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As of November 1, 2003 the latest Alcoholism and Substance Abuse feature articles are posted on this page.
10/29/03 - 'Dog-on-a-Chip' Could Replace Drug-Sniffing Canines
Police dogs across the country could soon be out of work, replaced by an electronic "dog-on-a-chip" that sniffs out cocaine and other narcotics.
10/28/03 - Workshops Planned for Faith-Based Groups
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will hold a series of conferences, workshops and technical assistance meetings to help remove unnecessary barriers that may prevent these organizations from receiving federal funding.
10/27/03 - Does the .08 BAC Standard Work?
The National Highway Transportaion Safety Administration completed three studies of the effects of lowering the illegal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit from .10 percent to .08 percent.
10/27/03 - New Zealand's Only Residential Treatment Center Closes
Due to a decision by the Ministry of Health to fund only outpatient services for the treatment of alcoholics and addicts, New Zealand's only remaining drug and alcohol rehabilitation center will close it doors next month.
10/24/03 - Alcohol Consumption Connected to Education, Income
A study by the Norwegian Institute for National Health has linked greater alcohol consumption to higher education and higher income. People who have more education and more money drink more than uneducated and poorer people, the research shows.
10/24/03 - Heavy Drinking Linked to Surgical Infections
A Spanish study has found that surgery patients who are heavy drinkers run a much greater risk of developing infection after surgical procedures that those who do not drink.
10/23/03 - Substance Abuse Treatment Expanded for HIV Patients
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will administer $157 million in 115 grants over five years to fund substance abuse prevention and treatment services for people with or at risk of HIV.
10/22/03 - Shape of Glass Affects How Much People Drink
Drinkers will pour more into short wide glasses than into tall slender glasses, but perceive the opposite to be true, according to study of teens, adults and bartenders.
10/20/03 - Princess Diana Foresaw Her Death?
The cause of the automobile crashed that killed Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed Aug. 31, 1997 has been called into question again after contents of a letter written by the Princess 11 months before the accident was revealed by her confidant and butler, Paul Burrell.
10/16/03 - Young Female Drinkers - You're a Target!
The rise in alcohol consumption among young women, especially in the United Kingdom, is prompting the alcohol industry to come up with new ways to attract female drinkers worldwide with new marketing approaches that will "create new drinking occasions and new opportunities."
10/19/03 - Grants To Fight Ecstasy, Club Drugs
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is funding 12 local programs aimed at preventing use of Ecstasy and other club drugs with Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000 grants.
10/16/03 - Repeated Detox Can Impair Cognitive Function
A study of the cognitive function of chronic drinkers has found that the number of detoxifications that alcohol dependent patients experience contributes significantly to frontal-lobe impairments.
10/16/03 - Adult Alcoholism, ADHD Connected
Adults with ADHD have a significantly higher risk for alcohol dependence and genetic factors contribute very little to the connection, according to a published study.
10/16/03 - Adolescent Binge Drinking Produces Tolerance
A study of adolescent rodents revealed that a binge pattern of alcohol consumption can significantly hamper normal growth and alter brain function and lead to alcohol problems later in life.
10/15/03 - Alcohol's Drug Properties Reinforce Its Effects
A Binghamton University study has found that alcohol's reinforcing properties during rodent infancy are due to its pharmacological effects and smell and taste are not as important for youngsters.
10/15/03 - Grants to Provide Treatment for Women
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced grants of $8.9 million over three years to provide quality residential substance abuse treatment services for pregnant women and mothers with young children up to twelve months.
10/14/03 - Marijuana May Impair Male Fertility
Men who smoke marijuana frequently have significantly less seminal fluid, a lower total sperm count and their sperm behave abnormally, all of which may affect fertility adversely.
10/13/03 - Few Treatment Programs for Designed for Elders
Fewer than one in five existing substance abuse programs in the United States offers services specifically designed for older adults, according to a University of Iowa investigation.
10/13/03 - Heavy Alcohol Consumption Linked to Colorectal Cancer
Researchers report that people who drink at least 9 glasses of alcoholic beverages made with distilled spirits per week for more than 10 years are much more likely than nondrinkers to develop colorectal cancer or premalignant polyps.
10/08/03 - Correcting Mispeceptions Can Curb Student Drinking
A unique new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study concludes that correcting widespread misperceptions about how much other students drink helps to reduce drinking, especially heavy consumption.
10/06/03 - Court Lets Stand 'Crack Mom' Conviction
The U.S. Supreme Court has let stand the homicide conviction of a South Carolina woman who was found guilty of killing her unborn child by continuing to smoke crack cocaine while she was pregnant.
10/06/03 - Adolescent Treatment Programs Funded
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced 22 awards totaling $16.2 million over three years to increase the effectiveness of alcohol and drug abuse treatment for adolescents.
10/05/03 - DUI Crackdown Drastically Reduces Deaths
A crackdown against drunken driving on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana has resulted in a huge reduction in highway deaths related to alcohol -- with only one-tenth of the number of deaths this year compared to a year ago.
10/04/03 - College Alcohol Policies Work If Strictly Enforced
A study by Harvard researchers of alcohol policies adopted in Massachusetts after the highly publicized deaths of two students in 1997 show that they do cut down on college drinking rates, but only if they are strictly enforced by the schools.
10/04/03 - Drug Policy Office Fine Tuned by U.S. House Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives last week voted to extend the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for five more years, but fine tuned some of the areas targeted by anti-drug campaigns.
10/03/03 - Only 21 Percent Get Treatment for Alcohol Only
Nearly half of all 1.1 million people receiving treatment for drug or alcohol addiction were in treatment for both drug and alcohol abuse according to the 2002 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment.
