Abstinence News and Research

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Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to abstention from sexual intercourse, alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical considerations.

Multiple withdrawal symptoms experienced by people using medical marijuana for chronic pain

More than half of people who use medical marijuana products to ease pain also experience clusters of multiple withdrawal symptoms when they're between uses, a new study finds.

8 Jan 2021

New prediction model may make it easier to find which infants will develop NAS

A new Vanderbilt-designed prediction model may make it easier to determine which infants will go on to develop neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a drug withdrawal syndrome in newborns that occurs after exposure to opioids during pregnancy.

12 Nov 2020

Compounds block stress-enhanced reacquisition of nicotine in rats

Stress is a major cause of relapse after people quit smoking. Worrying situations, such as money or relationship problems, can affect neurotransmitter levels in the brain, leading former smokers to reach for a cigarette.

11 Nov 2020

Study may help develop recovery and prevention paths for gambling addiction

For the first time, new research conducted by SISSA and by the University of Roma Tre identifies narrative markers of gambling addiction and paves the way to innovative approaches for therapy and prevention.

11 Nov 2020

Cabotegravir highly effective in preventing HIV among women

UNAIDS has been strongly encouraged by groundbreaking new study results showing that the antiretroviral medicine cabotegravir administered by an injection every two months – prevents HIV among women.

10 Nov 2020

Medical diagnoses of “diseases of despair” increase in Pennsylvania

Medical diagnoses involving alcohol-related disorders, substance-related disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviors – commonly referred to as diseases of despair – increased in Pennsylvania health insurance claims between the years 2007 and 2018, according to researchers from Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Highmark Health Enterprise Analytics.

10 Nov 2020

Cocaine use in mice leads to the formation of synapses by astrocytes

Drugs of abuse, like cocaine, are so addictive due in part to their cellular interaction, creating strong cellular memories in the brain that promote compulsive behaviors.

15 Oct 2020

UNC director calls for better smoking cessation programs for cancer patients

Programs designed to help cancer patients stop using tobacco should be considered as important and impactful as providing the right drug at the right time and at the right dose to patients, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

14 Oct 2020

Federal restrictions on corneal donations prevent vision-restoring surgery

Some forms of blindness and visual impairment can be cured with a corneal transplant surgery using donated eye tissue. However, federal regulations in the United States and Canada severely restrict the ability of sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating their eye tissue.

24 Sep 2020

A new approach for treating alcohol use disorder

"One day at a time" is a mantra for recovering alcoholics, for whom each day without a drink builds the strength to go on to the next.

28 Aug 2020

Group-based smoking cessation treatment helps incarcerated smokers quit tobacco

Behavioral and nicotine replacement therapies offered together can help people who are incarcerated quit smoking, according to Rutgers researchers.

30 Jul 2020

ATS releases new practice guideline on treating tobacco dependence in adult smokers

Smoking cessation initiatives notwithstanding, along with provocative public health campaigns and clinical guidance, quitting tobacco has remained elusive for many smokers.

15 Jul 2020

Coronavirus crisis disrupts treatment for another epidemic: Addiction

Shawn Hayes was thankful to be holed up at a city-run hotel for people with COVID-19.

6 Jul 2020

Study: One in five adults experienced a decrease in their sexual behavior early in the pandemic

One in five adults in the United States report they have experienced change - mostly a decrease - in their sexual behavior during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study by Indiana University researchers.

16 Jun 2020

New Finnish study explores the economic burden of alcohol use disorders

Alcohol use disorders are associated with high social welfare and health care costs - but what causes them? A new Finnish study looks at the magnitude and reasons behind the economic burden alcohol use disorders have on society.

9 Jun 2020

Precautions for intimacy, sex, during COVID-19

Amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, safe sex practices are as important as other measures to prevent infection. Little focus has been given to sexual health, but a new study highlights how couples can reduce the transmission of the novel coronavirus.

5 Jun 2020

Researchers assess harm reduction awareness among frequent cannabis users

Harm reduction strategies have proven effective for use of opioids, alcohol, and tobacco products.

30 May 2020

Hospitalized smokers six times more likely to quit with combination treatment, study finds

New research led by University of South Australia has found that smokers who receive the medication varenicline tartrate combined with Quitline counseling following a period of hospitalization due to a tobacco-related illness are six times more likely to quit smoking than those who attempt to stop without support.

2 May 2020

CBT found to be effective in treating binge eating disorders in adolescents

A study published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics found cognitive behavioral therapy to be effective, in treating binge eating disorder in adolescence, with lasting results.

24 Apr 2020

AHA invests almost $17 million to speed up health impacts of e-cigarettes, nicotine on youth

The American Heart Association (AHA) is investing nearly $17 million in scientific research to be led by scientists from Boston University, the Ohio State University and Yale University to study the health impacts of e-cigarettes and other nicotine delivery systems on youth and young adults.

22 Apr 2020