wanna peace a me

New Findings show Additioal Similarity Btwn Opiate and Nicotine Addiction

2008-02-15T17:37:00.000-08:00

"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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In Adolescents, Addiction to Tobacco comes Easy

2008-02-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

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.”

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French City Buys Bars to Fight le Binge Drinking

2008-02-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

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.

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New Research Finds Drug Addiction Can Change Brain Function

2008-02-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

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.

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Addiction Court Hears First Case

2008-02-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

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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Iranian Sentenced to Death for Repeated Alcohol Offences

2008-02-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-06T10:52:00.000-08:00

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.

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Appeals Court: Police Must Read Warning, Not Explain It

2008-01-26T21:43:00.000-08:00

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.

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Inmate Dies, 3 Hospitalized After Drinking Homemade Concoction

2008-01-26T21:35:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-26T21:24:00.000-08:00

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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Drug Addict Soldiers Get Detox Before Axe

2008-01-26T21:17:00.000-08:00

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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Astronaut Survey: No Launch Day Drinking

2008-01-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

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.

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BU Medical School Discovers Vaccine for Cocaine Addiction

2008-01-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

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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Reality Rehab: Good Idea or Bad Medicine?

2008-01-24T19:34:00.000-08:00

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Minnesota Trailing in Addiction Treatment, Report Says

2008-01-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

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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Jail$: A Crisis in the Counties

2008-01-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

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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Moet & Chandon Fined Over Champagne Ads

2008-01-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

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.

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What Makes an Alcoholic? Definations Changing

2008-01-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

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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Adult Binge Drinkers Prefer Beer; Teens Hard Liquor

2007-08-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

Binge-drinking is an increasing problem across a spectrum of age groups but two sobering analyses reveal that adults have a preference for beer binges while teens tend to swill the harder spirits.Training a spotlight on alcoholic drinking habits is vital, experts said Tuesday, because bingeing has become a national public health problem.

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Naked Man Eaten By Bears at Beer Festival

2007-08-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

A 23-year old Serb was found dead and half-eaten in the bear cage of Belgrade Zoo at the weekend during the annual beer festival.

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Ark. Court Rejects Narcotics Anonymous Because of Focus on God

2007-08-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Mindy Gayle Offutt's first court-ordered Narcotics Anonymous meeting was also her last. The meeting began with a prayer and ended with one, as meetings often do, but the religious undertones of the gathering made her uncomfortable.
Five days later, on Dec. 7, 2006, Offutt filed suit in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville, Ark., against the judge who sentenced her to the meetings for a misdemeanor drug possession offense. In the suit, Offutt's claimed Narcotics Anonymous amounts to religion and she should not be forced by a government official to participate in religious activity.

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Parole for Man Jailed After Rape Apology

2007-08-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

A man who confessed to raping a woman as he apologized two decades later as part of the Alcoholics Anonymous program is scheduled to be released from jail after serving six months of an 18-month sentence, officials said Wednesday.
William Beebe, 42, pleaded guilty in November to one count of aggravated sexual battery for his attack on Liz Seccuro while at the University of Virginia. In March, a judge ordered a 10-year prison sentence with all but 18 months suspended.

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Underage Drinking & Hand Sanitizer: The New Booze?

2007-08-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

A new study finds underage drinking is at an all time high in July...with a report of 50% of 15-year-olds claiming to have consumed alcohol. About one third of teen drinking happens during the summer months...its alarming numbers that has law enforcement working to keep kids away from alcohol.
The average age for kids to first try alcohol is 11-years-old for boys and 13-years-old for girls. It may sound shocking, but Jonesboro D.A.R.E. Officer Greg Lawson says he's heard it all.

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46 South Dakota Counties Join Sobriety Project

2007-08-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

More than two-thirds of South Dakota counties have embraced an initiative by Attorney General Larry Long to keep chronic drunken drivers off the road.
If ordered by judges, repeat drunken drivers in those counties must report to sheriffs' offices twice a day for breath testing or other means of detecting alcohol consumption.People are taken immediately to jail if tests show that they've been drinking alcohol. Those who miss appointments are tracked down and locked up.The effort began two years ago as a pilot project in 14 counties. It worked so well that Long persuaded this year's Legislature to expand it statewide. The law went into effect July 1, and 46 of the state's 66 counties are now signed up.

