Couples in Recovery

By Amy Zachary, MSW

When addiction strikes, what happens to a couple? In couples where one partner is using and the other is not, spouses usually develop over-functioning and under-functioning roles. That is, the user under-functions and the non-user over-functions to compensate for their mate.

Does Your Family's History of Alcoholism Put You at Risk?

If you're among the millions who have a parent, grandparent, or other close relative with alcoholism, does that mean problems with alcohol are inevitable for you too?

Prescription Painkiller Abuse on the Rise With Teens

According to a newly-released national study, today's teens are more likely to abuse a prescription painkiller or other prescription medication as a means of getting high than they are to experiment with illegal drugs.

Helping Your Kids Say "No" to Marijuana—Even If You Didn’t

If your child asks whether you ever used marijuana and your honest answer is "yes," you don’t have to provide a graphically detailed account. Instead, use your child’s curiosity about your personal history as an opportunity to talk about questions and concerns they may be having about marijuana, as well as the use and abuse of other drugs and substances.

Is it abuse? Is it addiction?

Addiction is more than an uncontrollable desire for substances; it is an underlying behavior pattern with deeply emotional roots. Successful treatment requires digging down and revealing the long-ingrained pattern at the root level. What's often revealed is behavior born of anger, helplessness, and shame, compounded by intense desires for immediate escape from these unsettling feelings.

Want to Cut Down on Your Drinking??

Have you begun to worry about how much you—or someone close to you—is drinking? Excessive drinking can harm your health and your well being. But how much drinking is too much? And how can you tell when it’s become a problem that needs to be addressed?

What's Alcoholism's Affect on Mental Health?

People with mental health problems face an increased risk for alcohol problems and vice versa. Studies show that the overall prevalence of alcohol dependence is almost twice as high among people with mental disorders than in the general population. It is not clear whether mental health problems are a cause or a result of problems with alcohol dependence.

Drug Rehab Programs

Selecting a drug rehab for yourself or someone you care about may be one of the most important decisions you will make in your lifetime. Most of us don't know what to look for in a quality program. Not all drug rehab centers are the same--they differ greatly in program options, staff qualifications, credentials, cost, and effectiveness.

If an alcoholic is unwilling to get help, what can you do about it?

An alcoholic can't be forced to get help except under certain circumstances, such as a violent incident that results in court-ordered treatment or a medical emergency. But you don't have to wait for someone to "hit rock bottom" to act. Therapists especially skilled in alcoholism treatment have a series of steps they suggest to encourage an alcoholic get help.

Club Drugs Aren't "Fun Drugs"

By Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D.

"Raves" or all-night dance parties continue to attract teens and young adults who may think Ecstasy, GHB, Rohypnol, and other club drugs are harmless. While researchers continue to study club drugs with a sense of urgency, treatment and prevention strategies are being developed. The bottom line is simple: even experimenting with club drugs is an unpredictable and dangerous thing to do.

Steroids: The Hard Truth

Steroids are drugs intended to treat conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty, some types of impotence, and patients with AIDS and other diseases that result in loss of lean muscle mass. However, use of this serious drug has become widespread among athletes for aesthetic and performance purposes, with tragic and often fatal consequences.

Alcohol Affects Older People Differently

Alcohol's effects do vary with age. Even small amounts of alcohol can create problems for older people because as the body ages, the effects of alcohol can become amplified. The likelihood of taking more medications as you get older also risks increasing alcohol's effects.

Women Often Experience Drug Abuse and Addiction Quite Differently Than Men

The developmental stages of drug involvement and addiction are not necessarily identical for men and women. The path to drug abuse can be more rapid and complex for women and typically includes a pattern of breakdowns in individual, familial, and environmental protective factors and an increase in childhood fears, anxieties, phobias, and failed relationships.

