Tag Archives: alcohol abuse

Staged Accidents Send Strong Message About Drunk Driving on Prom Night

Prom is all about dresses and corsages, tuxedos and bow ties, but it’s also all too often about drinking. Prom typically kicks off the last month before graduation for high school seniors, which means that it is a time of both exceptional elation and major stress.

Alcohol, Tobacco Greatest Global Promoters of Addiction, and It’s Not Even Close

Global statistics confirm that billions of human beings are currently using alcohol and tobacco, cementing their status as humanity’s runaway drugs of choice. In fact, if we were to add up the number of people taking some type of illegal drug, it wouldn’t come close to matching either the number drinking alcohol (nearly 2 billion) […]

Does Drinking in Movies Encourage Teens to Drink in Real Life?

A British study has uncovered a possible connection between teen drinking and exposure to scenes of alcohol consumption in popular movies. These findings cry out for replication, but it is notable that even after adjustments were made to compensate for other determining factors, evidence suggesting a cause-and-effect relationship remained.

The Top Five Ways to Relax Without Alcohol

If you have been through the alcoholism acceptance stages, you asked for help, went through rehab and joined a support group, you have done everything right to get and stay sober. These are just the basics, though. How do you plan to live the rest of your life without alcohol? Do you know how to […]

Verbally Advanced Kids Have Higher Risk for Teen Alcohol Abuse

As they grow older, children naturally develop increasing levels of mastery over the skills required for verbal communication. However, some children experience a greater advancement of their verbal skills than others. In a study published in 2014 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, researchers from the U.S. and Finland investigated the connection between […]

10 Tips for Talking to Your Teen About Drinking

Having the serious talks with your kids isn’t easy. Talking to your teen about sex, peer pressure, drugs, drinking and other issues can be awkward and many parents avoid it. But as daunting as the task may be, do not skip these conversations. Teens whose parents talk to them about drinking are much more likely to be […]

Alcoholism, Polydrug Abuse Create Different Brain Abnormalities

Alcoholism is the well-known term used to describe a physical dependence on the (typically unrestrained) consumption of alcohol. Polysubstance or polydrug addiction is a lesser-known term used to describe a simultaneous addiction to at least two substances, including any combination of alcohol, illicit/illegal drugs and mind-altering medications. In a study published in September 2014 in […]

Four DUIs in 30 Hours? People Do Worse During Blackouts

You’d be surprised how many problem drinkers in a blackout have come out of it having flown to another country. To the untrained eye they may appear sober and rational while complete lack of reason and control have overtaken them, said Dr. Anita Gadhia-Smith, a Washington, D.C., specialist and author of From Addiction to Recovery: […]

No One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Overcoming Alcohol Addiction

Addiction to alcohol usually has one of two starting points. Either the person gets involved with alcohol because he or she thinks it makes life more fun, or the person starts drinking in order to dull unpleasant thoughts and feelings. The person who overdrinks in an effort to intensify life usually won’t benefit from the […]

Drinking Alcohol Increases Meth Use, Study Finds

In the U.S., hundreds of thousands of people use the illegal stimulant drug methamphetamine every month. In addition, tens of millions of people consume alcohol. There is a considerable degree of overlap between the methamphetamine-using population and the alcohol-using population. In a study scheduled for publication in 2014 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, […]

Drinkers Ignore Heart-Healthy Behaviors

It’s a well-established fact that excessive alcohol consumption can damage your cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) health and increase your risks for several life-threatening conditions. Failure to follow certain lifestyle recommendations can also increase your odds of developing cardiovascular problems. In a study published in June 2014 in the journal Substance Abuse, a team of […]

Newly Discovered Brain Mechanism Helps Explain Addiction

Over the years, researchers have identified many of the brain mechanisms that contribute to the onset and continuation of substance addiction. However, as investigations on this subject continue, more and more information comes to light and adds to basic understanding and the potential options for treatment. In a study published in June 2014 in the […]

DUI Saturation Patrols, Checkpoints Set for Deadly Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day is summer’s last hurrah, and authorities will be working all weekend at DUI checkpoints around the country to stop unsafe drivers. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the National Safety Council calculates that about 400 drivers in the U.S. will be killed in traffic collisions during the three-day weekend — […]

Binge Drinking Increases Risk For Dangerously Irregular Heartbeat

Binge drinking is a form of excessive, short-term alcohol intake known for its ability to significantly damage health and well-being in a number of ways. In a study published in July 2014 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a team of Swedish researchers sought to determine if participation in this form of […]

Texts From the ER Reduce Binge Drinking

Young adults in the U.S. have an unusually high level of participation in a dangerous, intoxication-producing drinking behavior called binge drinking. Unfortunately, a substantial number of binge drinkers end up requiring treatment in an emergency room. In a study published in July 2014 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, researchers from two U.S. universities investigated […]

Two Simple Questions Help Doctors Identify Alcoholics

Primary care doctors have a range of screening tools at their disposal for the detection of diagnosable cases of alcohol use disorder (alcoholism and alcohol abuse). However, they may not have the time to administer such a screening to every patient they see over the course of a day or week. In a study published […]

Mutant Worms That Don’t Get Drunk Provide Promise for Alcohol Treatment

Oh they showed all the signs of alcohol intoxication — the weaving, the poky movement. That was before the worms had brain surgery. By tweaking a molecular channel in the tiny animal’s brain, neurologists have found a way to genetically alter a worm so it doesn’t get drunk after consuming alcohol, a potentially promising finding […]

BUI: Boating Under the Influence May Send You to Jail As Police Take DUI Patrols on the Water This July 4th

There were more brown pelicans than drunken boaters on the water as July 4th approached, and L.A. Sheriff’s Deputy Bryan White and his team hope to keep it that way. “The weekends are always the busiest,” he said as the Sheriff’s boat pulled away from its Marina Del Rey berth. The deputies on board scouted […]

Risk of Alcohol-Related Accidents Rises Substantially on Fourth of July Weekend

Family picnics, neighborhood barbecues, rousing patriotic concerts, colorful parades and spectacular fireworks displays will bring joy and excitement to the lives of millions of Americans this July 4th weekend. Men, women and children of all ages will gather with loved ones to observe the 238th anniversary of our country’s birth, in appreciation of our freedoms […]