Once it becomes available, genetic testing will be a useful tool in helping people get the right treatment for drug and alcohol addictions. But until then, scientists are seeking other ways to help the medical community identify and treat addiction.

"Scientists know that people whose brains don't function properly - they have trouble reasoning and remembering - are more prone to addiction... Because brain functioning can be improved through rehabilitation, [Glen] Hanson advocates reforming the educational system from one that encourages 'memory and regurgitation' to one that 'trains people to think'."

Cognitive testing is another suggestion, as is testing for illiteracy, since both have a direct affect on a person's ability to reason and problem solve. Read more online.

SunHawk Academy has a teen residential treatment center for adolescents struggling with substance abuse addictions. SunHawk Academy is licensed and approved as an Adolescent Residential Treatment Center and provides 24 hour supervision and care in a Boarding High School setting. SunHawk combines a therapy, accredited academics, and family development workshops to help troubled teens and their families.

Labels: addiction, prevention, research