A major research study of drug addiction in India found that the majority became hooked on drugs after friends introduced drugs to them. An additional 35 percent said they became addicted after trying out drugs for fun and out of curiosity.

• Researchers from the National Drug Agency in India surveyed 26,840 drug addicts, most of whom were addicted to heroin or morphine.
  
• Most of the study subjects were between 18 and 40 years old.
• Ninety eight percent of the subjects had attended school.
  
• The vast majority were men.

Dr. Mahmood Nazar Mohamed said that the first taste of drugs could put youngsters in risk for addiction. He also said rehabilitation could take between one to two years depending on the level of addiction.

Labels: addiction, peer-pressure, research

Why do some teenagers start smoking? Why do some become heavy smokers? Researchers from the University of Montreal set out to find the answers to these questions.

• Dr. Jennifer O’Loughlin and her colleagues studied 877 students for five years starting when they were 13-years old.
  
• None of the children were smoking at the beginning of the study.
  
• By the time participants were 18 years old, 48 percent were smoking.
  
• Among the smoking group, 21 percent of the teens were smoking every day.

Dr. O’Loughlin's research team drew the following conclusions from their research:

• Children from single-family homes and those who perform poorly in school are at increased risk of becoming smokers.
  
• Having parents, teachers, siblings, and/or friends who smoke increase their risk by two or three times.
  
• Teenagers who felt stressed, and had trouble controlling their impulses were also more likely to smoke.

Some factors that did not increase the risk for teen smoking included gender, parents’ education, depression, worries about weight, excessive risk taking, involvement in sports, and television watching.

The study appeared in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Labels: research, smoking, teenagers, tobacco use

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a 304-page report on drug and alcohol use in 2008. There were few surprises or changes in the rates of use from other years.

• The use of illegal drugs among teenagers has remained about the same since 2005.
  
• Among children ages 12 to 17 years old, 11.6 percent used such drugs in 2002, compared to 9.3 percent in 2008.
  
• Use of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons dropped from 4 percent in 2002 to 2.9 percent in 2008.

However, among people above the age of 12 years, the non-medical use of painkillers is “an area of concern,” according to the report. About 2.18 million people tried these substances for the first time in 2008.

When it comes to other forms of illicit drug use, marijuana and inhalants remain the most popular choices, SAMHSA reports:

• People under 18 years old tend to use marijuana and inhalants more than other illegal drugs.
  
• The average age of trying these two drugs is about sixteen years old.
  
• The average ages for trying heroin and tranquilizers are 23 and 24 years old, respectively.
  
• People start experimenting with Ecstasy, stimulants, cocaine, and LSD around ages 19 to 20.

Problem drinking among college students remains a concern:

• Among full-time students ages 18 to 22 years old, 61 percent were drinkers, 41 percent were binge drinkers, and 16 percent were heavy drinkers.
  
• The rates for those in that age group not enrolled in school were 54 percent drinkers, 38 percent binge drinkers, and 13 percent heavy drinkers.
  
• Sixty-eight percent of college graduates drink compared to 37 percent of non-graduates. However, non-graduates had higher rates of binge and heavy drinking.

Labels: binge drinking, drug use, inhalants, marijuana, prescription drugs, research, underage drinking

Canadian researchers have revealed the degree to which sharing prescription medications is contributing the the teen substance abuse problem in the United States. A survey of 529 U.S. youth (ages 12 to 17) found that about twenty percent of them have either lent or borrowed prescription medication.

An Aug. 10 Yahoo! News article provided the following details:

• A third of the teens who took a borrowed prescription did not tell their doctor, the team said in this week's online issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.
• About 32 per cent of the youths who took a borrowed medication said they eventually saw a doctor because the drugs did not resolve the problem.
• Earlier research suggests almost 40 per cent of U.S. adults have also lent or borrowed prescription drugs.

The study also found that two in five teens who borrowed medication experienced unexpected side effects. The study's authors concluded that increased efforts to address the prevalence and dangers of sharing medication are warranted.

