Ecstasy associated with chronic change in brain function
Ecstasy -- the illegal "rave" drug that produces feelings of euphoria and emotional warmth -- may have therapeutic value. Clinical trials are testing Ecstasy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress...
View ArticleNicotine and cocaine leave similar mark on brain after first contact
The effects of nicotine upon brain regions involved in addiction mirror those of cocaine, according to new neuroscience research. A single 15-minute exposure to nicotine caused a long-term increase in...
View ArticleAboriginal youth use tobacco, illicit drugs and alcohol more than...
Aboriginal-youth living off-reserve in Canada use tobacco, alcohol and drugs significantly more than non-Aboriginal youth and have higher health risks, according to a new article.
View ArticleToward a vaccine for methamphetamine abuse
Scientists are reporting development of three promising formulations that could be used in a vaccine to treat methamphetamine addiction -- one of the most serious drug abuse problems in the US.
View ArticleIncrease in Internet access parallels growth in prescription drug abuse
Increasing access to rogue online pharmacies that dispense medications without a doctor's prescription may be an important factor behind the rapid increase in the abuse of prescription drugs. U.S....
View ArticleHigher return to prison for women without drug abuse programs; Many barriers...
Female prisoners who did not participate in a drug treatment program after their release were 10 times more likely to return to prison within one year than other prisoners, a new study has found.
View ArticleSteady relationships reduce amphetamine's rewarding effects, animal study...
Long-term relationships make the commonly abused drug amphetamine less appealing, according to a new animal study. The findings suggest that social bonds formed during adulthood lead to changes in the...
View ArticleChronic marijuana smoking affects brain chemistry, molecular imaging shows
Definitive proof of an adverse effect of chronic marijuana use could lead to potential drug treatments and aid other research involved in cannabinoid receptors, a neurotransmission system receiving a...
View ArticleCognitive behavioral therapy may benefit patients in residential substance...
Patients in residential treatment programs for drug and alcohol abuse may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy for depressive symptoms, according to a new report.
View ArticleHigh rates of injection drug use in urban Aboriginal youth signal need for...
A new study indicates high rates of injection drug use in urban Canadian Aboriginal youth, particularly in women, and points to the need for culturally specific prevention programs, according to a new...
View ArticleUnderstanding alcohol's damaging effects on the brain
While alcohol has a wide range of pharmacological effects on the body, the brain is a primary target. However, the molecular mechanisms by which alcohol alters neuronal activity in the brain are poorly...
View ArticleAdulterated cocaine causing serious skin reactions; With up to 70 percent...
Doctors warn of a potential public health epidemic in a recent report on patients who developed serious skin reactions after smoking or snorting cocaine believed to be contaminated with a veterinary...
View ArticleAbnormal brain structure linked to chronic cocaine abuse
Researchers have identified abnormal brain structures in the frontal lobe of cocaine users' brains which are linked to their compulsive cocaine-using behavior.
View ArticleDeadly drugged driving: Drug use tied to fatal car crashes
It's well known that drunk driving can have fatal consequences, but a new study suggests that alcohol is not the only drug that's a danger on the road. Researchers found that of US drivers who died in...
View ArticleContaminated cocaine triggers decaying, dying skin
If the obvious reasons for avoiding recreational drug use aren't off-putting enough, physicians have another consequence to add -- crusty, purplish areas of dead skin that are extremely painful and can...
View ArticleTwo talks with teens leads to less marijuana use for at least a year, study...
Researchers found that a brief, voluntary conversation with an adult led to up to a 20 percent decrease in marijuana use for teenagers who frequently used the drug.
View ArticleSafety issue revealed as 1 in 20 Australian workers admits to drinking at...
A national survey has found that more than one in twenty Australian workers report using alcohol while at work or just before work, and more than one in fifty report taking drugs during or just before...
View ArticleDentists' role in painkiller abuse
Dentists, pharmacists and addiction experts provides new research and recommendations to help dentists combat, rather than contribute to, abuse of addictive painkillers.
View ArticleAthletes may have different reasons for marijuana use
College athletes tend to be less likely than their non-athlete peers to smoke marijuana. But when they do, they may have some different reasons for it, according to a new study.
View ArticleBodyguard for the brain: Researchers identify mechanism that seems to protect...
Researchers have discovered a mechanism that seems to protect the brain from aging. In experiments with mice, they switched off the cannabinoid-1 receptor. As a consequence, the animals showed signs of...
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