A class of drugs already approved as cancer treatments might also help to beat alcohol addiction. That’s the conclusion of a discovery in flies of a gene, dubbed “happy hour,” that has an important and previously unknown role in controlling the insects’ response to alcohol.
Drinking on college campuses in the United States is a pervasive problem, leading to numerous problems. One study estimated that more than 500,000 college students suffered alcohol-related injuries in 2001. This study examined the “dose-response” effect of quantities and frequencies, finding that heavy drinkers with a sensation-seeking disposition had the greatest risk of alcohol-related injuries.
Someone who has a low level of response (LR) to alcohol, meaning relatively little reaction to alcohol, has a higher risk for developing alcohol-use disorders (AUDs). A study that examined the influence of LR in conjunction with other characteristics — like family history of AUDs and age of drinking onset — has found that LR is a unique risk factor for AUDs across adulthood and is not simply a reflection of a broader range of risk factors.
A history of child abuse significantly impacts the wide range of challenges facing depressed inpatients, according to new research.
The increased risk of persons with schizophrenia committing violent crime may be largely mediated by co-existing substance abuse problems, according to a new study.
German adolescents have a problem with binge drinking. The main change has been the increase in the number of intoxicated girls. According to the German Federal Commissioner for Narcotic Drugs, the number of adolescents admitted to hospital for alcohol poisoning has more than doubled, increasing from 9500 in 2007 to more than 23 000 in 2007. About 3800 of these patients were between 10 and 15 years old.
Middle and high school proms and graduation are big events, and there will be multiple parties to attend and a wide array of opportunities for alcohol to be served. Instead of just asking your teen not to drink, try explaining how alcohol can affect his or her body.
A family-based prevention program designed to help adolescents avoid substance use and other risky behavior proved especially effective for a group of young teens with a genetic risk factor contributing toward such behavior, according to a new study.
Researchers using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and the Exeter Family Study of Childhood Health, have identified a common genetic variant that explains why some women may find it more difficult to quit smoking during pregnancy.
Scientists demonstrate a link between cocaine and the reward circuits in the brain and also associates the susceptibility to addiction with these mechanisms.