Labels: prescription drugs, research, teen_drug_use

A new study from Virginia Commonwealth University found that teens who inherit genetic tendencies for alcoholism can avoid that problem if they grow up in certain environments.

Dr. Danielle Dick and her colleagues used data collected on about 5,000 twins born in Finland from 1983 to 1987. They were looking for how genetic and environmental factors influence the development of alcohol use among people aged 12 to 14 years old.

Children with certain behavioral problems, and who lived in certain neighborhoods, were more likely to develop alcohol problems.

"There is now converging evidence across a number of different studies that behavioral problems in kids are associated with both concurrent and future alcohol problems," Dr. Dick said. "A key finding is that we are not all equally predisposed to develop alcohol or behavioral problems, and the environment can be a key factor in whether or not an individual ever develops problems."

This study appeared in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Labels: alcoholism, research

Scientists in Australia gave bees cocaine and found that the insects react in ways that are similar to humans.

The bees became overly excited about routine tasks, suffered from impaired performance, and then withdrawal symptoms when the cocaine was removed.

For example, bees do a "waggle dance" to show other bees the location of flowers with pollen. Under the influence of cocaine, bees danced twice as often and 25 percent faster. When cocaine was withdrawn, the bees had problems performing routine tasks.

Dr. Andrew Barron and his colleagues at Macquarie University dropped liquid freebase cocaine on the backs of bees. The drug easily entered their brains and circulatory systems, changing their behaviors in significant ways.

"What we have in the bee is a wonderfully simple system to see how brains react to a drug of abuse," Dr. Barron said.

This study appeared in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Labels: bees, cocaine, research

A study that appeared in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that teenagers who use marijuana are at an increased risk for full-blown mental illnesses later in life. This study, the largest of its kind to date, included information gathered from more than 6,000 teenagers.

"Dr. Juoko Miettunen, who led the research at the University of Oulu in Finland, said the findings were significant because they demonstrated a link with psychosis at a very early stage of cannabis use."

Some of the symptoms that indicated of risk of psychosis included feeling like something strange was happening, feelings of paranoia, and difficulty controlling speed of thought. Source: Medical News Today

Labels: marijuana, mental_health, research

About a fourth of teen delinquents who have prescriptions for asthma inhalers over-use them to get high, according to a study from the University of Michigan. Another 33% abuse inhalers, even though they do not have a prescription for them.

Researchers studied 723 adolescents in residential treatment centers, found that abuse of inhalers was widespread, and linked to increased psychiatric distress. This study appears in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Labels: asthma, inhalers, research

The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) has been awarded a $3.4 million grant to develop drugs that may be effective in helping people overcome cocaine addiction. The four-year grant will help researchers continue their work on this first-of-its-kind addiction treatment.

"Led by the director of UTMB's Center for Addiction Research, Kathryn A. Cunningham, the effort centers on components of the brain's electrochemical signaling system that laboratory research suggests are crucially linked to success or failure in recovering from cocaine addiction."

More specifically, the research focuses on two serotonin receptors – designated 5-HT2C and 5-HT2A – that appear to affect addiction cravings and behavior. The program itself is divided into three parts; clinical research, neurobiology, and drug-design. Read more at MediLexicon.com.

Labels: medications, research, treatment

A survey of 4,000 adolescents in Idaho found that 20% believe using methamphetamine can make a person happy and help them to lose weight. Nearly a third said that they had been offered meth, which can be made in home laboratories by using over-the-counter cold medicines.

Meth releases chemicals in the pleasure centers of the brain, causing a user to feel temporarily happy and/or euphoric. Over time, using meth can destroy dopamine receptors, making it impossible to feel pleasure. These receptors can heal, but some research indicates that meth causes permanent damage to cognitive abilities.

Officials from the Idaho Meth Project are using the results of the survey to design an anti-meth program for their state.

SUWS wilderness programs have bee helping troubled teens for over 25 years. Located in Idaho, SUWS can help your troubled teen too.

Labels: drug_use, meth, research

People who start drinking after young adulthood are less likely to become binge drinkers, according to a study from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Berkeley, CA.