Millions of Americans in Denial About Their Own Substance Abuse

Results of a recent nationwide survey reveal that, while millions of Americans habitually smoke pot, drink alcohol, use cocaine and swallow prescription drugs, too many who meet the criteria for needing treatment do not recognize that they have a problem. The figure of those "in denial" is estimated at more than 4.6 million--a significantly higher number of individuals who could benefit from professional help than had previously been thought.

Turning to the Use (and Abuse) of Drugs, Alcohol and/or Tobacco in Times of Stress...

Stressful events can have a direct affect on the use of alcohol or other drugs. Stress is a major contributor to the initiation and continuation of addiction to alcohol or other drugs, as well as to relapse or a return to drug use after periods of abstinence.

Methamphetamine: Highly Addictive and Highly Dangerous

Methamphetamine--known by such slang names as speed, meth, chalk, ice, crystal, crank, glass, and uppers--is a highly addictive and ultimately dangerous stimulant. Whatever the excuse to use meth, or whatever the perceived short-term attraction to the drug may be, meth use is predictably physically, emotionally and mentally destructive.

Cognitive-Behavioral Approach to Treating Cocaine Addiction

A Cognitive-Behavioral approach to treating cocaine addiction attempts to help patients recognize, avoid, and cope. That is, to recognize the situations in which they are most likely to use cocaine, to avoid those situations when appropriate, and to cope more effectively with a range of problems and problematic behaviors associated with substance abuse.

Many Doctors Overlook—Or Ignore—Their Patients' Drug Abuse

A nationwide survey of family physicians, internists, obstetricians, gynecologists, and psychiatrists finds that, although primary care physicians are in a key position to help diagnose their patients’ drug addiction and get abusers proper treatment, too many either don’t address the issue with their patients, or they don’t offer intervention to those patients who tell them about their drug use.

Facts About Alcohol--From Social Drinking to Dangerous Dependence

Most adults can drink moderate amounts of alcohol up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people (one drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits). However, for a variety of critical reasons, many should not drink at all.

Interventions for Chemical Dependency

By Lana M. Ackaway

The chief issue with chemical dependency/addiction is that most often an addict believes he/she can use safely. I've never encountered a chemically dependent individual who thinks, feels, says or behaves otherwise.

It’s Twice as Strong Today…

Even if you experimented with pot when you were younger, there’s nothing hypocritical about trying to keep your kids off of it now. Reliable and consistent evidence indicates today’s marijuana is more than twice as powerful on average than it was twenty years ago. With twice the concentration of THC, marijuana is now capable of causing double the damage.

The Road Back to Self-Worth

By Michelle Gottlieb, MFT

I recently received an e-mail from a woman who was terribly distraught. She had been in a long-term relationship with an addict who had AIDS. She had supported him financially, had given up her family and her church to be with this man and help him. He left her, and she could not figure out why.

The Dark Side of Prescription Drugs

By Patti Geier, LCSW

Prescription drug addiction usually begins by genuinely needing the drug that's been prescribed for medical reasons...but somewhere along the line it progressively turns to the regular use/abuse of the medication in an attempt to satisfy emotional and psychological needs.

Do You Feel Me?

By Lana M. Ackaway, LCSW-R, NCPsyAv

Punitive superego is often found within addiction and within borderline. It produces not only self-criticism, but also acts as a censorship over what is felt to be unacceptable thoughts and feelings—a resistance that offers a protection against shame and humiliation.

Tests Indicate a Decline in Workplace Drug Use

According to a company that provides workplace drug tests nationwide, workplace drug use is on a steady decline. The company said 4.4 percent of the employees they tested last year were positive for drugs, compared with 4.6 percent in 2001 and 13.6 percent in 1988. However encouraging these figures are, workplace drug use remains a serious problem in corporate America, causing employers to pay a heavy price in lost productivity, injuries and insurance claims.

