Colorado, Washington State Await Federal Government Response to Marijuana Laws

Voters in Colorado and the state of Washington have approved initiatives to make marijuana legal. The Attorney General for the United States of America has not yet commented on the issue, beyond saying that his department is reviewing federal law on the subject. Officials from both states are looking to Washington,DC for further guidance on [...]

Alcohol Can Distort Men’s Feelings of Empathy and Understanding of Irony

The chronic, heavy use of alcohol can reduce a man’s ability to feel empathy or understand irony.  A study published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research looked at two groups of 22 men, one group was in their third week of an alcohol treatment program and the other 22 were not alcoholic. Both groups were given stories to [...]

School Nurses: Trusted Student Health Professionals and Agents of Substance Abuse Prevention

From the Office of National Drug Control Policy comes high praise for the role that school nurses play in protecting the mental health of America’s students. A 2007 report from the Government Accountability Office showed that these professional health care workers spend one-third of their time providing mental health services, including addiction issues. Substance abuse in [...]

Invisible War Wounds and the New Face of Addiction

Lisa Cypers Kamen, MA, blogs about the wounds of war that are not visible to others. She also investigates the sad statistics related to the substance addictions that follow in their boot steps. Within the military, prescription drug abuse has skyrocketed between 2005 and 2008. Fully one third of returning Iraq war veterans show signs [...]

Study: Alcoholism Shortens Life More Than Smoking

Researchers working in Germany have confirmed the association between alcoholism and premature death. The Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine at University Medicine Greifswald study found that death rates were 4.6 times higher in alcohol-dependent women, and 1.9 times higher in men with alcohol dependence than the general population. Published online in the journal Alcoholism: [...]

Young People Who Go Out Drinking Start Earlier and Consume More and More Alcohol

An investigation into the drinking habits of Spanish teenagers and university students by the University of Valencia has found that young people are unaware of the downside of alcohol use, and are at higher risk of becoming addicted. They also tend to start drinking at younger ages and imbibe more and stronger alcoholic beverages. The [...]

Recovery of Brain Volumes with Abstinence May Vary for Different Brain Regions

Alcohol abuse can cause damage to the central nervous system and brain morphology. A study to be released in the January 2013 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has found that the recovery of cerebral gray matter may begin in the first two weeks of recovery, but varies in the different areas of the [...]

Commentary: Affordable Care Act Could Benefit Treatment of Co-Occurring Disorders

Nearly nine million Americans suffer from mental health and substance abuse issues. Unfortunately, only eight percent are treated for both disorders. Meanwhile, over 55 percent receive no treatment whatsoever. This situation may be addressed by enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Healthcare providers will have a financial incentive to merge services. Studies have shown [...]

African-American Youth Exposed to More Alcohol Advertising

A new report from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth finds that African-American youth, ages 12-20, see more advertising for alcohol on television and in magazines than do all other youth at these ages.  Fourteen studies related the amount of advertising to which youth are exposed to the amount of alcohol use by those [...]

2012 Voice Awards Announced

This is the seventh year that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has hosted the Voice Awards, which recognizes the work of behavioral health advocates and community leaders who further the cause of awareness and treatment. This year, a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, Metta World Peace, received special recognition for his [...]