UNC Health Researchers Present Preliminary Data on Weight Loss Drugs on Alcohol Addiction

Christian Hendershot, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Clinical and Translational Addiction Research Program at the UNC School of Medicine, presented early findings from the first completed randomized controlled trial of semaglutide for reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers.

Stopping a spreading fire: identifying connections between adverse childhood events and substance use disorders

Physical and sexual abuse, having parents who misuse substances, and witnessing violent crime are tragic events that don’t remain locked in a single point in time. Rather, they are termed adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and 64 percent of American adults who participated in a recent survey reported experiencing at least one ACE prior to turning 18 years old.

Retrospective Study Based on Electronic Health Records Finds Popular Diabetes and Weight-Loss Drugs Associated with Reduction in Incidence and Recurrence of Alcohol-Use Disorder by at Least Half

A new study by researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine reveals that the popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic are linked to reduced incidence and recurrence of alcohol abuse or dependence.

Expert on rural Appalachia champions coalition building and local knowledge

Research from a West Virginia University scholar of rural Appalachia shows how even the most marginalized communities can assert power and create change when they come together to form coalitions.

A Common Pathway in the Brain That Enables Addictive Drugs to Hijack Natural Reward Processing Has Been Identified by Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai researchers, in collaboration with scientists at The Rockefeller University, have uncovered a mechanism in the brain that allows cocaine and morphine to take over natural reward processing systems.

Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Announces Seventh Cohort of Bloomberg Fellows

The Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health announces the 2023 Bloomberg Fellows, each selected from organizations working to improve one of five critical public health challenges facing the country: addiction and overdose, adolescent health, environmental challenges, food systems for health, and violence.

Cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia connection: expert says the drug, “seems to be amplifying some of the consequences that we are seeing”

What: A new study in Psychological Medicine found an association between young men with cannabis use disorder and a higher risk of developing schizophrenia. Furthermore, intense cannabis use may trigger and/or worsen schizophrenia.  Who: Katharine Sperandio, Ph.D., LPC, ACS, NCC, assistant professor of…

IU researchers receive $8.6M NIH grant renewal to study alcohol use, binge drinking

A multi-disciplinary team of Indiana University researchers is focusing their efforts on a growing public health concern: binge and “high-intensity” drinking—extreme drinking behaviors that are increasingly prevalent among college-age adults.

Brain-gut connection may reveal way to prevent cocaine addiction

Cocaine disrupts the balance of microbes in the guts of mice, part of a cycle of waxing and waning neurochemicals that can enhance the drug’s effects in the brain. But the same chemicals may also be harnessed to prevent addiction, according to new research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.Cocaine increases levels of a hormone called norepinephrine in users’ intestines, triggering an explosion of growth of proteobacteria, a family of microbes that includes the common and sometimes harmful bacterium E.

Human Cocaine and Heroin Addiction Is Found Tied to Impairments in Specific Brain Circuit Initially Implicated in Animals

Study results suggest the pre-frontal cortex-habenula circuit is potentially amenable for targeted interventions and prevention.

WVU pharmaceutical experts caution ‘one pill can kill’ as new forms of fentanyl become more prevalent

Faculty members with the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy are issuing warnings about the rise of fentanyl in Mountain State communities and elsewhere following the recent seizure of a large amount of “rainbow fentanyl,” potent illegal pills resembling candy, by law enforcement officers in Monongalia County.

UCLA researchers use artificial intelligence tools to speed critical information on drug overdose deaths

Fast data processing of overdose deaths, which have increased in recent years, is crucial to developing a rapid public health response. But the system now in place lacks precision and takes months. To correct that, UCLA researchers have developed an automated process that reduces data collection to a few weeks.

Study of pre-teens yields surprises about alcohol, tobacco and marijuana

They may only be in 4th or 5th grade, but 1 in 10 pre-teen children already say they’re curious about using alcohol or tobacco products, and 1 in 50 say they’re curious about using marijuana, a new study shows.
As many as 3% of the nearly 12,000 9- and 10-year-olds surveyed say they already have a friend who uses one of these substances. And those who said they did were also much more likely to be curious about trying alcohol or tobacco and other nicotine-containing products themselves.

Chula Researchers Find Extensive amounts of THC in Cannabis-Flavored Drinks The Public Is Cautioned and the Government Urged to Impose Stricter Control

Research work of a biochemistry expert at Chulalongkorn University finds that over 30% of cannabis-flavored drinks randomly tested contain higher THC levels than what is permitted. The public is warned to keep their consumption to moderate levels and that children should refrain from drinking this beverage. The government should control its consumption and warn the people of the benefit and harm of cannabis.

Disparities in opioid treatment access remain for women, Black and Hispanic people

Buprenorphine is a prescription approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that effectively treats opioid dependence or addiction. But women, as well as Black and Hispanic populations, do not have equal access to this potentially lifesaving medication, new Mayo Clinic research finds.