Substance Abuse News and Research

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Are we cherry picking participants for studies of antidepressants?

Findings from clinical studies used to gain Food and Drug Administration approval of common antidepressants are not applicable to most patients with depression, according to a report led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

30 Apr 2009

Drug abuse prevention programs can curb risky sexual practices in young adulthood

School-based drug education programs for adolescents can have a long-term positive impact on sexual behavior in addition to curbing substance abuse, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

30 Apr 2009

Four babies out of every 1,000 born in Australia suffering from serious drug withdrawal symptoms

A new study by Australian researchers has found that far more babies are now being born with serious drug withdrawal symptoms.

26 Apr 2009

Good relationship with parents may prevent teen drinking problems

Teenagers who have a strong relationship with their parents may start drinking at a later age -- which may, in turn, lessen their risk of developing alcohol problems, a new study suggests.

23 Apr 2009

Many teens who smoke marijuana use it as a medication, not as a means of getting high

When legal therapies let them down, some teens turn to marijuana.

22 Apr 2009

Binge drinking may be detrimental to the developing adolescent brain

A study of adolescent binge drinkers has found that even relatively infrequent exposure to large amounts of alcohol during the teen years may compromise the integrity of the brain's white matter, which is critical for the efficient relay of information within the brain.

22 Apr 2009

The influence of risk-taking behaviors on the transition into marriage

A national study of data collected over 12 years finds that delinquent teens marry earlier than their peers, while substance-abusing teens -- especially girls who abuse marijuana -- marry later than peers, if at all.

22 Apr 2009

New drug use screening tools for physicians

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, today unveiled its first comprehensive Physicians' Outreach Initiative, NIDAMED, which gives medical professionals tools and resources to screen their patients for tobacco, alcohol, illicit, and nonmedical prescription drug use.

20 Apr 2009

Enforcing bans on cigarette sales to kids reduces youth smoking

A new study finds that enforcing federal and state laws against tobacco sales to minors dramatically decreases underage smoking rates.

16 Apr 2009

California HIV/AIDS group launches web-based program aimed at MSM

The Palm Springs, Calif.-based Desert AIDS Project has launched an Internet-based education and prevention program aimed at men who have sex with men, the Desert Sun reports. The program was launched ahead of the area's White Party Easter weekend, according to the Sun.

6 Apr 2009

Addressing sleep problems could reduce the risk of suicidal behaviours

In a study presented at the World Psychiatric Association international congress "Treatments in Psychiatry," scientists found that the more types of sleep disturbances people had, the more likely they were to have thoughts of killing themselves, engage in planning a suicidal act or make a suicide attempt.

1 Apr 2009

Providing housing and support services for homeless alcoholics reduces costs to taxpayers

Providing housing and support services for homeless alcoholics costs taxpayers less than leaving them on the street, where taxpayer money goes towards police and emergency health care.

1 Apr 2009

'Compassion,' 'sense of justice' could 'motivate' Washington, D.C., to 'do more' for HIV-positive people, opinion piece says

"[C]ompassion and a sense of justice can motivate" the Washington, D.C., community "to do more" for people living with HIV/AIDS in the district, Patricia Wudel -- executive director of Joseph's House, which provides hospice services for HIV-positive people -- writes in a Washington Post opinion piece in response to an earlier opinion piece by columnist Courtland Milloy (Wudel, Washington Post, 3/29).

31 Mar 2009

Discovery of new mechanism for the processing of endocannabinoids

New research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has identified a new mechanism for the processing of endocannabinoids, natural brain compounds similar to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

17 Mar 2009

New HHS grant will allow Pennsylvania HIV, STI education program to continue

The Community Prevention Partnership of Berks County, Pa. -- which runs a program that provides Hispanic women with education about HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention, as well as domestic violence -- has received a five-year, $335,000 grant from HHS to continue the program, the Reading Eagle reports.

16 Mar 2009

American Indian youth group to perform in Minneapolis to mark native HIV/AIDS awareness day

An American Indian youth theater group on Friday will perform in Minneapolis to mark National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which is scheduled for March 20, the AP/Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.

16 Mar 2009

Untreated psychiatric disorders common in single mothers on welfare

Urban single mothers nearing the end of their welfare eligibility appear more likely to have substance use and psychiatric disorders than women in the general population, and often do not receive treatment, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

2 Mar 2009

Treating drug-addicted doctors is good medicine

Doctors who become addicted to alcohol and other drugs can be treated successfully and returned to medical practice with the help of special programs that couple referral to treatment and monitoring with rapid responses to noncompliance, University of Florida researchers report.

24 Feb 2009

Children who watch R-rated movies more likely to smoke

A new study finds that kids who are allowed to watch R-rated movies are much more likely to believe it's easy to get a cigarette than those who aren't allowed to watch such films.

23 Feb 2009

Ondansetron shown to be a viable treatment option for opioid addiction

Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered that a commonly available non-addictive drug can prevent symptoms of withdrawal from opioids with little likelihood of serious side effects.

18 Feb 2009