10/03/03 - Penatal Cocaine Exposure Study Funded
During the next five years, Case Western Reserve University psychologist Lynn Singer, Ph.D., and her research collaborators will track one of the largest groups of cocaine-exposed children in the nation at 9, 10, 11 and 12 years of age.
10/02/03 - Grants to Help Improve Treatment Access
Department of Health and Human Services has launched 13 cooperative agreements totaling $7.7 million over 3 years to improve client access to substance abuse treatment and retention in treatment.
10/02/03 - New Jersey Fails to Make DUI Deadline
New Jersey will lose $7.2 million in federal highway funds this year alone because state legislators failed to pass a low to lower the legal blood alcohol standard for drunken driving from .10 to .08.
9/30/03 - Louisiana Finally Lowers DUI Standard
Two years ago when the Louisiana legislature passed a .08 blood alcohol standard for drunken driving, it set the date to begin enforcing the new standard to the latest possible date without losing federal highway funds.
9/29/03 - How Effective Are Current EAPs?
While more than 80 million Americans now have access to Employee Assistance Programs, little current scientific research exists to determine how well these employer-paid benefits are serving workers with alcohol problems.
9/28/03 - U.K. Needs Higher Legal Drinking Age, Expert Says
One of Britain's leading authorities on addiction is recommending that the government increase the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 and place warning labels on all alcohol beverage containers due to a rising drinking problem in the nation.
9/27/03 - Youth Anti-Drug Ads Are Working
The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study reports that the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign affects teen attitudes on drug use by making teens less likely to try or use drugs.
9/27/03 - Judge Orders Stickers on Drunken Drivers' Bumpers
A Pensacola FL judge has come up with another idea to deter drinking and driving by ordering bumper stickers placed on the vehicles of convicted drunken driver that read, "How's my driving? ... The judge wants to know!"
9/26/03 - Synthetic Drug Abuse Soaring UN Warns
The first-ever United Nations global survey on ecstasy and amphetamines reveals a striking picture of increase in production, trafficking and abuse of synthetic drugs worldwide.
9/25/03 - Treatment Insurance Coverage Falls Short
Employer-based health insurance plans often don't provide the treatment for alcoholism and other drug addictions that is mandated by state law, a new analysis has found.
9/25/03 - Youth Anti-Drug Programs Funded
Governors' offices in 14 states and territories will receive State Incentive Grants to reduce illegal drug, alcohol and tobacco use among children, youth, and young adults.
9/23/03 - Epilepsy Drug Holds Promise For Cocaine Treatment
A preliminary clinical trial funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests a drug used to treat epilepsy may offer a potentially effective treatment for cocaine addiction.
9/22/03 - NIDA Prevention Guide Re-Released
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has released its newly updated publication Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders, Second Edition.
9/22/03 - Drug Injection Facility Sees Potential Problems
Health Canada guidelines and possible police surveillance may end up scaring away the very people North America's first sanctioned safer injecting facility is intended to help.
9/20/03 - New Generation of Drunks -- Young Professional Women
A British government report says that young professional women are among the country's most prolific drinkers -- twice as likely to drink at least five days a week and drinking greater quantitites than other women.
9/20/03 - Nevada Finally Gets .08 DUI Standard
After years of trying, Nevada's new .08 blood alcohol standard for drunken driving will go into effect next week. The legislation was passed this year after more than a decade of debate in the state assembly.
9/19/03 - Judy L's Story
I was blessed with Alateen fellowship at a recent Al-Anon area conference and they have encouraged me to act on my concerns for my children's future by hugging them, loving them, and sharing recovery with them today.
9/19/03 - Colombia Cocaine Crop Drops Drastically
Aerial eradication of Columbia's coca fields has cut the current crop size by 32 percent since January, according to a report released by the United Nations. The United States sponsors the spraying.
9/18/03 - Childhood Abuse Linked to Alcoholism
New research on seven Native American tribes suggests that tribe members who were abused or sent away to school as children are more likely to have problems with alcohol later in life.
9/18/03 - Cigarettes, Marijuana Linked for Teens
Teens who smoke cigarettes are 14 times likelier than their counterparts who have never smoked to try marijuana, six times likelier to be able to buy marijuana in an hour or less and 18 times likelier to say most of their friends smoke marijuana.
9/18/03 - Domestic Violence Varies by Ethnicity
Black and Hispanic couples are two to three times more likely to report male-to-female and female-to-male partner violence than white couples, according to research at the University of Texas Houston School of Public Health.
9/18/03 - Women Get Worse Hangovers Than Men
University of Missouri-Columbia researchers have found that women not only get drunk on less alcohol than men but they also suffer worse hangovers.
9/17/03 - Tall Paul's Story
What I have come to believe is that it doesn't matter how old you are, how much you drank or used, the color of your skin, what you believe or don't believe, you can practice these principles of life.
9/16/03 - Cheap Prices Encourage Binge Drinking
A study by the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study found a strong association between the presence of these promotions and higher rates of heavy drinking on college campuses.
9/16/03 - Alcohol Compounds Its Damage to the Brain
A compounded set of lesions caused to the brain by drinking alcohol may work together to disadvantage both types of functions according to research at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
9/16/03 - Drinking Doubles Risk of Colon Cancer
A study by a Japanese cancer center of 58,000 men and women has found that men who drink alcohol regularly are twice as likely to develop colon cancer that men who do not drink at all.
9/15/03 - Heart Risk Greater for Women Drinkers
Some female alcoholics experience more severe cardiovascular effects from heavy alcohol drinking than those observed in male alcoholics and these effects are noted at an earlier stage of drinking and at a lower consumption level than those noted in men.
9/14/03 - Chronic Drinking Increases Stress Harmone
Researchers find that long-term chronic drinking produces an increase in cortisol both during intoxication and withdrawal which can have health implications for sleep disruption, cognitive deficits, diabetes, and mood disturbances.
