Two-Thirds of U.S.
Residents Who First Started Using Drugs in the Past Year Began with Marijuana;
26% Started with Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs, Primarily Pain Relievers
26% Started with Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs, Primarily Pain Relievers
An estimated 2.9 million persons ages 12 or older used an
illicit drug other than alcohol or a prescription drug nonmedically for the
first time in the past year, according to data from the 2012 National Survey on
Drug Use and Health. Two-thirds (66%) of these new users reported that
marijuana was the first drug they tried. Slightly more than one-fourth (26%)
reported that prescription drugs used nonmedically were the first drug they
tried, including pain relievers (17%), tranquilizers (4%), stimulants (4%), and
sedatives (1%). Less than 10% reported that their first use of drugs involved
inhalants and hallucinogens, and very few initiates started using with cocaine
or heroin. These findings suggest that drug use prevention efforts might focus
on marijuana and the nonmedical use of prescription drugs, as these are the
drugs that are most often used first
Shopping Under the
Influence: Why Money And Alcohol Don't Mix
On a random Saturday night in November, Fairfield, Conn.,
Jon Renner, 28, had no plans—but he did have a bottle of vodka and a Wi-Fi
connection. So he poured himself a glass, kicked back and decided to indulge in
some “me” time. A couple of drinks later, he found himself watching a
professional video game player on YouTube lead a tutorial on the game “Hitman:
Absolution.” “I was watching him play, and after a while I was like, ‘Wow, this
seems like a game I could really get into,’ ” says Renner, who works in the
music industry. He proceeded to log into his Amazon account, add it to his cart
and buy a couple of CDs too. “I was feeling happy,” he says. “When you’re a
little drunk, you feel confident, you feel like everything’s a great idea. So I
was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to buy this!’ ” After putting the game and
CDs into his cart, Amazon suggested other games in the series he might like—so
he bought those too. Total cost: about $70. Continue
reading here.
US Women Not Interested in
Alcohol as Breast Cancer Risk
For the most part, American women are uninterested in
learning how to cut their alcohol consumption to reduce breast cancer risk,
according to a survey of a nationally representative sample of nearly 1700
women. Only 12% of survey respondents were interested in learning how to reduce
their drinking, which is a proven risk factor for breast cancer. A whopping 88%
reported being "uninterested" in learning about how to reduce alcohol
consumption, report the authors, led by Marisa Weiss, MD, president of
breastcancer.org, the consumer Web site. Click here to continue
reading.
The pursuit of new
technologies continues
Urinalysis far and away remains the leading mode of drug
testing in addiction treatment facilities and other settings, but the potential
establishment of additional alternative technologies beyond those already in
use continues to be on the industry’s radar. For example, a company in the United
Kingdom that was established in 2007 but has yet to introduce its first product
expects in 2014 to bring to market a handheld device that will detect drug
metabolites via fingerprint sweat. Intelligent Fingerprinting, based in
Norwich, England, was created as a spinout from the University of East Anglia
and is drawing from research into metabolites that was conducted by university
professor David Russell. Please
continue reading here.
Recreational Gambling
Harmless? Don't Bet on It
Gamblers ― even those who only gamble recreationally ― are
at increased risk of developing comorbid mental health disorders, new research
shows. A study examining the relationship between different levels of gambling
and the development of psychiatric disorders showed there was an increased risk
for comorbidities even at the lowest levels. Please click here to
continue reading.
The rehabilitation of
marijuana
In 1979, U.S. taxpayers were helping to fund the eradication
of marijuana fields in Mexico. Municipalities around the country were passing
anti-paraphernalia laws prohibiting the sale of bongs and rolling papers. Only
27% of the nation favored legalizing marijuana, according to a CBS News/New
York Times poll taken that year. Flash forward to 2013, when a Gallup Poll
conducted in October found that a record 58% of Americans support the
legalization of marijuana for adult use. Twenty states and the District of
Columbia have legalized the drug for medicinal use. Most significantly, the
states of Colorado and Washington will allow the legal sale of marijuana for
recreational use starting this Jan. 1. You'd think Americans were talking about
an entirely different plant. Please
click here for more on this story.
2013 a bad year for the
fight against prescription drug addiction
When Zalicus announced in November that its lead, non-opiod
pain reliever drug proved ineffective in trials, it wasn’t only a blow to the
shingles patients who were specifically targeted in the trial. It was a setback
to efforts to fight drug abuse. Just two week before the Cambridge biotech’s
CEO, Mark Corrigan, said the company will discontinue development of Z160 - a
so-called calcium channel blocker that was hoped to help reduce pain without
relying on addictive opiates - U.S. regulators approved a drug which many believe
to be more addictive and lethal than OxyContin once was.
This story continues here.
A Pill to Cure Addiction?
New medicines are being tested to help people quit
New research is identifying the molecular reasons why
alcohol and drug habits are so difficult to break, which could point the way to
new medicines to help addicts go cold turkey. Scientists have known for years
how heavy use of alcohol and drugs works on reward centers in the brain to
drive dependence. The new research, including a study published in November in
JAMA Internal Medicine and early-stage drug testing at the National Institute
on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is revealing another, darker side to how such
substances impact the brain. By transforming its chemical architecture,
drinking and drug use trigger feelings of anxiety and tension that can only be
eased by more consumption. Click
here for more on this article.
The Year of the Wasted
Woman
For the women of America, 2013 will be a year defined by a
lot of fuzzy memories. What the hell happened? We were all just so wasted. At
least, that’s what I can gather from reviewing all of the stories published
this year—in Slate, CNN, the Daily Mail, the New York Times, Time, the Wall
Street Journal, and NPR—as well as two new books that warned of the ill effects
of an uptick in young women boozing. Women, we were told, are drinking more
alcohol, doing it more frequently, and putting themselves at risk for a lot of
hurt—disease, sexual assault, and just plain sadness—by throwing 'em back like
the boys.
Rest of this story is here.
Study: Moderate drinking
boosts immune system
Cheers!
Moderate drinking may boost your immune system and help
fight off infections, a new study finds. Just in time for New Year's, new
research from Oregon Health & Science University found that people who
drank alcohol — in moderation — had a reduced risk of death. The research was
published Dec. 17 in the journal Vaccine. So, raise a glass and celebrate. Please
continue reading here.
Modest Alcohol Consumption
Tied To DNA Damage In College Kids
Even moderate consumption of alcohol may have an adverse
effect on your DNA, according to a new study. Researchers from the University
of the Basque Country in Spain and the Autonomous University of Nayarit in
Mexico have determined that a weekend of casual drinking is sometimes enough to
induce oxidative DNA damage. The discovery suggests that even young and healthy
people should be mindful of the risks associated with drinking. Continue
reading with a click here.
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