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Intravenious Treatment Promising for Alcohol & Drug Addictions

2007-08-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

New research into an obscure brain cell receptor found in the human brain has lead to a treatment that has been generating greater than 80% success for the past 12 months at a medical center in Denver, Colorado.These brain cell receptors are a subclass of the super family of receptors called G-protein coupled receptors, which are made from amino acids."The specific receptor in question which is damaged in addiction is made up of 466 amino acids and found on the surface of only one in a million brain cells." Commented Tamea Sisco a certified addictionologist and scientific advisor to Excel, "this lead us to the so called 'Ah Ha!' moment."If we were to administer the correct peptides and amino acids, in the correct proportion, to repair this receptor, would we be able to control addiction cravings?

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Study: Most Prisoners Have Addiction Problems

2007-08-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

The initial results of a broad survey of prisoners' health indicate that more than 80 percent of people imprisoned because they defaulted on fines have addiction problems. At least half of these have drug problems. The Prison Service says that half of all prisoners test positive for Hepatitis C, which is common on intravenous drug users.Many prisoners also have mental health problems, which are often linked to their use of intoxicants, the researchers say.

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Treatment Improves, But Availibility Doesn't

2007-08-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

The good news about treatment for heroin and opiate addiction is that there are new drugs to help the user and better understanding of addiction than ever before, said Dr. Allan Ebert, a Flint doctor and expert on substance abuse treatment.
The bad news is that those who want treatment but who don't have private health insurance or who are uninsured face waiting lists or shortened stays in programs, given the lack of funding by the state Legislature, officials say. Payments for heroin users who receive methadone were also cut in the spring.

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Marijuana May Increase Psychosis Risk

2007-07-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Using marijuana seems to increase the chance of becoming psychotic, researchers report in an analysis of past research that reignites the issue of whether pot is dangerous.
The new review suggests that even infrequent use could raise the small but real risk of this serious mental illness by 40 percent.

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Ohio Bill Would Let Some Felons Hide Their Records From Employers

2007-07-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

A controversial bill working its way through the Ohio Legislature would help state residents with multiple felony convictions hide their criminal records from prospective employers.
Opponents said the initiative is unfair to employers, who fear they would not have all necessary information when making hiring decisions. But supporters of the proposed "second chances'' bill said it would stem recidivism rates and help those who have shown they can live law-abiding lives find work beyond minimum wage jobs. Prospective applicants must go five years without being arrested before they are eligible to have their records sealed.

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Trail Brings Akron's AA History Alive

2007-07-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Families can explore the varied history of Akron — from the Portage Path Indian Trail to the city’s industrial presence to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous — through the city’s second History Trails project.

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Star Trek's Synthehol Now Possible

2007-07-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

Synthehol is a science-fictional substitute for alcohol that appears on the Star Trek:The Next Generation television series. It allows drinkers to experience all of the enjoyable, intoxicating effects of alcohol without unpleasant side-effects like hangovers.
Professor David Nutt, a psychopharmacologist at the University of Bristol in the UK, believes that there is no scientific reason why it cannot be created now.

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Hey Big Spender, $210,000 Drinks Bill

2007-07-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

A Middle Eastern businessman spent over $210,000 in a five-hour, champagne- and vodka-fuelled spending spree in a London nightclub at the weekend.
Fraser Donaldson, a representative of Crystal, a club favored by Prince Harry, said in 20 years working in the industry it was the biggest bill he'd seen from one customer.

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Smoking Ban Is Proposed in Drug Centers

2007-07-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

New York would become the first state requiring all addiction treatment programs to help their clients quit smoking under a proposed rule to be announced today.
Pointing to the high number of tobacco-related deaths among former addicts, the state’s Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Service said that by July 24 of next year, all facilities treating drug or alcohol addiction would have to have programs in place to encourage clients to stop smoking. Under the plan, all treatment centers would have to be smoke-free, and staff members would also have to abide by the ban.

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Distinguishing a Budding Pedophile From Kids With Real Boundary Problems?