9/10/03 - Congress Gets Landmark Underage Drinking Reports
Two long-awaited studies on underage drinking were presented to Congress this week, setting off a flurry of efforts to encourage lawmakers to act on recommendations to address the problem, which costs the nation an estimated $53 billion annually.
9/10/03 - Wisconsin Gets Tough on Meth
Wisconsin has passed a new law that gets tough -- very tough -- on methamphetamine users. The law makes first-time possession or even attempted possession of meth a felony offense.
9/09/03 - Deception In Reporting About Alcohol's Benefits
Most individuals, even health professionals, do not take the time to check out the accuracy of the reports, so they go unchallenged. Often it is not revealed that the study was funded by the alcohol industry.
9/07/03 - Teen Drinking Sets Pattern for Life
Teens who binge drink run the change of becoming alcohol dependent later in life -- as early as their mid-20s -- according to a 10-year study of 2,000 teenagers in Australia.
9/07/03 - MADD Donates New Technology to Police
In the future, drunken drivers who have wrecks or cause injuries may have their version of the incident refuted by new technology that records the speed, RPMs, acceleration, brakes and other functions of their late-model vehicles.
9/06/03 - Household Survey - 22 Million Substance Abusers
In 2002, an estimated 22 million Americans suffered from substance dependence or abuse due to drugs, alcohol or both, according to the newest results of the Household Survey released by SAMSHA.
9/06/03 - Adolescent Pot Use Declines
The 2002 household survey found that marijuana is the most commonly-used illicit drug, used by 14.6 million Americans. There was a decline in the number of adolescents under age 18 initiating use of marijuana.
9/06/03 - Pain Killer Abuse Increases
Use of pain relievers non-medically among those ages 12-17 increased from 9.6 percent in 2001 to 11.2 percent in 2002, continuing an increasing trend. This rate was 6.8 percent in 1992.
9/05/03 - Office-Based Addiction Therapy Successful
Buprenorphine therapy allows physicians to treat patients for addiction in their offices in the same manner that other people are treated for other chronic illnesses.
9/04/03 - The Importance of Family Dinners
The number of teens who have regular family dinners drops by 50 percent as their substance abuse risk increases sevenfold, according to a survey of 12 to 17 year olds released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.
9/04/03 - National Drug Education Program Launched
To raise awareness about the effects of drug use on the most vulnerable populations - children and adolescents - Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America is partnering with the National Institute on Drug Abuse to release a new drug abuse education effort.
9/03/03 - Binge Drinking a 'Unhealthy' Pattern
How you drink alcohol can influence the risk of heart disease by affecting the accumulation of abdominal fat - a body characteristic shown to be an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
9/02/03 - College Uses Drug Dogs to Search Dorms
After finding a methamphetamine lab in a dormitory room last February, the University of Alabama at Birmingham decided to keep the drug dogs around this fall to continue checking on-campus dormitories.
9/01/03 - Ecstasy Can Harm Unborn Children
Researchers have found that exposed in the womb to the drug Ecstasy during the first trimester in human pregnancy can cause changes in brain chemistry and behavior.
8/30/03 - Drug Use Perpetuates Compulsive Behavior
New research shows that exposure to stimulant drugs such as amphetamine or cocaine can impair the ability of specific brain cells to change as a consequence of experience.
8/29/03 - Diuretic May Help Cocaine Addicts
A diuretic commonly used to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure may improve brain blood flow in cocaine addicts, according to a study in the August 2003 issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
8/28/03 - ERs See Rise in Drug-Abuse Cases
Narcotic pain medications implicated in drug-abuse related emergency room visits rose 20 percent from 2001 to 2002, according to new estimates from the Drug Abuse Warning Network.
8/27/03 - Sensation-Seeking Behavior in Alcoholic Men
New research has found a genetic link between the a specific dopamine receptor gene and sensation seeking among male alcoholic patients.
8/27/03 - Education Level Linked to Treatment Outcomes
A study has found that educational attainment may be able to predict relapse following alcohol treatment. Those who are less educated are more likely to return to drinking.
8/26/03 - Internet Boosts Sale of Illegal Drugs
Web sites based outside the United States that sell illegal drugs on the Internet pose a significant public health risk and a real problem for law enforcement officials, a Pennsylvania School of Medicine study says.
8/25/03 - New Nashville Music CD Celebrates Recovery
A new music CD from Nashville country music artists promotes recovery from drug and alcohol addiction while also benefiting treatment and recovery programs while including some of the finest country songs of the past 40 years.
8/25/03 - Navy's Anti-Drug Effort Proves Effective
When the U.S. Navy began its random drug testing for all personnel in 1982 the rate of positive samples was 7.21 percent. After 21 years of the urinalysis screenings, less than one half of one percent now come back positive.
8/24/03 - Maine Teen Drug Use Bucks National Trend
It's not the teens with extra spending money who are more likely to drink and drug, Maine officials say, it's the kids from less affluent section of the state who have a higher rate of substance abuse.
8/23/03 - Emergency Visits Increase for Underage Drinkers
In the past five years, the number of children seeking treatment for over drinking in emergency departments have increased from 33 to 50 percent, a survey of 50 British hospitals revealed.
8/23/03 - Alcoholism Treatments Under-Used in Australia
Although acamprostate and naltrezone are readily available and inexpensive under government subsidies to help Australians reduce alcohol cravings, only one in 30 alcoholics are prescribed the medication a published study reports.
8/22/03 - Kids Get Booze from Family, Friends
Most underage drinkers get their alcohol from family and friends according to a recent survey commissioned by The Century Council, which is funded by alcohol distillers.
8/21/03 - Teen Pitfalls - Stress, Boredom, Extra Money
The risk that teens will smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs increases sharply if they are highly stressed, frequently bored or have substantial amounts of spending money.