Marijuana Facts For Teens

Get answers to some of the questions about marijuana most commonly asked by teens, including what are the short- and long-term effects of using marijuana; what effect does it have on regular activities, such as driving, studying, and sports; what does using marijuana do to the brain and to the body; how addictive is it; and what can you do to get help if you want to stop using.

Predicted Increase in Addiction Among Older Americans

A new survey predicts that the number of Americans age 50 or older who are addicted to alcohol or other drugs will double by 2020.

Study Says Marijuana Alters Blood Flow in Brain

Marijuana users' problems with memory and concentration could be related to altered blood flow to the brain, according to new research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

OxyContin...Potential Fast Track To Addiction

Diversion and abuse of the prescription pain reliever OxyContin has become a major problem. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that, in the United States, oxycodone products, including OxyContin, are frequently abused pharmaceuticals.

Underage Drinking--Even Bingeing--Now Beginning at Earlier Age

Alcohol is "the No. 1 drug of choice" for teen-agers in the United States. By their senior year in high school, 80% of the nation's teen-agers have tried alcohol, compared with 47% who have experimented with marijuana and 29% who have tried another illegal drug. Just-released study suggests many adults' ambivalance about the danger of alcohol is a major contributing factor.

Ecstasy: Too Often a Fatal Trip

A recent survey of teens conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that one in four questioned said they had a friend or class mate whom they knew had used Ecstasy, and 17% said they knew more than one user. Often referred to as this decade’s version of LSD, Ecstasy is, according to some of its users “the hottest drug going now.” It’s also one of the deadliest.

Relapse Rates Lower When Treatment Follows Detox

Patients who received addiction treatment within 30 days of going through detoxification took 40 percent longer to relapse if they fell off the wagon at all, according to research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Meth-Lab Victories Prove Fleeting

MSNBC reported Sept. 18 that police in Georgia and elsewhere have been hit by a wave of imported, high-quality meth as drug cartels moved to fill the void in local markets after local labs shut down.

Many Teens Drink, Use Drugs and Drive; Parents Called Effective Deterrent

A new survey finds that 19 percent of teens drive under the influence of alcohol, 15 percent drive after using marijuana, and 7 percent report driving under the influence of other drugs.

Gene Study Focuses on Alcoholism

Researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) have identified 51 chromosomal regions that may play a genetic role in alcoholism.

Nicotine Withdrawal Starts Within Minutes of Smoking

According to researchers, nicotine withdrawal symptoms begin just 30 minutes after a smoker takes his last cigarette.

New Study Reports Alcohol Most Abused Substance In Rural Areas

A new report just published this summer concludes that, despite a surge in the use of the drug methamphetamine and the continued abuse of other drugs, alcohol remains the leading substance abuse problem in rural areas of the U.S.

Screening For Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol-Related Problems in College Populations

New-found independence can sometimes be dangerous: Alcohol use and abuse among college students is a serious cause for concern. Many students are under the legal drinking age and many engage in heavy episodic, or binge, drinking. There are a variety of simple screening methods that can help identify those students at greatest risk for alcohol problems so that preventative steps can be taken before it's too late.

Binge Drinking on Campus Lower in States with Stronger Alcohol Control Laws

Binge drinking on college campuses, a significant public health factor linked to deaths, injuries, rapes, assaults and poor student performance, is significantly lower in states where fewer adults are binge drinkers and where laws discourage excessive consumption, according to a new study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Study Links Drinking with Obesity

How much you drink at once, and how often you drink, could have an effect on how much you weigh, according to new research from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

New Study Finds Direct Mom-Child Alcohol Link

While a mother’s alcohol use has long been linked to a variety of problems in their children, including mental retardation, developmental delays and behavioral disorders, a new study is the first to tie prenatal alcohol exposure to later drinking problems.

Alcohol Researchers Identify a Genetic Basis of Pain Response

A common genetic variant influences individual responses and adaptation to pain and other stressful stimuli and may underlie vulnerability to many psychiatric and other complex diseases.