2007-07-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

In the early 1980s, a therapist named Robert Longo was treating adolescent boys who had committed sex offenses. Their offenses ranged from fondling girls a few years younger than they were to outright rape of young children. As part of their treatment, the boys had to keep journals — which Longo read — in which they detailed their sexual fantasies and logged how frequently they masturbated to those fantasies. They created “relapse-prevention plans,” based on the idea that sex-offending is like an addiction and that teenagers need to be watchful of any “triggers” (pornography, anger) that might initiate their “cycle” of reoffending. And at the beginning of each group session, the boys introduced themselves much as an alcoholic begins an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting: “I’m Brian, and I’m a sex offender. I sexually offended against a 10-year-old boy; I made him lick my penis three times.”

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Overweight Kids face stigma Comparable to Cancer

2007-07-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Overweight children are stigmatized by their peers as early as age 3 and even face bias from their parents and teachers, giving them a quality of life comparable to people with cancer, a new analysis concludes.
Youngsters who report teasing, rejection, bullying and other types of abuse because of their weight are two to three times more likely to report suicidal thoughts as well as to suffer from other health issues such as high blood pressure and eating disorders, researchers said.
"The stigmatization directed at obese children by their peers, parents, educators and others is pervasive and often unrelenting," researchers with Yale University and the University of Hawaii at Manatoa wrote in the July issue of Psychological Bulletin.

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Police Find Cocaine in Off-key Piano

2007-07-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

When a grand piano played an off-key note, drug police in this Caribbean port opened it up and found some 560 pounds of cocaine stuffed inside.
The piano was part of a shipment of household items originating in the capital of Bogota and destined for Panama, police said in a statement Monday.
Authorities were investigating, but had made no arrests. The drugs' value was estimated at $5 million.

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Need a Cigarette and a Cocktail? Just Pop a Pill Instead

2007-07-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

Smoking and drinking are two vices that often go hand in hand (one hand clutching a drink while the other holds a smoke). A decade ago, a study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol indicated that as many as 85 percent of heavy drinkers also light up. Smokers have various aids to help them quit the deadly habit, including varenicline, a drug manufactured by Pfizer that blocks nicotine from releasing the pleasure-associated neurotransmitter dopamine. Now new studies in rats show that it also blocks a craving for alcohol.

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Workers Drinking Heavily to Relieve Job Stress

2007-07-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

STRESSED workers are drinking harmful amounts of alcohol to get over the tension of the job, with hospitality workers at the top of the list.
Researchers at the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction at Flinders University, say they are concerned about an Australian workplace culture of employees overindulging to deal with stress.

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Drinking Will No Longer be an Excuse for Crime

2007-07-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Criminals will no longer be able to blame alcohol for their offending under new laws being planned by ministers determined to tackle drunkenness and violence.
Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, will introduce legislation to state that being intoxicated cannot be used in mitigating pleas for the defence.

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Youths Beaten Up for Drinking and Driving

2007-07-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Three drunken youths, who were driving a car in a reckless manner on VIP Road in Karelibaug, were caught by the public and beaten up before being handed over to the police late on Saturday night. This is the third incident in recent times, where the public has taken law into their hands.

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NCSU Freshmen to Take Alcohol Quiz

2007-07-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

N.C. State University will require incoming freshmen under 21 to take a three-hour alcohol awareness exam before starting classes this fall.

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Addiction Rewrites Brain Circuits

2007-07-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Cocaine addicts have trouble making judgments about rewarding and punishing behaviors, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine found.
“There’s a misconception that addiction is just a problem with your personality or character or you just need to suck it up,” said Dr. Geoffrey Schoenbaum, assistant professor of anatomy and neurobiology and lead researcher on the study. “It’s clear to us now that in people who are addicted, the brain has really been altered in fundamental ways.”

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Alcohol Abuse, Addiction Hits 3 of 10 Americans

2007-07-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

Three out of ten Americans suffer some form of alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction during their lives, according to a new study of drinking and dependency.
Some 12.5 percent of more than 43,000 people surveyed reported having succumbed to alcohol dependence during their lives, including 3.8 percent who had had the problem during the year prior to the 2001-2002 survey.

