1 in 55 Japanese middle schoolers abuse over-the-counter drugs, survey shows
The survey saw 1.5% of male students and 2.0% of female students admitting to having used over-the-counter drugs for the purpose of 'feeling high or changing their mood' and taking more than the prescribed doses or for purposes other than what the medications are meant to treat.
Nearly 38,000 students across 124 schools gave valid responses to the survey, which was conducted from September to December last year.
Among those who admitted to abusing the drugs, the majority — around 64% — said they got them from pharmacies while a third said they had access to the medications in their own households. Respondents were allowed multiple answers for the question on where they sourced the drugs from.
In view of these answers, the study urged pharmacies to pay closer attention when selling over-the-counter drugs to minors.
The study found that many of those who have engaged in such abuse tended to be isolated at home or in school, and had experienced psychological problems or other difficulties in their daily lives.
The same survey found that 0.07% of middle schoolers had experience using marijuana while 0.13% abused organic solvents; the percentages of respondents who admitted to abusing stimulants and other illegal drugs were both at 0.06%.
Across all substances, the abuse rates among respondents last year are lower than those in 2022, most likely due to the fact that lives returned to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the study warned that an increasingly positive view of marijuana and drug usage among this age group is something to be wary of.
The study asked middle schoolers about over-the-counter drugs for the first time last year. The inclusion comes amid a growing problem surrounding the abuse of, and addiction to, over-the-counter drugs such as cough medicine among teenagers and those in their 20s, which have resulted in cases of overdose and hospitalization.
The National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry's most recent survey of high schoolers in fiscal 2021 found that 1 in 60 had admitted to abusing over-the-counter drugs. Between 2012 and 2020, cases of addiction involving such drugs across all age groups had experienced a sixfold increase.
In recent years, information on how to abuse over-the-counter drugs — such as how much of a certain medication to consume — to achieve certain feelings has become widely available online and spread via social media among the younger generation.
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Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Japan Times
Recent deaths of Japanese boxers underline importance of emergency action plans
Boxing, a sport many see as too dangerous, is once again grappling with questions of safety and protocol after two Japanese boxers in their 20s died within a day of each other from fatal brain injuries suffered during separate fights on the same night. Shigetoshi Kotari died on Aug. 8 and Hiromasa Urakawa on Aug. 9 after competing in different fights on the same card at Tokyo's iconic Korakuen Hall on Aug. 2. Both boxers underwent surgery for subdural hematomas — a condition in which blood collects between the skull and the brain. Kotari lost consciousness in his dressing room after going 12 rounds against Yamato Hata in a bout for the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super featherweight title that ended in a draw. Urakawa, a lightweight who appeared on the undercard in an 8-rounder against Yoji Saito, collapsed in the ring after a technical knockout loss in the final round. Four Japanese pro boxers, including Kotari and Urakawa, have undergone craniotomies in the past two years, with three of the cases resulting in death. In February 2024, Kazuki Anaguchi died after sustaining a brain injury in a December fight. The only survivor, former International Boxing Federation minimumweight champion Ginjiro Shigeoka, remains in a coma following his May 24 bout with Pedro Taduran. Serious injuries and deaths in the ring are called ringuka (literally, ring crisis) in Japanese. Since the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) was established in 1952, about 40 boxers have died as a direct result of injuries sustained in the ring, according to the Asahi Shimbun. Though boxing fatalities are statistically rare, they highlight the inherent risks of the sport. Shunji Asamoto, a neurosurgeon and a doctor with the JBC since 2018, says that most boxing deaths occur after a single powerful punch to the head or a series of punches in quick succession, rather than repeated blows over a long period of time, which is linked to impaired brain function or chronic neurological issues. 'Acute subdural hematoma is the most common cause of boxing fatalities and unfortunately, there is no way for a boxer to have zero risk of acute subdural hematoma,' Asamoto said. 'Due to the nature of the sport, blows to the head are unavoidable, and these can potentially cause acute subdural hematoma. While CT scans and MRIs are useful for assessing brain health, they don't reliably predict the possibility of an acute subdural hematoma developing in the future.' Kotari and Urakawa's deaths made headlines around the world, with major media outlets such as CNN and BBC reporting on Japanese boxing's double tragedy. The World Boxing Organization was among those who paid tribute to the late boxers on social media. Brian Sutterer, a U.S.