The idea that social media causes harm is no longer in dispute, Professor Jeremy Howick of the University of Leicester started in The Conversation. But “even if the bans worked perfectly, they would address only part of the problem… But…
News Archives
EUDA Single programming document 2026-2028
Under this European Union Drugs Agency model, work will be organised around 3 thematic areas: substance use and harms; best practice and responses; and policy and society, crime, markets and precursors. It also includes the EU Early Warning System on…
The wounded healer paradox
Israel’s Max Stern and Ashkelon Academic Colleges examined relapses among professional peer supporters – wounded healers – in the field of substance use treatment. Disconnection from NA’s 12-step programme and others in recovery often initiated relapses, as did early romances.…
Administration to change Parity rule
NAATP has advocated for full enforcement of the Parity law since it would be an “enormous step toward providing access to care” – but the law was subverted and ignored by insurance providers. This week, the Justice Department asked the…
NIH: non-addictive pain reliever
“Opioid pain medications are essential for medical purposes, but can lead to addiction and overdose,” said Nora D Volkow MD, director of NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Developing a highly effective pain medication without these drawbacks would have enormous…
Kratom exposures hit record levels
Poison control center reports related to kratom increased 1200% from 258 in 2015 to 3,434 in 2015. The surge corresponds with the emergence of a highly potent kratom byproduct the FDA wants to remove from the market, 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), due to…
ASAM addiction research updates
“Addiction is actually a two-brain disease. Often, what is harmful for the adult brain is harmful for the developing brain, but it doesn’t always work both ways – and our responses shouldn’t either,” the American Society of Addiction Medicine advocated.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month
In the US, alcohol contributes to over 178,000 deaths/ year. In 2024, almost 28million Americans ages 12 and older (1 in 10 people) met the criteria for an alcohol use disorder. Excessive alcohol use is also linked to 7 types…
The biology of a blackout
An alcohol-induced blackout occurs when the brain is unable to create new memories due to the high levels of alcohol in the bloodstream. People can be awake, conscious and engaging in activities, but their brain is can’t properly encode information,…
Syrian super-drug spreads globally
Syria has become a major transit and drug hub, not just in Europe but across Asia and Africa, encompassing narcotics as varied as crystal meth and liquid cocaine. But it’s Captagon that truly keeps Syria’s drug empire afloat: it’s one…
