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Do common treatments for ADHD increase risk of drug abuse?

Parents, doctors, and others have wondered whether common treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inadvertently predispose adolescents to future drug abuse.

19 Jun 2007

Common antipsychotic drug for methamphetamine overdose may damage brain cells

A common antipsychotic drug used in emergency rooms to treat methamphetamine overdose damages nerve cells in an area of the brain known to regulate movement, a new study shows.

30 May 2007

New gene therapy can nearly eliminate arthritis pain

Early-stage research has found that a new gene therapy can nearly eliminate arthritis pain, and significantly reduce long-term damage to the affected joints, according to a study published today in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.

28 May 2007

Both drinking patterns and neighborhood characteristics affect intimate partner violence

While heavy drinking has consistently been linked to an increased risk of intimate partner violence (IPV), a new study has found that both drinking patterns and neighborhood characteristics can contribute in different ways to mutual IPV among married/cohabiting adults in the general population.

28 May 2007

Study of normal brain development

Children appear to approach adult levels of performance on many basic cognitive and motor skills by age 11 or 12, according to a new study coordinated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

18 May 2007

Ritalin abuse is on the rise among teens

College is hard enough. But throw in end-of-semester exams, term papers and standardized tests, and there just aren't enough hours in the day. Enter Ritalin, the latest drug of choice among sleep-deprived students struggling to make the grade.

11 May 2007

10.3 percent of U.S. adults appear to have problems with drug use or abuse

Approximately 10.3 percent of U.S. adults appear to have problems with drug use or abuse during their lives, including 2.6 percent who become drug dependent at some point, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

8 May 2007

Drug abuse in the U.S. not confined to minority groups

Researchers in the U.S. say more than 10 percent of American adults at some point in their lives, abuse or become addicted to drugs.

8 May 2007

Smoking is No. 1 health concern for children and adolescents in the United States

It's only natural to for adults to worry about children's health and well-being at school, on the roads and even online.

4 May 2007

Drama can be an effective mechanism to educate and motivate

Drama certainly has the power to entertain, but can it also change behavior? A play about substance abuse was successful at prompting audience members to participate in substance abuse prevention activities, according to Allyn Howlett, Ph.D., from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

1 May 2007

New study on prisoner health

People with chronic illnesses can experience great difficulties in prison, but people such as drug addicts and the homeless may find their healthcare improves, according to a study in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

26 Apr 2007

Pregnant U.S. women commonly smoke

While pregnancy may be considered an effective motivator for smoking cessation, results of a new study by researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health indicate that pregnant U.S. women commonly smoke, placing themselves and their unborn children at risk for health and developmental complications.

25 Apr 2007

Chronically ill prisoners can face great healthcare problems, but others inmates enjoy improved health

25 Apr 2007

New credential for co-occurring disorders will pressure addiction professionals

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly exclusively reports in their April 23 issue, that a new credential, represented by the initials CCDP (Certified Co-Occurring Disorders Professional) was introduced last week by the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (IC&RC) in a move that pressures the addiction treatment workforce to get more training, according to a report.

24 Apr 2007

First large-scale study to assess treatment for prescription drug addiction

UCSF is launching a new study to evaluate treatments for addiction to prescription painkillers and has openings for patients to enroll.

19 Apr 2007

Full impact of mental health and substance abuse disorders on U.S. community hospitals

Almost one-fourth of all stays in U.S. community hospitals for patients age 18 and older – 7.6 million of nearly 32 million stays – involved depressive, bipolar, schizophrenia and other mental health disorders or substance use related disorders in 2004, according to a new report by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

11 Apr 2007

Theatre is an educational tool in the fight against illicit drugs

A new study finds that theatrical drama is an educational tool in the fight against drug addiction and abuse.

5 Apr 2007

Milk, water, fruits and vegetables worsen taste of cigarettes

Milk does the body good -- and may help smokers break the habit, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

5 Apr 2007

Study looks at the prevention of adolescent substance abuse

Why do young people smoke cigarettes or use alcohol or drugs? What skills do they need to avoid starting these habits? A new study by researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College shows that competence skills can reduce adolescent substance use over the long term, even when friends smoke or use alcohol.

5 Apr 2007

Researchers identify 221 genes possibly related to addiction vulnerability

Scientists supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, have for the first time identified genes that might increase a person's ability to abstain from smoking.

4 Apr 2007