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Inroads Against Drug Trade Can be Reinforced by Addiction Treatment

2007-07-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime presented a sobering perspective of global drug trafficking and addiction of all types this week. This annual report suggested that production and use aren't getting worse, while law enforcement and interception are making a dent in cocaine and heroin distribution.

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Jesuits Hold Three-day Conference on Drug Addiction

2007-07-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Another conference on Ireland's drug problems is due to get underway in Dublin today.
The Jesuits have organised the three-day meeting on drug addiction in response to bishops' calls earlier this year for a national debate on the issue.
The event is aimed at finding more effective ways of dealing with the problem.
Yesterday, a different conference discussed growing ways to tackle cocaine use in Ireland and the harm associated with the drug.

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Can Friday Classes Stop Drinking?

2007-07-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

MAKE SURE your favorite college student signs up for an early Friday class and you might save him, or her, a few hangovers, say psychology researchers at the University of Missouri in Columbia
A light Friday class schedule may contribute to weekendlike drinking that begins on "thirsty Thursday," said Phillip Wood, professor of quantitative psychology in the College of Arts and Science's Department of Psychological Sciences.

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California Commits to Fixing Prison Addiction Programs

2007-07-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

It would be difficult to imagine a more scathing indictment of a government program than the Inspector General's report earlier this year on California's services for prison inmates addicted to alcohol and drugs.
The programs, the report said, were almost a complete failure. There was no evidence that they were preventing inmates from committing new crimes after their release from prison. And remarkably, inmates who went through some of the programs were returning to prison at higher rates than criminals who got no treatment at all.

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Study: Pill Curbs Alcohol Addiction

2007-07-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Researchers in the US claim a pill designed to stop people from smoking may also curb alcohol addiction.

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Addiction Fuels Prostitution

2007-07-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Drug addiction has a tight grip, and there's no place where it is more evident than in Charlotte's prostitution industry.

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Yale Hosts Historic Conference of Food & Addiction

2007-07-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

In what is believed to be the first meeting of its kind, Yale University is convening nearly 40 experts on nutrition, obesity, and addiction on July 9th and 10th to discuss the controversial topic of food and addiction.

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Does Food 'Addiction' Explain Explosion of Obesity?

2007-07-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Obesity has long been blamed on weak willpower, overeating, genetics and lack of exercise. Now scientists increasingly are seeing signs that suggest there may be an additional contributor: food addiction.

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AA Co-Founders House NY Landmard

2007-07-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

BEDFORD HILLS, N.Y., July 3 — The house tour was nearing an end in this Westchester County hamlet, in a region known for its historic sites, from pre-Revolutionary grist mills to Gilded Age mansions. But as the visitors entered the austere pine-paneled office that once belonged to Bill Wilson, a co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the tour suddenly became a pilgrimage.

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DUI Charges Send Man to Prison for 30 Years

2007-06-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

DUI Charges Send Man To Prison For 30 Years
Wendel Klotz, a 52-year-old Texas resident, was recently sentenced to a 70-year sentence for repeated drunk driving offenses. Furthermore, the sentence carries a 30-year non-parole term. Klotz has been caught driving under the influence eight times in the last 20 years. His last conviction was for the use of a deadly weapon, which was his truck with him drunk and driving. To date he has refused several offers of alcoholism treatment. County District Attorney John Bradley is relieved by the Judge's decision, "We keep getting encouraged and pushed to offer treatment before imprisonment, and Klotz is a perfect example of the county doing just that. But we had to abandon that philosophy before someone got hurt."

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Pub Lollipop Making Right Noises

2007-06-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Drinkers in Angus are to be given lollipops when they leave pubs in a bid to cut down on late night noise.
The idea, which has already been used as an effective silencing tool south of the border, is now coming to Montrose.
The Angus Drugs and Alcohol Action Team, which is behind the plan, said it believes that pub-goers will be less rowdy if they are sucking on sweets.

