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NUROMOL non-prescription painkiller now available in pharmacies across the UK

A new non-prescription painkiller is now available in pharmacies across the UK, heralding the first UK painkiller combination of ibuprofen and paracetamol in 'over-the-counter' pain relief.

28 Jun 2011

One in twenty Australian workers use alcohol at work: Survey

A national survey has found that more than one in twenty Australian workers report using alcohol while at work or just before work, and more than one in fifty report taking drugs during or just before work. These findings, published online today in the journal Addiction, have implications for workplace safety.

28 Jun 2011

ACS to honor Brookhaven Lab's senior chemist for brain research

Joanna Fowler, a senior chemist and director of radiotracer chemistry, instrumentation, and biological imaging at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, is one of 23 women from around the world who has been chosen to receive a Distinguished Women in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering Award, sponsored by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

27 Jun 2011

Blood-alcohol levels well below the U.S. legal limit linked to incapacitating injury, death

In the United States, the blood-alcohol limit may be 0.08 percent, but no amount of alcohol seems to be safe for driving, according to a University of California, San Diego sociologist. A study led by David Phillips and published in the journal Addiction finds that blood-alcohol levels well below the U.S. legal limit are associated with incapacitating injury and death.

21 Jun 2011

Obese teenage girls more likely to develop high-level nicotine addiction

Obese teenage girls are more than twice as likely as other girls to develop high-level nicotine addiction as young adults, according to a new study. Nearly 20 percent of American adolescents currently are obese, the authors note.

21 Jun 2011

Adult-focused programs also reduce smoking among adolescents

When governments use comprehensive, well-funded tobacco control programs to reduce adult smoking, they also reduce smoking among adolescents. This bonus effect is an important factor to consider as policymakers face pressure to reduce spending on anti-smoking programs.

21 Jun 2011

Insight into why some people develop drug addiction

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified abnormal brain structures in the frontal lobe of cocaine users' brains which are linked to their compulsive cocaine-using behaviour. Their findings were published today, 21 June, in the journal Brain.

21 Jun 2011

Drug addiction management costs UK £3.6bn a year: Report

According to a latest report from the think tank the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), drug addiction costs £3.6bn a year for both treating problem drug users and keeping them on benefits. The study by has criticised government plans to change the way authorities tackle drug addiction. It claims the plans for payment-by-results schemes are “doomed to failure, not least because they are being run by the very organizations responsible for the current failure of policy”.

19 Jun 2011

Train the brain to manage chronic pain

How do you function when chronic pain is a part of your daily life? The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness (UCSD CFM) at UC San Diego Health System offers a novel program to help people who are dealing with chronic pain "train their brains" to lessen their experience of discomfort and, in some cases, eliminate it.

16 Jun 2011

Exposure to cigarettes fosters tween smoking: New study

Exposure to secondhand smoke can create symptoms of nicotine dependence in non-smoking preteens, according to a new study from Concordia University and the University of Montreal.

14 Jun 2011

Survey reveals increase in drinking, cannabis use and psychological distress

The latest survey of Ontario adults from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows increasing rates of daily drinking and cannabis use and high levels of psychological distress. The results of the 2009 CAMH Monitor survey, the longest running survey tracking mental health and addiction indicators among adults in Ontario, were published today.

13 Jun 2011

Scripps Research receives $2.2M NIH grant to develop novel therapeutics for substance abuse

The Scripps Research Institute has been awarded a $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of addiction to multiple substances in a national effort with the University of Kansas.

10 Jun 2011

Smoking keeps weight off: Study finds out how

The researchers have found that nicotine activates a pathway in the brain that suppresses appetite. The study was published in the journal Science. The authors believe this discovery should lead to better diet drugs.

9 Jun 2011

Ameritox launches Rx Guardian CD, next-generation pain-medication monitoring solution

Ameritox, the leader in pain-medication monitoring, today announced the launch of Rx Guardian CD, its next-generation pain-medication monitoring solution and part of the patented Rx Guardian process.

9 Jun 2011

CAMH receives $2.5 million PHAC grant to expand school-based violence prevention program

The CAMH Centre for Prevention Science is delighted that the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, today announced funding to expand the reach of CAMH's highly successful Fourth R Program. This $2.5 million grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) through its Innovation Strategy supports the regional adaptation of an effective program with a special focus on Aboriginal youth.

9 Jun 2011

Key molecule of vascular system directs axons during neural circuit formation

Dr. Fr-d-ric Charron, researcher at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montr-al (IRCM), and his team have shown for the first time that a key molecule of the vascular system directs axons during the formation of neural circuits.

9 Jun 2011

Celebrities urge decriminalization of drug possession

Dame Judi Dench, Sir Richard Branson, actress Julie Christies and Sting have added their support to an ex-drugs minister and three former chief constables in calling for the decriminalization of the possession of all drugs. These celebrities together with leading lawyers, academics, artists and politicians have signed an open letter to David Cameron to mark this week's 40th anniversary of the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. The letter, published in a full-page advertisement in Thursday's Guardian, calls for a “swift and transparent” review of the effectiveness of current drugs policies.

2 Jun 2011

Wall Street Journal reports on U.N. AIDS declaration negotiations prior to high level meeting

The Wall Street Journal reports on negotiations surrounding a U.N. declaration to be discussed at the High Level Meeting on AIDS scheduled for June 8-10 in New York.

1 Jun 2011

Researchers discover new drug target that may effectively prevent onset of Huntington's disease

McMaster University researchers have discovered a new drug target that may be effective at preventing the onset of Huntington's disease, working much the same way heart medications slow the progression of heart disease and reduce heart attacks.

1 Jun 2011

Research provides new understanding of how heroin affects the brain

New research from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health suggests that our understanding of how heroin affects the brain should be changed. A new report shows that heroin is metabolised to 6-MAM which then crosses the blood-brain barrier to cause the intoxicating effects that arise shortly after heroin administration.

27 May 2011