8/20/03 - Gene Shown to Influence College Drinking Habits
Researchers have identified a genetic factor that may predispose young people to consume more alcohol per occasion, drink expressly to become drunk, and engage in binge drinking more than students without the gene variant.
8/20/03 - Peggy's Story
If you read this and you think you have a problem, chances are you do. Please do not let your fear and your denial get in the way of your recovery. I did not live to live life without drugs. I lived so that I could help others like myself.
8/19/03 - Five Ways Parents Can Reduce Teen Risk
The risk that teens will smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs increases sharply if they are highly stressed, frequently bored or have substantial amounts of spending money, according to a survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. What can parents do?
8/19/03 - Program Helps Repeat DUI Offenders
Instead of sending them to jail, officials in Las Vegas are dealing with repeat drunken driving offenders by putting them into a program that puts them under house arrest for six months, requires weekly counseling and alcohol testing, and installs an ignition interlock device on their vehicles.
8/18/03 - Top Party School: University of Colorado
A six-year effort to reduce drinking by University of Colorado students apparently has failed miserably. The school was named the "Top Party School" in the annual Princeton Review's survey of 100,000 students at U.S. colleges.
8/17/03 - Sleep Problems in Recovering Alcoholics
Alcoholics can continue to have sleep problems for many months after they quit drinking, problems with sleep onset may be more pronounced than with sleep maintenance, and many alcoholics had sleep problems that predated the onset of alcohol dependence.
8/16/03 - Meth Treatment Takes More Time
People who use or abuse methamphetamine do not necessarily need specialized treatment but do need more time in intensive outpatient or residential drug treatment than currently occurs.
8/15/03 - Some Concerned About Possible NIAAA-NIDA Merger
Although many observers agree that a merger of the National Institute on Drug Abuse be combined with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism would be more efficient, others think the move could put alcoholism researchh on the back burner.
8/14/03 - Brain Region That Triggers Relapse Pinpointed
Relapse among recovering drug addicts can now be linked to specific nerve cells in a particular region of the brain, according to researchers. The discovery may help pave the way for new addiction therapies and intervention strategies.
8/13/03 - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
A professor of clinical pediatrics says the term "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome" does not go far enough in describing all of the possible effects of drinking while pregnant and may cause misunderstanding among pregnant women about the dangers.
8/13/03 - Buprenorphine Proves Promising for Heroin Addiction
Buprenorphine, a new drug being used to treat heroin addicts instead of methadone, is showing signs of working better than any past treatment and some professionals believe it will drastically change recovery rates.
8/12/03 - Network Helps Alcoholics Overcome Stigma
The Missouri Recovery Network is an organization of recovering people, their families and professional counselors that advocates for fair treatment in the workplace, in the health system and other areas of society.
8/12/03 - Companies Cut Down on Booze Parties
Due to the lowering of the blood alcohol level standard for drunken driving and more liability lawsuits holding them accountable, many companies are cutting back or eliminating altogether alcohol at company events.
8/12/03 - Faith-Based Groups Help Ex-Offenders
Faith-based groups play an informal but significant role in helping released offenders rebuild their lives, but could be more effective if communications were improved with existing social service agencies.
8/11/03 - U.S. Teens Face Addiction, PTSD, Depression
A new study of America's adolescents finds that roughly 16 percent of boys and 19 percent of girls met the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive episode and substance abuse.
8/10/03 - Sobriety High School
Dakota County, Minneapolis will become the latest of about 20 communities in the United States to open a charter school designed to keep students who are in recovery from alcohol and drugs away from their substance abusing friends.
8/9/03 - Children's Program Kit
The Children's Program Kit is a valuable resource for treatment providers and prevention centers that aim to help children make sense of what they've been experiencing, cope with the stresses of their families' problems, and strengthen their potential for resilience.
8/8/03 - Court Endorses Warrantless Searches in Meth Cases
A federal appeals court has ruled that police can conduct a warrantless search of a building if they merely smell would could be a methamphetamine laboratory.
8/8/03 - Prescribing Heroin Can Help Treatment-Resistant Addicts
Supervised prescription of a combination of methadone plus heroin is feasible, safe, and effective in reducing the many physical, mental, and social problems of heroin addicts, according to Dutch researchers in the British Medical Journal.
8/7/03 - Addiction Relapse Similar to Other Chronic Diseases
Relapse following treatment for drug and alcohol addiction is common, predictable and preventable, according to a research report by the Caron Foundation, one of the nation's oldest and largest addiction treatment centers.
8/7/03 - Is Your Child at Risk to Use Drugs?
Teens who crave an especially great degree of stimulation and excitement have a much greater risk for drug and alcohol abuse. Fortunately, sensation seeking can be channeled into healthy outlets.
8/7/03 - Video Doctor Is Always In
The video doctor, a computer-based multimedia program to help real doctors reduce smoking and alcohol use among their patients, is unobtrusive and patient friendly.
8/6/03 - Alberta Intoxilyzers Target Drunk Drivers
A British consulting firm has reported that 79 percent of U.K. businesses report suffering from poor performance and increased absenteeism by employees due to their alcohol consumption.
8/5/03 - Underage Drinking - A Major Public Health Challenge
By the time they reach the eighth grade, nearly 50 percent of adolescents have had at least one drink, and over 20 percent report having been drunk. Approximately 20 percent of 8th graders and almost 50 percent of 12th graders have consumed alcohol within the past 30 days.
8/4/03 - Alcohol Consumption Affecting Workplaces
A British consulting firm has reported that 79 percent of U.K. businesses report suffering from poor performance and increased absenteeism by employees due to their alcohol consumption.
