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How many opioid overdoses are suicides?

Mady Ohlman was 22 on the evening some years ago when she stood in a friend’s bathroom looking down at the sink.

28 Mar 2018

Frequent and public opioid users may be best candidates for naloxone training

In response to America's opioid crisis, public health departments and community organizations across the country have started to train opioid users to reverse overdoses in other users with the opioid-blocker naloxone.

26 Mar 2018

USC researchers create algorithm to optimize substance abuse intervention groups

When it comes to fighting substance abuse, research suggests the company you keep can make the difference between recovery and relapse. So, while group intervention programs can play an important role in preventing substance abuse, especially in at-risk populations such as homeless youth, they can also inadvertently expose participants to negative behaviors.

23 Mar 2018

Fingerprint test accurately and noninvasively detects heroin, cocaine users

A fingerprint test published today in AACC's Clinical Chemistry journal can tell whether someone has taken heroin or cocaine, and accurately distinguishes between drug users versus individuals who were exposed to drug residue in the environment.

23 Mar 2018

Congress tackles the opioid epidemic. But how much will it help?

The nation's opioid epidemic has been called today's version of the 1980s AIDS crisis. In a speech Monday, President Donald Trump pushed for a tougher federal response, emphasizing a tough-on-crime approach for drug dealers and more funding for treatment.

20 Mar 2018

School, body-image pressure, and worries affect young girls' mental health

More and more young girls seek help for mental problems. "Generally, girls take things more seriously than boys. This applies to school, friends, and family," says researcher Anders Bakken.

14 Mar 2018

Opioid maker funds efforts to fight addiction: Is it ‘blood money’ or charity?

A program to give naloxone overdose-antidote kits and training to front-line officers. Funding for pill disposal boxes in pharmacies, clinics and police stations across North Carolina. A radio campaign in Connecticut warning of the dangers of opioid abuse. A new medicine to treat opioid-induced constipation.

14 Mar 2018

Heavy smoking linked to higher risk of psychoses

Smoking at least ten cigarettes a day is linked to a higher risk of psychoses compared to non-smoking young people. The risk is also raised if the smoking starts before the age of 13. This has been shown in a study led by Academy Research Fellow, Professor Jouko Miettunen. The results were recently published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.

12 Mar 2018

No-go for Idaho: Back to the drawing board on state-based health plans

No, you can't. That's what federal officials told Idaho regulators and the state's governor late Thursday regarding the state's plan to allow insurers to sell health plans that fall short of the Affordable Care Act's requirements.

9 Mar 2018

Health care revamped at L.A. county jails

Michael Callahan, an outgoing 43-year-old carpenter, landed in a Los Angeles County jail last September because of what he said were "bad decisions and selling drugs."

8 Mar 2018

While talk about opioids continues in DC, addiction treatment is in peril in states

Opioids were on the White House agenda Thursday — President Trump convened a summit with members of his administration about the crisis. And Congress authorized funds for the opioid crisis in its recent budget deal — but those dollars aren’t flowing yet, and states say they are struggling to meet the need for treatment.

5 Mar 2018

Public perception of health risks posed by smoking may be declining, study says

About 3 out of 4 Americans agree that smoking cigarettes causes health problems, but public perception of the risks posed by smoking may be declining, according to a Duke Health study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

27 Feb 2018

Reformulating vaccines to prevent relapse

Substance abuse, particularly opioid abuse, is an ongoing issue in the U.S. While treatments such as drug counseling and a handful of medications to combat withdrawal symptoms and cravings exist, the fear and risk of relapsing is real.

21 Feb 2018

Trump administration proposes rule to loosen curbs on short-term health plans

Insurers will again be able to sell short-term health insurance good for up to 12 months under a proposed rule released Tuesday by the Trump administration that could further roil the marketplace.

20 Feb 2018

Cannabis use triggers schizophrenia and other psychiatric issues

Schizophrenia and other psychiatric issues may be triggered by marijuana use, according to a research analysis in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

12 Feb 2018

Expert lists 5 common indications that a co-worker could be suffering from addiction

Alcohol and drug-related deaths continue to be a problem in the UK, with the Office for National Statistics reporting that the number of people dying from alcohol and drug abuse has continued to increase over the last decade.

12 Feb 2018

QUT researchers identify drug that could reverse brain deficits caused by alcohol

Queensland University of Technology researchers have identified a drug that could potentially help our brains reboot and reverse the damaging impacts of heavy alcohol consumption on regeneration of brain cells.

8 Feb 2018

Study accurately estimates prevalence of FASD in the United States

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine found a significant number of children across four regions in the United States were determined to have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

7 Feb 2018

Community health centers caught in ‘Washington’s political dysfunction’

As lawmakers face another deadline this week for passing legislation to keep the federal government open, one of the outstanding issues is long-term funding for a key health care safety-net program.

5 Feb 2018

1 in 7 patients at risk for persistent opioid use after lung surgery

While the use of opioids after surgery is intended as a short-term strategy to relieve pain, many patients who weren't prior opioid users continue to take the medication for several months after their lung operations, becoming dependent and "persistent opioid users," according to research presented today at the 54th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

30 Jan 2018