Two drugs currently used to treat heroin and prescription painkiller addiction may work together to fight cocaine as well — without causing dependence themselves, according to a new study in rats.
Addiction
Human Rights Watch: Hundreds of Thousands Still Tortured in Name of Drug Treatment
If we want to end human-rights abuses in drug-detention centers in Asia, we should start by addressing the abusive “treatment” practices being used in our own backyard
How Childhood Trauma May Make the Brain Vulnerable to Addiction, Depression
Childhood trauma has long been known to raise a child’s odds of developing depression and addiction later on. Now, a small but intriguing new study links these risks to specific changes in the brain, finding that disruptions in …
Bogus Alcoholism Cure: Pay Up or We’ll Tell Your Boss!
A Florida court orders more than $700,000 in restitution for victims of an online scam selling a phony cure for alcoholism
The Prescription Painkiller Experience: Less than a Third Say They Like It
Many people fear that mere exposure to prescription painkillers like Vicodin or OxyContin will set them down the road to addiction. But new research on the response to opioid medication suggests that most people don’t …
Abuse-Proof OxyContin Pushes Addicts to Heroin and Other Opioids, Survey Finds
Abuse-deterrent reformulations of widely misused prescription painkillers may not be the “magic bullets” many hoped they would be in the battle against addiction
The Other Health Care Announcement: A Tool Kit for the World’s Mentally Ill
While the Supreme Court was making health care news in Washington, voting to uphold the Affordable Care Act on Thursday, a smaller gathering at the United Nations was discussing another, completely non-binding document that could …
Addiction Treatment in America: Not Based in Science, Not Truly ‘Medical’
Addiction is typically characterized as a disease by experts and government officials. Yet, unlike most known diseases, the treatment of addiction is not based on scientific evidence nor is it required to be provided by people …
Control Yourself! Inhibiting Physical Action Cuts Risky Gambling and Drinking
Want to gamble smarter, make less risky financial decisions or cut down on your drinking? Practice stopping yourself midway through a simple physical movement, new research suggests.
The Case of Cameron Douglas: Prison Is Not Rehab, Say Addiction Experts
An unusually harsh prison sentence handed down to the drug-addicted son of actor Michael Douglas has prompted addiction experts to indict the courts for ignoring the treatment needs of inmates.
DSM-5 Could Categorize 40% of College Students as Alcoholics
Most college binge drinkers and drug users don’t develop lifelong problems. But new mental-health guidelines will label too many of them addicts and alcoholics.
Number of Babies Born Suffering from Drug Withdrawal Triples
The rate of babies born to mothers who use prescription painkillers during pregnancy has risen sharply over the last decade. Though the long-term effects of such drug exposure are uncertain, true harm can come of labeling these …
Can Addictive Behaviors Be Predicted in Preschool?
Children’s behavior at age 3 offers some surprising clues about their risk of developing addictive behaviors like problem gambling or drug misuse in their 30s