Addiction News

September 9, 2016

Maternal Smoking Could Lead to Tic Disorders

Pot Reduces Motivation to Work for Money

Addiction Cravings Get Their Start Deep in Brain

Designer Agent Blocks Pain in Mice

Latest Headlines

updated 12:39am EDT

Physical Activity May Offset Some of Alcohol's Lethal Harms

Sep. 7, 2016 — Exercising, at even basic recommended weekly physical activity levels (at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity), may offset some of the harmful effects of drinking alcohol, suggests new ... read more

Scientists Reverse Alcohol Dependence in Animal Models

Sep. 6, 2016 — The more a person drinks, the more they reinforce activation in the neuronal "circuit," which then drives further alcohol use and addiction. It's as if the brain carves a special path between alcohol ... read more

College Educated More Likely to Use E-Cigs to Quit Cigarette Smoking

Sep. 7, 2016 — Users of both electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and cigarettes may be more intent on quitting tobacco, but that intention seems to drop off among less educated smokers, according to a ... read more

New Research Supports Hep C Treatment for People Who Use Drugs

Sep. 7, 2016 — Global health experts are today are calling for the removal of restrictions preventing people who use drugs from accessing new hepatitis C cures. So long as these restrictions exist, the goal of ... read more

More Evidence That TV Ads May Influence Kids' Drinking

Sep. 7, 2016 — The more advertising kids see for particular brands of alcohol, the more they consume of those brands, according to a new study. The work adds to evidence linking alcohol advertising to underage ... read more

Young People Exposed to Vaping Ads Less Likely to Think Occasional Smoking Bad for Health

Sep. 6, 2016 — Exposure to advertisements for e-cigarettes may decrease the perceived health risks of occasional tobacco smoking, suggests new research, prompting ... read more

Gamblers More Prone to Violent Behavior

Sep. 6, 2016 — Men who gamble are more likely to act violently towards others, with the most addicted gamblers the most prone to serious violence. A new study found that gambling in any capacity -- pathological, ... read more

Heredity a Major Factor in ADHD, Binge Eating and Alcohol Dependence

Sep. 5, 2016 — It is mostly hereditary factors that lie behind adults with ADHD often developing alcohol dependence and binge eating, concludes new research. Since heredity plays such a large role, it is important ... read more

Increasing Number of US Adults Using Marijuana as Fewer People Perceive the Drug as Harmful

Aug. 31, 2016 — An increasing number of US adults are using marijuana, as fewer people perceive the drug as harmful, according to a survey of over 500000 US adults ... read more

High Alcohol Intake Associated With Slightly Decreased Female Fertility

Aug. 31, 2016 — Women who drink 14 or more servings of alcohol a week are slightly more likely to have reduced fertility, suggests a new study. In developed countries, up to 24% of couples experience infertility, ... read more

Brain Trauma Studied In Domestic Abuse Victims

US Hospital Cuts Painkiller Gateway to Heroin Addiction

Teenagers Who Vape Are More Likely To Smoke Cigarettes Later On

It Looks Like Medical Marijuana Is Burning Up Prescription Drug Sales

Newer Epilepsy Drugs Taken While Pregnant Not Linked to Lower IQs in Children

Aug. 31, 2016 — Two newer epilepsy drugs may not harm the thinking skills or IQs of school-aged children whose mothers took them while pregnant -- but an older drug is linked to cognitive problems in children, ... read more

Pure Oxygen in High-Pressure Chamber Relieves Symptoms of Opiate Withdrawal in Mice

Aug. 31, 2016 — A pharmacologist gave morphine-addicted mice pure pressurized oxygen before they began withdrawal from the drug. The mice had far less severe withdrawal symptoms than addicted mice that did not ... read more

Potential New Treatment for Cocaine Addiction

Aug. 31, 2016 — A promising new drug treatment for cocaine addiction has been discovered by researchers. The experimental therapy, which involves administering a drug currently used in cancer therapy trials, treats ... read more

Youth Crimes Spike Immediately After Drinking Age

Aug. 31, 2016 — A new study in Canada has shown that minimum legal drinking age legislation can have a major effect on crimes committed by young adults. Young people just older than the legal age had significant ... read more

