A team of analysts from the U.K. has determined that years of study on marijuana have proven that the drug increases the risk of psychosis. The specific factors that cause the increased risk could not be proven, but researchers say the connection between marijuana and psychosis is undeniable.

"Doctors have long suspected a connection and say the latest findings underline the need to highlight marijuana's long-term risks. The research, paid for by the British Health Department, is being published Friday in medical journal The Lancet."

The team analyzed 35 studies that tracked tens of thousands of people for anywhere from one to 27 years. They looked for connections to both psychotic illnesses and cognitive disorders. Interestingly, no connection to cognitive disorders could be found. Read more at ABCLocal.go.com.

Adolescent substance abuse can have lasting implications that affect teens in may ways. Learn about ways to help teenagers at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: long_term_drug_use, marijuana, psychosis

Chris Volkmann thought she had a nearly perfect family. Until her youngest son, Toren, called to tell her that he was in an alcohol drug treatment program. His recovery exercises and her responses formed the foundation of the book they wrote together, From Binge to Blackout; a Mother and Son Struggle with Teen Drinking.

"Once Toren's symptoms nearly broke him, both he and his mother faced the issue courageously. Chris takes responsibility for doing what many mothers are doing everywhere: ignoring her intuition and dismissing numerous clues as she holds on to her picture of their perfect life, and Toren takes responsibility for being a manipulative addict trying to keep his secret drinking problem from not just her, but himself."

The book is called "highly informative" because of the depth of information shared by both mother and son. Chris is honest about the "red flags" she saw but ignored, and she shares the wealth of self-taught information she learned after hearing of her son"s struggle. For his part, Toren gives readers an inside look at the life and mind of a teen binge drinker, dispelling many myths and misconceptions. Read more at GilroyDispatch.com.

Labels: binge_drinking, signs, treatment

Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc announced today that it has begun a clinical trial for a drug called CPP-109, intended for use in the treatment of cocaine addiction. CPP-109 is an oral treatment that inhibits dopamine release that's typically caused by drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine.

"The Phase II clinical trial is expected to enroll 180 cocaine dependent patients at 10 leading addiction treatment clinical centers in the United States. Patients will be treated for a period of 12 weeks, with an additional 12 week follow-up."

Catalyst will begin enrolling patients in the trial once it gets approval from the Institutional Review Board. It expects to release first results of the trial in the summer of 2008. Read more at News-Medical.net.

Labels: addiction, cocaine, treatment

For years, methadone clinics have been an accepted method of "weaning" someone off of an opiate addiction. But a new method - and new drug, Suboxone - is beginning to get noticed. Suboxone masks the symptoms of withdrawal while blocking the effects of opiate-based drugs like heroin.

"'When the Suboxone molecule enters the neuron, it attaches to the receptor and protects it from any other opiate,' said Dr. David Faulk, a Brunswick psychiatrist who writes prescriptions for Suboxone. 'The big benefit is that it's extremely difficult to abuse and become addicted to.'"

Opponents of Suboxone say that patients who use it to overcome addictions may have to take it for the rest of their lives. Read more at TheBrunswicknews.com.

Need more information about teen drug addiction? Visit 4TroubledTeens.com to learn about the Behavioral and Physical Signs of Teen Drug and Alcohol Use.

Labels: addiction, recovery, treatment

In a letter to the editor of the Commonwealth Journal in Somerset, Kentucky, Emily Milburn tells her story of addiction and recovery. Many studies and surveys paint bleak pictures of addiction and the likelihood of recovery, but Emily hopes to paint a different picture.

"I want your readers to know that there is always hope and there is always something that can be done about addiction issues. If you are tired to watching someone you love lose everything in life that matters then do something about it now!"

When they became aware of her addiction, Emily's parents enrolled her in a Narconon program, from which Emily has since graduated. Read more at Somerset-Kentucky.com.

Teens struggling with drug addiction need all the help and support they can get. If your child is experiencing teen drug addition, visit DrugRehabTreatment.com for ways you can help.

Labels: hope, support, treatment

There's some good news, and some bad news, in the war on drugs. The good news is that the number of methamphetamine labs in the United States has been declining since 2004. According to the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency, there are 10,487 fewer meth labs now than there were three years ago. The bad news is that the demand for meth - in its various forms - is now being met by labs in Mexico.

"Mexican methamphetamines are now supplying a majority of the market in America... Mexican super labs have the ability to produce vast amounts of the clear, pure form of methamphetamines using pseudoephedrine shipped from Germany and China."

While U.S. laws have prevented residents from getting the pseudoephedrine needed to operate a meth lab, international laws aren't nearly as strict. Though the DEA is calling for new international protocols, meth is not a top priority among other nations. Read more at DailyBeacon.UTK.edu.

Worried your teenager may be experimenting with meth or other drugs? Learn more about meth and other club drugs from our Introduction to Club Drugs.

Labels: drug_trafficking, international, meth

Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism have identified five distinct subtypes of alcoholism. This study differs from previous attempts at identifying sub-types because it includes people who don't or haven't sought treatment for their alcoholism. It's estimated that only 25% of people with alcoholism ever seek treatment.

"We find that young adults comprise the largest group of alcoholics in this country, and nearly 20 percent of alcoholics are highly functional and well-educated with good incomes. More than half of the alcoholics in the United States have no multigenerational family history of the disease, suggesting that their form of alcoholism was unlikely to have genetic causes."

