Addiction

While fear-based messaging around alcohol aimed towards teens is common practice, new research suggests a key to curbing adolescents’ risky drinking behavior is through authentic and open communication that acknowledges some of the positive aspects while warning of the negative consequences of drinking.

A new study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, led by researchers from the University of California San Diego Qualcomm Institute and School of Medicine, reveals a dramatic increase in sports betting and gambling addiction help-seeking since the landmark Murphy v. NCAA Supreme Court decision in 2018 paved the way for states to legalize sports betting.

Non-fatal overdoses (NFODs) remain a critical public health concern in Ireland. Opioids are the leading cause of overdose globally requiring a comprehensive and multi-faceted response to address the complexities of the opioid crisis.

A UCLA research team has found that drugs being sold as fentanyl contain high amounts of the industrial chemical bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl) sebacate, or BTMPS. This new substance of concern emerged in the illicit drug supply nearly simultaneously in multiple U.S. locations from coast-to-coast.

New Monash University research has revealed a concerning rise in new opioid prescriptions among younger Victorians, while also finding an overall positive trend, with a drop in opioid prescription numbers and the number of people being prescribed opioid medications for longer periods of time.

Relapse is common when someone is trying to quit, regardless of whether they’re giving up opioids or alcohol or cigarettes. To better inform treatment, researchers with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC’s Addiction Recovery Research Center wanted to better understand how the experience of quitting differed across substances.

A new report from researchers at the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network and Public Health Ontario shows the number of accidental drug and alcohol toxicity-related deaths continued to rise dramatically from January 2018 and December 2022.

A recent study published in the Harm Reduction Journal documents the arrival of xylazine to the San Diego-Tijuana border region, and shows the efforts of local physicians to address this emerging challenge in the nation’s overdose crisis.

In Pawtucket, Rhode Island, near a storefront advertising “free” cellphones, J.R. sat in an empty back stairwell and showed a reporter how he tries to avoid overdosing when he smokes crack cocaine. KFF Health News is identifying him by his initials because he fears being arrested for using illegal drugs.

A gap persists between the need for and receipt of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment among U.S. individuals, according to a research letter published in JAMA Network Open.