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Lollipop Painkiller Linked to Addiction, Overdose

2007-06-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

When you think of a lollipop -- candy comes to mind. But Ted Banasiewicz thinks of relief for his excruciating cancer pain.
Ted's battled cancer for nine years and never leaves home without his own kind of lollipop -- a prescription painkiller version called actiq.
"Right now, I carry it with me wherever I go," he said.
The berry-flavored lozenge is fentanyl: 100-times more powerful than morphine. It is absorbed through the cheek and relieves pain in minutes.

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South Africa: Drug Addiction Can Be Prevented, Treated

2007-06-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Drug addiction is an illness that can be prevented and treated, says Deputy Minister of Social Development Jean Swanson-Jacobs, Tuesday.
She said early intervention was important and primary interventions were desperately needed.
"Prevention is intended to help parents, educators, community leaders and any other role players in the field of substance abuse," said Dr Swanson-Jacobs addressing the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking event, in Rustenburg.

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Unified Efforts Needed to Eradicate Addiction

2007-06-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

Government, social organisations and the society should all work towards eliminating addiction from the society, said Dr Narendra Dabholkar, secretary of Satara-based Parivartan Vysan mukti Sanstha.
Speaking at a function held at the Sadhana Media Centre in Shaniwar Peth on Monday on the eve of International Drug and Drug Trafficking Prevention Day, Dabholkar said that at the moment it is alcohol that tops the list of addictives, followed by drugs. “It is a misconception that consuming alcohol and drugs in a controlled manner does not qualify as addiction. Few however know the detrimental effects that these have on one’s physical and mental health,” he said.

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India: Rise in Addicts Concerns Experts

2007-06-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

PATNA: On the occasion of the "World Anti Drugs Day" on June 26, experts expressed their concern over the rising number of young drug addicts in the city in recent years. Until a few years ago, schoolchildren and adolescents using drugs was an uncommon sight. But now a substantial section of the drug addicts comprises of youngsters, said medical director of International Health Organisation, Dr Diwakar Tejaswi. Influence of movies and western culture are the factors which lure youths towards drugs. Moreover, nuclear family system and loneliness contributes to drug abuse among children, he added.

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New Vaccines Help Stop Drug Addiction?

2007-06-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Two new vaccines have been developed to relieve cocaine and methamphetamine addiction also minimize withdrawal symptoms, researchers say. The vaccines cause the body to produce antibodies which attack the drugs in the blood stream, preventing them from reaching the brain and therefore blocking the pleasurable effect of the drugs.

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Drunk Man Breaks Into AA Club

2007-06-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

A 20-year-old Fond du Lac man told police he was “drunk” and being “stupid” when he broke into a building used for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings over the weekend.

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Drinking for Mother Earth With Organic Brewers Fest

2007-06-08T22:44:00.000-07:00

Consuming organic foods is good for you, and good for the environment. Of course it is. Organics are completely free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
But could it be that drinking organic beer lessens your chance of getting a horrendous, throbbing hangover?

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Britain to Launch Anti-Drinking Campain

2007-06-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

A new campaign aimed at creating a more positive attitude toward drinking in Britain is expected to save the government $27 billion in medical and other expenses.
Britain's broad acceptance of excessive drinking is thought to cause health, crime and disorder problems. The government believes the population widely accepts anti-social behavior and consistent drunkenness.

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Binge-Drinking Increases Risk of Violence

2007-06-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

A study of more than 4,000 teenagers in 13 different schools in Britain found that binge drinking increased aggression, but also increased the chance of children becoming the victim of violence, even if they were not violent themselves. According to the Cardiff University study, children who reported drinking monthly were also three times more likely to be hit. Adolescents who drank but didn't get into fights were more likely to be hit than those who did fight.

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Why Not Lower the Drinking Age?

2007-06-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

Why not drink at 18?
As a former college president, John McCardell knows all about binge drinking on campuses. What he wants to do about it might surprise you.

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New York Debates Banning Booze on Railroads

2007-06-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

Report Shows Stats of Drinking Issues on Trains
Almost 1,000 Long Island and Metro-North railroad passengers last year were so drunk they needed medical attention. And about 300 people were ticketed for drinking alcohol and creating disturbances in trains or stations.That's according to The New York Times, which got the statistics from Metropolitan Transportation Authority police.

