The pseudo-science of
Alcoholics Anonymous: There’s a better way to treat addiction
Alcoholics Anonymous is a part of our nation’s fabric. In
the seventy-six years since AA was created, 12-step programs have expanded to
include over three hundred different organizations, focusing on such diverse
issues as smoking, shoplifting, social phobia, debt, recovery from incest, even
vulgarity. All told, more than five million people recite the Serenity Prayer
at meetings across the United States every year. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Alcohol's role in traffic
deaths vastly underreported: Study
It's no secret that drinking and driving can be a deadly
mix. But the role of alcohol in U.S. traffic deaths may be substantially
underreported on death certificates, according to a study in the March issue of
the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Between 1999 and 2009, more than
450,000 Americans were killed in a traffic crashes. But in cases where alcohol
was involved, death certificates frequently failed to list alcohol as a cause
of death. Why does that matter? One big reason is that injuries are the leading
cause of death for Americans younger than 45, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. And it's important to have a clear idea of
alcohol's role in those deaths, explained Ralph Hingson, Sc.D., of the U.S.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Mindfulness Approach
Reduces SUD Relapse Risk
Mindfulness-based aftercare significantly reduces relapse
risk in patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) in the long-term compared
with 2 other standard treatment approaches, new research shows. Results from a
randomized clinical trial show that after initial treatment for drug and
alcohol abuse, patients assigned to receive mindfulness-based relapse
prevention (MBRP) were significantly less likely to relapse at 12 months
compared with their counterparts who received usual 12-step programming. Please click here for the
rest of this article.
Britain is sobering up
with alcohol-free 'dry bars'
In the UK, a number of bars that don't serve alcohol have
opened up recently. They are called "dry bars" — and they're places
where people can hang out, have a bite to eat and drink "mocktails."
One of these dry bars is a place called Sobar in Nottingham. "This is
somewhere to provide a nice environment, which isn't just a coffee shop,"
said Sobar manager Alex Gilmore. "Someone in recovery or someone who
doesn't want to drink still wants to put on their glad rags on and have a good
night out." Britain is known for having a culture of heavy social
drinking. Substance abuse charities in such hard-drinking cities as Liverpool
and Nottingham now run dry bars. Sobar, for example, is run by the
Nottingham-based addiction charity Double Impact, which assists people
recovering from both alcohol and illegal drugs. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Whatever Happened to the
Ad War on Drugs?
After Peaking at Rate of $1M in Media Time a Day in Late
80s, Anti-Drug Campaign Airtime Has Been on Steady Decline.
Colorado and Washington have legalized recreational pot.
Philip Seymour Hoffman's apparent overdose has sparked yet another national
conversation about heroin. And a club drug called Molly is perpetually in the
headlines. Drugs are everywhere. But where are all the anti-drug ads? Please
click here for the rest of this article.
It's Legal, So It's Safe,
Right? The New Conversation About Marijuana (Your Teen Magazine)
For parents who had convinced their teenagers not to use marijuana,
the conversation just got a lot more complicated. Nearly two dozen states have
legalized marijuana for medical use. In 2013, Colorado and Washington went even
further, legalizing marijuana for recreational use by adults. And as many as
fourteen more states may pass laws legalizing pot by 2017. We asked experts how
to talk to our teenagers about marijuana, in light of these new laws and
changing societal attitudes. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
These Photos Show What the
Average Person Who Is Arrested for Drugs Looks Like
In an effort to increase substance abuse awareness,
Recovery.org decided to compile 100 mugshots from marijuana, DUI, and
methamphetamine arrests to see what the average face looks like on drugs. . Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Study looks at using
web-based intervention to help college drinkers
On most college campuses in the U.S. and around the world,
unhealthy alcohol use can cause problems for a lot of students. “World-wide, we
see huge issues with students who develop problems with drinking that continue
to adulthood, that really have a societal cost to us and it’s really critical
to be addressing those early and often, “ said Nicholas J. Horton, Sc.D. at
Amherst College. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Merchants: Alcohol ‘Big
Part’ of Collegetown Economy
Alcohol sales play a vital role in the Collegetown economy,
with some business owners attributing the sale of alcohol to over one-third of
their revenue. “The economy of Collegetown is students; and since alcohol is a
central part of the college experience it’s a big part of the [Collegetown]
economy,” said Jason Burnham, owner of the convenience store Jason’s Grocery
and Deli. Although Burnham said alcohol represents about 20 percent of his
total sales, he said he believes that alcohol has an even greater financial
impact on the Collegetown economy due to the products that people buy before
and after consuming alcohol. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
The Truth about Alcohol
and Sexual Assault
The phrase “I’m Not Asking For It. I’m Only an Easy Target
If You’re Thinking Like Rapist” splashes across an image of a female passed out
behind empty bottles of liquor in bold. This shot and others fill the
#AlcoholIsNotConsent photography series created by a UCLA student group to
eliminate alcohol-blaming from the current rape conversation. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
TV Prescription Drug
Ads--Friend or Foe? Novus Medical Detox Encourages FDA's Study of Drug
Commercials' Influence on Public
As widely available prescription drugs remain a threat to
American society by contributing to more than 16,000 fatal overdoses annually
(1), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is studying whether disclosure
limited only to serious side effects in TV drug ads would improve consumer
understanding of the inherent risks of prescription medications. Please click here for the rest
of this article.
