Addiction News Alert: Binge Drinking Prevalent in Baby Boomers
Last week, we discussed the SAMHSA study on baby boomers’ drug use. Now comes the news that binge drinking is also particularly prevalent in baby boomers. In a recent LA Times blog post, it was reported that hard drinking is no longer a game for the young, as shown in a recent study published in […]
Addiction News Alert: Drug Use Continuing Into Later Years
Released today, a new study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that many baby boomers are continuing drug use well into the later years of their life. In An Examination of Trends in Illicit Drug Use among Adults Aged 50 to 59 in the United States, the first in […]
Alcohol Addiction and Balcofen
Time Magazine recently published ‘Treating Alcohol Addiction: A Pill Instead of Abstinence?‘, discussing the use of balcofen for treating alcohol and other substance addictions. Balcofen, although approved for relaxing muscle spasms, is being increasingly prescribed and used as an anti-craving medication. Although scientific evidence has yet to be conclusive, there is much anecdotal evidence floating […]
Portugal's Drug Laws: A Case Study in Decrimilization
Recently, we’ve been speaking a lot about the criminal justice system and drug use. With the Obama Administration’s new Drug Czar, Gil Kerlikowske, change certainly seems to be in the air and the North American stance on illicit drugs is coming under scrutiny. After twenty-some-odd years, the ‘War on Drugs’ may finally be coming to […]
Addiction News Alert: 1 in 5 Young Americans Need Addicton Treatment
This is a staggering statistic. Released yesterday, The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that in the last year, approximately 7 million young American adults, aged 18 to 25 years, were classified as ‘in need of treatment’ for substance abuse issues. This is the equivalent to 1 in 5 persons in that […]
Addiction News Alert: Alcohol-Attributable Deaths Worldwide On the Rise
Released today, a new study by Canada’s Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH) finds that a whopping 1 in 25 deaths worldwide are directly attributable to alcohol use, up from 2000. The study, among other factors, sites the increase in the number of female drinkers. The study looked at the average adult consumption rates, […]
Addiction Treatment News: Good Diet & Recovery Linked
New Study Finds Link Between Good Nutrition and Addiction RecoveryThe Mental Health Foundation has found that food can have lasting and powerful effect on one’s sense of well-being, often felt immediately. A good diet, therefore, can play an integral role in the treatment of such mental health disorders as depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, and others. Mental […]
CASA: Substance Abuse & Addiction Cost US Taxpayers Billions
Recently, The National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) released a new report detailing the costs of substance abuse and addiction to local, state, and federal governments in the US. The 287-page report, Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State, and Local Budgets, is the first to […]