Why is it so hard to quit smoking? That was the question tackled recently by BBC World Service's CrowdScience show. There are 1 billion smokers …
Tag: addiction
A look at the pros and cons of abuse-deterrent opioids
Some opioid users become addicted when using prescription medications for pain relief. Reformulating those drugs to make them harder to abuse would seem like an …
Addiction policies should accord with neuroscience, Stanford researchers argue
In "Neuroscience of Need: Understanding the Addicted Mind," an article I wrote for Stanford Medicine magazine a few years ago, I tried to describe the hijacked brain …
On addiction, psychiatric disorders and primary care: A Q&A with a Stanford clinical psychologist
Resolving America’s opioid crisis is clearly more difficult than just saying “no” to opioid use. A key complication is that many opioid addicts also have mental health issues, …
Taking painkillers with sleeping pills is an increasingly risky business
For those of us following the confounding opioid epidemic, there’s more bad news. Stanford researchers have determined that taking strong prescription painkillers together with sleeping …
Repeal of ACA would worsen opioid epidemic, Stanford researcher says
The American Health Care Act, the House Republican's Affordable Care Act replacement plan released Monday, would worsen the opioid epidemic, Keith Humphreys, PhD, a Stanford professor of …
Is marijuana safe for teens? American Academy of Pediatrics says no
Marijuana use isn't safe for teenagers, and pediatricians need to be ready to explain why, according to a new clinical report published this week by …
New method of predicting drug abuse shows promise
What if you could predict who would abuse drugs? You could intervene before the cycle of addiction and loss begins, saving lives, healing families, restoring …
Drug Dealer, MD: A look at the opioid epidemic
Who's to blame for America's opioid crisis? Is it possible to point the finger at one culprit and say, "Guilty as charged?" Stanford psychiatrist and …
Saliva test may help identify marijuana-impaired drivers
As of the recent election, seven states and the District of Columbia have now legalized marijuana for recreational use and 19 other states have legalized …
Teens’ beliefs about marijuana documented in new Stanford study
There’s a good news/bad news story playing out around teen smoking: After years of public health education about the dangers of cigarette use, teenagers’ cigarette …
Everything adolescents should know about the dangers of tobacco
Nicotine changes the brain. And tobacco-using adolescents are especially susceptible. As an adolescent brain develops, nicotine alters the delicate network of neurons and synapses, increasing …
The two faces of MDMA: Drug of abuse, and promising therapeutic and research tool
I didn't know if it was day or night I started kissin' everything in sight But when I kissed a cop down on 34th and …
Homeward bound: An addiction specialist travels home to help
Few things tug at the heart quite like the thought of home. Whether it’s our birthplace, current address, or just somewhere we love, home is …
“A real medical problem”: A Stanford physician reflects on treating patients with opioid addictions
Suddenly empowered to write prescriptions as a new resident, Jonathan Chen, MD, PhD, knew the basics and had more senior physicians to ask for advice …
Should we invest in HIV prevention for people who inject drugs?
People who inject drugs make up less than 1 percent of the U.S. adult population. But about 10 percent of new HIV infections in this …