Addiction News

Woman with 1,000 Drug-Related Offences Turns Life Around, Encourages Others

Is it possible for one woman to collect as many as 1,000 offences? According to a recent Northant Set report, it is not only possible, it actually happened. One mother of six had become a prolific burglar to feed her drug addiction. Now, thanks to an effective rehabilitation program, she and her partner in crime are clean.

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Substance Abuse among Older Americans

The stereotype of individuals with substance abuse problems is generally centered on the younger population, equating bad choices with immaturity and lack of life experience. In reality, substance abuse affects members of all adolescent and adult age groups, including seniors.

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Romantic Rejection as Powerful as Addiction

Is there a connection between romantic rejection and addiction? According to a study featured in a Science Daily release, these two elements are also connected to motivation and reward. How? The pain and anguish that rejection can create could possibly be the result of activity in the parts of the brain often associated with motivation, reward and cravings of addiction.

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ER Visits Increase Over Independence Holiday as Teens Consume Alcohol

In the United States, the 4th of July is a time for celebration. For those who work in healthcare, it is a time to prepare for the arrival of underage drinkers into the emergency room. According to research by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, ER visits almost double over this annual holiday.

Those in the role of providing warnings about underage drinking tend to lay it on thick around prom and graduation, but could be missing the mark when it comes to Independence Day celebrations. A new report shows that ER visits related to alcohol for those under 21 nearly double over the holiday weekend.

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Both Positive and Negative Reinforcements Can Create Behavior Changes

Positive and negative reinforcements are not as simple as they seem, and are often misunderstood. Usually mistaken for a system of reward or punishment, these terms refer to psychological processes that cause certain behaviors to be repeated. In the field of substance abuse, positive and negative reinforcements can be helpful at encouraging desirable behaviors or substituting new behaviors for unhealthy habits.

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More Women Driving Drunk – Numbers up 30 Percent

A surprising report authored by the FBI for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that during a ten-year span ending in 2007, the number of women arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) rose nearly 30 percent. The findings were unsuspected even to Ray LaHood, U.S. Transportation Department secretary, who commented on the report at a news conference. Approximately 2,000 fatalities each year are attributed to women driving under the influence of alcohol.

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Drug Addiction Drives Bank Robber to Attempt Escape in Taxi

A drug addiction can make a person do strange things – including robbing a bank while using a taxi as the get-away car. One would guess the taxi driver was less than impressed when the dye bag exploded in his vehicle.

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Studies Examine the Science of Recovery

Recovery is a funny thing in that an individual who has dealt with an addiction to drugs or alcohol can face a lifetime struggle to stay away from these substances. For many, recovery is a stage they remain in for the rest of their lives.

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Florida Prescription Pill Problem a Growing Trend

The fact that prescription medication addiction is a growing problem is dominating headlines. One mother addicted to painkillers falls asleep while her baby drowns in the bathtub; a group high on Xanax seeks money and winds up beating a man to death; an appliance repairman is arrested for stealing pain pills when he should be fixing appliances.

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Troubling Trend in Drug Use Among Young Children in Scotland

A story from The Scotsman newspaper in Scotland reports that a new study from the Scottish Drug Misuse Database paints a grim picture of life as a drug addict in Scotland. Particularly disturbing was a growing trend of drug use in young children under the age of 14.

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