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Addiction news
Inflammatory disorders
Cannabis use disorder adversely affects inpatient asthma outcomes
Patients with cannabis use disorder (CUD) admitted for asthma have an increased risk of severe asthma exacerbations and inpatient mortality, according to a study published online Oct. 20 in Cureus.
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Neuroscience
How does Narcan work? How it reverses opioid overdose can provide a molecular blueprint for more effective drugs
Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is one of the most important drugs in the United States' fight against the opioid crisis. It reverses an opioid overdose nearly instantly, restarting breathing in a person who ...
3 hours ago
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Methamphetamine impairs dopamine uptake by targeting a protein modification
Dopamine brings on a surge of pleasure, but too much dopamine in a synapse can ultimately lead to mood disorders and addiction. A recent preclinical study published in The FASEB Journal suggests that methamphetamine boosts ...
Nov 25, 2025
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More people are addicted to marijuana, but fewer of them are seeking help, experts say
Megan Feller smoked pot several times a day and couldn't eat, sleep or function without it. But at the time, she didn't see the need to reach out for help.
Nov 25, 2025
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Having a cannabis dispensary in the neighborhood linked to increased harm rates
A population-based natural experiment study examined the association between exposure to cannabis retail stores and cannabis-related harms. The study found that exposure to retail stores was associated with increased rates ...
Nov 24, 2025
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Our bodies 'talk,' listen carefully: Researcher helps chronic pain sufferers reduce opioid misuse
Our bodies send us signals throughout the day to prompt us into action. Our stomachs growl to indicate we're hungry, so we eat. We shiver, so we put on a sweater. And when we feel pain, we may take medications to alleviate ...
Nov 24, 2025
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Could CBD in cannabis help protect the livers of heavy drinkers?
A study of more than 66,000 U.S. adults finds that heavy drinkers who also used cannabis were less likely to develop liver disease than those who drank heavily without using weed.
Nov 24, 2025
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Nearly 7 in 10 Medicaid patients not receiving treatment within 6 months of opioid use disorder diagnosis, study finds
A US study of more than a million Medicaid enrollees newly diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD), finds most—nearly seven in 10—are not receiving access to potentially life-saving drugs within six months.
Nov 24, 2025
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It's possible to get addicted to pot. Here's what to know
Dr. Smita Das often hears the same myth: You can't get hooked on pot. And the misconception has become more widespread as a growing number of states legalize marijuana. Around half now allow recreational use for adults and ...
Nov 22, 2025
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Early brain differences may explain sex-specific risks for addiction
The roots of addiction risk may lie in how young brains function long before substance use begins, according to a new study from Weill Cornell Medicine. The investigators found that children with a family history of substance ...
Nov 21, 2025
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Take-home methadone at hospital discharge can be a critical turning point in opioid recovery
For patients recovering from opioid use disorder, particularly from drugs like fentanyl or heroin, the days immediately following a hospital stay are among the most dangerous. A new multi-state study led by researchers at ...
Nov 21, 2025
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Dopamine desensitization in fruit flies shows how repeated actions lose appeal over time
Our brain's reward system processes and reinforces pleasurable experiences, motivating us to seek out and engage in rewarding activities ranging from eating to social interactions to recreational drug use. Dopamine plays ...
Nov 20, 2025
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A new index challenges common beliefs about drug use and harm in NZ
New Zealand's mainstay drug law turned 50 this year—yet we still don't have a clear, comprehensive picture of the social harms different drugs pose.
Nov 20, 2025
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Progress on overdose deaths could be jeopardized by federal cuts, critics say
The Trump administration has made deep cuts to the main federal agency focused on fighting opioid addiction, potentially jeopardizing the nation's recent progress on reducing overdose deaths, some public health officials ...
Nov 20, 2025
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Research reveals gaps in tracking opioid use among older adults in Medicare post-acute care
A new research letter published in JAMA Health Forum highlights major gaps in how opioid use is tracked among older adults receiving post-acute care under Medicare. Researchers found that Medicare Part D claims significantly ...
Nov 19, 2025
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Teens who play video games with gambling-like elements more likely to start real betting, study suggests
Young people who play video games with "gambling-like" elements—such as buying loot boxes or in-game items—are more likely to go on to gamble with real money.
Nov 19, 2025
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Reduced opioid use found after knee surgery with mini-scope technique
A new study led by Marshall University researchers found that patients who underwent knee surgery using a minimally invasive "needle arthroscopy" technique used significantly fewer opioids after surgery compared to those ...
Nov 19, 2025
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Smoking cannabis and eating highly processed foods raise cardiac health risks, study finds
Smoking cannabis can increase the risk of heart problems—but doing so and eating highly processed foods increases cardiac health risks even more, a new University of South Florida study says.
Nov 19, 2025
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Even low-intensity smoking increases risk of heart attack and death, study finds
An analysis of data from almost two dozen long-term studies finds that even low-intensity smokers have a substantially higher risk of heart disease and death compared to people who never smoked, even years after they quit. ...
Nov 18, 2025
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Starting opioid agonist treatment after hospitalization for toxicity halves risk of repeat event
A new study led by researchers at the University of Toronto's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and Unity Health Toronto shows that almost one-quarter of hospital-treated opioid toxicities experienced a repeat event within six ...
Nov 18, 2025
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Study finds longer, more consistent addiction medication use among youth lowers risk of overdose, hospitalization
New research from Mass General Brigham finds that adolescents and young adults who stayed on the medication buprenorphine for at least a year had markedly lower risks of opioid overdose and hospitalization compared with peers ...
Nov 18, 2025
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Australian drug driving deaths have surpassed drunk driving. Here's how to tackle it
Australia has made major progress in curbing drunk driving. Decades of random breath testing, enforcement and powerful social media campaigns have cut alcohol-related road deaths significantly.
Nov 18, 2025
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Unregulated and unsafe: Expert warns of risks in substance use reduction apps
In a commentary published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at Rutgers Health, Harvard University and the University of Pittsburgh discuss the impact of unregulated mobile health and generative ...
Nov 17, 2025
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WHO chief urges clampdown on nicotine products aimed at kids
Sleek-looking disposable e-cigarettes and candy-flavored nicotine pouches are among a range of new products targeting young people and fueling a new wave of tobacco and nicotine addiction, the WHO warned Monday.
Nov 17, 2025
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Detection is not prevention: Will drug testing drivers really make NZ roads safer?
The government's new mandate to carry out random oral-fluid roadside drug testing marks a milestone in New Zealand's road safety policy.
Nov 16, 2025
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