Addiction News

April 15, 2024

Top Headlines

A Deep Dive Into the Genetics of Alcohol Consumption

Apr. 5, 2024 — Some people have genes that protect them from alcohol abuse. An examination of databases at 23andMe reveal that those same alcohol-protective variants have associations with conditions and behaviors that may have nothing to do with ...

Even Moderate Alcohol Usage During Pregnancy Linked to Birth Abnormalities

Apr. 2, 2024 — Researchers have found that even low to moderate alcohol use by pregnant patients may contribute to subtle changes in their babies' prenatal development, including lower birth length and a shorter duration of ...

Risk Factors for Faster Aging in the Brain Revealed in New Study

Mar. 27, 2024 — Researchers have used data from UK Biobank participants to reveal that diabetes, traffic-related air pollution and alcohol intake are the most harmful out of 15 modifiable risk factors for ...

Mar. 27, 2024 — The couple that drinks together might live longer together, too, says a University of Michigan ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:47pm EDT

Low Social Status Increases Risk of Health Problems from Alcohol Problems

Mar. 20, 2024 — Men and women with lower income or education levels are more likely to develop medical conditions related to alcohol abuse compared to similar individuals with a higher socioeconomic status, ...

Delta-8-THC Use Reported by 11% of 12th Graders in 2023

Mar. 12, 2024 — Approximately 11% of 12th-grade students across the United States reported past-year use of delta-8- tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC, or delta-8 for short), according to an analysis of data from ...

'Study Drugs' Set the Stage for Other Drug Use and Mental Health Decline

Mar. 11, 2024 — Taking 'study drugs' like Adderall without a diagnosis is not only dangerous in itself, but can lead to other drug use and a decline in mental health, according to new ...

Link Between Adversity, Psychiatric and Cognitive Decline

Mar. 1, 2024 — Scientists have been examining the relationship between childhood adversity, and psychiatric decline as well as adult adversity and psychiatric and cognitive ...

Cannabis Use Linked to Increase in Heart Attack and Stroke Risk

Feb. 28, 2024 — More frequent use of cannabis was associated with higher odds of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, finds new ...

Continued Cocaine Use Disrupts Communication Between Major Brain Networks

Feb. 28, 2024 — New research provides new insights into the brain processes underlying cocaine addiction. The findings are crucial for developing new therapeutics and identifying an imaging marker for cocaine use ...

Modifying Brain Molecule Relaxin-3 Can Potentially Reduce Side Effects in Treating Anxiety, Depression and More

Feb. 20, 2024 — A team of researchers has found a potential way to treat conditions like depression and anxiety with fewer side ...

New Study Reveals Dynamic Impact of Nicotine on Brain Regions Responsible for Reward and Aversion

Feb. 13, 2024 — A new study sheds light on the intricate interplay of brain regions involved in nicotine's effects on the human ...

Erectile Dysfunction Drugs May Be Linked to Reduced Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

Feb. 7, 2024 — The drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction may also be associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study ...

Researchers Uncover Potential Non-Opioid Treatment for Chronic Pain

Jan. 31, 2024 — A new approach to treating neuropathic pain is making a key step forward. Neuropathic pain is among the most difficult types of pain to alleviate and current treatments are often ineffective. ...

Crackdown on Illicit Drugs Detects Rise in 'Designer' Drug Substitutes

Mar. 25, 2024 — As authorities crack down on illicit drugs, experts have issued an alert on the use of the synthetic stimulant pentylone, as new research finds a 75% increase in detections across ...

Laws That Punish Drug Use During Pregnancy Likely Lead to Worse Health Outcomes for Families, Study Finds

Mar. 18, 2024 — Contrary to some claims, laws that criminalize or otherwise punish drug use during pregnancy are more likely to worsen rather than improve health outcomes. The study is the first to systematically ...

A Closer Look at Cannabis Use and Binge Eating

Feb. 13, 2024 — New research examined how often people experiencing binge eating are also using cannabis recreationally, and whether patients who use cannabis experience more severe eating disorder symptoms or ...

Removing Largest Serving Sizes of Wine Decreases Alcohol Consumption, Study Finds

Jan. 18, 2024 — Across 21 licensed premises in England, removing the largest individual serving size of wine from the menu reduced the volume of wine sold, according to a new ...

