Duke to Co-Lead New Research Dissemination and Engagement Center to Help End Opioid Addiction

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Duke to Co-Lead New Research Dissemination and Engagement Center to Help End Opioid Addiction

The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) will help establish a new nationwide center that will accelerate and expand the dissemination of the latest research on addiction and overdose to help communities devastated by the opioid crisis.

October Is National Chiropractic Health Month

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse October Is National Chiropractic Health Month

Newswise imageNCHM is a nationwide observance held each October. The event raises public awareness of the benefits of chiropractic care and its natural, whole-person, patient-centered and drug-free approach to health and wellness.

Could monoclonal antibodies replace opioids for chronic pain?

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Could monoclonal antibodies replace opioids for chronic pain?

During the pandemic, physicians used infusions of monoclonal antibodies to help patients fight off COVID-19 infections. Now, in response to the U.S. opioid crisis, researchers at UC Davis are trying to create monoclonal antibodies that can help fight chronic pain. The research is funded with a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s HEAL Initiative, an aggressive effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national’s opioid crisis.

WVU’s Project TRAIN lays a new track to support children affected by addiction at home

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse WVU's Project TRAIN lays a new track to support children affected by addiction at home

Newswise imageOne of every four children in the United States has a parent wrestling with drug or alcohol addiction, based on national data, and is at risk of developing a substance use disorder later in life. To break that cycle and give adults in those kids’ lives the tools to make a difference, West Virginia University’s Project TRAIN has expanded its program, originally focused on enabling K-12 teachers to support students affected by addiction, to youth camps statewide.

Teen Alcohol Misuse is a Driver of Poorer Health and Dissatisfaction in Midlife, according to a New Twin Study

Alcohol misuse in adolescence affects physical health and life satisfaction over multiple decades, outcomes that are driven by ongoing alcohol problems, a new study has found. The link between teen drinking and poor health into the 30s held even after accounting for the effects of nature (genes) and nurture (early family environments). Problematic drinking in adolescence is known to be linked to ongoing health and life struggles. Better understanding this process could inform early targeted interventions that may prevent or ameliorate long-term negative consequences. The new study, in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, sought to clarify the pathways — direct or indirect — by which teen drinking has such far-reaching effects. Investigators explored participants’ alcohol misuse in adolescence and early adulthood, and physical health and life satisfaction in their mid-30s. The study sample was restricted to twins, allowing for consideration of shared genetic and environmental f

Homicides and Suicides Linked to Pregnancy Often Associated with Mental Health Conditions, Substance Use Disorders and Intimate Partner Violence, Study Suggests

Maternal mortality in the United States in on the rise. Scientists increasingly recognize that pregnancy-associated deaths — those due to conditions unrelated to the physiologic effects of pregnancy — are important and potentially preventable contributors to maternal mortality. Maternal deaths due to homicide and suicide are thought to represent a significant number of pregnancy-associated deaths, but have been under explored as an area of potential intervention.

Researchers Receive $3.5 Million Grant to Study Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Opioid Use Disorder

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Researchers Receive $3.5 Million Grant to Study Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Opioid Use Disorder

Newswise imageWith the support of a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers will study how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted opioid use disorder and how the COVID-19 response and mitigation policies impact health outcomes, especially in vulnerable populations.

Legalizing recreational cannabis in the U.S. has increased frequency of use by 20%

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Legalizing recreational cannabis in the U.S. has increased frequency of use by 20%

A new study published in the scientific journal Addiction has found that the legalization of recreational cannabis in U.S. states appears to have caused a 20% average increase in cannabis use frequency in those states.

Georgians in 71 counties don’t have methadone clinic access within a 15-minute drive

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Georgians in 71 counties don't have methadone clinic access within a 15-minute drive

The gold standard of opioid addiction treatments, methadone is a lifeline for millions of people addicted to narcotics like heroin, oxycodone and fentanyl. But for many Georgians, accessing medication-assisted treatment is next to impossible. New research from the University of Georgia found four of the five Georgia counties with the highest opioid overdose death rates don’t have a methadone clinic accessible within a 15-minute drive.

People with Certain Personality Traits are Less Likely to Mature Out of Hazardous Substance Use, Study Suggests

The typical rise and fall of alcohol and cannabis consumption from late adolescence into adulthood does not hold for people with certain personality traits, a new study suggests. Among individuals who used both alcohol and cannabis, those with high impulsivity as adolescents showed a different developmental trajectory from their peers, according to a study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research — the first to assess co-use of the two substances well into adulthood. Alcohol and cannabis are the two most frequently used psychotropic drugs in the US. High use is associated with negative health outcomes, particularly when the two substances are used concurrently or simultaneously. Little is known about the developmental course of alcohol and cannabis co-use into adulthood and whether it is influenced by sensation seeking and reduced conscientiousness, markers of disinhibition associated with hazardous substance use. Researchers at Arizona State University explored whether those pe