The five subtypes developed by the NIAAA were: young adult, young antisocial, functional, intermediate familial, and chronic severe. Those who fall into the chronic severe subtype are the ones most likely to seek help. Read more at EMaxHealth.com.

Teen alcohol abuse is a serious condition. Research shows "that those who began drinking at an early age were significantly more likely to develop a dependence on alcohol, and the dependence is more likely to be chronic and associated with long-term health issues." Read more at www.drugrehabtreatment.com.

Labels: alcohol, alcohol_abuse, treatment

Selena Bartlett, Ph.D., recently led a study on the effects of medication in treating the cravings associated with alcohol addiction. The study produced positive results, but Dr. Barbara Krantz was quick to point out that medication is just one component of effective treatment.

"'We know that addiction to alcohol or drugs is a disease with medical and psychosocial components,' said Dr. Krantz. 'Addiction is a brain disorder for which counseling and other behavioral therapies are necessary components of addiction treatment.'"

Addiction treatment is different for everyone. Dual diagnosis may have to be addressed (i.e. – addiction and depression being treatment simultaneously), and type and the length of treatment needs to be customized. Read more at Home.Busineswire.com.

The Aspen Institute conducts all of the assessments necessary to create a comprehensive treatment plan for teens struggling with emotional and behavioral issues. Learn more about this special residential treatment center at www.aspenassessment.com.

Labels: addiction, therapy, treatment

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have found that smoking cigarettes during the first six to nine months of recovery may interfere with an alcoholic's overall success.

"Corresponding study author Timothy C. Durazzo, of the University of California San Francisco, says non-smoking alcoholics showed a significantly greater level of recovery than smoking alcoholics in the areas of mental efficiency; higher-level reasoning and problem-solving; visual-spatial processing skills and working on short-term memory."

The mortality rate for cigarette smoking is also four times that of the mortality rate relate to alcohol-induced diseases. Read more at EarthTimes.org.

Recovery is a life-long process and requires commitment, introspection, and most importantly, courage. Learn more about Recovery Support at www.drugrehabtreatment.com.

Labels: alcohol, recovery, smoking

Luzerne County Community College is hosting the area's first-ever Alcohol and Drug Studies Institute. The Institute courses run for a week and will be attended by over 100 professionals and relatives of substance abusers and addicts.

"[Mike] Donahue said one goal is to develop a curriculum of courses on the subject and to offer college credits that will count toward an associate's degree and that can be transferred to other colleges. Although nothing has been finalized, Donahue hopes the program of study will be available by fall 2008."

Read more at TimesLeader.com.

A report concerning drug use and availability among teens indicates that half of all teenagers during the 2001-02 academic year attended schools at which drugs were present. Read more about how school counselors, teacher training, and treatment for drug-using students can help keep drugs out of schools at www.teen-drug-help.com.

Labels: awareness, education, schools

At-Risk-Youth.com is a new website/blog dedicated to providing troubled adolescents and their parents with valuable and timely information about the issues that face today's youth. When adolescents exhibit destructive behaviors, parents often feel helpless and confused about how to help their child, who may struggling with issues such as substance abuse, violence, weight management, learning disabilities, eating disorders, and other behavioral and emotional issues. At-Risk-Youth.com provides parents with the information and resources that will help their children reach their full potential.

At-Risk-Youth.com provides parents and their children with helpful tools, such as information about therapeutic programs, rehabilitation programs, and boarding schools, along with information for parents about the issues that their children are facing. The resources provided by At-Risk-Youth.com are intended to help families deal with these complex issues so that they can make the choices that will help get their children back on the right path.

Labels: at-risk_youth, rehab, resources_for_parents

When your teenager is sending messages to her friends on MySpace, she may not be sharing the latest high school dating gossip, but rather, telling her friends about her latest drug- or alcohol-related escapades. A new study by Caron Treatment Centers found that 1 in 10 messages posted by teenagers asked for advice on "safe" ways to take illicit drugs without getting caught.

"The study also found that in messages about alcohol, hooking up and having sex when drinking were the top behaviors discussed by teens. While a few teens expressed regret over things they did while drunk, many chalked it up to 'fun', 'being wasted' and 'having a good time.'"

The majority of messages posted by teens were free of this type of content. Of the 10.3 million messages analyzed, 160,000 contained drug, sex or alcohol related content; that's about 1 1/2 percent. But of that 160,000, 80% of the messages discussed alcohol, marijuana, cocaine or acid/LSD.

Read more online.

Labels: communication, drug_abuse, internet

Experts and substance abuse counselors say that people who grow and sell marijuana have begun making the drug stronger; thereby increasing the chance that users will become addicted.

"Pam Morrison sees firsthand what the increase in THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, does to users. Morrison, the Coastal Horizons program director said, ‘We have youth as well as adults that are seeking substance abuse treatment because their lives are completely unmanageable as a result of an addiction to marijuana alone."

Many people who find themselves addicted to marijuana believed that only "hard" drugs like heroin or cocaine could be addictive. Read more at WSOCTV.com.

Are you or your teen still in denial over their drug use or addiction? Learn the reasons behind your denial at DrugRehabTreatment.com. You'll also find other useful information about teen drug abuse while you're there.

Labels: addiction, marijuana, treatment