"That was good!" "Do it again."
This is what the brain says when people use tobacco, as well as ‘hard drugs’ such as heroin. New research published in the February 13 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience indicates that the effects of nicotine and opiates on the brain's reward system are equally strong in a key pleasure-sensing areas of the brain – the nucleus accumbens.
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Friday, February 15, 2008
In Adolescents, Addiction to Tobacco comes Easy
Dire warning to all adolescents: You can get “hooked from the first cigarette.”
That is the headline in the December issue of The Journal of Family Practice. In the report that follows, Dr. Joseph R. DiFranza, a family health and community medicine specialist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, states that “very soon after that first cigarette, adolescents can experience a loss of autonomy over tobacco.”
That is the headline in the December issue of The Journal of Family Practice. In the report that follows, Dr. Joseph R. DiFranza, a family health and community medicine specialist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, states that “very soon after that first cigarette, adolescents can experience a loss of autonomy over tobacco.”
French City Buys Bars to Fight le Binge Drinking
A French city has taken drastic action to tackle the growing problem of "le binge drinking".
France wants to reduce the number of bars to cut binge drinking
The city council in Rennes, the capital of Brittany renowned for its boisterous student life, has begun buying up bars in order to close them down.
France wants to reduce the number of bars to cut binge drinking
The city council in Rennes, the capital of Brittany renowned for its boisterous student life, has begun buying up bars in order to close them down.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
New Research Finds Drug Addiction Can Change Brain Function
There is growing evidence drug addiction can permanently change the brain's chemistry.
A joint investigation by Swiss and Australian scientists has shown the chemicals in drugs can override basic suvival instincts.
A Neurobiologist Dr. Chris Dayas says drug addiction can reduce a person's desire to perform basic human functions such as eating.
A joint investigation by Swiss and Australian scientists has shown the chemicals in drugs can override basic suvival instincts.
A Neurobiologist Dr. Chris Dayas says drug addiction can reduce a person's desire to perform basic human functions such as eating.
Addiction Court Hears First Case
The UK's first family drug and alcohol court is due to open in London with the aim of helping parents beat addictions so they can keep their children.
Based on a US model, the court will deal with family cases where addicted parents are neglecting their children.
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Based on a US model, the court will deal with family cases where addicted parents are neglecting their children.
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Iranian Sentenced to Death for Repeated Alcohol Offences
A young Iranian has been sentenced to death for repeated alcohol consumption although the verdict was likely to be revised, the ISNA news agency reported Tuesday. According to Islamic law, consumption of alcohol is strictly forbidden in Iran and offenders would be punished with cash fines or lashes for the first two offences, but a third consecutive offence should be legally punished by death.
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DNA Predicts Reaction to Drug that Fights Alcohol Dependence
The Medical Univeristy of South Carolina reports a local researcher finds that paitents with a gene variant drink less. Inherited genetic makeup often plays a role in determining the risk level for certain diseases, including alcoholism. MUSC officials say a study from their hospital show a correlation between genotyping and the treatment of alcohol dependence.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Appeals Court: Police Must Read Warning, Not Explain It
State law requires police to read the “Informing the Accused” form to persons suspected of drinking violations. But officers have no obligation to, and shouldn’t, provide further information, ruled a District III court judge in rejecting an appeal by a River Falls man.
Inmate Dies, 3 Hospitalized After Drinking Homemade Concoction
A penitentiary outside Kingston has been locked down after one inmate was found dead and another three were taken to hospital for consuming what corrections officials believe was a homemade brew.
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Report Finds Methadone Contributes to More Deaths Than Heroin
The drug substitute methadone is leading to the deaths of more addicts than heroin, disturbing figures have revealed.
A report by the Dublin City Coroner has shown that of the 87 inquests heard in his court last year, pure heroin was found to have caused the deaths of 14 people and contributed to a further 12. However, methadone, the legal substitute used to treat those with a heroin addiction, was found to have caused the deaths of 12 people and contributed to a further 19 deaths.
The highly lucrative nature of the "methadone industry" acting as a barrier to the exploration of other therapeutic treatments for drug addiction has now been highlighted by Marie Byrne, Director of Aisling Group International. "Doctors get a payment for putting people on methadone programmes. There is huge money in the methadone industry," she says, referring to capitation fees, which are paid to doctors who participate in the Methadone Maintenance Scheme.
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A report by the Dublin City Coroner has shown that of the 87 inquests heard in his court last year, pure heroin was found to have caused the deaths of 14 people and contributed to a further 12. However, methadone, the legal substitute used to treat those with a heroin addiction, was found to have caused the deaths of 12 people and contributed to a further 19 deaths.
