Substance Use Disorder News and Research

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Long-acting HIV injections show success in patients with struggles to take daily pills

UCSF researchers are the first to demonstrate that the approach works for the patients who need it the most.

6 Mar 2025

Telehealth for ADHD treatment linked to higher substance use disorder risk

For nearly five years, people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder have had the option of getting their stimulant medications prescribed and renewed by doctors they see only over a computer screen, despite the risks that these stimulant drugs can pose if misused.

6 Mar 2025

Chronic cocaine use increases impulsivity

Findings indicate chronic cocaine use alters brain circuits, increasing impulsivity in low-impulsive rats, contradicting previous assumptions about addiction.

5 Mar 2025

Nearly 17 million children affected by parental substance use disorders in the U.S

Nearly 17 million children and adolescents in the United States are estimated to live with a parent who has a substance use disorder, according to a study led by Texas State University, University of Michigan and Wayne State University.

4 Mar 2025

Hallucinogen use linked to increased risk of mortality in emergency care patients

People seeking emergency care for hallucinogen use were at 2.6-fold higher risk of death within 5 years than the general population, according to a new study published in CMAJ.

3 Mar 2025

An ice rink to fight opioid crisis: Drug-free fun vs. misuse of settlement cash

A Kentucky county nestled in the heart of Appalachia, where the opioid crisis has wreaked devastation for decades, spent $15,000 of its opioid settlement money on an ice rink.

20 Feb 2025

Telehealth shows promise for substance use disorder treatment in rural areas

Recognition of telehealth as an effective strategy for delivering treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) has raised hopes for improving access to this treatment in settings with limited transportation or when time constraints compromise regular use of consistent access to in-person substance use treatment.

12 Feb 2025

Kennesaw State University's Wellstar School of Nursing secures funding to address opioid addiction

As Georgia navigates a widespread opioid addiction crisis, researchers in Kennesaw State University's Wellstar School of Nursing (WSON) are leveraging a $1.2 million grant to train budding nurses in addressing substance use disorders.

30 Jan 2025

Low-dose initiation of buprenorphine for people using fentanyl fails to deliver expected results

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when fentanyl overdoses surged, doctors were desperate to find ways of helping their patients.

24 Jan 2025

Research shows sharp growth in sedative and anxiety medication use disorders in youth

The prevalence of diagnosed disorders from recurrent use of sedative, hypnotic and antianxiety medications in adolescents and young adults has increased sharply since 2001, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

23 Jan 2025

Brief cognitive behavioral interventions help reduce substance use disorders in teens

Brief cognitive behavioral interventions that help young people manage aspects of their personality, such as impulsivity, sensation seeking, hopelessness, and anxiety sensitivity, have been shown to reduce teen Substance Use Disorders.

16 Jan 2025

Structural brain differences in adolescents may play a role in early initiation of substance use

A study of nearly 10,000 adolescents funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has identified distinct differences in the brain structures of those who used substances before age 15 compared to those who did not.

30 Dec 2024

‘Waiting list to nowhere’: Homelessness surveys trap Black men on the streets

Maurice Clark huddled in his tent along dusty railroad tracks as two homeless-outreach workers began asking him questions to determine whether he would qualify for free or subsidized housing.

23 Dec 2024

How are states spending opioid settlement cash? We built a database of answers

In the past few years, state and local governments across the U.S. have begun spending billions in opioid settlements paid by companies accused of fueling the overdose crisis. But where is that money going, who is getting it, and is it doing any good?

16 Dec 2024

$1.5 million grant supports alternatives to opioids initiative at University Hospitals

A grant of nearly $1.5 million from the Department of Health and Human Services through its Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will enable University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center to develop and implement an Alternatives to Opioids (ALTO) program within its Emergency Department (ED).

6 Dec 2024

Telemedicine and peer support show promise in treating hepatitis C in rural areas

New research reveals a dramatic improvement in diagnosing and curing people living with hepatitis C in rural communities using both telemedicine and support from peers with lived experience in drug use.

27 Nov 2024

Millions of Americans affected by secondhand harm from substance use

The risks of alcohol and other drug consumption to the user are well known, but many Americans--nearly 160 million--say they've been harmed by someone else's substance use, according to a new study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

21 Nov 2024

GLP-1 drugs, like semaglutide, lower risk of hospitalizations for alcohol use disorder

Findings suggest semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonists may significantly reduce alcohol use disorder hospitalizations, warranting further clinical investigation.

18 Nov 2024

GLP-1 agonists linked to fewer hospitalizations in alcohol use disorder patients

A new joint study by the University of Eastern Finland and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that the GLP-1 agonists semaglutide and liraglutide, which are used for treating diabetes and obesity, were associated with fewer hospitalizations among individuals with alcohol use disorder, AUD.

13 Nov 2024

12 states promised to open the books on their opioid settlement funds. We checked up on them.

To discover how millions in opioid settlement funds are being spent in Idaho, you can visit the state attorney general's website, which hosts 91 documents from state and local entities getting the money.

7 Nov 2024