Marijuana, Memory, and the Hippocampus

As people age, they normally lose neurons in the hippocampus, which decreases their ability to remember events. Chronic THC exposure can significantly hasten the age-related loss of hippocampal neurons.

Females Typically Have Different Motivations For Drug Use

The path to drug abuse can be more rapid and complex for women than it is for men and typically includes a pattern of breakdowns in individual, familial, and environmental protective factors and an increase in childhood fears, anxieties, phobias, and failed relationships.

How Much Drinking Is Too Much?

A new survey estimates that as many as three-fourths of American adults think they know enough about how drinking affects their blood alcohol levels, while in fact, most don't even know the legal limits in their own state. The Century Council, a group backed by major distillers, is campaigning to better educate the public about those limits and how much you have to drink to exceed them.

Inhalants Are the Most Popular Drug for 12-Year-Olds

Children often believe that common household substances like glue, nail polish or gasoline are harmless. In fact, using inhalants can cause sudden sniffing death from heart or lung failure, asphyxiation, paralysis of breathing mechanisms or accidental from intoxication. Long-term effects include: brain, respiratory, liver, kidney and bone marrow damage; short-term memory loss; and hearing impairment.

Counseling Curbs Heavy College Drinking, Researchers Say

Studies by Brown University researchers conclude that motivational intervention combined with alcohol education is effective in reducing heavy drinking among college students disciplined for alcohol use.

Marijuana Using Parents Have Trouble Delivering Straight Dope to Kids

Parents who use marijuana have a difficult time talking to their kids about drugs, even if they believe use of the drug should be legal, the San Francisco Chronicle reported April 22.

Spitzer to Seek Tobacco Taxes from Tribes

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer said that he plans to collect tobacco taxes from Native American tribes that sell cigarettes from reservations around the state, reversing the position of former Gov. George Pataki.

Monthly Illicit Drug Use Highest in S.F. Area

About 13 percent of San Francisco residents told federal researchers they used some type of illicit drug in the past month, the highest reported drug-use rate in the country, USA Today reported Jan. 8.

Vegas Casinos, Others Ignoring Nevada Smoking Ban

As the legal status of Nevada's statewide smoking ban remains up in the air, casinos and other businesses in the Las Vegas area are continuing to allow indoor smoking, the Associated Press reported Jan. 5.

Moving Out of Drug-Plagued Neighborhoods Helps Girls, Not Boys

A study of families who fled drug- and crime-infested neighborhoods for more stable shores found that the move tended to help the female children but not the boys, the Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 28.

Few Programs to Help Women with Addictions

The number of U.S. women dealing with drug addiction has skyrocketed over the past few decades, as has the female prison population, but there still are few addiction treatment programs designed to meet the specific needs of women, the North County Times reported Jan. 1.

Majority of Young Adults Who Use Prescription Pain Relievers Nonmedically Obtain the Drugs Free from a Friend or Relative

In 2005, more than 4 million adults ages 18 to 24 reported using prescription pain relievers nonmedically in the past year, according to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Children Born to Prenatal Smokers More Likely to Smoke Later in Life

Nicotine crossing the placenta and affecting the brain of the unborn child may explain why children of women who smoke during pregnancy tend to become smokers themselves, Reuters reported Nov. 27.

Study: Smoking May Make Adolescents More Susceptible to Drinking

Adolescent smokers have a 50-percent greater risk of developing an alcohol-use disorder than nonsmokers, leading researchers to speculate that smoking may make the young brain more susceptible to other addictions.

Ecstasy Can Quickly Hurt Brain, Researchers Say

Human brain cells can be altered and damaged by low doses of ecstasy, leading to reduced blood flow to the brain, researchers say.

Cutting Back Doesn't Help Smokers' Health

Even smokers who cut their cigarette consumption in half in a bid to improve their health tend to die early, according to researchers who say that only quitting completely will help smokers live longer.