Reduced Drug Use Is a Meaningful Treatment Outcome for People With Stimulant Use Disorders, Study Shows

Jan. 10, 2024 — Reducing stimulant use was associated with significant improvement in measures of health and recovery among people with stimulant use disorder, even if they did not achieve total abstinence. This ...

Scientists Give New Insight Into a Molecular Target of Alcohol

Jan. 8, 2024 — By investigating a molecule in the brain tied to cellular communication, scientists uncover important information about the proteins that do -- and do not -- influence alcohol drinking ...

Drugs Used to Treat Type 2 Diabetes Reduce Alcohol Cravings, Use in Individuals With Obesity

Jan. 8, 2024 — An analysis of those posts, together with a remote study of individuals with obesity who reported using semaglutide and tirzepatide, found that the drugs decreased cravings and reduced alcohol ...

Human Beliefs About Drugs Could Have Dose-Dependent Effects on the Brain

Jan. 3, 2024 — Mount Sinai researchers have shown for the first time that a person's beliefs related to drugs can influence their own brain activity and behavioral responses in a way comparable to the ...

Health Impacts of Abuse More Extensive Than Previously Thought, Research Says

Dec. 11, 2023 — Partners and children who are subject to domestic abuse are more likely to experience certain physical and mental health effects than previously thought, according to a new ...

Addicted to Your Phone? New Tool Identifies Overuse of Digital Media

Dec. 5, 2023 — A new tool will make it easier for clinicians and researchers to measure digital media addiction as new technologies emerge. ...

Study Identifies Peptide as Key Mediator in Heavy Alcohol Drinking

Dec. 1, 2023 — Researchers have identified that a peptide called pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP), is involved in heavy alcohol drinking. In addition, they have discovered that this ...

Combined Use of Alcohol and THC Can Affect Rat Brains, Study Finds

Nov. 30, 2023 — The increased legalization of cannabis over the past several years can potentially increase its co-use with alcohol. Concerningly, very few studies have looked at the effects of these two drugs when ...

Genomic Study Links Cannabis Abuse to Multiple Health Problems

Nov. 20, 2023 — A new analysis of the genomes of more than 1 million people has shed light on the underlying biology of cannabis use disorder and its links to psychiatric disorders, abuse of other substances such as ...

Reducing 'Vivid Imagery' That Fuels Addiction Cravings

Nov. 14, 2023 — New research shows promise in treating addiction cravings by combining eye movements and guided instructions to process memories. Researchers transformed dysfunctional memories stored in the brain ...

A Thyroxine Derivative Enhances Brain Drug Delivery

Nov. 8, 2023 — A new study shows that the delivery of drugs into the brain, and especially into glial cells, can be enhanced with prodrugs that temporarily incorporate thyroxine or a thyroxine-like ...

Researchers Identify Brain Network That Is Uniquely Activated Through Injection Vs. Oral Drug Use

Nov. 8, 2023 — Results from a new clinical trial suggest that a group of brain regions known as the 'salience network' is activated after a drug is taken intravenously, but not when that same drug is ...

Lab Unlocks Keys to Alcohol Withdrawal Headache

Oct. 30, 2023 — Researchers have discovered mechanisms by which specific cells are activated in alcohol withdrawal-induced headache. The research may benefit further studies of various substance use disorder ...

Perception--but Not Expectation--of Reward Is Altered in People With Cocaine Addiction

Oct. 25, 2023 — Researchers report that cocaine addiction disrupts the dopamine neurons that govern how we perceive and learn from rewards. Though people with cocaine addiction have similar expectations of rewards ...

Scientists Says Identifying Some Foods as Addictive Could Shift Attitudes, Stimulate Research

Oct. 9, 2023 — Scientists have published an analysis with a timely and controversial recommendation: It's time for an international shift in the way we think about ultra-processed food and its addictive ...

Fathers' Parental Leave Might Protect Men Against Alcohol-Related Morbidity

Oct. 6, 2023 — Men who have been on parental leave have a significantly reduced risk of being hospitalized due to alcohol consumption, according to a new study from ...