The highly lucrative nature of the "methadone industry" acting as a barrier to the exploration of other therapeutic treatments for drug addiction has now been highlighted by Marie Byrne, Director of Aisling Group International. "Doctors get a payment for putting people on methadone programmes. There is huge money in the methadone industry," she says, referring to capitation fees, which are paid to doctors who participate in the Methadone Maintenance Scheme.
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Drug Addict Soldiers Get Detox Before Axe
THE Ministry of Defence is sending drug-addicted soldiers to £500-a-night detox clinics before throwing them out of the armed forces.
Despite the armed forces' uncompromising "no illegal drugs" policy, the military insists that it has a "duty of care" to its troops even if the offenders are to be discharged.The MoD is currently inviting tenders for contracts to run in-patient mental health services for members of the armed forces who are suffering from combat stress, drug and alcohol addiction, and eating disorders. The contract is estimated to be worth up to £10m a year.
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Despite the armed forces' uncompromising "no illegal drugs" policy, the military insists that it has a "duty of care" to its troops even if the offenders are to be discharged.The MoD is currently inviting tenders for contracts to run in-patient mental health services for members of the armed forces who are suffering from combat stress, drug and alcohol addiction, and eating disorders. The contract is estimated to be worth up to £10m a year.
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Thursday, January 24, 2008
Astronaut Survey: No Launch Day Drinking
NASA said Wednesday that a survey of astronauts and flight surgeons found no evidence of launch day drinking by crew members, despite a report last year of two cases of drunkenness.
The anonymous survey uncovered a single case of "perceived impairment" by someone just a day or more from blasting into space, and it turned out to be a reaction between prescription medicine and alcohol.
The anonymous survey uncovered a single case of "perceived impairment" by someone just a day or more from blasting into space, and it turned out to be a reaction between prescription medicine and alcohol.
BU Medical School Discovers Vaccine for Cocaine Addiction
After years of work, Baylor College of Medicine researchers have brought a cocaine vaccine to its final stages of testing.
With the number of cocaine addicts in the United States reaching around 2.4 million in 2005, researchers have been working to find a medical treatment to assist counseling and rehabilitation programs already in place.
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With the number of cocaine addicts in the United States reaching around 2.4 million in 2005, researchers have been working to find a medical treatment to assist counseling and rehabilitation programs already in place.
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Minnesota Trailing in Addiction Treatment, Report Says
Minnesota’s reputation as a leader in the treatment of chemical dependency is turned on its head by a report authored this month by Carol Falkowski, director of the chemical health division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
It found that Minnesota ranked third-to-last among states in the number of adults age 18 and over in treatment per 100,000 population.
Only Texas and Arkansas ranked lower.
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It found that Minnesota ranked third-to-last among states in the number of adults age 18 and over in treatment per 100,000 population.
Only Texas and Arkansas ranked lower.
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Jail$: A Crisis in the Counties
With county jails across the state bursting at the seams, alternatives to incarceration are getting some attention. Drug court, an intensive rehabilitative program, is one such alternative.“There is certainly a place for jails and prisons. But there is also a middle ground defendant who may not need prison. We fill in that continuum,” says Connie Payne, general manager of Kentucky Drug Court.
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Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Moet & Chandon Fined Over Champagne Ads
Champagne house Moët & Chandon is the latest firm to fall foul of France’s advertising laws on alcoholic drinks.
Moët breached advert rules by glorifying Champagne during a campaign entitled ‘La nuit en rose’, a Paris judge has ruled.
Moët must pay €30,000 in damages to France’s National Association for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Addiction (ANPAA), which filed the case.
It is the third high-profile ruling in ANPAA’s favour in less than two months, suggesting a tougher stance on alcohol adverts in France.
Moët breached advert rules by glorifying Champagne during a campaign entitled ‘La nuit en rose’, a Paris judge has ruled.
Moët must pay €30,000 in damages to France’s National Association for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Addiction (ANPAA), which filed the case.
It is the third high-profile ruling in ANPAA’s favour in less than two months, suggesting a tougher stance on alcohol adverts in France.
What Makes an Alcoholic? Definations Changing
The holidays are over. Resolutions are wearing thin. It's a time of year when many people wonder if they have a drinking problem.
More than 30 percent of Americans engage in risky drinking at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. But there's no consensus on exactly what an "alcoholic" is. Even Alcoholics Anonymous relies on alcoholics to diagnose themselves.
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More than 30 percent of Americans engage in risky drinking at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. But there's no consensus on exactly what an "alcoholic" is. Even Alcoholics Anonymous relies on alcoholics to diagnose themselves.
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