Drug Abuse News and Research

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NIH updates its strategic plan for hepatitis B research

The National Institutes of Health has updated its Strategic Plan for NIH Research to Cure Hepatitis B, a roadmap for ending the hepatitis B epidemic, focused on developing a cure as well as improved strategies for vaccination, screening and follow-up care.

1 Aug 2022

NIH grant awarded to Marshall researcher for studying genetic mechanisms of cocaine addiction

Price E. Dickson, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biomedical sciences at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, has received a $407,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the genetic and genomic mechanisms driving the relationship between social reward and cocaine addiction.

22 Jul 2022

Oligomeric molecular structure of the MOR-Gal1R complex revealed

A study published in the journal Pharmacological Research reveals the oligomeric molecular structure of the MOR-Gal1R complex, a component present in the brain which is involved in the analgesic and addictive effects of certain opioids.

22 Jul 2022

Cigarette smokers who try to quit often become dual nicotine users

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that as people who smoke cigarettes attempt to quit, some move to e-cigarettes, but such people often become dual nicotine users, smoking traditional cigarettes and vaping e-cigarettes.

21 Jul 2022

Marijuana use is higher among US states that have legalized recreational cannabis use

A study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and The City University of New York found that the rates of cannabis use and daily cannabis use have increased across the U.S., and that current cannabis use and daily use are substantially higher among individuals residing in states that have legalized recreational cannabis use, relative to those where cannabis use remains illegal.

20 Jul 2022

Genes underlying cigarette smoking linked to the perception of pain and response to food

Have you ever wondered why one person can smoke cigarettes for a year and easily quit, while another person will become addicted for life? Why can't some people help themselves from abusing alcohol and others can take it or leave it?

20 Jul 2022

Study finds a drop in percentage of methadone-involved overdose deaths from January 2019 to August 2021

The percentage of methadone-involved overdose deaths relative to all drug overdose deaths declined from January 2019 to August 2021, according to a new study.

13 Jul 2022

How the COVID-19 pandemic affected mental health and wellbeing, key determinants of health, and health inequities

A new study investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, the important health determinants, and disparities resulting from such effects.

11 Jul 2022

Gardening can help many people to reap mental health benefits

Many longtime gardeners will tell you that the garden is their happy place. New research suggests that many people may indeed reap mental health benefits from working with plants -; even if they've never gardened before.

6 Jul 2022

Culturally-sensitive interventions could be effective in preventing alcohol-related problems in Latino students

Negative consequences from excessive drinking are well-documented, but little is known about how to tailor interventions to prevent problem drinking by Latino college students, the fastest-growing ethnic minority group on U.S. college campuses.

5 Jul 2022

IU neuroscientists receive $2 million to better understand the impact of cannabis use during adolescence

The legalization of marijuana in several states brings with it the greater possibility that younger populations will use marijuana.

5 Jul 2022

Study yields surprising insights about how pre-teens feel about alcohol, tobacco and marijuana

They may only be in 4th or 5th grade, but 1 in 10 pre-teen children already say they're curious about using alcohol or tobacco products, and 1 in 50 say they're curious about using marijuana, a new study shows.

1 Jul 2022

The effects and mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 on the nervous system

Researchers reviewed the neurologic manifestations associated with SARS-CoV-2.

30 Jun 2022

Study uncovers a new, specific target for developing treatments for cocaine addiction

Researchers have found that blocking certain acetylcholine receptors in the lateral habenula (LHb), an area of the brain that balances reward and aversion, made it harder to resist seeking cocaine in a rat model of impulsive behavior.

28 Jun 2022

Clinical risk and protective factors for the presence and persistence of abdominal pain-related disorders of gut-brain interaction

The current study carries forward what is known about the risk of AP-DGBI conferred by various factors such as sex, infectious gastroenteritis, trauma, abuse, stress, psychological factors, somatic symptoms, family history, smoking, and drug abuse.

17 Jun 2022

Temple researcher receives NIH award to study the link between HIV, substance use and heart disease

With prompt diagnosis and the right treatment, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives. In recent years, however, gains in survival among people with HIV have exposed a new concern – an increase in the incidence of early-onset cardiovascular disease associated with long-term HIV.

14 Jun 2022

As Biden fights overdoses, harm reduction groups face local opposition

Casey Malish had just pulled into an intersection in the 2nd Ward when a woman with tattoos and pinkish hair unexpectedly hopped into the back seat of his gray Mazda. He handles outreach for the Houston Harm Reduction Alliance, a nonprofit that helps drug users like her stay alive.

14 Jun 2022

Researchers localize specific brain circuit mediating addiction remission

In the United States, substance use disorders are a leading cause of death among young people. Treatments such as deep brain stimulation hold promise for helping people overcome addiction, but many questions remain about what brain areas should be targeted.

13 Jun 2022

Parental nicotine exposure may promote addiction-like behaviors in successive generations

Parental smoking is a significant risk factor for developing smoking behavior and nicotine dependence in offspring. These findings suggest that parental nicotine exposure may promote addiction-like behaviors in subsequent generations.

8 Jun 2022

Addition of menthol to cigarettes increases smoking frequency and nicotine dependency among youth

Currently in the public comment phase, the United States Food and Drug Administration is set to finalize rules prohibiting menthol in tobacco products, citing an effort to reduce addiction and youth experimentation, improve quitting among current smokers and address health disparities.

6 Jun 2022