While rumors continue to fly about what killed Amy Winehouse — the latest suggest that crack and heroin may have been involved — the singer’s parents continue to maintain that she was sober when she died, and that in fact, …
Addiction
Q&A: The Author of Unwasted Talks About Socializing Sober
Writer Sacha Z. Scoblic spent years reveling in her life as the party girl, always quick with a laugh and up for another drink—or five. But when she gave up alcohol in 2005, Scoblic found she wasn’t interested in chronicling …
Marijuana Derivative May Offer Hope in Cocaine Addiction
A new study in mice has found that activating a receptor affected by marijuana can dramatically reduce cocaine consumption. The research suggests that new anti-addiction drugs might be developed using synthetic versions of …
Amy Winehouse and the Pain of Addiction
Another addiction death comes at age 27, with Amy Winehouse joining Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and most aptly, Janis Joplin among the rock icons who died from their disorder at the same point in their young lives. …
Study: Marijuana Not Linked With Long Term Cognitive Impairment
The idea that “marijuana makes you dumb” has long been embodied in the stereotype of the slow, stupid stoner, seen in numerous Hollywood movies and TV comedies and going unquestioned by much of American culture. But a new …
Blood Pressure Drug Could Fight Cocaine Addiction
The newest treatment for cocaine addiction may come from a drug that’s already being used to battle high blood pressure and is showing some experimental benefits in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well. That, …
Dentists, Too, Can Help Battle Painkiller Addiction
When it comes to prescription-drug misuse, you don’t usually think of dentists as the source. No one talks about “dentist shopping” or “dental pill mills.” But a new study shows that in fact dentists prescribe 12% of all …
Study: Most Addicts Get Painkillers from Friends or Family, Not Doctors
Only 1 in 5 people who misuse opioid painkillers like Vicodin get their drugs exclusively from doctors, and 69% never obtain any of these drugs from medical sources, according to a recent study published in the Archives of …
Does Acting Like a Weiner Mean You’re An Addict?
As revelations about Rep. Anthony Weiner’s Twitter sexting continue to emerge — including private messages he sent to a 17-year-old girl — the announcement Saturday that he was entering “treatment” was almost inevitable. …
Love and Addiction: Voles in Love Just Say No To Speed
While love doesn’t always conquer all, it can be a potent antidote to addiction, according to a growing body of research. The latest study on the matter examined male prairie vole behavior, finding that those that had bonded to a …
An Addict’s Battle With Painkiller Addiction Reveals Outdated Rehab Tactics
The New York Times today includes a moving personal story about overcoming opioid addiction. But while it describes one woman’s triumph, it also illustrates something the Institute of Medicine calls a “quality chasm” between …
Bypassing Obesity for Alcoholism: Why Some Weight-Loss Surgeries Increase Alcohol Risk
People who undergo gastric bypass surgery for weight loss have more than twice the risk of developing alcoholism, compared with those who have gastric banding surgery, preliminary research finds. This line of inquiry could shed …
Study: A Mysterious Gene Variant That Makes Quitting Smoking Easier
Smokers with a variant gene linked to higher risk for heroin addiction and more relapse in alcoholism actually have an easier time quitting cigarettes — and a new study finds that their pleasure from nicotine varies with the …