Editorial: N.J. drug
addiction study underscores deadly problem facing state
Starting with the first sentence of its report on a two-year
study of New Jersey’s drug problems, the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and
Drug Abuse doesn’t mince words. “The skyrocketing use of heroin and other
opiates has become the number one health care crisis confronting New Jersey,”
it says. Drug overdose deaths now surpass the number of fatalities from motor
vehicle accidents. And the route from legally prescribed medication to heroin
is far too often a shortcut to death. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
The Surprising Failures of
12 Steps
How a pseudoscientific, religious organization birthed the
most trusted method of addiction treatment
Say you’ve been diagnosed with a serious, life-altering
illness or psychological condition. In lieu of medication, psychotherapy, or a
combination thereof, your doctor prescribes nightly meetings with a group of
similarly afflicted individuals, and a set of 12 non-medical guidelines for
recovery, half of which require direct appeals to God. What would you do? Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Medical marijuana pills or
spray may ease multiple sclerosis pain
Moderate evidence indicates medical marijuana pills and
spray may ease multiple sclerosis pain, frequent urination and muscle rigidity.
The researchers find there is not enough evidence to
indicate whether smoking marijuana is helpful in treating MS symptoms. Spray
marijuana is not available in the United States.
Please click here for the rest of this article.
Lawmaker behind medical
marijuana wants N.J. to permit recreational use
A prime author of New Jersey's medical marijuana law wants
the state now to emulate Colorado and legalize the recreational use of pot by
adults. Citing the windfall Colorado is enjoying from marijuana sales, State
Sen. Nick Scutari (D., Union) announced Monday that he had drafted a bill to
legalize marijuana for recreational use and hoped to get it assigned to a
committee as soon as possible and then posted for a vote. New York and Rhode
Island have similar bills in legislative committees. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Why heroin is spreading in
America's suburbs (+video)
The drug has followed prescription painkillers into new
neighborhoods, forcing police and parents to confront an unexpected problem. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Big Pot rising: The
marijuana industry’s first full-time lobbyist makes rounds on Capitol Hill
It took Michael Correia more than a week after getting his
new job to tell his parents he was a marijuana lobbyist. “I just got a job
lobbying for a small-business trade association that focuses on taxes and
banking issues,” he told them four months ago after being hired by the National
Cannabis Industry Association. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Alcohol May Not Help:
Alcohol’s Impact on Your Mental Health
Alcoholism is common among people suffering from mental
health conditions. People experiencing anxiety, depression, impulsivity, or
other diagnosable mental illnesses often turn to alcohol to find temporary
solace. Additionally, people who do not have a mental health diagnosis, yet are
encountering a phase of overwhelming emotions, drink dangerously.
Please click here for the rest of this article.
The danger of drinking
game dares
“This is how you drink.” That’s what Bradley Eames says in
the YouTube video, as he downs two pints of gin in less than a minute – and
brags that he’s going to show his friends “who’s boss.” Almost immediately, he
complained he felt ill. And four days later, Eames, 20, was found dead in his
Nottingham, England home. He’s considered just one victim of “NekNomination,”
an Internet drinking game that has reportedly claimed the lives of five men
under 30 in the United Kingdom – and has some experts worried it will spread to
the U.S. The premise: Teens and 20-somethings film themselves downing a large
quantity of alcohol (“necking”) and post the video on social media, be it
Facebook or YouTube. Then they nominate a friend to outdo them – drinking
alcohol from a toilet, for example, or mixing it with a goldfish or dead mouse.
The ultimatum: “You have 24 hours. Get it done.” Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Alcohol and recovery:
there’s an app for that
A new smartphone app could help people with alcohol
addiction problems to control their drinking, according to a study. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Medical Marijuana's
Legalization Doesn't Raise Crime Rates: Study
Nationwide data helps inform debate as restrictions on pot
use continue to ease, researchers say.
Legalization of medical marijuana does not lead to increased
crime, and may even be tied to lower rates of offenses such as assault and
murder, a new study suggests. The findings challenge claims by opponents that
legalizing medical marijuana would lead to higher crime rates, the University
of Texas at Dallas researchers said. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Marijuana, Prescription
Drugs Pose Greatest Threat to Adolescent Men
In recent months, there has been a growing conversation
about marijuana use. Should it be legalized for recreational use or is it a
"gateway" drug to more addictive substances? A recent CNN story (http://tinyurl.com/lgfsqms) is just one
example of the conversation that puts a fine point on the complexities of the
topic. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana use by
adolescents declined from the late 1990s until the mid-to-late 2000s but has
steadily increased since then. Dr. Chapman Sledge, chief medical officer at
Cumberland Heights, finds that enrollment statistics at the highly respected
rehabilitation center in Nashville, Tenn., support the trend. Please click here for the rest
of this article.
Research finds many
students have some level of alcohol dependency, few seek treatment
While drinking in college may be fun, some students may find
themselves graduating with not only a degree, but also a dependence on alcohol.
According to a study done by the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 19 percent of college students meet the criteria
for alcohol dependency but only five percent seek treatment. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Legalizing Medical
Marijuana May Actually Reduce Crime, Study Says
Legalizing medical marijuana causes no increase in crime,
according to a new study. In fact, legalized medical pot may reduce some
violent crime, including homicide, University of Texas at Dallas researchers
wrote in a journal article published this week. The study, published in PLOS
ONE on Wednesday, appears to settle concerns, simmering since the first states
approved medical marijuana nearly two decades ago, that legalization would lead
to more crime. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
Parents Argue Medical
Marijuana Helps These Kids Avoid A 'Death Sentence'
Yet another state is considering expanding its medical
marijuana laws to include children suffering from debilitating conditions like
epilepsy. On Tuesday, Illinois' Senate Public Health Committee unanimously
approved legislation that would legalize medical marijuana treatment for minors
in a 8-0 vote. Please
click here for the rest of this article.
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