Memorial Day Weekend Checkpoints for Drugged, Drunk Driving AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthMay 22, 2014An army of officers will fan out over Memorial Day weekend around the country with DUI checkpoints and patrols aimed at snagging not just drunk drivers, but the growing menace of drugged drivers. This intensified focus comes on the heels of a new study that finds an increase in fatal accidents involving marijuana since Colorado…
Chiara de Blasio Honored for Sharing Story of Addiction, Depression AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthMay 10, 2014The first daughter of New York City continues to go public with her depression and addiction story, and this week she was recognized for inspiring hope in other young people facing mental health problems. Chiara de Blasio, the 19-year-old daughter of Mayor Bill de Blasio, had startled the public with a Christmas Eve video revealing…
Huge Indoor Marijuana Operation Busted in L.A. AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthMay 6, 2014A marijuana production and sales enterprise called “huge” and worth more than $72 million in yearly sales was raided in drug seizures and arrests carried out May 1 across Southern California.
Rogue Internet Drug Sellers Pose Risk to Global Public Health AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthMay 5, 2014A new report from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) should serve as a wake-up call to consumers searching for and buying their medications online. Illegal online drug sellers are the most frequent conduits of counterfeit drugs and pose a continued threat to global public health, the report titled Internet Drug Outlet Identification…
Marijuana Legalization: Preparing for the Coming Tide AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthApril 23, 2014After California became the first state to legalize cannabis for medical purposes in 1996, 19 other states plus the District of Columbia chose to follow its lead. Recent polls show that more than 80 percent of the American public is in favor of the legalization of marijuana for therapeutic purposes, and it may be only…
U.S. Moves Toward Reduced Sentences for Drug Offenders AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthApril 18, 2014Prison terms for certain nonviolent drug offenses will be shortened starting this fall in an attempt to ease overcrowded federal lockups around the nation, a bipartisan commission has decided. The reduction for time spent behind bars will become official Nov. 1 absent action by Congress, and is expected to drop the population in federal prisons by 6,500 inmates,…
Smoking Long or Ultralong Cigarettes Magnifies Lung Cancer Risk AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 21, 2014Long and ultra-long cigarettes have a noticeably longer and thinner profile than standard cigarettes. Tobacco product manufacturers apparently market these cigarettes to appeal to women and enhance the perceived safety of smoking; however, use of long and ultra-long cigarettes may actually increase a person’s cancer-related risks. In a study published in March 2014 in the…
Changes in Religious Devotion Increase Risk for Substance Abuse AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 13, 2014Religiosity is a term used to describe adherence to any given form of religious doctrine or faith. Levels of adherence vary significantly from person to person within a faith, as well as within any given individual at various points in time. In a study published in March 2014 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence,…
Smokers Avert Eyes From Cigarette Pack Warnings, Study Finds AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 9, 2014In the U.S., federal law requires cigarette manufacturers to place warnings on their products that outline the serious health risks associated with cigarette use. These warnings are meant to deter people from smoking and also to encourage current smokers to cut down on their cigarette intake or stop smoking altogether. In a study published in…
Addiction Is a Brain Disease, Not Moral Failing AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 2, 2014Although addiction treatment is a relatively new field, a significant body of research shows that addiction is a chronic illness similar to asthma, hypertension and diabetes. The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as “a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” Consistent differences in neurophysiology between addicts and non-addicts…
