Melinda Beck, Wall Street Journal New understanding of how alcohol affects the brain is prompting addiction experts to make a push for using medications to help people quit or cut down on excessive drinking. Read The Full Article >>>
Why colleges haven’t stopped binge drinking
Posted on June 8, 2015
Beth McMurtrie, Chronicle of Higher Education Despite decades of research, hundreds of campus task forces and millions invested in bold experiments, college drinking in the United States remains as much of a problem as ever. Read The Full Article >>>
Painkiller abuse, a cyclical challenge
Posted on June 8, 2015
Austin Frakt, New York Times Even as the Food and Drug Administration approves new, powerful opioid-based painkillers, the United States is in the midst of an epidemic of opioid overuse. This is not the first time. Read The Full Article >>>
Drugging Our Kids
Posted on June 8, 2015
Dai Sugano and Karen de Sá, San Jose Mercury News For the past four months, the Bay Area News Group has been documenting the alarming use of psychiatric medications in California’s foster care system — and the impact on thousands of vulnerable kids who suffer the consequences. Read The Full Article >>>
Risks in Using Social Media to Spot Signs of Mental Distress
Posted on June 8, 2015
Natasha Singer, New York Times The Samaritans, a well-known suicide-prevention group in Britain, recently introduced a free web app that would alert users whenever someone they followed on Twitter posted worrisome phrases like “tired of being alone” or “hate myself.” Read The Full Article >>>
What’s a few drinks? That’s a recipe for student rape
Posted on June 8, 2015
Jay Mathews, Washington Post I’m not surprised that University of Virginia President Teresa A. Sullivan didn’t mention alcohol — not even once — in her Nov. 22 statement about the since-discredited report of a gang rape at a fraternity house and her desire to quell sexual abuse on campus. Read The Full Article >>>
New NY law requires childproof packaging for liquid nicotine, bans sale to minors
Posted on June 8, 2015
Jacob Pucci, Syracuse.com A bill Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law today now requires that liquid nicotine be packaged in childproof containers. Read The Full Article >>>
Half of teen, young adult car crash deaths involve pot or alcohol
Posted on June 8, 2015
Stephanie Pappas, Live Science Half of the teen and young adult drivers who die in car crashes are under the influence of either pot, alcohol, or both, suggests a new study done in states where toxicology screening for accident victims is routine. Read The Full Article >>>
States gear up to help Medicaid enrollees beat addictions
Posted on June 8, 2015
Christine Vestal, Stateline Under the Affordable Care Act, millions of low-income adults last year became eligible for Medicaid and subsidized health insurance for the first time. Now states face a huge challenge: how to deal with an onslaught of able-bodied, 18- to 64-year olds who haven’t seen a doctor in years. Read The Full Article >>>
Contra Costa County foster youth’s mysterious death under investigation
Posted on June 8, 2015
Karen de Sá, San Jose Mercury News A 16-year-old foster youth who was taking psychotropic medications was found dead in his bed late last month — and now police and state social services officials are investigating why he didn’t receive medical care after he showed signs of being heavily impaired. Read The Full Article >>>