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Drinking by 8th-graders Sets Off Survey Alarms

2007-06-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Oregon eighth-graders are consuming more and more alcohol while their counterparts across the nation are drinking less and less.
The pattern apparently reflects the drinking habits of their parents -- adults in Oregon consume more alcohol than the national average and rank fourth nationally in alcohol-related deaths, according to a new study by the Oregon Department of Human Services.

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Lawnmower Driver Arrested for DUI - Ticketed for Not Mowing

2007-06-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Due to the failure to pass a field sobriety test, Robert Wendt was jailed for two nights in Illinois, Chicago. Wendt who had previous DUI convictions was pulled over by the police for driving his lawnmower on the wrong side of the road.
When interrogated, Wendt admits to have taken a couple of cans of beer before going for fuel. When stopped by the police, he had 6-pack which was yet to be opened. After his release, he received a ticket for not mowing the lawn.

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Arrested for Drinking and Riding

2007-06-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Two people police say were hoping to avoid drinking and driving chose instead to head home on horseback, and ended up under arrest anyway.

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Anheuser-Busch Brewing Drinking Water

2007-06-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

It's still in a beer can, but Anheuser-Busch is stocking up on high quality drinking water to get ready for the hurricane season."The strategy is to have that water in locations prior to hurricanes so if needed people can get it right away," says Jacksonville Senior Plant Manager Syl Robinson.

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Weird Drinking Laws of the USA

2007-06-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

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DUI: Former Policewoman Blows State Record Alcohol Level

2007-06-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

Recently, a former policewoman who blew a state record alcohol level of .47 on a breath test was released from a Seattle jail for treatment while she faces drunken driving charges.
Deana Jarrett is now attending an alcoholism treatment center in Kirkland. She had been in jail since April pending two other separate drunken driving arrests in Redmond.
Jarrett is a former Seattle police officer. Part of her release conditions are that she wears an electronic monitoring device, not drive a car and not drink alcohol.

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Just Add Water - Student Invent Alcohol Powder

2007-06-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

Dutch students have developed powdered alcohol which they say can be sold legally to minors.
The latest innovation in inebriation, called Booz2Go, is available in 20-gramme packets that cost 1-1.5 euros ($1.35-$2).
Top it up with water and you have a bubbly, lime-colored and -flavored drink with just 3 percent alcohol content.

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Call for Pub alcohol Warnings

2007-06-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

Pubs should put up posters and restaurants include warnings in menus giving information about the number of units in alcoholic drinks, doctors say.
The government announced last month that alcohol labelling will come into force by the end of next year.

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Alcohol Branding Banned on Children's Sports Shirts

2007-06-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

Alcohol branding on children's replica sports shirts is to end following an agreement within the drinks industry that it is unnecessary for logos to be advertised in this manner.

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Study: Liver Cancer Breakthrough Found

2007-06-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

For the first time, doctors said Monday they have found a pill that improves survival for people with liver cancer, a notoriously hard to treat disease diagnosed in more than half a million people globally each year.
The results in a multinational study of 602 patients with advanced liver cancer are impressive and likely will change the way patients are treated, say cancer specialists, including the study authors.

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Bill W. & Dr. Bob Celebrates 100 Performances

2007-06-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

Bill W. and Dr. Bob - a new play about Alcoholics Anonymous founders Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith - will celebrate its 100th performance Off-Broadway at New World Stages (Stage 2, 340 West 50th Street) on Friday, June 1st.

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For Sale: Original Draft Manuscript of AA

2007-06-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

£600K FOR AA BOOK
THE original draft manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous from 1939 is set to fetch up to £605,000 at auction.
Featuring a multitude of revisions and additions by several founders of AA, the working copy is being sold in New York next month. The AA are an international organisation who have helped millions of alcoholics cope with their problems.

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Addiction Services for Veterans

2007-06-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

A new program at the Bath VA Medical Center is addressing the unprecedented number of veterans with addictions.
Addiction officials say sixty seven thousand military men and women who've served in Iraq and Afghanistan now have substance abuse problems.

