Alcoholism News Archives

“You're less likely to feel afraid, and you're also less likely to run away or to avoid conflict”

Alcohol can make people frisky, chatty and, as any bouncer knows, feisty. Now, a new brain scan study shows drinking actually dampens the biological ability to feel fear. via KLTV Tyler

“If you have an intense craving to play a game”

Kevin Roberts, a Michigan educator who specializes in Attention Deficit Disorder and learning issues, is now conducting support groups for teens and adults who struggle with video game addiction. via KNIN-TV Boise

“If this pill will help you to stop gambling, I'm all for it. I may even take a couple myself. What the heck? But the thing is, if you don't change your lifestyle, it's not going to work”

OMAHA, Neb. -- A drug approved to help alcoholics may help gamblers, too, and a clinical study is under way to see if it works, television station KETV reported. via KVVU-TV Henderson

A film-maker needs two people to star in his new documentary about a typical night out for young adults in south London. via This is Local London

“They signal to us that we are in threatening situations.”

Drinking alcohol dulls the brain's ability to detect threats, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday in a study that helps explain why people who are drunk cannot tell when the guy at the end of the bar is angling ... via Reuters

“The 2003 war on drugs is notorious for the crimes against humanity perpetuated by Thai authorities”

Main Category: HIV / AIDS Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Article Date: 24 Apr 2008 Thailand's efforts to fight drug use are hindering HIV/AIDS control programs in the country, some ... via MediLexicon

“Information on psychiatric risk factors prospectively identified in this study can begin to inform a new class of preventive interventions aimed at preventing a second disorder or set of disorders”

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry ; Depression ; Anxiety / Stress Article Date: 23 Apr 2008 - 3:00 PDT A new study by the National Institute on Alcohol ... via Medical News Today

“Drinking is a very casual social activity amongst teens. Everyone drinks at parties, especially during the game beer pong, and people do not take it seriously.”

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency reports that 39 percent of New Jersey's seventh- and eighth-grade students used alcohol sometimes in their lives. via Home News Tribune

LIBERAL frontbencher Tony Abbott has backed an overnight rise in the price of alcopop drinks in the battle against binge drinking. via News.com.au

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Article Date: 25 Apr 2008 Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher T.D., Minister for Health Promotion and Food Safety, announced the Government's decision to strengthen the ... via MediLexicon

ROSEBURG: TIPS, Inc. is sponsoring a Dance for Teens Showcase at 7 p.m. Saturday in Roseburg High School's Rose Theatre, 400 W. Harvard. via The News-Review

“Even when genetic factors are most influential, they account for less than half of the influence on drinking behavior”

The influence of genetics increases as young women transition from taking their first drink to becoming alcoholics. via Physics Org

Liver cancer takes about 40,000 lives a year and liver disease caused by alcohol abuse takes some 13,000 in the European Union, researchers say. via KRYS-FM Corpus Christi

Despite intriguing findings that omega-3 fatty acid supplements could alleviate depression symptoms, there is still not enough evidence to say whether omega-3s are useful treatments for people with bipolar ... via Medical News

“It has been projected that a delay in the onset of the disease by five years would lead to a nearly 50 percent reduction in the total number of Alzheimer's cases”

Heavy drinkers and heavy smokers develop Alzheimer's disease years earlier than people with Alzheimer's who do not drink or smoke heavily, according to a new study. via ConsumerAffairs.Com

“Our findings suggest that severe damage to one's home is a particularly important factor behind socioeconomic disparities in psychological distress, and possibly behind the levels of psychological distress”

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: From alcohol abuse to the loss of a home, new research continues to assess the devastating impact of Hurricane ... via HON

Linda Quirk, a 55-year-old grandmother, is trying to compete in seven marathons on seven continents, beginning with the Boston Marathon. via The Post Chronicle

“These events suggest a need for careful case selection, careful clinical management, and for closer regulatory monitoring to protect this marginalised and vulnerable population”

