Addiction News and Research

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New study seeks best way to support people quitting menthol cigarettes

Nearly half of Americans who smoke use menthol cigarettes that are harder to quit, driving up their health risks with every puff.

9 Apr 2025

New drug compound offers pain relief without opioid side effects

University of Florida scientists have helped identify a novel drug compound that selectively activates pain-altering receptors in the body, offering a potentially safer alternative to conventional pain medications.

8 Apr 2025

For opioid victims, payouts fall short while governments reap millions

Christopher Julian's opioid journey is familiar to many Americans.

8 Apr 2025

Poor dietary habits in adolescence associated with social media overuse

Poor dietary habits in adolescence – lots of sweets, sugary drinks or skipping breakfast – is directly linked to overusing social media, University of Queensland research has found.

7 Apr 2025

Hospital addiction consultation service boosts treatment initiation for opioid use disorder

Specialized hospital services that aid people with opioid use disorder regardless of why they are admitted can boost the number of patients who begin treatment with FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder and increase the likelihood they remain engaged in that care once discharged, according to a new study.

7 Apr 2025

Young females more vulnerable to social anxiety from smartphone dependence

A new study presented today at the European Psychiatric Association Congress 2025 reveals that gender plays a significant role in excessive and problematic (psychological or behavioral dependence) smartphone use, with young females more likely to experience higher social anxiety than other genders.

7 Apr 2025

Cornell researchers discover brain mechanisms behind psilocybin's effects

Psilocybin is the active ingredient that gives so-called "magic mushrooms" their hallucinogenic kick. It also has a therapeutic potential for treating depression.

4 Apr 2025

NIH trial demonstrates AI's effectiveness in opioid use disorder care

NIH-supported clinical trial shows AI tool as effective as healthcare providers in generating referrals to addiction specialists.

3 Apr 2025

Late-starters in vaping reach high usage levels more rapidly

A new study has found that young vapers in the United States who begin using e-cigarettes after graduating from secondary/high school are likely to progress rapidly to frequent use.

3 Apr 2025

New research underscores the importance of broader health benefits in obesity care

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11-14 May) suggests that weight loss program targeting a particular % weight loss are often failing, and that other factors should be considered including improvement of obesity-related complications, enhancing quality of life and overall physical and social functioning.

3 Apr 2025

Study reveals long-term decision-making deficits due to heavy alcohol use

For the first time researchers demonstrate in an animal how heavy alcohol use leads to long-term behavioral issues by damaging brain circuits critical for decision-making.

2 Apr 2025

Hit hard by opioid crisis, Black patients further hurt by barriers to care

Purple flags, representing the nearly 300 Mecklenburg County residents who died of opioid overdose in 2023, fluttered in the humid breeze last August in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on the city’s predominantly Black west side.

2 Apr 2025

Scientists confirm neurobiochemical link between dopamine and cognitive flexibility

For the first time, scientists have confirmed a neurobiochemical link between dopamine and cognitive flexibility, according to new research published in the March issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

28 Mar 2025

Trump turns homelessness response away from housing, toward forced treatment

President Donald Trump is vowing a new approach to getting homeless people off the streets by forcibly moving those living outside into large camps while mandating mental health and addiction treatment — an aggressive departure from the nation's leading homelessness policy, which for decades has prioritized housing as the most effective way to combat the crisis.

27 Mar 2025

Researchers identify key gene linked to heroin addiction

Opioid use disorder is associated with more than 350,000 deaths annually worldwide. Guided by the need for an increased understanding of critical neurobiological features of addiction, researchers have now found a unique molecular signature and genes in the orbitofrontal cortex associated with heroin-seeking behavior.

26 Mar 2025

Study offers new insights into the harmful effects of sugar-sweetened beverages on human health

Researchers at the Advanced Research Unit on Metabolism, Development & Aging (ARUMDA), in the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR, Mumbai and TIFR Hyderabad), have unveiled a comprehensive understanding of the harmful effects of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on human health, using a preclinical mouse model that closely mimics human consumption patterns.

21 Mar 2025

Restricting telehealth prescriptions for opioid use disorder could undermine recovery

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers found that restricting telehealth prescriptions for opioid use disorder could keep thousands from accessing buprenorphine, a medication that helps people recover from addiction.

20 Mar 2025

Electronic cigarettes may pose lower cardiovascular risks for people with HIV

Electronic cigarettes use may pose lower cardiovascular risks in people living with HIV compared to tobacco cigarette use, new UCLA-led research shows.

19 Mar 2025

Cambridge and London hospitals to pioneer brain implants to combat alcohol and opioid addiction

People suffering from severe alcohol and opioid addiction are to be offered a revolutionary new technique involving planting electrodes in the brain to modulate brain activity and cravings and improve self-control.

19 Mar 2025

Want to quit smoking? New study shows brain stimulation and exercise can help

A new study finds that combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with aerobic exercise significantly reduces cigarette cravings and smoking-related brain activity in chronic smokers. The combination also boosts motivation to quit, offering a promising path for future smoking cessation therapies.

16 Mar 2025