Newswise Feature Channel: Substance Abuse

CHLA's SLAY Program Receives $2 Million Grant to Support Substance Use Prevention and Leadership Training for High School Students

Children's Hospital Los Angeles — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 10:10:40 EST

Program Manager Alejandra Cortez, LCSW, recognizes that working with high school students is as much about learning as it is about teaching. "When we are working with youth, I see amazing growth both in the students and in my own team," Cortez explains.Youth Advocate Dayanara Fonseca agrees. "We have worked with one student since her freshman year," Fonseca says.

Rutgers Institute Celebrates 10 Years of Advancing Neuroscience and Brain Health Research

Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 17:30:54 EST

Members of the Brain Health Institute at Rutgers mark a decade of innovation with an awards ceremony honoring faculty

The Global Divide Between Longer Life and Good Health

Mayo Clinic — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:45:03 EST

People around the globe are living longer -- but not necessarily healthier -- lives, according to Mayo Clinic research. A study of 183 World Health Organization (WHO) member countries found those additional years of life are increasingly fraught with disease.

Curious by Nature: Dr. Deborah Padgett - There Is a Solution to Homelessness

Newswise — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 05:35:58 EST

In the United States, homelessness is a persistent challenge intertwined with issues like mental health and addiction. Policy debates often struggle to make meaningful progress, burdened by stigma, prejudice, and politics. However, Dr. Deborah Padgett, a professor at NYU's Silver School of Social Work, is using data-driven research to explore practical solutions.

CWRU's Begun Center partners with county Medical Examiner's Office to launch pilot drug-testing program

Case Western Reserve University — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 05:10:00 EST

In a new collaboration, Case Western Reserve University's Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education has partnered with the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office (CCMEO) to launch a pilot program designed to help curb fatal overdose trends. This new initiative involves lab testing syringes collected from syringe service programs--also known as "needle exchanges"--at The Centers and MetroHealth System.

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.

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.

Study Identifies Pregnant Women at Risk for Substance Use

Stony Brook University — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:20:31 EST

A new study published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine conducted by a team of Stony Brook University researchers used the PROMOTE Prenatal Screener - a unique screening tool for use during pregnancy - to pinpoint vulnerabilities for substance use.

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.

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

UC San Diego Awarded $8 Million to Uncover Genetic Foundations of Substance Use Disorders

University of California San Diego — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:00:06 EST

UC San Diego has received a five-year, $8 Million grant to support a NIDA P30 Center to investigate the genetics, genomics, and epigenetics behind substance use disorders.

'The Way to a Man's Heart Disease': Can Social Expectations of Masculinity Be Bad for Cardiovascular Health?

University of Chicago Medical Center — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 11:00:00 EST

A new study found that higher levels of stereotypical male gender expression were associated with a decrease in reported diagnoses and treatment for cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Opioids May Negatively Impact Hormone Health

Endocrine Society — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 10:40:02 EST

A new Scientific Statement released today by the Endocrine Society highlights research gaps associated with the negative effects of opioid use on the endocrine system.

Implantable Device May Prevent Death From Opioid Overdose

Washington University in St. Louis — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 14:00:00 EST

Researchers from WashU Medicine and Northwestern University developed an implantable device that can detect an overdose and rapidly deliver naloxone.

A 37% Drop in Overdose Deaths From Drugs Mixed with Opioids - Fentanyl Included

Ohio State University — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 11:55:26 EST

Expanded treatment options, increased naloxone distribution and targeted education campaigns likely led to a 37% reduction in overdose deaths from opioids combined with stimulant drugs other than cocaine, according to the results of a large federally funded study.

Brain Imaging of Neuromelanin May be Key to Understanding Extensive Substance Use

Stony Brook University — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 13:00:47 EST

A study that used a specialized type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), named neuromelanin-sensitive MRI, showed that this type of MRI signal was increased in regions of the midbrain in young adults ages 20 to 24 who had an extensive alcohol and drug use history. The findings are published early online in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Nationwide Study Uncovers Disparities in Screening for Substance Use Among Injured Adolescents

Children's Hospital Los Angeles — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:05:10 EST

Injuries and substance abuse are leading causes of adolescent deaths. Screening adolescents for substance use can reduce the risk of future drug and alcohol use and reinjury. But how are clinicians deciding who to screen?