Social Media is Just Like Any Other ‘Addiction’
Razi Berry Our use of social media, specifically our efforts to maximize “likes,” follows a pattern of “reward learning,” concludes a new study by an international team of scientists. Its findings, which appear in the journal Nature Communications, reveal parallels with the behavior of animals, such as rats, in seeking food rewards. “These results establish […]
About a Third of Psychoactive Prescriptions Misused by Teens
Razi Berry Nearly a third of US teens and young adults prescribed a psychoactive drug misuse that drug, with the likelihood of misuse rising with age, suggests an analysis of national survey responses published in the online journal Family Medicine & Community Health. Stimulants and tranquillizers were more likely to be misused than opioids, the […]
Cannabis Potency is Much Higher than In Previous Generations
Razi Berry New research shows that over the past 50 years street cannabis across the world has become substantially stronger carrying an increased risk of harm. The team behind the study from the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath, synthesized data from over 80,000 cannabis samples tested in the past 50 […]
“One Day at a Time” Motto Seems to Work for Those Recovering From Addiction
Razi Berry “One day at a time” is a mantra for recovering alcoholics, for whom each day without a drink builds the strength to go on to the next. A new brain imaging study by Yale researchers shows why the approach works. “One day at a time” Imaging scans of those diagnosed with alcohol use […]
Ketamine May Help Curb Drinking Habits in Alcoholics
Razi Berry A one-off dose of ketamine could help heavy drinkers reduce their alcohol intake, finds a new University College London experimental study. Could a shot of ketamine curb drinking in alcoholics? Giving a shot of ketamine to heavy drinkers after reactivating their drinking-related memories led to a rapid decrease in urges to drink and […]
Not All Industrialized Countries Experiencing Opioid Crisis
Razi Berry In 2016, 10 times as many Americans as Germans died as a result of drug overdoses, mostly opiates. Three times as many Americans as Germans experienced opioid addiction. Could contrast in opioid addiction signify how pain is viewed between two countries? Even as the rates of addiction in the U.S. have risen dramatically […]
Using Cigarettes to Quit Vaping
Razi Berry Lucas McClain started smoking cigarettes in high school but switched to vaping after he heard e-cigarettes were a safer alternative. His vape of choice became the Juul, the king of electronic cigarettes — which comes with a king-size nicotine hit. Oh the irony; smoking cigarettes to stop vaping “Juul made my nicotine addiction […]
Drug Testing in Public Schools
Razi Berry Thirteen-year-old Aura Brillhart and her 11-year-old sister, Morgan, will face a new sort of test in school this year: a drug test. A new test in school this year: a drug test The middle and high schools in their community of Fort Scott, Kan., are among the latest to require random drug testing […]
Teens Using Very Potent Form of Marijuana
Razi Berry Nearly one in four Arizona teens have used a highly potent form of marijuana known as marijuana concentrate, according to a new study by Arizona State University researchers. Teens consuming highly potent form of marijuana Among nearly 50,000 eighth, 10th, and 12th graders from the 2018 Arizona Youth Survey, a biennial survey of […]
Differences in brain systems for habitual behavior distinguish heavy cannabis users
Razi Berry A shift from brain systems controlling reward-driven use to habit-driven use differentiates heavy cannabis users who are addicted to the drug from users who aren’t, according to a study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, published by Elsevier. The findings help explain how the brain becomes dependent on cannabis, and why not […]