Credit: Yale University Before Kevin M.’s drinking problem began, before he became what he calls a “frequent flyer” in the Yale New Haven Hospital emergency department (ED), he was a policeman in Hollywood, Florida. There, he became involved in several shooting incidents. Though a civilian review board determined he had been justified, he says, he […]
Continue Reading ...
When it comes to fighting substance abuse, research suggests the company you keep can make the difference between recovery and relapse. So, while group intervention programs can play an important role in preventing substance abuse, especially in at-risk populations such as homeless youth, they can also inadvertently expose participants to negative behaviors. Now, researchers from […]
Continue Reading ...
Research by Panayotis Thanos suggests that aerobic exercise can help to treat, and even prevent, addiction. Credit: University at Buffalo New research by the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions has identified a key mechanism in how aerobic exercise can help impact the brain in ways that may support treatment—and even prevention strategies—for addiction. […]
Continue Reading ...
(HealthDay)—A newly developed scale may identify patients addicted to tanning, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in the British Journal of Dermatology. Cecilie Schou Andreassen, Ph.D., from University of Bergen in Norway, and colleagues developed a new seven-item tanning addiction scale based on core addiction criteria. The scale was administered online to a […]
Continue Reading ...
Young people are more likely to start drinking alcohol earlier and at risky levels as a direct result of alcohol companies targeting them via advertising, a review by Curtin University has found. The report, released today, also concluded that alcohol companies were increasingly using a range of new techniques to promote alcohol to young people […]
Continue Reading ...
Credit: CC0 Public Domain In 1996, California became the first US state to legalise marijuana use for medical purposes. Medical marijuana is now legal in 29 states. Opponents of medical marijuana argue that such laws increase recreational marijuana use among adolescents, while advocates contend that medical marijuana helps to address the US opioid crisis by […]
Continue Reading ...
Credit: University at Buffalo Parents who allow their young children to occasionally sip and taste alcohol may be contributing to an increased risk for alcohol use and related problems when those kids reach late adolescence, according to a new study by a University at Buffalo psychologist. The findings contradict the common belief that letting kids […]
Continue Reading ...
Top: Dendritic spines are less dense after rats were exposed to alcohol in patterns mimicking binge drinking. Bottom: After being treated with donepezil, density of dendritic spines appeared to return to healthy levels. Credit: Patrick Mulholland/ Charleston Alcohol Research Center A drug used to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease could offer clues on how […]
Continue Reading ...
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Individuals who report having resolved a problem with cannabis use appear to have done so at younger ages than those who resolved problems with alcohol or other drugs, report investigators from the Recovery Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). While study participants also were much less likely to use any […]
Continue Reading ...
(HealthDay)—Hip-hop music may be influencing black Americans to try the street drug molly, a new study suggests. Molly—the powder or crystal form of ecstasy—is a stimulant and hallucinogenic. University of South Florida researchers surveyed young black adults who said they’d tried molly. The investigators found that 82 percent of them said hip-hop music had influenced […]
Continue Reading ...
Comparison of warning labels, from left to right: current “pea-sized” pregnancy warning labels (NZ beer can and NZ bottle), beer imported into NZ from Canada with much larger warning label (middle), mock-up of a warning label with more consumer information, and a current day NZ cigarette pack with a large pictorial warning. Credit: University of […]
Continue Reading ...
20-something smoker in downtown Durham, N.C. in February 2018. Credit: Shawn Rocco/Duke Health About 3 out of 4 Americans agree that smoking cigarettes causes health problems, but public perception of the risks posed by smoking may be declining, according to a Duke Health study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. From 2006 to […]
Continue Reading ...
Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have successfully tested in animals a drug that, they say, may one day help block the withdrawal symptoms and cravings that incessantly coax people with alcoholism to drink. Credit: iStock Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have successfully tested in animals a drug that, they […]
Continue Reading ...
The green fluorescent ‘dots’ above show where Exendin-4, an FDA-approved drug used to treat diabetes and obesity, ends up in the brain. The drug activates receptors for glucagon-like peptide 1 or GLP-1, a hormone that reduces food intake. The blue and red coloring indicate neurons and astrocytes, respectively. Credit: University of Pennsylvania Cocaine and other […]
Continue Reading ...
Credit: University of Manchester The less commonly prescribed opioid substitute buprenorphine may be safer than methadone for problem opioid users, especially if used during the first month of treatment, according to a study which includes University of Manchester researchers. The University of Bristol led study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and […]
Continue Reading ...
