Heroin News and Research

RSS

Heroin is a very addictive chemical called diacetylmorphine. Heroin is a modified form of morphine, a highly abundant opium derived from the seedpods of the poppy plant.

Crystal Meth Summit in Canada wants drug re-classified

Crystal meth, a powerful addictive drug has now become such a problem in Canada that law enforcement officials met in Regina last week for a Crystal Meth Summit.

12 Jun 2005

Ruling does not overturn California law permitting the use of medical marijuana

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer issued the following statement on this week's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in Gonzales v. Raich, which holds that federal laws prohibiting the use of medical marijuana remain in effect regardless of state laws that permit its use:

10 Jun 2005

Dutch team shows cost effectiveness of heroin prescriptions

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam say there are strong reasons to support the practice of prescribing heroin to drug misusers.

6 Jun 2005

Prescribing methadone plus heroin to chronic, treatment resistant addicts is less costly than methadone alone

Prescribing methadone plus heroin to chronic, treatment resistant addicts is less costly than methadone alone because it reduces criminal behaviour, finds a study in this week's BMJ.

3 Jun 2005

Clues about how alcoholic behavior is “switched” on

As part of an ongoing effort to understand the biochemical basis of alcohol abuse, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have published two studies on how modulating receptors for dopamine - a chemical “signaler” in the brain’s reward circuits - affects drinking behavior in mice and rats.

9 May 2005

Researchers are changing the face of drug addiction treatment

People addicted to heroin, alcohol and other drugs of abuse often fail to stay clean because they won't go to or won't stay in treatment.

3 Apr 2005

Medical supervision for illicit drug injections could reduce syringe sharing

Facilities that provide medical supervision for illicit drug injections could reduce syringe sharing among users, concludes a Canadian study published online by The Lancet.

21 Mar 2005

Study examines consequences of Thailand's "War on Drugs"

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Chiang Mai University Research Institute for Health Sciences and the Northern Drug Treatment Centre in Thailand conducted the first study on the effect of Thailand’s aggressive war on illicit drugs and the war’s impact on injection drug users.

9 Mar 2005

Naltrexone may help men and women quit smoking without gaining weight

Naltrexone is a medication that blocks the effects of drugs such as morphine, heroin and codeine. It also has been approved for use in treating alcoholism and is being investigated for its ability to help smokers quit.

28 Feb 2005

Cannabis use may increase risk of stroke

Regular users of cannabis could be putting themselves at risk of stroke, while they are still young, indicates a case report, published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

20 Feb 2005

Number of people misusing heroin in Scotland has dropped

A new report by the Centre for Drug Misuse Research at the University of Glasgow reveals that the number of people misusing heroin in Scotland has dropped. The research shows a near eight per cent drop in the number of problem drug users since 2000.

19 Jan 2005

Having a job reduces likelihood of drug use

It's said that "idle hands are the devil's workshop." A pair of University of Houston professors studying employment and drug use now provide support for that proverb.

30 Nov 2004

Biotoxin from puffer fish may provide treatment for opioid withdrawal

On November 10, 2004 investigators involved in a Phase IIa clinical trial of the novel biotoxin Tetrodotoxin (TTX) for the treatment of opioid withdrawal enrolled their first participants.

18 Nov 2004

Smoking shown to quell painful sensations and heighten positive emotions

Smokers often say that lighting up a cigarette can calm their nerves, satisfy their craving and help them relax.

28 Oct 2004

Drug report raises hospital monitoring issues

The impact of increasing amphetamine use challenged the existing organisation of health care services and demonstrated a clear need for the monitoring of emergency department presentations at Queensland’s hospitals.

26 Oct 2004

Why some anesthesiologists end up abusing drugs

University of Florida researchers have presented a new theory at the 34th annual Society for Neuroscience on why some anesthesiologists end up abusing drugs.

25 Oct 2004

Infections among injecting drug users are a growing public health concern in the UK

New figures published by the UK's Health Protection Agency show that infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) are a growing public health concern.

13 Oct 2004

Asia must tackle HIV in injecting drug users

Asian countries must adopt strategies to slow the spread of HIV among injecting drug users, urge researchers in this week's BMJ.

23 Sep 2004

Heroin use amongst Australian detainees still lower than pre-drought levels

Heroin use amongst Australian detainees is still below the levels recorded prior to the heroin drought whilst methamphetamine use continues to rise, according to a new survey of drug use amongst detainees released today by the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Chris Ellison.

16 Aug 2004

Horrifying research into Britain's injecting drug users

Horrifying research out today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, suggest that one in 50 and one in 80 adults between the ages of 15 and 44 in London, Liverpool, and Brighton is an injecting drug user. And users are more likely to die of their habit in Brighton, finds the study.

12 Aug 2004