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DUI Suspect Charged With Bribery

2007-06-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

A Belleair Beach man faces felony charges after two Brevard County Sheriff’s deputies say he offered them $500 to take sobriety tests for him. Mark L. Tearney, 39, is charged with two felony counts of bribery as well as a misdemeanor driving under the influence charge and a citation for speeding in an enhanced penalty zone on Interstate 95.

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Movie Review: Hurbert Selby Jr - It'll be Better Tomorrow

2007-06-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

A good biography will make you regret never meeting the subject. A great biography will make you fall in love. This documentary about author Hubert Selby Jr. falls into the latter category. Cubby, as he called himself, was a warm man who transcended a great deal of pain to create beautiful and lasting art.

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Steady Rise in Deaths from Heavy Drinking

2007-05-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

A steady rise in long-term heavy drinking has led to a doubling of alcohol-related deaths among men over the past decade, according to official figures.
The study of “preventable mortality” found that the rate of alcohol-related deaths had risen sharply among women too, with two thirds more dying of diseases such as cirrhosis over the period.
The rise in alcohol-related deaths is in stark contrast to sharp falls in the rest of the top five “preventable causes of mortality”.

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Drinking Alcohol May Help Protect Agaist Dementia?

2007-05-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Alcohol drinking in moderation may slow progression to dementia in people with mild cognitive impairment, suggests an Italian study published in the May 22 issue of Neurology, a journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Howvever, the study per se did not establish any causal relationship between drinking alcohol and cognitive impairment, meaning that drinking wine or other alcoholic beverages does not necessarily provide any protection against dementia in a particular person.

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Study: College Breeds Alcoholism

2007-05-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

College can be a blast, but it can also create alcoholics. Genetics is known to play a role in the risk of alcoholism. A new study, detailed in the June issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, suggests that college attendance is conducive to and exacerbates the innate predisposition of some young adults to become heavy alcohol users. "If your genetic makeup predisposes you toward drinking, it may be even more enhanced by attending college," said lead scientist David Timberlake, an epidemiologist at the University of California at Irvine.

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Navy Dr. Who Developed 1st Military Treatment for Alcoholism Dies

2007-05-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

Inside a rusted Quonset hut at the Long Beach Naval Station, Dr. Joseph J. Zuska operated a clandestine program, treating sailors for an illness that in the eyes of the Navy did not exist. It was the mid-1960s, a time when alcoholism and its accompanying behavior were treated as violations of Navy policy, punishable by time in the brig. Yet the atmosphere on base and at sea encouraged heavy drinking. The abiding image of the drunk sailor was a reality for many. After a conversation with a retired Navy commander who was also a recovering alcoholic, Zuska began treating the illness as a medical problem. His underground program, the first in the history of the armed forces, eventually earned national acclaim, providing a model for other branches of the military and private industry.

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India's First Condom Bar Opens

2007-05-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

After the advent of theme restaurants, theme bars are next in line with a unique 'Condom Bar' opening its door for curious visitors in Chandigarh.
An initiative of Chandigarh Industrial Tourism Corporation (CITCO) and AIDS Control Society of Chandigarh, the bar is aimed at propagating the message of 'Safe Sex' while creating awareness about HIV/AIDS.

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Appetite-Regulation Peptide Leptin's Influence on Alcohol Craving Confirmed

2007-05-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

A new study published in 'Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research' has confirmed that appetite-regulating peptides leptin and ghrelin influence alcohol cravings for some alcoholics. Craving, a powerful urge to drink, is an important contributor to the development and maintenance of alcoholism.Professor Otto Lesch of the University of Vienna has divided patients of alcohol dependence into four groups- Type 1 that refers to people with heavy alcohol withdrawals who tend to use alcohol to weaken withdrawal symptoms, Type 2 patients use alcohol as self-medication because of its anxiolytic effects, Type 3 which is an affective disorder as origin for alcohol abuse, and Type 4 patients pre-morbid cerebral defects, behavioural disorders and a high social burden.

