Addiction News and Research

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Vaping beats traditional tools for quitting smoking

The review indicates nicotine e-cigarettes could surpass traditional quit aids in effectiveness, but lingering safety uncertainties warrant further research.

31 Mar 2026

Brain pathway explains how stress drives alcohol-seeking behavior

Why do stressful moments so often push people toward habits like drinking? A new study from Texas A&M University offers one of the clearest answers yet, identifying a direct connection inside the brain that links stress to addiction‑related behaviors.

30 Mar 2026

Why attachment anxiety makes short-form video addiction more likely

Short-form video addiction is associated with attachment anxiety and attentional control, suggesting psychological factors influence digital media engagement.

30 Mar 2026

Attachment anxiety linked to higher risk of short video addiction

No matter where we turn on social media, short videos are everywhere. Repeated exposure to this brief, information-dense, and rewarding content stimulates the brain in a way that tells us the experience is pleasurable or satisfying.

26 Mar 2026

Nicotine e-cigarettes outperform other methods for quitting smoking

A new analysis of existing studies co-led by a University of Massachusetts Amherst public health researcher finds that nicotine e-cigarettes consistently help adults quit smoking, a conclusion that emerges with striking agreement across nearly a decade of studies.

26 Mar 2026

Study links social media addiction to worse student mental health and points to family as a key buffer

A study of 627 Saudi university students found that higher social media addiction was associated with more anxiety and depression, while family environment fully mediated those links in the statistical model. The findings suggest that supportive family relationships may help buffer the mental health burden associated with problematic social media use, although the cross-sectional design does not establish causation.

25 Mar 2026

How behavior and biology combine to drive addiction

Genomic analyses reveal that addiction risk is influenced by both shared behavioral traits and specific biological factors, informing prevention and treatment.

24 Mar 2026

Study finds addiction risk tied to reward and impulse genes

Most of the genetic risk for developing a substance use disorder comes from genes that broadly affect how our brains process rewards, regulate impulses and weigh consequences – not from genes that specifically influence substance use disorder or any single drug.

22 Mar 2026

Precise application of radio waves could help counter neurological conditions

A new study found that precise application of radio waves can change the activity of brain cells in ways that could counter neurological conditions.

18 Mar 2026

Maker of device to treat addiction withdrawal seeks counties’ opioid settlement cash

In the early 2000s, Michelle Warfield worked at a factory, hauling heavy seats for Ford trucks on and off an assembly line. To suppress daily aches in her back and hips, her doctor prescribed opioid painkillers.

18 Mar 2026

Psychiatrists’ use of biomarkers could open a new window into mental health diagnoses

Amanda Miller was 30 and pregnant with her second child in Hershey, Pennsylvania, when she developed depression.

17 Mar 2026

Study links smokable drug use to heightened incidence of severe burns

A new analysis in Oregon reveals a heightened incidence of severe burns requiring hospital-level care as illicit drug use has shifted nationwide from injection to smoking.

16 Mar 2026

Weekly buprenorphine injections improve opioid abstinence during pregnancy

In a clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a research team found that administering weekly injectable extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy led to higher rates of abstinence from illicit opioids than buprenorphine given daily under the tongue (sublingual), one of the standard methods of treatment.

16 Mar 2026

Study links excessive smartphone use with poor body image and disordered eating

New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London has found that excessive smartphone use is closely associated with disordered eating, including uncontrolled eating and emotional overeating, as well greater symptoms of food addiction in young people with no diagnosis of an eating disorder.

13 Mar 2026

Specific inhibitory neurons in the prefrontal cortex control addiction relapse

Drug addiction carries an extremely high risk of relapse, as cravings can be reignited by minor stimuli even long after one has stopped using.

11 Mar 2026

Recreational drugs significantly increase the risk of stroke

The recreational drugs cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines significantly increase the risk of stroke – including among younger users – Cambridge researchers have concluded after analyzing data from more than 100 million people.

9 Mar 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help curb addiction? Large veteran study points to potential benefit

A large cohort study of more than 600,000 US veterans with type 2 diabetes found that initiating GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with lower risks of developing substance use disorders compared with SGLT-2 inhibitors. Among veterans with existing substance use disorders, GLP-1 receptor agonist use was also linked to fewer overdose events, hospitalizations, and suicide-related outcomes.

8 Mar 2026

Six federal scientists run out by Trump talk about the work left undone

Marc Ernstoff, a physician who has pioneered immunotherapy research and treatments for cancer patients, said his work as a federal scientist proved untenable under the Trump administration.

6 Mar 2026

MSU scientists map the neural circuitry of drug compulsion

When a cocaine addict relapses, it isn't a matter of personal failure - it's the biological result of their brain's rewiring, new research finds.

5 Mar 2026

GLP-1 drugs may be effective at treating and preventing substance use disorders

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis show in a new study that GLP-1 medications may be effective at treating and preventing substance use disorders across all major addictive substances studied, suggesting these drugs target a common biological pathway underlying addiction.

4 Mar 2026