Coming in September: Addiction
Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 10:43 AM
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- Approximately four people die every day in Ohio from drug overdose.
- From 1999 to 2010, Ohio’s death rate due to drug overdose increased 372%. Experts attribute much of the dramatic increase to prescription drug abuse.
- Every year since 2007 more Ohioans died from drug overdose than car accidents.
- The availability of heroin is currently at epidemic levels in Cleveland and other Ohio cities.
- Alcoholism causes more than half a billion lost workdays each year in the U.S.
- Substance abuse costs our nation over one half-trillion dollars annually.
- More than 90% of the 23 million Americans in need of treatment for substance abuse do not receive it.
- 2 million (1%) of U.S. adults are estimated to meet criteria for pathological gambling in a given year. Another 4-6 million (2-3%) are considered problem gamblers.
- The opening this year of Ohio’s four new casinos is expected to result in an estimated 107,100 new addicted and problem gamblers. In Cuyahoga County alone 40,800 new problem and pathological gamblers are expected to result from the Cleveland casino’s opening.
Addiction is defined as the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse consequences. It runs the gambit from alcohol and cigarettes to prescription and illegal drugs. And, the word addiction is often applied to compulsions that while not substance-related can be just as consuming, such as gambling, shopping, pornography, food, even exercise and texting. Lots of people are addicted to lots of different things. Understanding what addiction is and why it happens are the first steps on the road to recovery, a road that is often bumpy and full of detours.
Beginning in early September 2012, ideastream will present in depth, multiple media coverage that will delve into the mysterious and often misunderstood world of addiction. Stories and programs on radio, television and the web will explore:
- The biology of addiction and what exactly happens inside the brain of an addict.
- Relapses and why so many continue to struggle with their addiction after treatment.
- New medications designed to treat addictions – is there a magic pill?
- The science behind smoking cessation programs.
- Why the brains of teenagers are particularly vulnerable to developing an addiction.
- How to know when you or a loved one are addicted… to anything.
- Personal stories of greater Clevelanders who recount, in vivid detail, how addiction to crack cocaine, prescription drugs, gambling and alcohol literally destroyed their lives.
ideastream’s multiple-media coverage of addiction is part of the on-going, award winning health information series called Be Well and is presented in collaboration with The Plain Dealer and NetWellness, a consumer information website from Ohio’s three medical research universities (University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University).
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Be Well Programs
- About Blood Blood is our life support and with just a small drop, a large window can be opened into how our body is working... and not working.
- Addiction ideastream will delve into the mysterious and often misunderstood world of addiction.
- Attacking Allergies We'll look at why are allergies on the rise, and what you need to know about one of our nation’s most chronic health problems.
- Body in Pain We examine the mysterious problem of chronic pain, a condition that affects millions.
- Confronting Colon Cancer Audiences will learn about symptoms, risk factors, and local researchers who are studying DNA to find more effective ways to detect, treat and prevent colon cancer.
- Diabetes: The Constant Shadow The stories of Northeast Ohioans who cope daily with the "constant shadow" of diabetes will be revealed.
- Facing Depression We'll learn about the stigma that still plagues this disease, and how both patients and families cope with it.
- Fighting Fat We'll follow the story of a local man, William Baker of Avon, who has battled obesity his entire life.
- Heart Stories: Confronting the #1 Killer We share the stories of three Northeast Ohioans and their family members who have confronted heart disease, the nation's number one cause of natural death.
- LifeGiving Transplant Stories In organ donation, one family’s miracle comes from another one's loss. See the power of second chances, and how surgery is just the beginning.
- MiddleAging: Aches & Pains Aging is natural and normal - but what exactly is happening in our bodies? We’ll explore what’s happening in our eyes, ears, bladders, bones, skin, sexuality, hair, hormones, memory, muscles, and moods.
- Obesity Our health team examines the causes and effects of the obesity epidemic.
- Prostate Chronicles ideastream's David C. Barnett tells the story of his journey with prostate cancer.
- Sleep: A Wake-Up Call The United States is facing a national sleep deficit - and it’s getting worse. What can be done? We'll explore sleep, and why many of us don’t get enough of it.
- Surviving Stroke Every four minutes someone dies from stroke and it stands as the leading cause of disability in the United States. What exactly is a stroke and why do people have them?
- Watch Your Mouth! We highlight the mounting evidence that connects gum disease to debilitating and costly problems including diabetes and heart disease.
Podcasts
Tuesday Checkup
90.3 WCPN is collaborating with the Plain Dealer to bring listeners the latest health-related news from across our region.
Download Be Well Specials
Download the Be Well health specials to your Apple iPod, iPad or iPhone using iTunes.
ideastream Community Health Forums
The need for information about health has never been greater. ideastream is responding to this need by undertaking an ongoing health programming initiative. To inform this effort, ideastream invited health professionals in the region to participate in a series of discussions between June 9-18, 2009, about the local health assets and challenges.
Read the report about these meetings.
ideastream Health Funding
Funding for the coverage of health topics comes from the Dr. Donald J. Goodman and Ruth Weber Goodman Philanthropic Fund of The Cleveland Foundation; The Community Foundation of Lorain County; The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation; The McGregor Foundation; and The Woodruff Foundation.
Be Well Funders
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