8/3/03 - Co-Payments Higher for Treatment Patients
A survey of 434 managed care plans in 60 market areas found that patients receiving substance abuse and mental health services often had to make a higher copayment or pay a higher share of allowed charges than did patients receiving general medical care.
8/3/03 - Integrating Medical-Drug Treatment Cost Effective
Integrating substance abuse treatment with primary care may be cost-beneficial and provide a better quality of care for substance abuse patients with medically related problems, researchers have found.
8/3/03 - Drugs of Abuse May Cause Similar Brain Changes
Certain drugs of addiction and stress appear to produce similar changes on dopamine signaling, which may play a role in addiction. This also may contribute to the effects of stress on drug seeking and relapse.
8/2/03 - Synthetic Drugs a Global Threat
The head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime says that inexpensive and easily produced synthetic amphetamine-type stimulants are the largest narcotics problem most nations will face in the future and could create a "generation of vegetables."
8/2/03 - Genetics, Environment Have Little Impact on Choice of Drugs
Drug abuse has a strong hereditary component; however, new research suggests genetics and shared environment have little impact when it comes to selecting a particular illegal drug.
8/2/03 - Meth Abuse May Cause Functional Abnormalities in the Brain
New research findings indicate that methamphetamine abuse may result in functional changes in the brain that are similar to those seen in people with degenerative brain diseases.
8/1/03 - The Effects of Abusing Legitimate Drugs
Overuse and abuse of prescription opioid drugs can have harmful ramifications for their legitimate and appropriate use. A balanced approach is needed so programs developed to reduce and prevent such abuse do not deter physicians from prescribing these drugs for appropriate patients, a new study says.
8/1/03 - Back to the Drawing Board for Interlock Devices
In 2001 Pennsylvania passed a law requiring convicted drunk drivers to install ignition interlock devices on their vehicles, but when the Commonwealth Court balked at enforcing the law, the effort failed.
7/31/03 - Japan Faces Growing Alcohol Problems
In hopes of reducing a suspected increase in alcoholism in Japan, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is conducting the country's first nationwide study on the hazards of alcohol consumption on health and human relations.
7/30/03 - Women Seek Recovery Later Than Men
Female alcoholics develop problems with alcohol sooner than men, but wait later than their male counterparts to see help for their problem, according to an official with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences in India.
7/28/03 - Panel Advises Combining NIDA and NIAAA
A report from a committee of the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, at the request of Congress, has recommended that the National Institute on Drug Abuse be combined with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
7/28/03 - Washington State Toughens DUI Laws
New traffic laws went into effect in Washington State this week that will make it more difficult for drivers to crank their automobiles -- by forcing them to install ignition interlock devices -- if they are caught driving under the influence.
7/28/03 - Drug Deaths Increase Dramatically
Deaths attributed to illegal drug use in Boston have increased 76 percent from 1998 to 2001 and health officials expect the trend will continue in 2003, due to the availability of cheaper and more potent heroin on the market..
7/28/03 - Government to Ban Ephedra?
The Food and Drug Administration is considering banning products that contain ephedra due to indications that it may have been a factor in dozens of deaths, but since these products are dietary supplements, and not drugs, the agency may have a difficult time justifying the ban.
7/28/03 - Wyoming Court Refuses Rehearing
The Wyoming Supreme Court turned down a family's request to revisit its ruling upholding a law that limits the responsibility of bartenders and other employees who serve alcohol. The family had sued the bar that served the drunk driver who killed their son.
7/27/03 - College Drinking Prevention Not Working
A new report released by the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study has found no drop in student drinking on university campuses that use social norms marketing techniques in their prevention efforts.
7/27/03 - Drinking Rarely Discussed During Medical Visits
Despite heavy use of medical and mental-health services by problem and dependent drinkers, doctors and mental-health professionals often do not address alcohol consumption during visits.
7/26/03 - Tobacco Plants Used to Treat Meth Addiction?
Researchers at the University of Arkansas are attempting to use tobacco plants as DNA portein "factories" to produce an agent that could later be extracted and used to treat people who are addicted to methamphetamine.
7/26/03 - Naltrexone Test Set for Schizophrenic Alcoholics
The rate of alcoholism in people who have been diagnosed as schizophrenics is much higher than in the general population, and a New York psychiatrist plans research to see if Naltrexone is effective in treating the problem.
7/25/03 - Pregnant Women Not Getting the Message
Women are still not getting the message about the dangers of drinking and drugging while pregnant. In a national survey of 1,200 pregnant women, more than 54 percent said they had used alcohol or tobacco during their pregnancies, and three percent said they had used an illicit drug.
7/25/03 - Court Asked to Rethink Bars' Liability
A Wyoming family that lost their 20-year-old son to a drunk driver has asked the state Supreme Court to reconsider a split decision it made last month that alcohol servers cannot be held liable for their customers' actions once they leave a bar.
7/25/03 - U.K. Doctors Want Alcohol Warning Labels
A dramatic rise in deaths from cirrhosis in the U.K. has prompted 500 of Britain's leading liver specialists to call on the government to publish alcohol warnings on all drinking containers.
7/25/03 - California's Proposition 36 Not Retroactive
California's Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act cannot be applied retroactively to drug offenders who were charged before the voter-passed Proposition 36 actually became law, the state Supreme Court has ruled.
7/25/03 - Removing Addicts SSI Benefits Failed, Researchers Say
Addicted individuals were once eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income from the U.S. government if they sought treatment, but in 1996 Congress decided if they quit paying addicts $500 a month they would have to go back to work. Did it work?
7/24/03 - Underage Drinking Troubles Parents
Two-thirds of parents say that seeing and hearing alcohol ads make teens more likely to drink alcohol, and almost three-quarters of parents say that alcohol companies are not doing enough to limit the amount of alcohol advertising that teens see.
