Our latest weekly Addiction News & Policy Update is here! - Ending February 13, 2015

Does drinking alcohol-even heavily-protect against ALS?
Everyone knows that ALS is a very bad disease, an awareness underscored by the recent Ice Bucket Challenge. The death of neurons that results in paralysis can be caused by specific genetic mutations.  But in most cases, single genes are not the culprit. So researchers have looked for other risk factors that might play a role.  Please click here to continue reading.

Resveratrol Found In Red Wine May Help Prevent Memory Loss, Study Says
A compound found in foods including red wine, grapes, and peanuts may help prevent age-related memory loss, according to new research published by a faculty member in the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.   Please click here to continue reading.

Self-serve beer, wine on tap in Michigan?
Possibly coming soon to a bar or restaurant near you: tableside devices so customers can tap their own drinks such as wine, or a "wall of beer" where they can draw a favorite amber or stout from a row of self-serve spigots. Please click here to continue reading.

Medical Marijuana Use For Children With Developmental Disorders May Do More Harm Than Good

As medical marijuana becomes increasingly more accepted and researched, it is beginning to seem that there is no limit to what this miracle drug can be used for. But are we going too far when this use extends to our children and adolescents? Previously in late January, The American Academy of Pediatrics called for a rescheduling of the drug in order to research its possible benefits for children suffering from various types of cancer. Now, there is a movement to test the drug's possible use for children with developmental and behavioral problems, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Please click here to read more.

U.S. schools turn to new programs to warn teens of drug risks
The desperate cry of a mother finding her 17-year-old son dead from a painkiller and another prescription drug instantly silences hundreds of Pennsylvania high school students who listen to her 911 call played at an early morning assembly. Click here to continue reading.

Do Social Media Encourage Drinking?
New research suggests the more a Facebook user views shares or comments in alcohol-related pages, the more likely that person will consider drinking alcohol. The findings come from a Michigan State University study which asked more than 400 participants their feelings after they encountered and responded to alcohol-related Facebook items.   Please click here to continue reading.

Federal Government Set To Crack Down On Drug Courts That Fail Addicts

The federal government is cracking down on drug courts that refuse to let opioid addicts access medical treatments such as Suboxone, said Michael Botticelli, acting director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, on Thursday. Drug courts that receive federal dollars will no longer be allowed to ban the kinds of medication-assisted treatments that doctors and scientists view as the most effective care for opioid addicts, Botticelli announced in a conference call with reporters.   Please click here to continue reading.

Alcohol Health Benefits Are Exaggerated, As Positive Effects Apply Only To Narrow Range Of People

"Didn't you see the news? A little light drinking is the best thing for you, it even helps guard against heart disease," the loud woman sitting next to you at the bar says again. A study analyzing data from England's National Health System suggests the supposed health benefits of moderate drinking are wild exaggerations, most likely born in the backroom of a pub. Compared to people who are lifetime non-drinkers, women over the age of 65 reap some small protective reward from light drinking, the researchers say, but all other age-sex groups show no positive effects whatsoever.  Click here to continue reading.

For college students, being a 'good Samaritan' can be complicated
Emily Holland didn't expect she would have to make a lifesaving phone call her second weekend at George Washington University, but when her friend got alcohol poisoning, she was faced with a difficult decision. Please click here for more.

Drugs for Alcoholism Don't Have to Lead to Sobriety
Drugmakers aiming to tackle alcoholism, a condition that affects 17 million Americans, may have a smoother path to market under a U.S. proposal to guide development of treatments.Click here to read more. .

Recovery high schools help save young lives
It's hard enough to pull away from addiction when you're an adult. How do you do it as an adolescent - when you're not yet fully formed, and your friends are everything?  Click here to continue reading.

Mental health care uncoordinated, report says
Federal health officials need to do a better job coordinating help for people with serious mental illness, according to a new report by a government watchdog agency. Rest of this article is here.