Neural Factors That Predict Adolescent Alcohol Use

Aug. 30, 2016 — Researchers have identified 34 neural factors that predict adolescent alcohol consumption. The list, based upon complex algorithms analyzing data from neuropsychological testing and neuroimaging ... read more

Smokers More Prone to Bowel Condition Relapses, Study Suggests

Aug. 30, 2016 — Smoking is strongly linked to relapse of a serious bowel condition, research has confirmed. People with Crohn's disease are more likely to experience a recurrence after surgery if they continue ... read more

Researcher Finds Mechanism Affecting Alcohol Consumption

Aug. 30, 2016 — A researcher has found a mechanism that strongly influences whether or not an animal is likely to drink a lot of alcohol, turning lush mice into teetotalers, a new report ... read more

Bipolar Adolescents Continue to Have Elevated Substance Use Disorder Risk as Young Adults

Aug. 30, 2016 — A follow up to a previous study finding an association between adolescent bipolar disorder and the incidence of cigarette smoking and substance use disorder finds that risk was even greater five ... read more

People With Alcohol Dependency Lack Important Enzyme

Aug. 30, 2016 — A research group has identified an enzyme whose production is turned off in nerve cells of the frontal lobe when alcohol dependence develops. The deficiency in this enzyme leads to continued use of ... read more

Alcohol-Related Hospitalization Associated With Doubled Stroke Risk in Atrial Fibrillation

Aug. 27, 2016 — Alcohol-related hospitalization is associated with a doubled risk of ischemic stroke risk in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, according to a new study. The observational study was ... read more

Impulsivity Levels Help Identify at-Risk Offspring of Alcoholics

Aug. 26, 2016 — Researchers know that youth with a family history of alcoholism have a greater risk of developing an alcohol use disorder; this heightened vulnerability may be due to impulsive behavior. For this ... read more

Physician Advice to Patients on E-Cigarettes Varies, Reveals Knowledge Gaps, Study Shows

Aug. 26, 2016 — Researchers analyzed an online medical forum to better understand what patients want to know about e-cigarettes and how doctors respond to those ... read more

US Teens More Likely to Vape for Flavorings Than Nicotine in E-Cigarettes

Aug. 25, 2016 — US teens are more likely to vape for the flavorings found in e-cigarettes rather than nicotine, suggests research. It is widely assumed that teen vapers are vaping nicotine, so in a bid to find out ... read more

Opioid Receptors Outside the Brain Targeted in Rats; New Direction for Painkillers

Aug. 25, 2016 — Opioid abuse is a growing public health crisis, affecting up to 36 million people worldwide. Many of these individuals first get hooked on prescription painkillers that target mu opioid receptors in ... read more

Smokers With Newly Discovered Genetic Markers Have Higher Lung Cancer Risk

Aug. 25, 2016 — Researchers discovered new genetic markers associated with a fast rate of nicotine metabolism, which potentially leads smokers to smoke more, thereby, increasing their risk for lung ... read more

We Are All 'Wired' for Addiction, Says Researcher

Aug. 24, 2016 — Drug addicts and non-addicts may have more in common than ever thought, according to a researcher who found that to some degree, everyone’s brain is “wired” to become ... read more

Majority of US Doctors Discussing Electronic Cigarettes With Their Patients

Aug. 24, 2016 — A new survey of US doctors reveals they are frequently discussing electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) with patients in a clinical setting. A substantial proportion of physicians also recommend e-cigs to ... read more

Do the Tools to Quantify Addiction Help to Define It?

Aug. 24, 2016 — Understanding what counts as an addiction, and what can be done to address it is the work of researchers across many disciplines. But what tools are used to ‘measure’ addiction, and are these ... read more

New Drug Target Could Prevent Tolerance, Addiction to Opioids, Study Finds

Aug. 22, 2016 — Researchers have identified a brain mechanism that could be a drug target to help prevent tolerance and addiction to opioid pain medication, such as ... read more

Vaping May Lead to Fewer Respiratory Infections for Ex-Smokers

Aug. 19, 2016 — The majority of smokers who successfully switch to vaping say they have fewer respiratory infections, according to a study. The researchers say that this is because smoking increases susceptibility ... read more

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