Drug Abuse News

• Risk of marijuana's 'gateway effect' overblown, new research shows September 2, 2010
  New research shows that the "gateway effect" of marijuana -- that teenagers who use marijuana are more likely to move on to harder illicit drugs as young adults -- may be overblown. […]
• Medicinal cannabis review highlights dilemmas facing healthcare professionals September 2, 2010
  Health professionals have a responsibility to respect and support patients who use cannabis for medicinal purposes, but must stay within the law and follow professional guidance at all times. UK researchers studied more than 50 published papers, together with professional and Government guidance documents, official reports and media coverage, from 1996 to 20 […]
• Hispanic kids show greater risk of substance use, study suggests September 1, 2010
  Hispanic middle school students may be more likely to smoke, drink or use marijuana than their peers of other races and ethnicities, whereas Asian students seem to have the lowest risk, according to new research. […]
• Smoked medical cannabis may be beneficial as treatment for chronic neuropathic pain, study suggests August 30, 2010
  The medicinal use of cannabis has been debated by clinicians, researchers, legislators and the public at large for many years as an alternative to standard pharmaceutical treatments for pain, which may not always be effective and may have unwanted side effects. A new study provides evidence that cannabis may offer relief to patients suffering from chronic ne […]
• Amphetamine use increases risk of aortic tears in young adults, study suggests August 30, 2010
  Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be at greater risk of suffering a tear in the main artery leading from the heart. […]
• Experimental treatments for cocaine addiction may prevent relapse August 27, 2010
  The drug disulfiram, used for years to deter recovering alcoholics from drinking, also can treat cocaine addiction. Disulfiram prevents rats from seeking cocaine after a break, a model for addicts tempted to relapse. Disulfiram appears to work by inhibiting the enzyme dopamine beta-hydroxylase, which is required for the production of the neurotransmitter nor […]
• Painkilling system in brain: Too much of a good thing? August 25, 2010
  Repeatedly boosting brain levels of one natural painkiller soon shuts down the brain cell receptors that respond to it, so that the painkilling effect is lost, according to a surprising new study that has important implications for drug development. […]
• Possible cocaine addiction trigger uncovered: Protein linked to mental retardation may be controlling factor in drug's effect in the brain August 16, 2010
  Scientists from the Florida campus of the Scripps Research Institute have identified a protein that may act as the trigger controlling the addictive impact of cocaine in the brain. The findings may one day lead to new therapies to treat addiction. […]
• Chemical system in brain behaves differently in cocaine addicts, scientists find August 12, 2010
  Researchers have identified a chemical system in the brain that reacts differently in cocaine addicts, findings that could result in new treatment options for individuals addicted to the drug. […]
• Drugs to treat cocaine abuse? Effectiveness may depend on how one uses cocaine August 11, 2010
  A new study explores pharmacological strategies for reducing cocaine self-administration in animals that may have implications for treating cocaine dependence in humans. […]