7/24/03 - Alcohol Industry Responds to CAMY Survey
Distilled Spirits Council President Peter Cressy claims the distilled spirits industry is and has been a leader in working with communities to stop illegal drinking by those under the legal purchase age.
7/21/03 - Alcoholics' Suicide Risk Increases With Age
At least one-third of individuals who commit suicide also meet criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence. Now a study has found that middle-aged and older alcoholics are at greater risk for suicide than young alcoholic adults.
7/19/03 - Chromosomal Regions Linked to Alcoholism
A study has identified three chromosomal regions in the human genome that appear to hold genes that affect low response to alcohol. Researchers hope this will lead to finding the specific genes linked to alcoholism.
7/18/03 - Valerie's Story
I stopped eating and finally ended up in ER a couple of times before they diagnosed the liver failure and the rest. I was dying. The doctors just gave up and shipped me off to a county hospital to die. There I was given Last Rites twice.
7/17/03 - Drinking May Worsen Hepatitis C Infection
By studying molecular mechanisms in cell cultures, researchers help explain the role of alcohol in aggravating hepatitis C infection and interfering with drug treatment for the infection.
7/16/03 - New Resource to Help Older Adults
These new materials will help providers in the aging services community better cope with issues related to medications, alcohol and emotional problems among older people, and learn how best to provide the knowledge and support they need to deal effectively with these issues.
7/15/03 - Ingredients of Effective Alcohol Treatment
Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, a research-based project at George Washington University Medical Center, has identified 13 active ingredients of effective alcohol treatment.
7/11/03 - Identifying Elderly Alcoholics
Less than half of alcoholics over 65 are diagnosed, a Penn State study has shown, because often the telltale signs of alcohol dependence are masked by patient denial and seeming good health.
7/10/03 - SAMHSA Releases Emergency Planning Grants
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced the release of nearly $3.5 million to help 35 state governments develop effective mental health and substance abuse response systems for use in response to both natural and man-made emergencies.
7/8/03 - Don's Story
That started the last run. I was in a black out off and on for the next 90 days. The rent check bounced, I lost $1,000. I woke up and looked in the mirror and knew that it was life or death.
7/6/03 - Nicotine-Patch Works, If You're Sober
Research indicates that nicotine replacement therapy works as well for smokers with long-term sobriety as it does for smokers without a history of alcoholism. Options for recently sober alcoholics are still unclear, however.
7/5/03 - Pot Doesn't Cause Permanent Brain Damage
An analysis of research studies with long-term, recreational users of marijuana has failed to reveal a substantial, systematic effect on the neurocognitive functioning of users.
7/3/03 - You Drink & Drive - You Lose
With an increase of alcohol-related traffic fatalities reported during the 4th of July holiday, the U.S. Department of Transportation has launched a nationwide crackdown on drunk drivers -- supported for the first time ever with an $11 million advertising campaign.
7/2/03 - Publish Your Personal Recovery Story
Publish your personal story of recovery on the About Alcoholism / Substance Abuse site. If you have found recovery through the 12 step programs or some other approach, your story may help others find their way into recovery.
7/1/03 - Put the Latest News on Your Web Site
Now you can put the latest news and headlines from the About Alcoholism / Substance Abuse site on your own web site by copy-pasting a few links of HTML code. Click this headline for details and instructions.
6/24/03 - Access to Recovery
The new $200 million Access to Recovery initiative will provide people seeking drug and alcohol treatment with vouchers to pay for a range of appropriate community-based services.
6/23/03 - AMA Supports Anabolic Steroids Restrictions
The American Medical Association House of Delegates has called for a ban on the sale of over-the-counter dietary supplements containing anabolic steroid-like ingredients and its precursors.
6/21/03 - Alcohol Facilitates Aggression
A study of drinkers' facial expressions of anger finds that drinking alcohol may place those individuals with a tendency toward anger at greater risk of becoming aggressive.
6/20/03 - Ecstasy Linked to Long-Term Brain Damage
University of Adelaide researchers have found that ecstasy taken on a few occasions could cause severe damage to brain cells, with the potential to cause future memory loss or psychological problems.
6/19/03 - Taste Test May Identify Alcoholism Risk
Individuals with a paternal history of alcoholism rate salty solutions as less pleasurable and sour solutions as more intense and less pleasurable than individuals with no paternal history of alcoholism.
6/18/03 - Teens More Vulnerable to Addictions
Adolescents are more vulnerable than any other age group to developing nicotine, alcohol and other drug addictions because the regions of the brain that govern impulse and motivation are not yet fully formed.
6/17/03 - Alcohol Damages Day-To-Day Memory
A study at the University of Teesside in the United Kingdom finds that heavy alcohol consumption has a negative impact on day-to-day memory.
6/16/03 - Anti-Drug Ads Work, Study Says
A new study that shows teens who see or hear anti-drug ads at least once a day have significantly stronger anti-drug attitudes and are up to 38 percent less likely to use drugs.
6/15/03 - Moonshine Still Causes Health Problems
Moonshine continues to thrive and according to a physician at the University of Virginia Health System, it can cause serious health problems in those who abuse it.
6/14/03 - Marijuana Interferes With Attention
Sustained attention to timing-tasks was substantially altered in laboratory rats when they were given a synthetic cannabinoid - a compound similar to the naturally occurring one in marijuana.
6/12/03 - Online Recovery Survey Results
People from every geographic area and all age groups use the Internet to recover from the effects of alcoholism in their lives or in their families, but online recovery services users are twice as likely to be female.
6/10/03 - Fighting for Insurance, Rights
Proposed legislation to stop discrimination by insurers of people with addiction disorders was called "our civil rights act" by Johnson Institute President Johnny W. Allem.
