Benzodiazepines and “Z-Drugs” Increase Death Risk When Taken With Opioids
A new study by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers of more the 400,000 Medicare patients taking medications for insomnia found that the risk of death…
Addiction
Weeding Out the Truth: Cannabis May Be Linked to Development of Opioid Use Disorders
The idea that cannabis is a ‘gateway drug’ to more harmful substances such as opioids is controversial, yet has substantially impacted drug policy, education, and…
Moderate Alcohol Use Linked With Higher Cancer Risk
A new study from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), published in the journal Lancet Oncology, has found an association between alcohol…
Alarming Discovery: Freshwater Methamphetamine Pollution Turns Brown Trout Into Addicts
Human pollution is often evident from oil slicks and plastic drifting on shore, but many of the drugs that we consume also end up washing…
Autistic People More Likely to Use Recreational Drugs to Self-Medicate
While autistic individuals are less likely to use substances, those who do so are more likely to self-medicate for their mental health symptoms, according…
New Research Suggests a Link Between Cannabis Use and Suicide in Young Adults
National Institutes of Health study suggests a link between cannabis use and higher levels of suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt. An analysis of survey data…
Vitamin D Deficiency Strongly Exaggerates the Craving for and Effects of Opioids – Supplements May Help Combat Addiction
Vitamin D deficiency strongly exaggerates the craving for and effects of opioids, potentially increasing the risk for dependence and addiction, according to a new study…
Higher Alcohol Content Craft Beer Popularity Growing As Overall Beer Consumption Down
Americans are consuming more craft beer with higher alcohol content but are drinking less beer by volume, according to a new analysis led by epidemiologists…
Alcohol Companies Earn Billions From Underage Drinking
Underage youth consumed $17.5 billion worth, or 8.6 percent, of the alcoholic drinks sold in 2016. Products from three alcohol companies — AB Inbev, MillerCoors…
“The Robot Made Me Do It” – Robots Can Encourage Risk-Taking Behavior in People
New research has shown robots can encourage humans to take greater risks in a simulated gambling scenario than they would if there was nothing to…
Cocaine’s Effect on the Brain: New Research on Fruit Flies Shows Impact at the Cellular Level
Study lays groundwork for developing drugs to treat or prevent addiction in humans and provides contextual framework for future research. New research from the Clemson…
“Diseases of Despair” Have Soared in the US Over the Past Decade
Suicidal thoughts/behaviors among under 18s up by 287%, and by 210% among 18-34 year olds. ‘Diseases of despair’, such as substance abuse, alcohol dependency, and…
How US Recreational Cannabis Legalization Could Change Illegal Drug Markets
A study published in the scientific journal Addiction today (May 17, 2021) provides the most comprehensive evidence to date of the association between recreational cannabis…
Can We Make Opioids Less Addictive? [Video]
Opioids are the most powerful painkillers we have, but they’re incredibly addictive. Tens of thousands of people in the U.S. die of an opioid overdose…
Smartphone Breathalyzer Alcohol Testing Devices Vary Widely in Accuracy
Some failed to detect users were over legal driving limit more than half the time, Penn medicine research finds. Alcohol-impaired driving kills 29 people a…
Body’s Natural Pain Killers Can Be Enhanced – Works With Fewer Side Effects Than Opioids
A study in cells and mice finds compound works with fewer side effects than opioids. Fentanyl, oxycodone, morphine—these substances are familiar to many as a…
PsychLight: Genetically Encoded Sensor to Enable Discovery of New Psychiatric Drugs
A genetically encoded sensor to detect hallucinogenic compounds has been developed by researchers at the University of California, Davis. Named psychLight, the sensor could…
Doctors Deadly Warning for People With Heart Rhythm Disorders Over Cannabis Use
A study of 2.4 million hospitalized cannabis users has found that those with an arrhythmia were 4.5 times more likely to die while in hospital…