Alcohol News and Research

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Experts say naltrexone implants for drug dependency are risky

Experts in Australia say the use of naltrexone implants to treat drug dependency should be stopped because of a number of reports of severe adverse reactions.

20 Apr 2008

Keep children's health in mind

If there is any real purpose to the 2020 summit, it could be to establish a national program of research, clinical and community activity that would deliver a 21st century response to the real child and youth mental health problems that our society creates.

18 Apr 2008

Increase in cannabis use among Ontario adults, CAMH reports

While this CAMH Monitor eReport reveals some promising substance use trends among Ontario adults, its revelation of a substantial increase in cannabis use raises a significant public health flag.

15 Apr 2008

Popular painkiller Nurofen Plus in danger of becoming a prescription only drug

Australia's National Drugs and Poisons Scheduling Committee (NDPSC) is apparently considering making one of the most commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) drugs available only with a prescription.

15 Apr 2008

What we eat and drink affects our risk of cancer

A healthy diet and lifestyle protect against a wide range of diseases, and new research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 2008 Annual Meeting, April 12-16, shows that cancer is no exception.

13 Apr 2008

Constituents in wine may protect against dementia

This is shown in research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

11 Apr 2008

Young macho men with serious injuries often abuse alcohol

Men with serious injuries, such as traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, must deal with a range of emotions.

11 Apr 2008

Moving to the UK worsens maternal health behaviors

After women immigrate to the UK their maternal health behaviours worsen as their length of residency increases.

11 Apr 2008

Personality disorders cause emotional reactions in staff

A study published in the open access journal BMC Psychiatry suggests that the way in which professional care workers respond emotionally to substance abuse patients with personality disorders depends on the type of disorder.

10 Apr 2008

Health summit to focus on prevention rather than cure

The National Prevention Summit in Melbourne this week is the first such summit to be held in Australia.

9 Apr 2008

Pediatricians alerted to the developmental nature of underage drinking in special journal supplement

In a special supplement to Pediatrics, edited and sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), physicians will have access in one place to the reviews and analyses of current research on biological, behavioral, and environmental changes during childhood and adolescence that foster the initiation, maintenance, and acceleration of illegal use of alcohol by underage youth.

7 Apr 2008

Genetics, environment differently influence the 'pathway of risk' leading to alcohol dependence

Alcohol dependence (AD) is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, and its development involves "transitioning" through multiple stages of drinking behaviors.

4 Apr 2008

Binge drinkers responsible for most alcohol-impaired driving on U.S. roads

New findings show that most AI driving is due to binge drinkers rather than heavy or alcohol-dependent drinkers. Researchers say effective strategies must address both excessive drinking as well as impaired driving.

4 Apr 2008

Aripiprazole has potential for treating alcohol dependence

Aripiprazole is currently approved to treat bipolar disorder as well as schizophrenia. A new study has found that it significantly and dose-dependently increases the sedative effects of alcohol and, to a lesser degree, decreases the euphoric effects of alcohol. Future research will need to examine the beneficial versus the side effects of aripiprazole for treatment of alcohol dependence.

4 Apr 2008

Alcohol and malt liquor availability and promotion higher in African American inner cities

It appears that living in a poor neighborhood with a high concentration of African Americans is associated with greater alcohol availability and promotion - especially malt liquor - according to a recent study by University of Minnesota researchers.

4 Apr 2008

Alcohol alters prefrontal cortex activity through ion channel disruption

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) region of the brain is involved in decision making. New rodent findings show that PFC neuron N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors are especially sensitive to concentrations of alcohol achieved during drinking.

4 Apr 2008

HDAC inhibitors show potential as therapeutic agents in treating alcoholism

Reshaping of the DNA scaffolding that supports and controls the expression of genes in the brain may play a major role in the alcohol withdrawal symptoms, particularly anxiety, that make it so difficult for alcoholics to stop using alcohol.

3 Apr 2008

How to reduce fibromyalgia pain

Pain all over, fatigue and difficulty sleeping -- and no measurable answer for what could be wrong.

3 Apr 2008

Smoking bans push up drink-driving fatalities

According to researchers in the United States the number of fatal accidents from drink-driving has escalated because of smoking bans in bars.

3 Apr 2008

Stimulant treatment for ADHD does not contribute to substance abuse later in life

Treating children as early as age six or seven with stimulants for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not likely to increase risk of substance abuse as adults, according to two studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

2 Apr 2008