Newswise Feature Channel: Drugs and Drug Abuse

Rats on Cocaine: When Aversion is Not Enough

University of Texas at El Paso — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 11:35:00 EST

Propensity to addiction starts from the very first drug use experience, UTEP study shows

New Report: Life Expectancy Years Shorter in the United States Compared to the United Kingdom

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 07:00:46 EST

A new report from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that life expectancy in the United States is, on average, 78.6 years versus 81.3 years in England and Wales, an overall 2.7-year difference.

2024 Bloomberg American Health Summit in Washington, D.C., to Spotlight Concrete Ways to Advance Public Health Amid Political Division

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:15:28 EST

The seventh Bloomberg American Health Summit organized by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative will bring together public health leaders, government officials, community organizations, researchers, and students to discuss evidence-based health policies that remain critical to advancing health in a politically divided country. The Summit will take place on December 3 in Washington, D.C.

Perceived Social Acceptability of Driving While under the Influence of Cannabis and Alcohol May Sway Young Adult Behavior

Research Society on Alcoholism — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 10:00:00 EST

Half of 18- to 25-year-olds believe that the average young adult drives or rides in a car at least once a month while the driver is under the influence of alcohol and cannabis.

Medicated Nasal Spray Will Slash Opioid-Related Hospital Admissions

University of South Australia — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 19:25:15 EST

Australian researchers say access to a free medicated nasal spray which temporarily reverses the effects of opioid toxicity while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, will save lives and reduce opioid-related hospital admissions.

Rutgers Startup Seeks to Design Safer Prescription Opiates

Rutgers University's Office for Research — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 10:25:17 EST

Rutgers startup Zena Therapeutics strives to create narcotic medications that will minimize or even eliminate overdoses from prescription drugs. Co-founded by Eileen Carry, PhD, and Ariane Vasilatis, PhD, the company is based on an innovation developed at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey: a novel compound that does not increase the risk of overdose if taken with other central nervous system depressing substances such as opioids and alcohol.

Alcohol Use Identified by UTHealth Houston Researchers as Most Common Predictor of Escalated Cannabis Vaping Among Youths in Texas

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 16:20:20 EST

Alcohol use was the most common predictor of escalating cannabis vaping among youth and young adults, independent of demographic factors, according to research by UTHealth Houston published this month in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

A Groundbreaking New Approach to Treating Chronic Abdominal Pain

University of Vienna — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 05:15:17 EST

A research team at the University of Vienna, led by medicinal chemist Markus Muttenthaler, has developed a new class of oral peptide therapeutic leads for treating chronic abdominal pain. This groundbreaking innovation offers a safe, non-opioid-based solution for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which affect millions of people worldwide. The research results were recently published in the international edition of the renowned journal Angewandte Chemie.

Study Supports Potential of Genetic Testing to Create Personalized Pain Management Plans

American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 16:05:24 EST

Researchers have discovered a link between certain genes and the number of opioid tablets that patients took after receiving surgery for torn ACLs. The insights support further evaluation of personalized pain management plans, which could help reduce unnecessary opioid subscribing.

Xylazine is a New Threat That Demands Swift Action Using Lessons from the Past

The Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Foundation for Opioid Research and Education — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 09:45:11 EST

Opinion piece on using opioid crisis as a blueprint for addressing Xylazine and F2 spread

12-Month Prospective Study Finds Improved Outcomes for Patients Receiving Fast-Acting Subperception Therapy (FAST)

American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 04:20:00 EST

Chronic pain patients using spinal cord stimulators experienced pain relief, improvement in disability and sleep, and reduction in opioid use with fast-acting subperception therapy (FAST). The positive findings continued over a 12-month period.

Breaking Research Could Help to Advance Care for Overdose Patients Who've Taken Xylazine

Association for Diagnostic and Laboratory Medicine (ADLM (formerly AACC)) — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 16:15:27 EST

A novel study published today in ADLM's journal, Clinical Chemistry, has found that it takes the human body much longer than previously thought to clear xylazine -- one of the most popular emerging drugs of abuse in the U.S. This much-needed insight into how the body processes xylazine could improve treatment of overdose patients who've taken it.

Impaired Caregivers, Bed Sharing Raise Risk of Sudden Unexplained Infant Death in Infants Born with Prenatal Drug Exposure

Nemours Children's Health — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:30:10 EST

Study by Nemours Children's Health researcher finds 1 in 4 deaths of prenatally exposed infants involved caregivers who were both impaired and bed sharing at infant's time of death, suggests tailored messages to these caregivers are critical

Racial Differences in Opioid Use Disorder

The Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Foundation for Opioid Research and Education — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:55:07 EST

Racial Differences in Opioid Use Disorder

Expert Available: Overdose Deaths Continue to Decline in U.S.

George Washington University — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 12:00:08 EST

New data shows overdose deaths continue to decline in the U.S. ...

Forensic Science Research Responds to DEA Need for Faster, Better Identification of Drugs Like Fentanyl

West Virginia University — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:00:17 EST

Relief is coming for crime scene investigators and toxicologists who have struggled to accurately and swiftly identify drugs that have been seized by law enforcement and may be relied on as evidence at trial, thanks to a research partnership between West Virginia University and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Exposure to Marijuana in the Womb May Increase Risk of Addiction to Opioids Later in Life, Study Finds

University of Maryland School of Medicine — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 17:00:56 EST

University of Maryland School of Medicine Researchers Identify Neurobiological Changes Leading to Increase Release of the Brain Chemical Dopamine and Its Target Neurons Linked to Addiction-Like Behavior With the increased legalization of recreational cannabis, as many as 1 in 5 pregnant women in the U.S. are now using the drug to help with morning sickness, lower back pain or anxiety.

The Solution to Death From a Fentanyl Overdose Could Lie in Its Chemical Structure

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:45:24 EST

Scientists have identified a molecule that appears to restore normal breathing in mice following a large dose of fentanyl.

Mount Sinai Awarded Nearly $7 Million From National Institutes of Health to Lead New York Coalition in Recruiting Participants for All of Us Research Program

Mount Sinai Health System — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:45:18 EST

Health System to serve as a lead core enrollment site for diverse, national health database

Healing, Spiritual Purposes Drive Many Veterans' Use of Psychedelics

Ohio State University — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:05:09 EST

Most U.S. military veterans who have used psychedelics reported in a recent study that they pursued the substances for healing or spiritual exploration, and over 80% said they benefited from the experience - even those who had challenging outcomes.