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Article Date: 20 Apr 2008 An urgent review of the use of naltrexone for opioid dependence is needed following reports of severe adverse reactions, according to ... via MediLexicon

It is important that people lead a healthy lifestyle to reduce their risk of developing dementia. via MediLexicon

Using gene therapy to increase the level of dopamine -- a pleasure-related chemical -- receptors in rats' brains reduced their desire for cocaine by 75 percent, U.S. researchers say. via KVIA

NEW YORK - A drug used to treat the symptoms of psychosis in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may also be a useful medication for individuals who are addicted to alcohol, findings published in ... via Reuters

“I loved going to the theater in London because they allowed you to drink before the show and during intermission.”

William Shatner says he never realized until after "Star Trek" ended how disliked he was by the rest of the cast. via NY Daily News

“By increasing dopamine D2 receptor levels, we saw a dramatic drop in these rats' interest in cocaine”

Washington, Apr 17: A new study on mice from US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory has shown that boosting the brain level of receptors for dopamine, a pleasure-related chemical, could reduce ... via Daily India

“It is an illness, and that has been verified by doctors throughout the world. "But there are still people out there who have their opinions. Some people open their mouths and don't really know what they are talking about.”

The father of footballing legend George Best has died in hospital, aged 88. Dickie Best has died aged 88 Dickie Best was surrounded by his family as he passed away at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald, Northern ... via Sky News

Iowa lawmakers are looking at cutting funds for gambling treatment by about half. via KTVO Kirksville

“It has been projected that a delay in the onset of the disease by five years would lead to a nearly 50-percent reduction in the total number of Alzheimer's cases”

Heavy drinkers and heavy smokers develop Alzheimer's disease years earlier than people with Alzheimer's who do not drink or smoke heavily, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of ... via Physics Blog

“Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis are susceptible to infections and once infected, they have increased in-hospital mortality”

Supplements of friendly bacteria may restore the immune function of white blood cells in alcoholics, suggests new research from the UK. via Food And Drink Europe

“You have to be ready to change and say, 'I'm tired, I don't want to do this anymore.”

Lourdes Santana went through state-funded detoxification programs for heroin addiction five times in 10 years. via Newsday.com

“What we found is that the repeated use of methamphetamine causes adaptations in the brain, and that only re-introducing the drug can reverse that”

Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Repeatedly stimulating the mouse brain with methamphetamine depresses important areas of the brain, and those ... via MediLexicon

“Findings show that aripiprazole made the drinkers sleepier and they experienced less pleasure from alcohol than they might have without it”

Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A drug currently approved to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia may play a role in the treatment of alcoholism. via WIAT-TV Birmingham

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials Article Date: 12 Apr 2008 With Arizona facing a critical crisis of methamphetamine use, Dr. via MediLexicon

“If someone notices any of the signs or symptoms associated with oral cancer, they should see a dentist immediately”

In light of new data connecting oral cancer to the human papillomavirus and to commemorate National Oral Cancer Awareness Week April 7-13, Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana is calling for patients to ... via MediLexicon

“The results of the acute studies have interesting potential therapeutic implications including the use of CB1 receptor antagonists for preventing brain damage in fetuses and neonates exposed to ethanol, sedative and/or anticonvulsant drugs.”

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics Article Date: 09 Apr 2008 - 3:00 PDT newsletters Marijuana is among the most frequently used illicit drugs by women ... via Medical News Today

“People may be spending less money on cars, they may be spending less money on their houses, but it turns out the BlackBerry is the one essential”

Its nickname, CrackBerry, says it all. There is no recreational use of Research in Motion's BlackBerry. via Sify

“Many of us have become aware that the standard approach of attacking a tumor with one modality isn't as good. Multimodal therapy is the new buzzword in cancer treatment”

By combining a special type of chemotherapy with another treatment called radiofrequency ablation , Chinese researchers boosted the survival of people with advanced liver cancer by an average of 13 to 15 months ... via WAFB-TV Baton Rouge

Yes No Banning liquour ads in college newspapers doesn't work by Gene Policinski There are moments when a courtroom win for free expression in America may not entirely seem like such a good thing to some ... via Winchester Sun

Sweden's long-standing practice of levying higher taxes on wine than beer withstood a legal challenge by the European Union on Tuesday. via Canadian Business Magazine

“Since dopamine is involved in the rewarding effects of alcohol, we thought that aripiprazole might reduce those effects.”