Dr. Marcia Russell and her colleagues used data from a five-year study in New York. They found that risks are lower for people who start drinking after age 21 years and who drink only in moderation.

"Drinking patterns associated with early peak and stable drinking trajectories were distinctly different," she wrote. "Early drinkers drank fewer years, less frequently and consumed less volume of alcohol over their lifetimes but they averaged more drinks per drinking day and had higher rates of episodic heavy drinking and intoxication."

This study appears in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Binge drinking and general adolescent alcohol use can cause chaos in even the most stable families. Learn what you can do about adolescent substance abuse at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: addiction, binge_drinking, research

The damage caused by methamphetamine use is no secret. But how it affects on a community is not as well known. So professors from Arkansas Tech University set about conducting research and gathering information that proves that methamphetamine touches more than the lives of its users.

"'High degrees of alienation and low efficacy in individuals increases the likelihood of using drugs,' [Sean Huss, Ph.D] said, noting communities with residents who have low social capital and high alienation are more susceptible to additional problems, which in turn leads to lower support for program spending and a weakened community."

In addition, the American public will pay $1.7 million for every adolescent who becomes a drug addict and an average of $277 in state taxes to deal with the burden of substance abuse.

ByParents-ForParents offers help for parents of troubled teens. Visit www.byparents-forparents.com for articles and advice for parents of teenagers.

Labels: communities, research, support

On January 26, psychotherapist Elizabeth Jorgensen was the keynote speaker at Harvard University's Conference on Mental Health in Schools. She presented several ideas that, when used in combination, help create a more positive and a safer environment at school.

"School climate can culture can have a measurable effect in reducing violence and correlates with overall higher student achievement, Jorgensen said."

An atmosphere of trust, individual attention, and boundaries shows students that the teachers and administrators care and take an interest in their success both in and out of school. Read more at NewsTimes.com.

Labels: mental health, research, schools

Dr. Jeff Dalley and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute has discovered that certain brain chemistry changes pre-date drug use in addicts and actually cause some people to be pre-disposed to addiction.

"Understanding the neurological changes that help trigger and sustain addiction is key to developing effective prevention and treatment. Numerous studies have noted a myriad of differences in the brain of drug addicts verses healthy individuals, but "it's been basically impossible to know which ones were there before they started to take the drug and which were a consequence of the exposure to the drug," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse."

Understanding the conditions which lead to drug addiction will change the way drug use and addiction are treated. Read more online.

Labels: addiction, research, treatment

This annual meeting brings together scientists from dozens of different disciplines, from laboratory to translational to clinical research, from throughout the United States and the world. Through thousands of lectures, symposia, research presentations, and exhibits, Experimental Biology provides scientists and clinicians an unparalleled opportunity to step outside the boundaries of their own fields and share information with colleagues looking at similar biomedical problems through the lens of different disciplines. The meeting also offers a wide spectrum of professional development for scientists, as listed below. Read more online.

Labels: biological_causes, brain_chemistry, research

On March 5th, researchers and clinicians will come together for a two-day meeting to discuss the complicated issues surrounding pain management and addiction.

"'The goal of this two-day meeting is to inform researchers and practitioners about the state of the science of the intersection of addiction and pain management.'"

The meeting will take place in Rockville, Maryland and includes speakers who specialize is substance abuse, psychiatry, pharmaceuticals, internal medicine and more. Read more online.

Labels: addiction, research, treatment

The second National Conference of Methamphetamine, HIV and Hepatitis takes place this weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah. Scientists, teachers and substance abuse workers from across the country will come together to discuss treatments, prevention, and the current state of meth.

"Among the variety of presentations on the opening day of the three-day conference... included a presentation of new data released by the Bureau of Forensic Toxicology on methamphetamine deaths in Utah during a 10-year period."

The conference will also focus on policy-making, scientific research, and needle-exchange programs. Read more online.

Is your older teen or young adult trying to maintain their sobriety and continue their education? NorthStar Center can help! By offering a sober living environment and help with academics, NorthStar is more than just young adult drug rehab.

Labels: meth, research

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