A new study of alcohol and drug use by teenagers found that African-American teens were less likely to be abusing drugs and alcohol than non-Hispanic whites. The group with the highest rates of abuse and addiction was Native American.
Read more about White Teens Have Double the Rates of Drug Addiction as African-Americans
It is no secret that drugs negatively impact a person’s ability to make sound judgments, perform simple motor skill functions and react quickly. Alcohol produces similar impairments. Drunk driving is a problem that has garnered public outcry and reprisal. Drugged driving is a lesser-known but equally serious problem that has recently been brought to the public’s attention.
A new definition for addiction has initiated a lively discussion among experts as to where emphasis ought to be placed when describing the condition. The American Medical Association categorized alcoholism as a disease over 50 years ago, but until recently, addictions have been defined largely in behavioral terms.
Following four years of consideration by 80 experts, our American Society of Addictive Medicine (ASAM) now defines addiction as “…a primary, chronic disease of motivation, brain reward, memory and related circuitry … with characteristic bio-psycho-socio-spiritual manifestations.”
A new study from researchers at Spain’s University of Granada has found that drug abusers have difficulty identifying negative emotions (such as anger, disgust, fear, and sadness) by their facial expressions. In addition, the study found that regular abuse of alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine usually affects the users’ fluency and decision-making. Cocaine abuse is associated with changes in inhibition, and marijuana and cocaine use negatively affects work memory and reasoning.
Read more about Study Finds Psychological Deterioration in Drug Abusers
Most national reports on teenage drug use are based on data gathered from either self-reports or confidential reports conducted on high school students. Even though the latest studies on at-risk youth from urban areas have indicated a rise in substance abuse, teenagers still may not be admitting to the whole truth. A new study by researchers at the Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has found that teens grossly underreport their actual drug use in confidential self-reports, even when they are aware that they will undergo a subsequent drug test.
Read more about Most Teenagers Deny Their Drug Use, Even When Undergoing Drug Testing
Mephedrone is a synthetic stimulant that produces effects similar to Ecstasy, amphetamines, and cocaine. Although the drug was outlawed in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland earlier this year, researchers from Queen’s University Belfast have found that the ban did not deter people from taking the substance.
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Two new intoxicating drugs, K2 and Spice, are raising concerns among public health officials and law enforcement since they cannot be detected by current drug testing technologies. To address this problem, diagnostic laboratories have developed new assays for drug monitoring that are reliably capable of detecting the two highly intoxicating drugs, and are making these products available to consumers.
Read more about New Drug Testing Developed for Previously Undetectable K2 and Spice
Researchers have found that public school students nationwide are experiencing more gang violence and drug use than ever before, according to recent data.
Read more about National Study Finds Jump in Drug Use in Public Middle and High Schools
Each year, the nonprofit organization Entertainment Industries Council (EIC), in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), hosts a prestigious award ceremony for the entertainment industry unlike any other. EIC’s Prism Awards acknowledge works of cinema and other performing arts media for realistically depicting experiences of substance abuse, addiction, and mental disorders. Nominees for the awards are meticulously screened by a panel of 80 judges consisting of entertainment industry professionals and medicine, mental health, and addiction specialists who not only critique the nominations based on entertainment quality, but also on their ability to accurately represent substance abuse and mental health issues.
Read more about PRISM Awards Acknowledge Substance Abuse Portrayals in Cinema