A new study has found that it significantly and dose-dependently increases the sedative effects of alcohol and, to a lesser degree, decreases the euphoric effects of alcohol. via Science Daily

“Readers should really see this as preliminary evidence and should be on the lookout for more studies to inform them of the potential treatment utility of aripiprazole by itself or in combination with other medications for alcohol-use disorders.”

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Also Included In: Bipolar ; Schizophrenia Article Date: 06 Apr 2008 - 9:00 PDT newsletters * Aripiprazole is currently approved to treat bipolar disorder as ... via Medical News Today

Editor's Choice Main Category: Genetics Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Article Date: 03 Apr 2008 - 0:00 PDT newsletters A study published in the open-access journal PLoS ONE reports that ... via Medical News Today

“You're not man enough. You haven't got the guts.”

Smithee Darling : Two of my all-time favorite movies involve alcoholism -- "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Under the Volcano." Give me your list of best alcohol-themed flicks in order of excellence. via StarTribune

“I don't see that we could have done anything more than we did”

Two Texas women who received the kidneys of a man contracted tuberculosis as a result, and one of them died, health officials have said.

The 46-year-old organ donor had not been diagnosed with the disease and had tested negative for tuberculosis six months before he died in June. A report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the case noted the man did have risk factors for the disease, including a history of alcoholism, incarceration and homelessness.

Three weeks after the donor died, the Oklahoma Department of Health learned he had the disease. Read more

“It would also be helpful to determine if the alcohol effects on NMDA receptors contribute to neuroadaptations or neurotoxicity in this brain region after prolonged ethanol exposure, thereby contributing to alcoholism and alcoholic brain damage.”

The prefrontal cortex region of the brain is involved in decision making. New rodent findings show that PFC neuron N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors are especially sensitive to concentrations of alcohol ... via Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews

“Entitlement to incapacity benefit is not linked to any specific diagnosis or condition”

Comments The number of people claiming benefit for drug and alcohol addiction has doubled to 100,000 under Labour More than 100,000 drug addicts and alcoholics in the UK are claiming sickness benefits because ... via Daily Mail

Attitudes developed during the childhood and teen years may contribute to problem drinking later in life, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says. via KLTV Tyler

“This finding could help us understand individuals' initial vulnerability to these disorders.”

Inherited variations in the amount of an innate anxiety-reducing molecule help explain why some people can withstand stress better than others, according to a new study led by researchers at the National ... via EurekAlert!

“Other claims of the patent in question . . . can also be valuable sources of enlightenment as to the meaning of a claim term.”

Mylan tripped the ANDA wire, triggering a lawsuit from Ortho-McNeil for infringing 4,513,006 , covering topiramate, an accidentally discovered anticonvulsant. via Patent Prospector

“We need new strategies to treat alcoholism that are directed toward the prevention of withdrawal symptoms”

Reshaping of the DNA scaffolding that supports and controls the expression of genes in the brain may play a major role in the alcohol withdrawal symptoms, particularly anxiety, that make it so difficult for ... via Science Blog

“What this finding does is highlight that something important in recent human history has affected the genetic composition of many East Asian populations”

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Also Included In: Genetics Article Date: 01 Apr 2008 Some change in the environment in many East Asian communities during the past few thousand years may have ... via MediLexicon

“Additionally, it points to potential targets for new smoking-cessation medications that may be more effective at helping smokers to quit.”

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology Lung Cancer Scientists have identified a genetic variant that not only makes smokers more susceptible to nicotine ... via MediLexicon