Drug Addiction

Manipulating memories of people formerly addicted to drugs may help them avoid relapse, a new study suggests.

Adopted children whose biological parents abused drugs are twice as likely to do so themselves, compared with adopted children whose birth parents did not abuse drugs, a new study finds.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts are developing a multimedia device called “iHeal” that aims to detect drug cravings and intervene to prevent drug use.

A new study of siblings’ brain structure and function may provide clues to addiction. Time reports that the study suggests at least some brain changes seen in addiction are a cause of excessive drug use, not the result.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie this week called for mandatory treatment for all low-level drug offenders.

A growing number of young people being booked into jail in Hennepin County, Minnesota, which includes Minneapolis, are using painkillers, according to KARE11.

Children with high IQs are more likely to use drugs when they become adults, compared with children who score lower on intelligence tests, a new study indicates.

One out of 10 Florida inmates is incarcerated for using drugs, and only a small percentage of these prisoners are receiving help for their addiction, advocates for increased treatment told members of the state’s Senate Criminal Justice Committee.

A review of studies looking at newer antipsychotic drugs prescribed “off-label” for conditions including substance use and eating disorders finds they are not effective in treating these conditions.

Researchers are studying whether the opioid antagonist naltrexone can help parolees recently released from prison who have a history of opiate addiction and relapse. Initial data indicates these parolees are less likely to be reincarcerated and to relapse.

In light of findings from a new national survey on drug use released this week, Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy, said the days of treating drug use exclusively as a law enforcement issue are long gone. While the rate of overall drug use in America has fallen by roughly one-third since 1979, the survey found 8.7 percent of Americans say they regularly use illegal drugs recreationally.

Results from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released today, have found marijuana use is on the rise, while methamphetamine use is on the decline.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse plans to match up teenagers and scientific experts to discuss facts about drug abuse in events across the country during National Drug Facts Week, October 31 through November 6.

U.S. adults say drug abuse and obesity are the biggest concerns about children’s health in their communities, a new survey finds.

Self-medicating with alcohol and drugs to ease anxiety substantially increases the risk of substance use disorders, suggests a new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Injection drug users have higher rates of abuse and dependence and have a greater need for substance abuse treatment compared with non-injecting drug users, a new study suggests.

Treatment for abuse of benzodiazepines—which are used to treat anxiety, insomnia and seizure disorders—almost tripled from 1998 to 2008, according to a new national study.

Prison officials throughout the country are finding that Suboxone, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, is being smuggled in through ingenious means, including greeting cards, children’s artwork and under stamps.

Missouri’s General Assembly this week passed a bill that would require all work-eligible welfare recipients to undergo drug testing. Anyone testing positive would be barred from receiving benefits for three years.

A new study suggests that Ecstasy use may be associated with long-term changes in the brain. The more Ecstasy a person uses, the greater the changes.

Miami-Dade County, which has started a new court program designed for veterans with drug problems, joins a growing nationwide movement of courts for veterans.

Fatal overdoses of prescription drugs are having a devastating effect in Ohio, The New York Times reports. In the last decade, fatal overdoses have more than quadrupled and are now more common than car crashes as a cause of accidental death in the state.