-based physiatrist and YouTuber with 826,000 subscribers, provided his perspective on how to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future in a video released on Monday. In the video, Sutterer reads the English translation of an X post by Kotari's older brother. The brother questioned the venue's emergency protocol, which he said instructs the on-site doctor to first notify a venue staff member, who then contacts 119. He also expressed anger over what he said was a long wait for an ambulance (which he claimed was a little over 40 minutes) and that his brother had to be carried down five flights of stairs because the stretcher wouldn't fit in the elevator. 'So it sounds, at least from reading his brother's presentation of what happened here, that the way to look for improvements in this unfortunate case is that emergency action plan,' Sutterer said. 'It's 'what can we do to improve how quickly emergency personnel can get to the venue?'' JBC Secretary-General Tsuyoshi Yasukochi told reporters on Sunday he believes there were no errors in the way the medical emergency was handled. 'However, we must investigate whether we truly did everything possible,' he added. 'Additionally, we are researching the medical response measures implemented by commissions in places like Nevada and New York. If there are elements that can be introduced in Japan, we would like to adopt them proactively.' In response, the JBC announced all future OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific title fights in Japan will be reduced from 12 to 10 rounds. Some boxers take various measures to shed excess grams — especially right before weigh-ins — in order to make weight ahead of fights. This rapid weight loss can lead to dehydration, which the World Boxing Association says makes the brain more susceptible to bleeding. Japanese boxing officials said they would introduce urine tests to measure hydration, enforce stricter rules on weight loss to prevent dehydration and improve medical coverage at bouts following the deaths of the two fighters last week. Under the new rules, ambulances will also be required on site, even for non-world championship bouts — already a requirement of the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, which governs U.S. boxing commissions. They will partner with hospitals that are equipped to perform emergency surgery for head and other injuries. Asamoto, who has served as a ringside physician 'too many times to count,' thinks simply having an ambulance on standby isn't enough. He, like Sutterer, says an emergency action plan (EAP) must be priority No. 1 in boxing. 'An EAP is a preestablished sequence of actions, covering everything from initial ringside response when a fighter is in critical condition, to transportation by ambulance and the start of specialized treatment at the receiving hospital,' he said. 'Without this plan, crucial decisions — such as which hospital to contact, how to contact them and who will accompany the patient — can be delayed in an emergency. In cases of acute subdural hematoma, emergency surgery is highly likely to be required. To increase a fighter's chances of survival, it's critical to minimize wasted time at every stage.' But Asamoto admits that, generally speaking, the primary challenge in an emergency in Japan is not getting an ambulance to the scene, but finding a hospital that can accept the patient. This is due to factors such as hospital capacity, bed availability and specialized treatment needs, which can lead to delays in providing necessary care. 'Hospitals treat a wide variety of patients,' he said. 'Therefore, it is practically impossible for a hospital to refuse other emergency cases or to reserve an operating room solely for a boxing match — that is, to have an anesthesiologist, neurosurgeon and nursing staff on standby.' 'Finally, acute subdural hematoma is an extremely dangerous condition that is often difficult to treat successfully even with rapid intervention, and it carries a high risk of severe long-term complications. Among head injuries, acute subdural hematoma is considered one of the most serious and troublesome conditions.'
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
1 in 55 Japanese middle schoolers abuse over-the-counter drugs, survey shows
A survey conducted by the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry has found that 1 in 55 middle school students — or 1.8% — abused over-the-counter drugs in the past year. The survey saw 1.5% of male students and 2.0% of female students admitting to having used over-the-counter drugs for the purpose of 'feeling high or changing their mood' and taking more than the prescribed doses or for purposes other than what the medications are meant to treat. Nearly 38,000 students across 124 schools gave valid responses to the survey, which was conducted from September to December last year. Among those who admitted to abusing the drugs, the majority — around 64% — said they got them from pharmacies while a third said they had access to the medications in their own households. Respondents were allowed multiple answers for the question on where they sourced the drugs from. In view of these answers, the study urged pharmacies to pay closer attention when selling over-the-counter drugs to minors. The study found that many of those who have engaged in such abuse tended to be isolated at home or in school, and had experienced psychological problems or other difficulties in their daily lives. The same survey found that 0.07% of middle schoolers had experience using marijuana while 0.13% abused organic solvents; the percentages of respondents who admitted to abusing stimulants and other illegal drugs were both at 0.06%. Across all substances, the abuse rates among respondents last year are lower than those in 2022, most likely due to the fact that lives returned to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the study warned that an increasingly positive view of marijuana and drug usage among this age group is something to be wary of. The study asked middle schoolers about over-the-counter drugs for the first time last year. The inclusion comes amid a growing problem surrounding the abuse of, and addiction to, over-the-counter drugs such as cough medicine among teenagers and those in their 20s, which have resulted in cases of overdose and hospitalization. The National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry's most recent survey of high schoolers in fiscal 2021 found that 1 in 60 had admitted to abusing over-the-counter drugs. Between 2012 and 2020, cases of addiction involving such drugs across all age groups had experienced a sixfold increase. In recent years, information on how to abuse over-the-counter drugs — such as how much of a certain medication to consume — to achieve certain feelings has become widely available online and spread via social media among the younger generation.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