Alcohol Involved in One-Third of Suicides

A third of suicide victims in a recent study had alcohol in their system, and about 10 percent tested positive for other drugs, such as opiates, cocaine, marijuana, or amphetamines, according to researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Marijuana's Memory Effects Tied to Misfiring Brain Cells

Marijuana's well-known effects on short-term memory may be the result of misfiring brain cells, according to neuroscientists.

Tobacco Companies Spend $55 Million to Fight Calif. Ballot Measure

Reynolds American Inc. and Philip Morris USA have spent at least $55 million in an attempt to defeat a California ballot proposal that would raise taxes on cigarettes by $2.60 per pack, the Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 10.

Nature Bears Brunt of Drug Trade, Drug War

Drug production and the war on drugs are taking a major toll on the environment from South America to the U.S. border, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sept. 24.

Study Says Secondhand Smoke Costs $6 Billion Annually

The medical and economic costs of secondhand smoke totaled about $6 billion in 2004, according to a study released by the American Academy of Actuaries.

Vaccines Target Smoking, Drugs, Other Ills

Smoking, illicit-drug use and obesity are just some of the problems being targeted with new vaccines, the Chicago Tribune reported Oct. 1.

L.A. Bans Drug Offenders from Skid Row

People on probation because of drug convictions will be banned from Los Angeles' "skid row" area under a new policy unveiled by the city's district attorney, the Los Angeles Times reported Sept. 27.

Notorious Cali Cartel Leaders Face U.S. Prison Time

A decade after they controlled most of the cocaine flowing into the U.S. from Colombia, brothers Gilberto and Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela pled guilty to federal drug charges in a Miami courtroom, the Miami Herald reported Sept. 27.

Shame Becomes Potent Weapon in Fighting Drug Crime

Family and social pressure, not arrests, have been successful in fighting drug crime in one North Carolina community, the Wall Street Journal reported Sept. 27.

N.J. Poised to Vote on Needle Bill

New Jersey is the only U.S. state that still bans the distribution of clean needles by government programs to prevent the spread of AIDS among drug users, but lawmakers may vote to change that next week, the New York Times reported Sept. 25.

Busch Funds Social-Norms Research Center

Anheuser-Busch has donated $2.5 million to the University of Virginia to create a National Social Norms Institute, which will focus on communicating "normative" behavior models about alcohol use.

Liquor Company Objects to Racing Sponsorship

Liquor company Pernod Ricard is threatening to withdraw from the industry alcohol-education group The Century Council, saying the group should not be involved in sponsorship of auto racing, MarketWatch reported Sept. 14.

Bipartisan Bond Over Addiction Recovery

Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) and Democrat Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) come from different ends of the political spectrum but have forged a close personal bond because of their struggles with addiction and recovery, the New York Times reported Sept. 19.

Smokeless Tobacco Poses Challenge for Stop-Smoking Advocates

Smokeless tobacco use carries serious health risks, but it's not as dangerous as smoking, and some people have used it to help them quit cigarettes. That leaves some health experts torn between the desire to see people stop smoking and advocating an alternative that still may be deadly.

Broad Drug Testing Adopted in Kansas Town

Middle- and high-school students in El Dorado, Kansas are subject to random drug testing when they attend or take part in any extracurricular activity, from sports to clubs, field trips, driver's education, and school plays, the Associated Press reported Sept. 13.

Deadly Campus Fires Related to Drinking

Overconsumption of alcohol is a huge factor in fires at off-campus college housing, including most fatal blazes, USA Today reported Aug. 30.

Few Researchers Punished for Ethics Violations

Just two of 44 federal scientists found to have violated ethics rules in their dealings with drug or biotech companies have been subject to criminal investigation, while the others were either allowed to quietly retire or kept their jobs, the Associated Press reported Sept. 12.