6/7/03 - Drinking Increases HIV Progression
Recent research has found that HIV-infected patients with a history of alcohol problems, who are receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy, and are currently drinking, have greater HIV progression than those who do not drink.
6/6/03 - Lobeline May Help in Meth Treatment
Lobeline, a drug with a long history of use in smoking cessation programs, may be a potential treatment for methamphetamine abuse.
6/4/03 - Prevention Guidelines for Parents
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention recently launched A Family Guide To Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy & Drug Free, a comprehensive Web site that provides pertinent prevention information and guidelines.
6/3/03 - Cocaine Treatment Reduces HIV Risk
Treatment for cocaine addiction, including HIV-risk-reduction counseling, may be an effective strategy for preventing HIV infection.
6/2/03 - Anti-Nicotine Drug Could Help Alcoholics
A new study has found that mecamylamine reduces the self-reported stimulant and euphoric effects of alcohol in humans, and also decreases their desire to drink more.
6/1/03 - Cocaine Linked to Heart Problems
Chronic cocaine users have elevated levels of serum CRP, which are associated with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis and cardiac abnormalities.
5/27/03 - How Women Recover From Addiction
Women who recover from drug and alcohol addiction may not kick the habit just for their children or because they have a sudden "wake up call" about their problem, according to a study of former female addicts.
5/26/03 - Inhalant Abuse a Growing Problem
Inhalant abuse, also known as "huffing," is a rapidly growing health problem, particularly among young people. However, little is known about how inhaled chemicals affect the brain and body.
5/22/03 - Cocaine - Reversing the Brain Changes
Increasing the number of glutamate receptors using extinction training may help ease cravings for cocaine during abstinence and also help prevent relapse.
5/20/03 - Alcohol Abuse Damages Regulating Hormones
New research indicates that changes in hormones that regulate electrolyte and water balance in the body may not only account for some withdrawal symptoms but persist over long periods of strictly controlled abstinence.
5/19/03 - Intoxication Lasts Longer Than You Think
A study has confirmed that not only does alcohol impair executive cognitive functioning but, surprisingly, this effect is more pronounced on the descending rather than the ascending trajectory of the blood alcohol concentration curve.
5/18/03 - New Treatment Option for Heroin Addiction
An alternative drug therapy to methadone for the treatment of heroin addiction -- using buprenorphine -- is proposed by Swedish authors of a new study.
5/17/03 - Finally, A Pill for Alcoholism?
In what is being called a major scientific advance and a landmark discovery which could change the direction of alcoholism treatment, scientists have found that an anti-seizure drug is highly effective in helping alcohol-dependent individuals stop drinking.
5/15/03 - Cocaine May Play Role in Depression
A study by researchers from the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center suggests that chronic cocaine use may cause damage to brain cells that help produce feelings of pleasure, which may contribute, in part, to the high rates of depression.
5/14/03 - New Changes to the Web Site
This week the About Alcoholism site officially became the Alcoholism / Substance Abuse site after coverage provided under the former Substance Abuse site was combined with Alcoholism. What do these changes mean?
5/14/03 - Dangerous Season for Teens
More than one-third of youth under the age of 21 killed in alcohol-related fatalities in 2001 died during the months of April, May and June - prom and graduation season - according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
5/10/03 - Ecstasy Linked to Long-Term Brain Damage
University of Adelaide researchers have found that ecstasy taken on a few occasions could cause severe damage to brain cells, with the potential to cause future memory loss or psychological problems.
5/7/03 - Early Drinking a Warning Sign
Children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to suffer employment problems, abuse other drugs, and commit criminal and violent acts once they reach young adulthood.
5/6/03 - Resource for Teens - CheckYourself.com
The "Check Yourself" campaign is designed to lead 15- to 18-year-old recreational drug and alcohol users to reconsider their relationships with their substances of choice and ultimately curtail their use.
5/1/03 - Alcoholism - Risk Factor for Suicide
New research findings linking alcoholism as an established risk factor for suicide demonstrate the need for suicide risk recognition and prevention efforts targeted to middle- and older-adults with alcohol dependence.
4/28/03 - A.A. Works Best, Study Says
Individuals who were encouraged to cut down on their drinking by fellow Alcoholics Anonymous members were three times more likely to be abstinent a year after their first treatment for alcoholism, compared to individuals who received no support.
4/23/03 - Marijuana - FAQs for Teens
These questions compiled by the National Institute on Drug Abuse are the most asked by teens concerning marijuana.
4/23/03 - Dr. Nora D. Volkow Named New Director of NIDA
National Institutes of Health Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., today announced the appointment of Nora D. Volkow, M.D., as the new director of the NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse.
4/21/03 - Parents, It's Not Your Fault!
Are you sick of being told that everything that goes wrong with your child is your fault? The one who can respond, is the one who is responsible.
4/20/03 - Alcohol Not Always Linked to Risky Choices
A common assumption that alcohol intoxication always causes people to make risky decisions may not be correct, says a University of Toronto researcher.
4/20/03 - Drinking Dangerous for Driver and Passengers
Vehicle crash victims who have alcohol in their systems at the time of the crash suffer worse injuries, and are more likely to sustain a severe injury, than those who haven't been drinking, a new study finds.
4/17/03 - Losing Brain Function
A research study has found that the alcohol-damaged brain appears to compensate for alcohol-induced damage by "recruiting" other, unexpected brain regions, up to a point.
4/14/03 - Beverly Watts Davis to Head CSAP
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Administrator Charles G. Curie announced that Beverly Watts Davis has been appointed director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.
4/13/03 - Surgeon General to Visit Schools
U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona will visit a school in all 50 states to talk with students about the importance of making healthy choices and avoiding alcohol and drugs.
4/12/03 - Youth Hear More Radio Ads for Booze
America's youth heard more beer and distilled spirits commercials on the radio in 2001 and 2002 than did people of legal drinking age, according to a report released by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth.