Hidden rosters and the legacy of Japan's germ warfare
Katsutoshi Takegami, a retired cafe owner in the city of Komagane, Nagano Prefecture, was cleaning the storehouse of his home seven years ago when he stumbled across a big wooden box. When he opened it, he found a trove of documents, diaries and photo albums kept by his late father, Toshiichi Miyashita, who spent nearly 15 years as a nurse soldier for the Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II. 'My father didn't look like someone who had spent a long time in the military,' Takegami, 77, recalled. 'I was never slapped or beaten, and he remained calm even when he had drinks. He never once raised his voice.' Intrigued, Takegami obtained Miyashita's military records from the local municipal government. The information he got was astounding: the father had belonged to Unit 1644 in the city of Nanjing in eastern China. Its official responsibility was epidemic control and water purification, but it is believed to have conducted biological weapons research and development in tandem with the infamous Unit 731. A photo album Takegami discovered in his storehouse shows a portrait of his father, Toshiichi Miyashita. | JOHAN BROOKS Together with Katsuo Nishiyama, professor emeritus at Shiga University of Medical Science, Takegami has been investigating the details of these lesser-known sister units to gain a fuller understanding of the Imperial Japanese Army's biological warfare network. In May, the National Archives of Japan disclosed to them rosters containing the names of all personnel who belonged to Unit 1644 , which was based in Nanjing, and Unit 8604, which was based in Guangzhou in southern China. Compiled in 1945, the lists contain information such as the names of every soldier and military civilian in the units, the dates of their assignments and transfers, their addresses, the names of relatives designated as contact persons, the years of their conscription and their dates of birth. Called rusu meibo, the rosters were created by the Imperial Japanese Army to manage records for units stationed abroad and to facilitate communication between those units and the soldiers' families at home. The lists show that some 2,500 people belonged to Unit 1644, quite a large operation comparable to Unit 731's 3,700 members, while Unit 8604 had about 1,000 members. The Imperial Japanese Army had two more similar units — Unit 1855 in Beijing and Unit 9420 in Singapore. A photo album found in the home of Takegami bears a stamp that says "Memories of the Holy War." | JOHAN BROOKS On Aug. 6, Katsutoshi Takegami shows one of many photos left by his father at his home in Komagane, Nagano Prefecture. | JOHAN BROOKS Military records of Toshiichi Miyashita describe detailed activities of his stint in the Imperial Japanese Army, including in the biological warfare unit of Unit 1644. | JOHAN BROOKS After the war, doctors and medical researchers who engaged in human experiments under these units settled into prominent positions in academia and industry. Some are suspected of having obtained advanced medical degrees from top universities using data from the wartime human experiments. Shiro Ishii, leader of Unit 731, was purged from public service by the Allied Occupation and kept a low profile. Ryoichi Naito , a physician who worked under Ishii, went on to establish the Japan Blood Bank, the predecessor of Osaka-based pharmaceutical firm Green Cross Corp. The firm was implicated in a HIV-tainted blood scandal in the 1980s. Tachio Ishikawa, another member who brought back 8,000 slides of pathological samples from Pingfang, became a professor at Kanazawa University. None of them were tried for war crimes, thanks to immunity granted by the United States in exchange for their research data. The disclosure of rosters symbolizes how Japan has lagged behind in its efforts to confront the medical community's war responsibility, which has long remained a taboo, Nishiyama said. Takegami gazes out a glass door at his home in Nagano Prefecture. | JOHAN BROOKS 'Medical education in this country has barely addressed Unit 731,' he said. 'Today, the overwhelming majority of medical students know nothing about it. Without that knowledge, future doctors could end up committing similar acts, or feel they have no choice but to go along. No one in medicine should ever think that way.' Takegami, for his part, is driven more by his interest in his father's life story. The father had no medical background when he joined the military, but he went on to lead a 20- or 30-member team. How Miyashita managed to climb the ranks during the war remains unknown. None of the historical materials Takegami has unearthed and the contacts he has tracked down have uncovered any direct involvement by his father in germ warfare. Not yet at least. 'There's a chance he may have been involved,' he said. 'If he had been, it would prove that, in war, anybody can be forced into committing such acts (of brutality).'