Missouri Tobacco Tax Approved for November Ballot

A proposal to raise Missouri's tobacco tax and dedicate the proceeds to antismoking and other health programs has been approved by a state judge who said it should appear on the statewide ballot in November, the Springfield News-Leader reported Sept. 12.

Class-Action Status Sought in 'Light' Cigarette Case

A federal judge is slated to hear arguments this week about whether to certify a class-action lawsuit centering on marketing of 'light' cigarettes, the Associated Press reported Sept. 12.

S.F. Official Wants Police to Ignore Most Marijuana Offenses

Tom Ammiano, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, has proposed an ordinance calling on police to scale back almost all law enforcement pertaining to marijuana, focusing only on crimes involving minors, driving under the influence, or public sales of the drug, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sept. 12.

Tobacco Co. Says Nicotine Levels Didn't Increase

The Massachusetts Department of Health recently reported that nicotine levels in cigarettes have risen steadily in recent years, but tobacco firm Philip Morris USA said that nicotine levels in its products have fluctuated from year to year, the Associated Press reported Sept. 11.

Texas Tech Distributes Recovery Curriculum

The Texas Tech University Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery has developed a recovery curriculum based on its successful 20-year-old counseling and peer-support program, UPI reported Sept. 11.

Gov't Watchdog Slams Media Campaign

The watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) endorsed a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) finding that a media campaign aimed at reducing drug use was ineffective, and said its conclusions could be extended to the drug war in general.

Nevada Indoor Smoking Item Cleared for Ballot

The Nevada Supreme Court has cleared the way for a ballot question on banning indoor smoking to go before voters this fall, the Las Vegas Sun reported Sept. 8.

$400 Stop-Smoking 'Cure' Questioned

Welplex, Inc., claims its $400 stop-smoking regimen "encompasses the best that medical science has to offer for the treatment of nicotine addiction," but skeptics have raised a number of questions about the intervention and the company's marketing, the St. Petersburg Times reported Sept. 9.

Suicide Tied to Alcohol Intake

The more alcohol an individual drinks, the more the risk of suicide grows, according to a researcher at Canada's Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Bingeing and Boredom

Western states like Wyoming, Montana and North and South Dakota have binge-drinking levels far higher than the national average, and local experts say that boredom plays a huge role in the problem, the New York Times reported Sept. 2.

Drugs and Memory

Researchers say that drugs may create "extreme" memories by overstimulating the brain's dopamine system. When drugs cause an overabundance of dopamine it may cause the brain to "overlearn," creating a memory of drugs as "good."

Older Men More Likely to Seek Treatment for Alcohol

Americans ages 50 and older are more likely to seek treatment for alcohol dependence than any other drug addiction, and older men are particularly at risk of problem drinking.

Effective Options for Treating Alcohol Dependence

Results from a recent study show the medication naltrexone and up to 20 sessions of alcohol counseling by a behavioral specialist are equally effective treatments for alcohol dependence when delivered with structured medical management.

ADHD Students Prescribed Stimulant Medications Less Likely to Abuse Other Drugs

Students who take prescription stimulant medications to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report relatively low rates of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and ecstasy use compared to students who illicitly use prescription stimulants, according to a recent study of Detroit middle and high school students.

ADHD Drug Abuse Gets Colleges' Attention

Colleges and universities are warning students about the risk of misusing attention-deficit drugs.

Study: IQ Scores Not Lower in Babies Exposed to Cocaine

Research from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio finds that babies born to mothers who used cocaine heavily during pregnancy do not have lower IQ scores than other children, as originally believed, Reuters reported May 26.

Study Examines Alcohol Gene

Research from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) has led to the discovery of another gene suspected of being linked to alcohol dependency.

What is a Safe Level of Drinking?

For most adults, moderate alcohol use--up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people--causes few if any problems. However, for a range of circumstances, certain people should not drink at all.