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Drinking 4 or More Cups of Coffee A Day May Help Prevent Gout

2007-05-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

Coffee is a habit for more than 50 percent of Americans, who drink, on average, 2 cups per day. This widely consumed beverage is regularly investigated and debated for its impact on health conditions from breast cancer to heart disease. Among its complex effects on the body, coffee or its components have been linked to lower insulin and uric acid levels on a short-term basis or cross-sectionally. These and other mechanisms suggest that coffee consumption may affect the risk of gout, the most prevalent inflammatory arthritis in adult males.

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MU Study Finds Binge Drinking Among College Students Impaires Decision-Making Ability

2007-05-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

People addicted to alcohol and young adults who are heavy drinkers, but not considered alcoholics, have something in common: they possess poor decision-making skills, according to psychologists at the University of Missouri-Columbia. The findings are based on research examining binge drinking and heavy alcohol use among college students.

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Cardinals Ban Alcohol in Clubhouse

2007-05-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

But La Russa unimpressed since 'guys don't stay in the clubhouse to drink'
The St. Louis Cardinals banned alcohol from the clubhouse on Friday, five days after the alcohol-related fatal accident of pitcher Josh Hancock.

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Man Cited for DWI at McDonald's Drive-through

2007-05-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

A man who was a little slow in picking up his fast food has been charged with drunk driving. Police said they found Terrance Forte, 32, asleep behind the wheel in the drive-through lane at a McDonald's restaurant.
Restaurant employees called police about 12:30 a.m. Saturday after waiting 15 minutes for Forte to drive from the first window to the second window in the drive-through.

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Man Busted for Drunk Driving in Wheelchair

2007-05-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

A wheelchair-bound German stunned police when they pulled him over for using the road and found he was 10 times over the legal alcohol limit for drivers.
"He was right in the middle of the road," said a spokesman for police in the northeastern city of Schwerin Tuesday. "The officers couldn't quite believe it when they saw the results of the breath test. That's a life-threatening figure."

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Hershey Sues Man Who Made Pot Candy

2007-05-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

It was a big enough bummer for Kenneth Affolter when he was sentenced to more than five years in prison for making pot-laced treats and soft drinks. Now he faces the wrath of a candy giant.
The Hershey Co. has sued Affolter, 40, for giving his marijuana goodies names like Stoney Rancher, Rasta Reese's and Keef Kat. Each came in packaging similar to Hershey's Jolly Rancher, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Kit Kat candies, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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Crime of Stupidity Hatched From Treatment Center

2007-05-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

Pair who hatched bomb treat get prison.
The idea seemed a long shot at best: One man would call police and accuse his friend of carrying a bomb in hopes the arresting officer would rough up the suspect enough to support a lawsuit.

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Scots Are Worst Boozers

2007-05-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

SIX of the 10 worst places for people too ill to work because of boozing are in Scotland, a survey has revealed.
Inverclyde tops the UK list with more than one in 200 of its workers claiming incapacity benefits due to alcoholism.

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Bar Patrons Get Tow-Truck Taxis in Ill.

2007-05-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

This new taxi service doesn't come cheap, but it may be a bargain compared to the price of a drunk-driving arrest.

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Bank Robber Stops for a Beer

2007-05-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

Clearly, beer was more important than freedom. An accused bank robber only made a half-hearted getaway in Orange County.

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Positive Info About VIVITROL for the Treatment of Alcoholism

2007-05-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

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Addiction Illuminates Concept of 'Free Will'

2007-05-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Whether humans possess free will or whether their actions are determined by something outside their conscious control is one of the most persistent problems in philosophy.
In a lecture May 9, Steven E. Hyman warned his audience that he would not attempt to resolve the issue of free will in an ultimate sense. He did, however, have some fascinating insights regarding a special instance of the free-will dilemma — namely, the neurochemical mechanisms that result in the loss of free will when a person becomes addicted to drugs.

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Passing On Afghanistan's Addiction

2007-05-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Afghanistan remains infamous as an exporter of opium. However, opium use within the country is just as rampant, with perhaps one million addicts in the country, according to the UN, of whom more than 600,000 are under the age of 15.

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Rehab Centers, Big Business in India

2007-05-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: A number of de-addiction centres have sprung up across the country following a rise in the incidence of alcoholism. In the absence of a mechanism to monitor such centres, doctors caution against quacks out to make a fast buck.

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