Meth in the Heartland
Recently we reviewed Methland, a look at America’s meth epidemic through the eyes of small town Olewein, Iowa.Earlier this week, a report from Iowa’s Office of Drug Control Policy found that, although alcohol remains the state’s number one intoxicant of choice, that marijuana and methamphetamine are the most abused illicit drugs by Iowans.The epidemic, it […]
Vancouver May See Inhalation Rooms for Crack Addicts
Vancouver advocates, who won the battle to have supervised injection sites back in 2003, have turned their attention to the city’s crack addicts. Looking for a similar program, advocates are pushing for supervised inhalation rooms, connecting addicts with treatment programs and other health services in an attempt to, above all else, stem the spread of […]
Stress-Induced Responses Linked to Cocaine Addiction Relapse
New research out of the US, published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that changes to the brain’s circuitry brought on by stress may lead to cocaine-use relapse. Changes to the circuitry are related to the regulation of serotonin—the neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, sleep, muscle contraction, and some cognitive […]
Heroin Injections for Heroin Addicts in the UK
Recently, CNN reported on a new, relatively innovative and controversial, treatment program in the UK—treating heroin addicts with heroin. The program is being led by a research team at Britain’s National Addiction Centre, associated with King’s College in London. Government-funded heroin clinics dispense controlled, safe doses of heroin to addicts in a controlled, safe environment. […]
Prescription Painkillers Cause More Fatal Overdoses Than Other Drugs
Despite an earlier report from SAMHSA on the decline of prescription drug abuse in the US, from 2.7% to 2.5% of Americans, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prescription painkiller abuse remains an severely unrecognized and under served problem in the US. According to the report, released last Wednesday, […]
US Online Campaign Helps Military Parents Talk to Their Teens
Three national organizations, the Partnership for a Drug Free America, the National Military Family Association and the National Association of School Nurses, have teamed up to focus on America’s military teens with an online education campaign, launched yesterday. TimeToTalk.org/Military provides parents with guidance, tips, tools, and scripts to help and encourage parents to talk to […]
New Poll Suggests Americans Willing to Include Addiction Treatment in Health Care Reform
A new poll released this month suggests that Americans on both sides of the aisle support including addiction treatment in health care reforms. Furthermore, a great majority of Americans polled are willing to pay to make treatment options more affordable and accessible. The poll, sponsored by the Open Society Institute for Closing the Addiction Treatment […]
Teen Substance Abuse: Family Dinners Are the Key
According to new report released Wednesday, September 23 2009, by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, teens who have infrequent family dinners are, overall, more likely to use drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. The Importance of Family Dinners V is part of the Center’s Back to School Survey. CASA reports […]
Prescription Drug Abuse Declines in 2008, According to SAMHSA
A new study released yesterday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed a decline in prescription medication abuse in 2008 in the US. Approximately 6.2 million Americans, or 2.5% of the population, abused prescription medication in the past month, down from 2.8% in 2007. The decline is attributed to the national, and […]