4/8/03 - National Alcohol Screening Day
On April 10, nearly 4,000 sites across the country will offer free, anonymous screening for alcohol problems, information on the health consequences of at-risk drinking, and the opportunity to discuss personal risk.
3/27/03 - Online Step Study Group
Those interested in learning more about the 12-step program of recovery, or take the steps themselves, are now able to join small study groups which will meet in the chat rooms at the About Alcoholism site.
3/21/03 - Drinking Can Impair Sense of Smell
New research has found that even alcoholics without amnesia or dementia -- or Korsakoff's syndrome -- also have olfactory deficits.
3/20/03 - Neighborhoods Influence Alcohol Sales
Research has found that successful underage purchases are related to neighborhood racial and ethnic composition, population density, and clerk/server characteristics.
3/16/03 - Alcohol Increases HIV Susceptibility
Binge drinking appears to increase the host's susceptibility to SIV/HIV infection, according to research done with animals at the University of Louisville.
3/12/03 - African-American Drinking Patterns More Deadly
A study by Alcohol Research Groups finds that alcohol consumption does not seem to have protective effects for African Americans, and its authors suggest this may be due to different drinking patterns.
3/11/03 - Gene Linked to Alcoholics' Heart Problems
Some alcoholics can drink mostly what they want and their hearts stay perfectly fine. For others, chronic alcoholism can have devastating effects, including a form of heart failure.
3/10/03 - Drinking Linked to Disability
Men and women over the age of 50 are more likely to be disabled if they have a persistent history of problem drinking, according to a Duke University study.
3/9/03 - Drinking May Affect Adherence to HIV Medication
An under-recognized phenomenon may affect medication adherence among individuals with HIV -- problem drinking. Reseachers say HIV patients should be screened for drinking problems.
3/8/03 - Evaluating Treatment Outcomes
An analytical method for evaluating alcoholism treatment suggests more ways to define success than strictly going cold turkey. The method may help provide some nuance to traditional approaches, the results of a case study suggest.
3/7/03 - Gene Discourages Alcoholism in Jews
A new study suggests that genes, not religion, may help explain why Jews generally have fewer problems with alcohol than Caucasians in general.
3/6/03 - Jewish Students Less Like to Binge
A study by the Center for the Advancement of Health examines the relationship between religious variables and binge drinking among Jewish and non-Jewish college students.
3/5/03 - Spring Break Alcohol Ads Removed
One popular Spring Break destination for U.S. college students has removed any mention of alcohol from its promotional and advertising material after it was criticized last year in a report from the American Medical Association.
3/4/03 - More Bars Means More Drinking
New findings from the Harvard College Alcohol Study confirm a strong correlation between frequent and risky drinking behavior among students and a high saturation of alcohol outlets within two miles of their campuses.
3/3/03 - Gene Linked to Anxiety in Women
Researchers have identified a genetic factor that appears to influence anxiety in women which could be a warning signal for developing alcoholism.
2/26/03 - Most Buy Alcohol for Misuse and Abuse
Underage drinking and adult excessive drinking accounts for most of the alcohol consumed in the U.S., according to research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.
2/21/03 - Genetic Alcohol-Pain Link Found
Researchers have uncovered a genetic explanation for why some individuals and groups may be especially susceptible to consuming alcohol and to increasing their consumption in response to stress.
2/15/03 - Standard Youth Treatment May Not Be Enough
While many adolescents reduce their alcohol use and have fewer related problems following treatment, a significant proportion continue to drink and/or use other drugs, have poor relations with family and friends, and experience academic problems.
2/14/03 - Social Drinkers Can Blackout Too
Blackouts while intoxicated are not limited to alcoholic drinkers and females are more likely to experience blackouts than males, according to a survey of college students conducted by Duke University.
2/4/03 - Key to Alcohol Consumption?
Brain molecules similar to the active compound in marijuana help to regulate alcohol consumption, according to new reports by scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
2/2/03 - 'Healthy Drinking' Controversy
A report in the New England Journal of Medicine has stirred up a long-standing controversy over alcohol's health benefits and spawned a considerable amount of media attention.
1/31/03 - Barret Robbins - Off Center
Barret Robbins, the Oakland Raiders' Pro Bowl Center who missed Super Bowl XXXVII after not showing up for team meetings the day before the game, was apparently a victim of self-medication.
1/30/03 - Drinking Increases Physical Abuse
Men who drink alcohol and have a predisposition for physical violence toward their female partners are more likely to be violent on the days they drink alcohol, according to a study.
1/29/03 - Teens Prefer to Talk to Mom
When it comes to talks about serious subjects such as alcohol and drugs, U.S. teens apparently believe that mother knows best, a Penn State expert says.
1/17/03 - Alcohol's Effects on Testosterone
A new study in the January issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has found that acute administration of alcohol can induce a rapid increase in plasma and brain concentrations of testosterone.
1/16/03 - New Generation of Drunks
A study from the Washington University School of Medicine confirms that more-recently born individuals have higher rates of alcohol dependence than their elders.
1/15/03 - Drinking While Pregnant
Fifteen percent of women taking part in a study in southeastern Michigan drank alcohol during their pregnancies, although most of the women report drinking only one drink or less each week, new research finds.
1/11/03 - Prevention Support Tool Gets Upgrade
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) recently released enhancements to its updated online Decision Support System.
1/7/03 - The Abortion Link
Women who have had abortions are more likely to drink and use illicit drugs during subsequent pregnancies carried to term than women delivering their first pregnancies, according to a new study.
1/3/03 - SAMSHA Plans New Partnership Grants
SAMHSA plans to create two new Performance Partnership Grant programs with states to replace Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Community Mental Health Services Block Grants.
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