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E-cigarette use linked to greater risk of subsequent cigarette smoking in youth

Electronic (e)-cigarette use has risen rapidly among adolescents and young adults since the product was introduced to the U.S. in 2007 and now exceeds the rate of cigarette smoking in this segment of the population.

28 Jun 2017

Researchers study brain region that controls addictive behavior

The human brain is nimble. It can reorganize itself to learn new things, catalog memories, and even break old habits.

28 Jun 2017

Deficits in attention and executive functioning linked to frequency of alcohol, drug use

Impairments in processing and using information that help with decision-making and planning simple tasks such as grocery shopping are linked with one's frequency of alcohol or drug use according to a new study.

21 Jun 2017

A ‘safe’ space to shoot up: Worth a try in California?

Tawny Biggs' seemingly happy childhood in the northern Los Angeles County suburb of Santa Clarita, Calif., showed no outward sign that she would one day struggle with drug addiction.

19 Jun 2017

New review finds massive problem of self-medication misuse in the Middle East

A new review indicates that there is a massive problem of self-medication misuse in the Middle East. The findings, which are published in Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, indicate the need for better patient and physician education, as well as improved policies that restrict sales of prescription medications without a prescription.

19 Jun 2017

New study finds high increase in adult marijuana use in states with less regulated MMLs

Adult marijuana use rose significantly in states that passed loosely regulated medical marijuana laws (MMLs) according to a new study by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Medical Center.

16 Jun 2017

Researchers find higher rates of alcohol misuse among women in rural Appalachian Ohio

Appalachia -- stretching from the southern tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia -- has long experienced deep economic distress and deprivation, and the gamut of accompanying social problems.

14 Jun 2017

Impairment of specific gene increases susceptibility to opioid addiction and binge eating, study shows

Impairment of a particular gene raises increases susceptibility to opioid addiction liability as well as vulnerability to binge eating according to a new study.

13 Jun 2017

PATH study finds that e-cigarettes cause less nicotine dependence than traditional cigarettes

People who regularly use electronic cigarettes are less dependent on their product than those who regularly use traditional cigarettes, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

12 Jun 2017

New review examines link between pain and opioid abuse

The drug overdose epidemic is largely driven by opioids, which continue to be prescribed for chronic pain despite recommendations to use non-opioids for most cases.

12 Jun 2017

Opana ER – a long acting opioid painkiller, to be pulled from the markets as per FDA directive

The US Food and Drug Administration this Thursday (8th June 2017) directed pharmaceutical company Endo Pharmaceuticals to remove one of its powerful opioid painkillers Opana ER, that provides a long term relief of pain but also poses a risk of drug abuse.

9 Jun 2017

Low THC levels reduce stress, while higher doses produce opposite effect

Cannabis smokers often report that they use the drug to relax or relieve stress, but few studies provide clinical evidence of these effects.

2 Jun 2017

Study examines historical changes in binge, high-intensity drinking among young adults in the U.S.

Monitoring changes in drinking patterns and amounts helps researchers, prevention professionals, and treatment providers plan for and respond effectively to personal and public harms associated with alcohol consumption.

2 Jun 2017

Innocuous start to opioid addition: A 1980 letter that started it all

In a letter to the Editor published this Wednesday (31st May 2017), a group of Canadian researchers have disclosed how a sting of words coming from a notable doctor nearly 4 decades ago was the seed that led to a nationwide epidemic of misuse and abuse of opioid painkiller drugs such as Vicodin and OxyContin.

1 Jun 2017

Study finds opioid dependence and overdose rates after urologic surgery

About 1 in 1,111 patients who undergo urologic surgery for conditions such as prostate cancer and kidney stones experience opioid dependence or overdose (ODO), a Loyola Medicine study has found.

30 May 2017

Quitting methamphetamine use can prevent drug-related heart damage

Quitting methamphetamine use can reverse the damage the drug causes to the heart and improve heart function in abusers when combined with appropriate medical treatment, potentially preventing future drug-related cases of heart failure or other worse outcomes, according to a study published today in JACC: Heart Failure.

30 May 2017

Psychiatrist explains dangerous effects of cocaine addiction

Last year, almost a million in the UK people snorted, dabbed, smoked or injected cocaine, making it the second most popular drug in the country, after cannabis.

29 May 2017

New navigation program improves outcomes, longevity of care for HIV-infected adolescents and youth

Enrolling adolescents and young adults living with HIV in a program to help navigate care significantly increases the number of youths who remained in care compared with national estimates, according to study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics.

23 May 2017

Study explores receptivity of adolescents to tobacco ads and susceptibility to smoke cigarettes

Among 12- to 17-year-olds who have never used tobacco products, nearly half were considered receptive to tobacco marketing if they were able to recall or liked at least one advertisement, report a coalition of behavioral scientists in a new national study.