Serotonin Transporter Gene Shown to Influence College Drinking Habits

A team of scientists has interviewed college students about their alcohol consumption and then analyzed their genetic profiles, or genotypes. They found that students who shared a particular variant of the serotonin transporter gene (5HTT) consumed more alcohol per occasion, more often drank expressly to become inebriated, and were more likely to engage in binge drinking than students without the variant.

What Effects Do Anabolic Steroids Have On Behavior?

In addition to out-of-control aggression, anabolic steroids have been reported also to cause other behavioral effects, including euphoria, increased energy, sexual arousal, mood swings, distractibility, forgetfulness, and confusion.

Smoking and Pregnancy: What Are the Risks?

The adverse effects of smoking may occur in every trimester of pregnancy; they range from spontaneous abortions in the first trimester to increased premature delivery rates and decreased birth weights in the final trimester. The decreased birth weights seen in infants of mothers who smoke reflects a dose-dependent relationship: the more the woman smokes during pregnancy, the greater the reduction of infant birth weight.

Harsh Truths About Cocaine

The word "cocaine" refers to the drug in both a powder (cocaine) and crystal (crack) form. It is made from the coca plant and causes a short-lived high that is immediately followed by opposite, intense feelings of depression, edginess, and a craving for more of the drug. Using cocaine has dangerous emotional and physical effects that can prove to destructive to all aspects of a person's life--and can even be fatal.

Study: Harm Reduction Most Effective in Curbing College Drinking

A study analyzing alcohol interventions for college students finds that harm-reduction strategies such as choosing a designated driver and encouraging students to drink less are more effective than urging total abstinence.

Smoking Banned in House Speaker's Lobby

Members of Congress will no longer be allowed to smoke in the House Speaker's Lobby under rules adopted by new Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Associated Press reported Jan. 10.

Lawmakers Propose New Miss. Stop-Smoking Group

The long-running battle over Mississippi's smoking-prevention efforts has taken a new turn, with state lawmakers proposing the creation of a new Mississippi Tobacco Control Commission, the Associated Press reported Jan. 10.

Alcohol, Drugs Still Play Key Role in Defining 'Fun' Colleges


From the Princeton Review to CollegeHumor.com, the availability of alcohol and other drugs remains a key measure of a college's "fun" quotient, the Washington Post reported Jan. 3.

FDA Tobacco Regulation to Get Quick Hearing in Congress

A bill that would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco is part of a legislative package that Democrats would like to see passed during their first weeks in charge of the new Congress, the Boston Globe reported Jan. 3.

Italian Smoking Ban Prevents Heart Attacks, Study Says

Hospital admissions for heart attacks among people under age 60 fell 11 percent in Italy's Piedmont region after the Italian government imposed a ban on indoor smoking, researchers from the University of Turin said.

Do Doctors' Drinking Habits Affect Management of Patients' Alcohol Problems?

Two different studies explored whether a physician's approach to his patients' alcohol use is complicated by his own drinking habits.

$1 Million Judgment Against Tobacco Cos. Upheld

A $1-million award to a smoker in a negligent-design lawsuit against two major tobacco companies has been upheld by the Missouri Court of Appeals, reported Sept. 29.

Ore. Cigarette Tax Hike Would Fund Health Programs

A proposed 84-cent-per-pack increase in Oregon's cigarette tax would be used to pay for healthcare for uninsured children in the state, said Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

Many Teens Drink, Use Drugs and Drive; Parents Called Effective Deterrent

A new survey finds that 19% of teens drive under the influence of alcohol, 15% drive after using marijuana, and 7% report driving under the influence of other drugs.

NIDA Calls for Meetings to Be Held in States, Cities with Indoor-Smoking Bans

With a few exceptions, future meetings sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will only be held in communities that have enacted comprehensive smoke-free policies, the agency said.

Voters Support Both Nevada Smoking Proposals

Both a tough indoor-smoking ban and a weaker proposal backed by the casino and hospitality industries won support from Nevada voters in a recent poll; if residents approve both measures in November, the one with the greatest majority would become law, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Sept. 17.

