Does marijuana cause addiction? As Californians prepare to vote on Prop 19 — which would legalize recreational use of the drug, at least under state law — the question is more pertinent than ever. The answer, however, is less …
Addiction
30 Years Since ‘Jimmy’s World’: The Media and Drugs
This week marks the 30th anniversary of one of journalism’s most embarrassing events: the publication of “Jimmy’s World,” a completely fabricated front-page story about a child junkie in Southeast Washington, D.C.
Common Sense v. Politics: Should Federal Addiction and Alcohol Agencies Be Merged?
It seems like a no-brainer. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) currently has two bodies devoted to studying problems of addiction: the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on …
Addiction Files: Recovering From Drug Addiction, Without Abstinence
In this installment of Healthland’s series on addiction, we speak with Howard Josepher, a former heroin addict who has been an energetic and committed advocate for people with addictions for more than 40 years.
Will the Government’s Drug Take-Back Do Anything to Reduce Misuse?
Uncle Sam wants your drugs! This Saturday the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is sponsoring a nationwide prescription drug “take-back,” at 4,000 locations around the country.
How Religion Was Edited Out of AA’s Bible: Early ‘Big Book’ Manuscript Soon to Be Published
The “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous has long been seen as holy writ by AA members. But for the first time ever, recovering alcoholics, scholars and the public will have access to the original manuscript, including editorial …
Lindsay Lohan’s Relapse and Court-Mandated AA
Imagine that you had cancer and a judge mandated that you receive a treatment first introduced in the 1930s — one that had been described, by the world’s leading medical evidence–review group, as having “no experimental …
The Addiction Files: How Do We Define Recovery?
America’s most visible portraits of recovery from addiction are not pretty. There’s the spoiled, out-of-control celebrity entering rehab to get a career boost (see Lohan, Lindsay), or to atone for bad behavior (see Gibson, Mel), …
Pharmageddon Deferred: New Measures to Stop Opioid Abuse
There’s a party going on and the entire country is invited. The problem is, it’s an opioid party—and too many Americans have been accepting the invitation.
Drug Use in the Over-50 Crowd Doubles
Getting old and getting wasted didn’t used to have a lot to do with each other. But oldsters love a buzz just like anyone else, and increasingly, they’re indulging.
Evidence Review: Anti-Drinking Drug Shows Modest Success
Only three medications are approved by the government to treat alcoholism: Antabuse (disulfiram), Revia (naltrexone) and Campral (acamprosate). None is anything close to a cure, but a new review of the research on acamprosate …
Recipe for Longevity: Social Drinking or Just Going to AA?
We’re so used to thinking of pleasurable things as “sinful” and “bad for you” that when the popular media, or science for that matter, attempts to validate our guilty pleasures — such as my colleague John Cloud’s excellent piece about recent research showing that heavy drinkers outlive teetotalers — skepticism runs high.
For Hoarders and Addicts, Drama is Trauma — Not Therapy
Good drama relies on conflict and confrontation — but that is not true of good therapy. In fact, if you are trying to change human behavior, kindness, empathy and support are far more effective than tough love and quick fixes.