Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/alcohol/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171663.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171663.php The integration of alcohol screening, treatment and referral into primary care and other medical settings is not routinely done. Nor are there any studies evaluating the effectiveness of integrating care for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) into routine treatment for tuberculosis (TB), despite the high co-occurrence and mortality associated with these two diseases. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171667.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171667.php Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been linked to a wide array of developmental deficits, including significant impairments in social skills. An examination of a social- skills intervention called Children's Friendship Training found that it led to a decrease in hostile attributions or perceptions of children with PAE. Results will be published in the February 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171671.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171671.php Driving while impaired (DWI) contributes significantly to road-traffic crashes, and is involved in more than one-third of all fatalities. Many DWI recidivists - drinking drivers who re-offend - do not participate in mandated alcohol-evaluation and intervention programs or else continue to drink problematically after their licenses have been re-issued. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171681.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171681.php AMA Vice President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that Schoolies Week is a traditional celebration for students after a tough year, but it is also a time of high health risk for young people. Dr Hambleton, a Brisbane GP, said the focus has been on preventing the risks of alcohol and binge drinking but students should be equally careful and cautious about their sexual health. Sexual Health / STDs Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171672.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171672.php Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have a number of cognitive deficits, but mathematical ability seems particularly damaged. Little is known about the brain structures related to mathematical deficits in children with FASD. A new study that used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the relationship between mathematical skills and brain white matter structure in children with FASD supports the importance of the left parietal area for mathematical tasks. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171619.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171619.php Drug dependency is a recurrent but treatable kind of addiction. However, not all people who are drug dependent progress in the same way once they stop taking drugs. A new study shows that, in the case of cocaine, a high score on the so-called 'scale of craving', an antisocial personality type and previous heroin abuse are the factors most commonly involved in people falling back into the habit. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171535.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171535.php A recent study determined there is a significant risk of seizure for individuals who currently smoke cigarettes. Boston-based researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School also found that long-term, moderate intake of caffeine or alcohol does not increase the chance of having a seizure or developing epilepsy. Epilepsy Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171413.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171413.php Alkermes, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALKS) announced the initiation of a phase 2 clinical study of ALKS 33, an investigational oral opioid modulator for the potential treatment of alcohol dependence and other central nervous system disorders. The study will assess the safety and efficacy of multiple doses of ALKS 33 in patients with alcohol dependence and is designed to further define the clinical profile of ALKS 33. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171353.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171353.php A new study in the Journal of American College Health finds that students placed by their universities in coed housing are 2.5 times more likely to binge drink each week than students placed in all-male or all-female housing. More than 500 students from five college campuses around the country participated in the study: 42 percent of students in coed housing reported binge drinking on a weekly basis. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171267.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171267.php Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug by adolescents, with almost 42% of high school seniors admitting to having experimented with it. Continued marijuana use may result in a number of serious consequences including depression, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular disease, and certain forms of cancer. As such, it is critical to prevent marijuana use by adolescents and numerous behavioral and medical scientists have been trying to establish the best means of prevention. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171229.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171229.php Unrealistic optimism about drinking behavior can lead to later alcohol-related problems, according to research published in the current issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (PSPB), the official monthly journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Researchers interviewed 800 college students several times over the course of two years about whether their drinking resulted in hangovers, memory loss or trouble with police. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171206.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171206.php The first ever large-scale, longitudinal study of ketamine users has been published online in the journal Addiction. With Ketamine (K, Special K) use increasing faster than any other drug in the UK (British Crime Survey, 2008) this research showing the consequences of repeated ketamine use provides valuable information for users and addiction professionals alike. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171171.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171171.php Impact Fusion International (PINKSHEETS: IFUS) announced it has developed a natural caffeine free "hangover" relief beverage to be sold in a 2 ounce shot. The beverage will contain Impact Fusion International's proprietary blend Nutri-Mastic™. The product has been developed for a U.S.-based multimillion dollar beverage company with distribution in more than half of the United States Market. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171051.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171051.php At the Faculty of Public Health Scottish conference in Peebles, delegates called on the Scottish and UK governments to introduce new measures to curb binge drinking, anti-social behaviour and to tackle Scotland's increasing alcohol-related health problems. Scotland has one of the fastest growing chronic liver disease rates in the world, and one in three divorces is linked to alcohol problems. 65,000 children under 16 are estimated to be living with parents with alcohol problems. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170996.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170996.php After a century of health-reform opposition - with highlights such as coining the term "socialized medicine," - the American Medical Association is now supporting Democrats' overhaul efforts, as well as taking on a few one taboo social issues, NPR's Health Blog reports. Primary Care / General Practice Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170941.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170941.php The Food and Drug Administration today notified nearly 30 manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages that it intends to look into the safety and legality of their products. "The increasing popularity of consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages by college students and reports of potential health and safety issues necessitates that we look seriously at the scientific evidence as soon as possible," said Dr. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170969.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170969.php Emergency physician Mary Claire O'Brien, M.D., of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has done extensive research on the risks and dangers of alcoholic energy drinks (AEDs). She is available to comment on her research which has been cited in the ongoing effort by state attorneys general to ban the drinks. On Nov. 13, the FDA asked 30 munaufacturers of AEDs to provide safety data related to adding caffeine and other stimulants to their products. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170970.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170970.php Igor Grant, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues have been awarded a $17 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to establish the Translational Methamphetamine AIDS Research Center (TMARC) at UC San Diego. Grant is director of the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC), a clinical research center designated and funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. HIV / AIDS Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170784.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170784.php Millions of people across the UK could be putting themselves at risk of alcohol related violence, casual sex or blackouts, according to an ICM poll carried out on behalf of the Priory Group. 61% of people questioned had been adversely affected following a night's heavy drinking. The most common occurrence was not being able to remember what had happened the night before. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170756.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170756.php College athletes who use performance-enhancing substances may be at heightened risk of misusing alcohol and using recreational drugs as well, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. The study, of 234 male athletes at one university, found that those who used performance enhancers -- ranging from steroids to stimulants to weight-loss supplements -- were more likely to admit to heavy drinking and using drugs like marijuana and cocaine. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170640.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170640.php Every time a person snorts cocaine, it doesn't just go to his or her head: It also provokes a response in the immune system, creating special biomolecules that may serve as a permanent record of each exposure. With the support of a $2. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170462.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170462.php Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that intermittent access to foods rich in fat and sugar induces changes in the brain which are comparable to those observed in drug dependence. The findings, reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may explain how abstinence from these foods contributes to relapse eating among dieters as well as related eating disorders. Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170451.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170451.php Project Safe Neighborhoods - a community-based policing effort launched in 2001 - has been largely successful in its goal of reducing violent crime, according to an analysis by Michigan State University, the national research and training partner of the federal initiative. And, as an offshoot of the program, the U.S. Department of Justice recently awarded MSU $1 million in stimulus funding to expand a research and training program designed to eliminate illegal drug markets. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170388.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170388.php The New York Times reports on federal legislation that could limit needle exchanges. "A bill working its way through Congress would lift a ban of more than 20 years on using federal money for needle exchange programs. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170447.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170447.php Researchers from Australia and the UK are calling for a new approach to the debate over whether alcohol industry sponsorship of sports increases drinking among sports participants. They want to shift the burden of proof to the alcohol industry. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs