Smoke Signals June 1990
Page 10
Health Information
Studies Show Marijuana
Is Not Safe
Over the past decade there has been a major increase
in the use of marijuana in the United States, particularly
in the 15-25 year-old population.
Marijuana has been shown to elicit a variety of effects
in man and in experimental animals. This substance
decreases the level of sex hormones in males and
females, damages the lung and bronchial tissues, and
had adverse effects on the heart.
There is now accumulating evidence that marijuana
also alters the immune system, reducing the body's
ability to respond to various infections and diseases. The
latter effect has potential serious consequences, since
increased drug use has occurred at a time of dramatic
increase in the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases
such as genital herpes and AIDS.
The component of marijuana which has been impli
cated in decreasing resistance to infection is its major
psychoactive constituent, Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol,
or THC which has a propensity of accumulating in the
fatty cells and tissues of the body.
Because of this interaction with the fatty membranes,
the drug alters the activities of a variety of cells dedi
cated to a diverse array of functions. And because it
persists in the body, it does so over an extended period
of time, thereby expanding the window of host suscepti
bility to infection.
Indeed, there have been anecdotal reports that even
casual users of marijuana suffer increasingly from
bronchitis, sinusitis, colds and various infections. For
example, Jule Jensen, a British physician, observed
several years ago that with genital herpes tended to have
recurrences of infection following weekend use of
marijuana.
When they stopped using marijuana, the recurrences
stopped.
There is now mounting laboratory evidence which
support that observation. For example, medical scien
tists at the Medical College of VirginiaVirginia Com
monwealth University in Richmond, Va. have used a
guinea pig infectivity model which mimics closely the
genital herpes disease seen in humans to demonstrate
the effects of THC on virus infection.
As in humans, sexually transmitted herpes simplex
virus type 2 produces genital lesions in the guinea pig,
after which it enters exposed nerve endings and travels
to regional nerve ganglia, where it remains dormant
until stimulated to start a new cycle of infection, usually
at the original site.
The Virginia investigators have shown that guinea pigs
infected with the herpes virus and given injections of
THC experienced increased recurrences of the disease
and outbreaks which were more severe than when the
active ingredient was not given.
The amounts of THC given to the animals included
levels that humans could attain by smoking marijuana.
The researchers discovered, in addition, that THC
reduced the production of "early" interferon, which is
the body's line of defense against a virus infection.
Little is yet known about the effects of marijuana or
THC on host resistance to the causative agent of AIDS,
the human immuno-deficiency virus or HIV. Some
medical researchers proposed, however, that individuals
who are most predisposed to infection with the HIV are
those with either a history of drug abuse or who are
already infected with other sexually-transmitted viruses
which have immuno-suppressive potential (e.g., cy
tomegalovirus and herpes simplex viruses).
Use of marijuana by such individuals, already compro
mised by prior virus infection or drug exposure, could
tip the balance of host resistance in favor of establish
ment of infection by HIV and could contribute to the
progression of HIV morbidity.
However, it is still not known what exact effects
marijuana may have on the immune system as it relates
to infection with the HIV. The role of marijuana and
other drugs of abuse on host resistance to HI Vs is
currently the focus of intensive research.
The above information was compiled from mate
rial supplied the Office of Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Programs, Department of Human Re
sources, 301 Public Service Building, Salem, Or
97310-0520
If you have questions that can be answered in this
column, send them to : Drug Column, East Orcgo
nian, P.O. Box 1089, Pendleton, OR 97801.
Courtesy of the East Orcgonian.
SLEEPLESSNESS
Occasionally.too much coffee, exitement or anxiety
may keep you up at night. But if insomnia (sleepless
ness) is a frequent problem for you, there are effective
self-care approaches. Self care means knowing when to
call your doctor. When your body doesn't respond to
self-care after a few weeks, your doctor can help.
Sleeplessness takes on different forms. It can take you
an hour or more to fall asleep at night, or when you
wake up very early and want to fall asleep again, but
can't. You may wake up feeling as if you had not slept
well, or you may wake up in the middle of the night. We
all need to sleep, but our patterns and needs differ. If
you feel rested and are not relying on caffeine or other
stimuIants,no matter how unusual your sleeping habits
may be, you probably don't have a serious problem.
There are many effective self-care approaches to
sleeplessness:
1. Reduce or eliminate caffeine for a few weeks. Coffee,
black tea, soft drinks, chocolate and some medicines, all
contain caffeine.
2. Don't drink any caffeine after 4:00 p.m
3. Don't drink any alcohol after the dinner hour.
4. Eliminate or reduce smoking: nicotine can be a
stimulant.
5. Practice relaxation exercises or light stretching before
bedtime.
6. Get regular exercise, but not immediately before
bedtime.
7. Soak in a warm bath just before bedtime.
Call you doctor if you've tried the above approaches for
more than two weeks, and you still have problems
sleeping.
-submitted by Bonnie Martin
Children Lead the Way Out of
Addictive Behavior
Indian mothers and fathers in substance abuse treat
ment at NARA are seeing themselves and their addic
tions from a different perspective...through the physical
development of their children. Part of the treatment
program at the Native American Rehabilitation Associa
tion of the Northwest, Inc. or NARA, is a focus on Fetal
Alcohol Effects (FAE) and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
(FAS).
Janet Allan, Family nurse practitioner, coordinates the
program initiated in May, 1989 through an Indian
Health Service-sponsored maternal and child health
grant. The goal, Janet explains, "is to educate clients in
both residential and ( itpatient programs about effects
of FASFAE and deal with cocain, poly-drug and
alcohol abuse, and the development of the fetus, using
video tapes developed by the March of Dimes. Both
men and women attend the classes, and the men's role
in the health and well-being of the fetus is addressed.
Additionally, issues of co-dependence and aspects of
femalemale relationships require education for both
men and women.
The classes get good response. There are many
questions, and people ask for extra pamphlets to pass on
to relatives and friends. "Men talk about the traumatic
pregnancies of their partners. Denial on the part the
mother regarding pre-natal substance abuse begins to
chip away. They start looking at how much they've used
and how the kids have been affected," said Janet.
As parents look at the impaired development of their
children and their own behavior, they put two and two
together, and come up with painful stuff they have to
heal, she summarized. "We encourage talking, encour
age them to work with child care people, the family
therapist, provide an evaluation and help clients learn
how to handle some of the problems," she said describ
ing the treatment program. "You are not alone in
dealing with these problems" is the message.
A second goal of this program is to identify children in
the child center with developmental and learning delays.
Evaluations are provided by the Center for Develop
mental Rehaviltation for Children at Oregon Health
Sciences University. "The mother is fully involved in the
whole process," reported Janet. "She receives a copy of
the evaluation report and tells CDRC where to send the
information for follow-up."
The NARA inpatient program is 45 days and there are
some mothers in the program without their children.
"Currently, we're keeping log of the babies; noting
developmental problems. We're recording pregnancies,
miscarriages, and live births, and in a year we'll know a
whole lot more about Indian women in their active
disease and what kind of pregnancy lives women live
out," concluded Janet. "Many women have multiple
pregnancies, but have few live children; new-born deaths
and SIDS are not uncommon."
Janet Allen worked for two years in pre-natal programs
with addicted and alcohlo abusing mothers in the Alaska
Native Medical Center in Anchorage. She worked in
Alaska for 20 years, most recently, with the South
Central Foundation and North Pacific Rim Native
Health Corporation. For more information call NARA
Residential Program at 669-7889.