Industry-Backed Ohio Ballot Group Fails to Disclose Funding

Smoke Less Ohio, a group that is pushing a weaker alternative to a tough indoor-smoking proposal endorsed by health groups, failed to report to the Secretary of State's office that the vast majority of its funding comes from tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, the Toledo Blade reported Sept. 14.

Federal Court Says Va. Alcohol Laws Constitutional

In a case centering on the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a pair of unusual Virginia laws regarding alcohol sales and possession.

Methamphetamine Remains Number One Drug Problem

According to a new survey released July 18, 2006 by the National Association of Counties (NACo), county law enforcement officials across 44 states reported that methamphetamine remains the number one drug problem in their county.

Teens Suggest Solutions to the 'Nothing To Do' Problem

The Youth Task Force (YTF) of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. circulated a flyer in the town newspaper suggesting alternative activities to substance use and providing information and helpful resources, The Martha's Vineyard Times reported recently.

People in Recovery Make Good Employees

The owner of a Los Angeles cafe says that he makes a point of hiring people in addiction recovery because they make good employees, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) Affects up to 16 Million Americans

A little-known mental disorder marked by episodes of unwarranted anger is more common than previously thought. Evidence suggests that IED might predispose toward depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse disorders by increasing stressful life experiences, such as financial difficulties and divorce.

Study Shows Most Treatment Effective Against Alcoholism

A complex study of alcoholism treatment medications and counseling has found that most stand-alone and combined therapies were effective in promoting short-term abstinence, with only the drug acamprosate (Campral) proving to be disappointing.

Young American Women Drinking Harder

More young American women are drinking to get drunk, and are putting themselves at risk by trying to "keep up with the boys" when it comes to alcohol use, Newsweek recently reported.

One in 400 Students Lose Aid Because of Drugs

A law that strips financial aid from students who admit to past drug offenses resulted in one in 400 applicants being denied federal education assistance, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Young Brains at Risk of Damage from Heavy Drinking

Heavy drinking is especially dangerous for teenagers whose brains are still developing, and alcohol-related damage incurred at a young age can have long-term effects.

One in Three Alcoholics in Recovery, Study Says

Despite a scarcity of formal addiction treatment, more than one in three people who have been dependent on alcohol in their lifetime are now in recovery, WedMD reported Jan. 19.

Binge Drinking: Too Often a Deadly "Game"

In recent national surveys about a third of high school seniors and 42 percent of college students reported at least one occasion of binge drinking within the previous 2 weeks. Alcohol poisoning – a severe and potentially fatal physical reaction to an alcohol overdose – is the most serious consequence of binge drinking.

Rapid Detox - Rapid Opiate Detox - What is it?

Also referred to as "ultra rapid opiate detox," rapid detox is generally conducted in a hospital setting and under general anesthesia for treating opiate based substances and addictions such as heroin, vicodin, methadone, or any prescribed narcotic pain killers.

Report Shows Healthy Decline in Smoking During Pregnancy

According to a just-released government report, smoking by pregnant women dropped by one-third in the 1990s, with a particularly sharp decline among women in their late 20s and early 30s. Health officials are, however, concerned by the growing numbers of expecting teenagers who are acting counter to this healthy trend.

Untrained Docs Fail to Recommend Effective Stop-Smoking Therapies

Many smokers try quitting "cold turkey" -- often repeatedly and without success -- while relatively few use therapies proven to be effective, in part because doctors fail to recommend them, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Neuroimaging Identifies Brain Regions Possibly Involved in Alcohol Craving

Viewing pictures of alcoholic beverages activates the prefrontal cortex and the anterior thalamus in alcoholics but not in moderate drinkers, report Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) researchers in the April Archives of General Psychiatry. The research team is the first to use fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to examine whether alcohol cues stimulate specific brain regions.