How Hope Can Make You Happier With Your Lot in Life
Having hope for the future could protect people from risky behaviors such as drinking and gambling — according to new research from the University of…
Addiction
Brains of Binge-Drinkers Have to Work Harder to Feel Empathy for Others
People who binge-drink show more extensive dysfunction across their brains than previously realized, a new study from the University of Sussex has shown. The research…
New Research Shows Every Week of COVID Lockdown Increases Harmful Binge Drinking
Study participants who regularly drank at harmful levels shown to consume six drinks per session, compared to two alcoholic beverages for those less regular binge…
Breathing Problems in Teens: COVID-19 or Vaping Lung Injury?
Vaping-related lung injury and COVID-19’s shared symptoms can be confusing. A UC Davis Health pediatric team presented a powerful case series of three teenagers who…
Data From Over 80,000 Samples Shows Cannabis Strength Soared Over Past 50 Years
Largest study on how cannabis has changed over time finds increased strength putting consumers at greater risk of harm. New research shows that over the…
Simple New Method Is Proven to Accelerate Elimination of Alcohol From the Body
A Potential Game-Changer to Reverse Alcohol Intoxication A staggering 3 million deaths occur every year as result from harmful use of alcohol, according to the…
Too-Little Sleep Can Increase the Rewarding Properties of Cocaine, Paving Way to Addiction
Sleep deprivation increases rewarding properties of cocaine through motivation peptide. Sleep deprivation may pave the way to cocaine addiction. Too-little sleep can increase the rewarding…
Contrary to Some Claims, Cannabis Use Appears to Encourage, Not Replace, Opioid Use
Contrary to some claims, people in the U.S may not be substituting cannabis for opioids, according to new research at Columbia University Mailman School of…
Clubs Closed During COVID-19 Pandemic? Partygoers Turn to Virtual Raves and Happy Hours
Social distancing during COVID-19 creates new contexts for drug use. People have traded in nightclubs and dance festivals for virtual raves and Zoom happy hours…
Scientists Built a Simulated Sea Slug – It Quickly Became Addicted to an Intoxicating Drug
Scientists built a computer model of a simple brain network based on that of a sea slug, taught it how to get food, gave it…
Opioid Overdose Deaths May Be Grossly Underestimated: Many Found to Be Misclassified As Sudden Heart Attacks
Findings suggest that national estimates of opioid overdose burden may be grossly underestimated. A 7-year comprehensive study of deaths attributed to out of hospital cardiac…
Motherhood Overrides the Brain’s Decision-Making – Prioritizes Offspring Over Cocaine
Infralimbic cortex prioritizes offspring over drugs, promotes maternal behavior in rats. Motherhood takes over the brain’s decision-making regions to prioritize caring for offspring, according to…
New Molecule Offers Renewed Hope for Treatment of Pain, Anxiety, Stress, and Depression
Novel molecule targets a newly discovered opioid receptor with atypical properties and holds promise for alternative therapeutic strategies. Researchers at the Department of Infection and…
Loneliness May Make It Harder to Quit Smoking
In a study published today (June 15, 2020) in Addiction, University of Bristol researchers have found evidence for a causal link between prolonged experience of…
Even ‘Low-Risk’ Alcohol Drinking Can Result in Hospitalization and Death
It’s not just heavy drinking that’s a problem — even consuming alcohol within weekly low-risk drinking guidelines can result in hospitalization and death, according to…
Marijuana Concentrates Boost THC Levels but Not Impairment – Mobile Lab Offers First Glimpse of Real-World Use
Smoking high-potency marijuana concentrates boosts blood levels of THC more than twice as much as smoking conventional weed, but it doesn’t necessarily get you higher,…
Call for Expanded Fentanyl Testing by Hospitals After Drug Tops Fatal Overdose List
University of Maryland researchers launch the Maryland Emergency Department Drug Surveillance (EDDS) System — call for expanded fentanyl testing by hospitals. A new University of…
Sex Differences in Alcohol Abuse: Fluctuating Estrogen Levels May Make Alcohol More Rewarding
Fluctuating estrogen levels may make alcohol more rewarding to female mice, according to new research in JNeurosci. Untangling the involved signaling pathways could unveil sex-based treatments…