There have been dramatic public policy developments surrounding caffeinated alcohol beverages since Michelle Brandt wrote about them here less than a month ago. Half a …
Category: Addiction
Do people really get addicted to marijuana?
Last week, the Los Angeles Times profiled a woman who was addicted to marijuana for 19 years, during which she used marijuana compulsively several times …
Love blocks pain, Stanford study shows
Intense, passionate feelings of love can block pain in ways similar to painkillers or illicit drugs like cocaine, according to a Stanford study published online …
Pediatrics group calls for stricter limits on tobacco advertising
Armed with data showing that advertising has a powerful effect on adolescents' decision to smoke, the American Academy of Pediatrics yesterday called on the government …
A response to reader comments about Proposition 19
On Tuesday, Paul Costello posted an entry discussing our recent interview about Proposition 19, and a number of readers left comments. I wanted to respond …
Yea or nay on California's prop to legalize weed?
Personally, I've been wavering on how I'll vote in November on the California proposition that legalizes marijuana. I hear the proponents of Proposition 19 with …
Keith Humphreys on the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010
The biggest difference between crack and powder cocaine is who uses it: The former has traditionally been the vice of African Americans; the latter (more …
Legalized marijuana in California: high teens and a more powerful tobacco industry?
As widely reported this afternoon, a new report from the RAND Corporation shows that legalizing marijuana in California - something that voters will vote on …
National survey shows teen girls more vulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse
Blame the Lindsay Lohan-effect, realty TV shows chronicling the lives of drunken 20-somethings on a downward spiral or the increasing availability of prescription drugs. Whatever …
Does coffee really wake you up?
While sipping a cup of "Hair Bender" from Stumptown Coffee Roasters this morning, I was shocked to attention by new research showing that my morning …
Europe launches campaign to get young smokers to stop
Last year, the European Commission called for a "Smoke-Free Europe" by 2012. Now, following reports showing that 35 percent of 15- to 24-year-olds in the …
NIH podcast reveals prescription drug abuse more prevalent in teenage girls than boys
A new National Institute of Health podcast offers insight into gender-based differences regarding abuse of prescription drugs. In general, men tend to take more prescription …
Researchers study whether exercise can help prevent drug relapse
Regular exercise has been shown to do all sorts of good things: build muscle, improve cardiovascular health, reduce stroke risk and boost mood. But could …
Is an addiction to Facebook indicative of deeper emotional issues?
With 400 million users on Facebook, even its critics wouldn't describe the social network as a fad. But some psychologists say the site's most frequent …
London hospital to help teens kick that World of Warcraft habit
I'm a little late to this news, but it's too interesting to pass up. Capio Nightingale Hospital in London has launched a new program to …
Balance problems may continue for sober alcoholics
A new Stanford study shows that long-term stability problems are common among sober alcoholics. Lead researcher Edith Sullivan, PhD, is quoted in an article from …