Substance Abuse

FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Narcan

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first nonprescription, "over-the-counter" (OTC) naloxone nasal spray, Narcan. Naloxone -- a medicine that can reverse an opioid-related overdose -- has been shown to be a critical tool to prevent fatal overdoses, connect more people to treatment for substance use disorder, and save lives.

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SAMHSA to Launch New 'Office of Recovery'

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is launching an Office of Recovery, within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to advance the agency's commitment to, and support of, recovery for all Americans. SAMHSA will now have a dedicated team with a deep understanding of recovery to promote policies, programs and services to those in or seeking recovery.

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Cravings Stronger for Those Who Smoke and Drink

People who drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes may have stronger cravings and greater drug-seeking responses, which could explain why those who use multiple substances find it more difficult to quit. Researchers at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York have explored the motivational impact of cigarette and alcohol "cues", with important implications for understanding and treating addiction and relapse. Over time, individuals who drink heavily and smoke cigarettes frequently begin to associate simple stimuli in their environment – such as the sight or smell of a lit cigarette or their favorite drink – with the rewarding effects of the substance.

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Half of ADHD Adults Have Had a Substance Abuse Disorder

Half of adults aged 20-39 diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have had a substance use disorder (SUD) in their lifetime according to new research. This is markedly higher than the 23.6 percent of young adults without ADHD who have had a substance use disorder in their lifetime. Even after considering factors such as age, race, income, education, childhood adversities and other mental illness, young adults with ADHD were still 69 percent more likely to have had a substance use disorder when compared to their peers without ADHD.

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Poverty, Stress a Factor in Overdose Deaths

Drug-related deaths have grown to be a major US public health problem over the past two decades. Between 2006 and 2015 there were more than 515,000 deaths from drug overdoses and other drug-related causes. The economic, social, and emotional tolls of these deaths are substantial, but some parts of the US are bearing heavier burdens than others. Evidence from the first national study of county-level differences suggests that addressing economic and social conditions will be key to reversing the rising tide of drug deaths, reports the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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Opioid Abuse Can Be Treated in Primary Care

A new model of collaborative care - combining substance abuse treatment with regular medical care - has been found to be more accessible, more effective and at a lower cost than traditional specialty care methods, according to a RAND Corporation study.

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Drug-Use Can Hamper Moral Judgment

Regular cocaine and methamphetamine users can have difficulty choosing between right and wrong, perhaps because the specific parts of their brains used for moral processing and evaluating emotions are damaged by their prolonged drug habits. This is according to a study among prison inmates by Samantha Fede and Dr. Kent Kiehl's laboratory at the University of New Mexico and the nonprofit Mind Research Network. The findings of the study, which was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, are published in Springer's journal Psychopharmacology.

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Childhood Defiance Linked to Addiction

Children who exhibit oppositional behavior run the risk of becoming addicted to nicotine, cannabis and cocaine while inattention symptoms represent a specific additional risk of nicotine addiction. Nevertheless, hyperactivity in itself does not seem to be associated with any specific risk of substance abuse or dependence.

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