (or glyphosate) has been connected to many different health problems including cellular damage, respiratory distress, and even certain types of cancer. A recent article on the Huffington post —  a VERY mainstream media outlet — even suggested Roudup could be linked to Parkinson’s, infertility, and cancer.

(If a Monsanto product has problems that even the mainstream media is reporting, it must be pretty dangerous!)

There’s plenty of other problems associated with Roundup. Here’s why squirting your weeds with pesticides is a dangerous idea:

• Respiratory issues: The most easy-to-see problem with using spray pesticides are respiratory issues. This are commonly known, but people still use poison in their gardens on the food they eat for some reason.

• Gradual symptoms: If using Roundup caused people to immediately exhibit symptoms, it’d be easier to get the brand banned. Unfortunately, the chemicals in the mix build up in our bodies over time and only gradually show signs we’ve been poisoned. If you regularly use Roundup, you could be poisoning your body without even knowing it!
• Physical health problems: Using strong pesticides like glyphosate can lead to serious physical health problems including obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, infertility, gastrointestinal disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Mental health: Pesticide use has even been linked to mental health problems including depression.

The information above becomes very scary when you consider that in 2007, up to 185 million pounds of glyphosate was used by farmers in the United States — on the food we eat! According to EPA data, this is twice the amount that was used 6 years ago. This means two things:

1. Monsanto’s hold on US agriculture is getting stronger
2. As Americans, we’re being exposed to more poison than ever before

Of course, Monsanto claims that their product is safe to humans and dangerous only to plants (except their GMO plants which are immune to glyphosate and other pesticides). The problem is pro-glyphosate advocates are treating the situation like using their poison is our only option. We know better than that.

Natural Pesticide Alternatives

You don’t have to give up and accept Roundup as your own solution to keeping your garden free from weeds. Here’s a few natural alternatives to glyphosate you can try in your fight against unwanted plants.

• Weeding: Yep, there used to be this thing called “weeding” where gardeners would go through their plants and remove weeds by hand. (How novel!) All joking aside, it’s not high-tech or glamorous, but weeding is considered by many to be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable parts of gardening. It gives the mind time to relax and think, and working in the dirt can be good for your joints.
• Netting: By placing fine netting like cheesecloth over the [plant bed, you’ll keep seedlings and chewing insects away from your plants. you’ll also deter cats, birds, and flying insects from bothering your plants.
• Rotating your crops (this one is mostly for protecting plants from insects): Some insects lay their eggs with the intention to hatch and begin looking for food. Many pests only eat one or two types of vegetables, so by rotating your crops (changing where certain plants are placed in your garden), you can avoid this problem.
• Soap: That’s right, simply foamy soap can kill weeds. Herbicidal soap covers weeds with a sticky film that kills them without poisonous glyphosate.
• Vinegar: Vinegar can also be a safe, quick solution to kill weeds. It turns out spraying weeds with vinegar kills them quickly! Simply fill up a sprayer with white vinegar and spray away.
  
  

The Dangers of Roundup (Glyphosphate)

As you’re probably aware, Roundup (or glyphosate) has been connected to many different health problems including cellular damage, respiratory distress, and even certain types of cancer. A recent article on the Huffington post —  a VERY mainstream media outlet — even suggested Roudup could be linked to Parkinson’s, infertility, and cancer.

(If a Monsanto product has problems that even the mainstream media is reporting, it must be pretty dangerous!)

There’s plenty of other problems associated with Roundup. Here’s why squirting your weeds with pesticides is a dangerous idea:

• Respiratory issues: The most easy-to-see problem with using spray pesticides are respiratory issues. This are commonly known, but people still use poison in their gardens on the food they eat for some reason.

• Gradual symptoms: If using Roundup caused people to immediately exhibit symptoms, it’d be easier to get the brand banned. Unfortunately, the chemicals in the mix build up in our bodies over time and only gradually show signs we’ve been poisoned. If you regularly use Roundup, you could be poisoning your body without even knowing it!
• Physical health problems: Using strong pesticides like glyphosate can lead to serious physical health problems including obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, infertility, gastrointestinal disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Mental health: Pesticide use has even been linked to mental health problems including depression.

The information above becomes very scary when you consider that in 2007, up to 185 million pounds of glyphosate was used by farmers in the United States — on the food we eat! According to EPA data, this is twice the amount that was used 6 years ago. This means two things:

1. Monsanto’s hold on US agriculture is getting stronger
2. As Americans, we’re being exposed to more poison than ever before

Of course, Monsanto claims that their product is safe to humans and dangerous only to plants (except their GMO plants which are immune to glyphosate and other pesticides). The problem is pro-glyphosate advocates are treating the situation like using their poison is our only option. We know better than that.

Natural Pesticide Alternatives

You don’t have to give up and accept Roundup as your own solution to keeping your garden free from weeds. Here’s a few natural alternatives to glyphosate you can try in your fight against unwanted plants.

• Weeding: Yep, there used to be this thing called “weeding” where gardeners would go through their plants and remove weeds by hand. (How novel!) All joking aside, it’s not high-tech or glamorous, but weeding is considered by many to be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable parts of gardening. It gives the mind time to relax and think, and working in the dirt can be good for your joints.
• Netting: By placing fine netting like cheesecloth over the [plant bed, you’ll keep seedlings and chewing insects away from your plants. you’ll also deter cats, birds, and flying insects from bothering your plants.
• Rotating your crops (this one is mostly for protecting plants from insects): Some insects lay their eggs with the intention to hatch and begin looking for food. Many pests only eat one or two types of vegetables, so by rotating your crops (changing where certain plants are placed in your garden), you can avoid this problem.
• Soap: That’s right, simply foamy soap can kill weeds. Herbicidal soap covers weeds with a sticky film that kills them without poisonous glyphosate.
• Vinegar: Vinegar can also be a safe, quick solution to kill weeds. It turns out spraying weeds with vinegar kills them quickly! Simply fill up a sprayer with white vinegar and spray away.

Cape Town Protesters Arrested

In Cape Town, about 180 people, some carrying human waste, were arrested for protesting inadequate sanitation facilities in South Africa. 

Source: Time

2013

Kuwaiti Online Activist Arrested

A Kuwaiti court sentenced a teacher to 11 years in jail for allegedly inciting regime change and insulting the Emir on Twitter.

Source: Time

Shorts Ban Reversed after Protest

The train company Arrivva that banned male conductors in Sweden from wearing shorts has now reversed the ban after conductors wore skirts in protest & petitioned.

UK Court: Human Rights

The U.K. will pay 5,228 Kenyan survivors of the Mau Mau uprising nearly $20 million for abuses committed by Brittish colonial forces in the 1950's.

Source: Times