Optogenetics approach reveals how alcohol use disorder impairs cognitive flexibility
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects about 400 million people worldwide and is a leading cause of serious illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease and stroke. Beyond these physical impacts, AUD profoundly ...
Dec 20, 2024
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Carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, and it's killing people
Drug overdose deaths in the US have finally begun to abate. Between June 2023 and June 2024, they fell by 14%. However, deaths from a drug used to sedate large animals, called carfentanil, rose by at least 720% between the ...
Dec 19, 2024
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U.S. life spans rebound from pandemic lows, helped by drop in fatal overdoses
After years of decline, U.S. life expectancy is finally on the rise again for the first time since 2019, new government research shows.
Dec 19, 2024
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A THC breathalyzer? Research could lead to reliable cannabis breath test
Law enforcement will be out in force this holiday season, with saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints on the lookout for impaired drivers.
Dec 19, 2024
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US Department of Justice alleges CVS facilitated unlawful sales, violating federal opioid regulations
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a civil complaint against CVS Pharmacy Inc., accusing the nation's largest pharmacy chain of unlawfully filling prescriptions for highly addictive opioids and violating federal ...
Dec 19, 2024
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Screening with telephone-based intervention reduces risky alcohol use in Texas study
Researchers from Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin successfully implemented a screening and telephone-based intervention program for unhealthy alcohol use at a large Federally Qualified Health Center ...
How to protect your skin from the effects of alcohol during the holidays
You might notice an uptick in your drinking habits, now that the holiday season is in gear. The gatherings and celebrations that are filling your schedule often include alcohol as a part of the festivities.
Dec 18, 2024
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Q&A: Should pharmacists be moral gatekeepers?
Since the opioid epidemic was declared a public health crisis in 2017, it has claimed the lives of nearly half a million Americans. High-profile cases like that against Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family put the focus on ...
Dec 17, 2024
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Alcohol prescribing for severe withdrawal: What the research shows
In rare and severe cases of alcohol withdrawal, one NHS trust is prescribing alcohol to treat patients. A specialized team at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust prescribes carefully controlled doses of alcohol ...
Dec 17, 2024
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Alcohol, adolescents and parental perceptions
New research led by Flinders University is expanding the understanding of parents' attitudes towards supplying alcohol to their underage children.
Dec 17, 2024
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Missing rebound: Youth drug use defies expectations, continues historic decline
Adolescent drug use continued to drop in 2024, building on and extending the historically large decreases that occurred during the pandemic onset in 2020.
Dec 17, 2024
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Study finds federal needle exchange programs reduce health care costs and blood-borne infections
The World Health Organization has set a target of reducing hepatitis C infections to fewer than two per 100 people who inject drugs per year as part of an elimination strategy for hepatitis C. In 2024, Canada unveiled its ...
Dec 16, 2024
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Naloxone can temporarily reverse opioid overdose: Why you might need some at home or in your bag
Opioids are some of the most widely used and misused drugs in the world.
Dec 16, 2024
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Hepatitis C in Australia has more than halved in less than a decade, says report
In 2023, there were an estimated 68,890 people living with hepatitis C in Australia, down 58% from 162,590 at the end of 2015, according to a new report released by the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney.
Dec 16, 2024
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Opioid abuse can change the brain
"This is your brain on drugs," the old anti-drug admonition says, and now a new study has found there's something to that chestnut.
Dec 15, 2024
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Been drinking and your heart's fluttering? You may have 'holiday heart'
It's the time of year for workplace Christmas parties, and gatherings with family and friends. Maybe you'll drink a lot in one go.
Dec 15, 2024
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What is the drug captagon and how is it linked to Syria's fallen Assad regime?
After the fall of the al-Assad regime in Syria, large stockpiles of the illicit drug captagon have reportedly been uncovered.
Dec 14, 2024
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Older Australians turning to cannabis as cigarette prices rise, research shows
New research from Curtin University has revealed increasing cigarette prices over the past several years have seen more older Australians turn to cannabis use as an alternative. "Cannabis and tobacco: substitutes and complements" ...
Dec 13, 2024
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Georgia lawmakers consider making opioid alternatives more affordable
A panel of Georgia lawmakers is considering introducing legislation next year forcing insurance companies to cover the cost of alternatives to opioid pain medications as a way to further address problems with the addictive ...
Dec 13, 2024
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Data reveal U.S. overdose deaths fell 17% in just one year
In news that suggest the U.S. opioid epidemic may be easing, drug overdose deaths fell 17% between July 2023 and July 2024.
Dec 12, 2024
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FDA asks Biden administration to limit nicotine in tobacco products
In what appears to be a last-ditch effort to limit the harms of smoking before its term ends, the Biden administration has proposed a rule that would significantly lower the amount of nicotine in tobacco products.
Dec 12, 2024
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Mexican Congress adopts ban on e-cigarettes
Mexico's Congress on Wednesday approved a constitutional reform banning the production, distribution and sale of e-cigarettes, joining a widening clampdown on a device promoted as less harmful than smoking.
Dec 12, 2024
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AI can help us choose words more carefully when talking about addiction
Drug addiction has been one of America's growing public health concerns for decades. Despite the development of effective treatments and support resources, few people who are suffering from a substance use disorder seek help. ...
Dec 11, 2024
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