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12-Step Meetings May Help Teens Beat Alcohol, Drug Abuse

Posted 16 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 16 – Teens undergoing treatment for alcohol or drug abuse can benefit from the 12-step program used by groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), researchers say. While these programs are widely available, little research has looked at how effective they are for teens. The new study included 127 teen substance abuse-treatment outpatients (95 males, 32 females, aged 14 to 19) who were assessed when they began treatment and three, six and 12 months later. The findings are published online and in the July print issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. "We found that about one-quarter to one-third of the youth attended AA/NA throughout the year-long study period following treatment, and that more meeting attendance was associated with significantly better substance use outcomes – particularly attending meetings at least ... Read more

Related support groups: Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, Acute Alcohol Intoxication

ER Docs Can Help Curb Patient Alcohol Abuse, Drunk Driving

Posted 5 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, April 5 – Problem drinkers are more likely to reduce their alcohol consumption after receiving counseling from an emergency room physician, according to a new study. ER doctors can also deter heavy drinkers from driving while under the influence, the study found. "The intervention, which lasts only seven minutes, was still affecting these patients' lives for the better 12 months later," said lead study author Dr. Gail D'Onofrio at the Yale University School of Medicine, in a journal news release. "This shows that sometimes what emergency physicians say has as great an impact on our patients as what we do." The researchers identified 740 patients considered hazardous and harmful drinkers – men who had more than 14 drinks a week (or more than four drinks at a time) and women who had more than seven drinks a week (or more than three at a time). Patients either received a brief ... Read more

Related support groups: Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Acute Alcohol Intoxication

Drug, Alcohol Abuse Common Among U.S. Teens, Study Finds

Posted 2 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 2 – Alcohol and drug use is common among American teens and more than 15 percent of them meet the criteria for substance abuse, a new study finds. "Once again, we are reminded that in most instances experimentation with alcohol and drugs begins during adolescence," said Bruce Goldman, director of Substance Abuse Services at The Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y. "Unfortunately, many youth are at risk of developing abuse and dependency problems due to factors including genetic predisposition, environmental availability, school difficulties, social/family problems and co-occurring psychiatric or behavioral disorders," added Goldman, who was not involved in the new study. In the study, Joel Swendsen, of the University of Bordeaux in France, and colleagues analyzed data from a U.S. survey of more than 10,000 teens between the ages of 13 and 18. They found that more ... Read more

Related support groups: Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, Acute Alcohol Intoxication

1 in 10 U.S. Kids Lives With Parent Who Has Abused Alcohol: Report

Posted 16 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Feb. 16 – About 7.5 million American children under the age of 18 live with a parent who's struggled with alcohol abuse over the past year, a new government report finds. That's equal to 10.5 percent of children across the country, say researchers at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which issued the report. "The enormity of this public health problem goes well beyond these tragic numbers as studies have shown that the children of parents with untreated alcohol disorders are at far greater risk for developing alcohol and other problems later in their lives," SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde said in an agency news release. According to the report, 6.1 million of children living with an alcohol-abusing parent live in two-parent households, while the remaining 1.4 million reside in single-parent homes where that parent has struggled with ... Read more

Related support groups: Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Acute Alcohol Intoxication

Stop-Smoking Drug May Also Curb Problem Drinking

Posted 15 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 – The quit-smoking drug Chantix may also help problem drinkers cut their alcohol consumption, a small new study suggests. Exactly how this drug curbs drinking is not fully understood, but its use may increase blood pressure, heart rate and feelings of sadness and nausea, thereby blunting the pleasurable effects of alcohol, the researchers said. "Chantix might reduce alcohol consumption by reducing overall enjoyment of the alcohol drinking experience," said study author Emma Childs, a research associate at the University of Chicago. "Chantix increased the unpleasant effects of alcohol, for example feeling drowsy and irritable, [and] participants also reported that they didn't like the alcohol effects as much," Childs said. Approved to help smokers quit in 2006, Chantix (varenicline) has its share of potential side effects. In July 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug ... Read more

Related support groups: Chantix, Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Varenicline, Champix

Booze and Family History of Colon Cancer a Bad Mix: Study

Posted 3 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 3 – People who consume a few alcoholic drinks a day and have a family history of colorectal cancer are at increased risk for developing colon cancer, new research suggests. For the study, researchers in Boston examined data from more than 87,000 women in the Nurses' Health Study and 47,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and found that 1,801 cases of colon cancer were diagnosed among the participants from 1980 onward. People with a family history of colorectal cancer who drank an average of 30 or more grams of alcohol per day (about 2.5 typical drinks in the United States) were at increased risk for colon cancer, according to lead author Eunyoung Cho, of the Channing Laboratory, department of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and colleagues. Those at greatest risk also ate the most red meat, smoked more and consumed the ... Read more

U.S. Soldiers Face Host of Mental Health Issues

Posted 25 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 – U.S. military personnel and veterans are plagued by substance abuse, depression and suicide, three new studies indicate. In one study, researchers surveyed nearly 600 veterans returning from war zone deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan, and found that they were at increased risk for mental health problems and alcohol and drug abuse. Nearly 14 percent of the veterans screened positive for probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 39 percent for probable alcohol abuse, and 3 percent for probable drug use. Men reported more alcohol and drug use than women, but there were no gender differences in PTSD or other mental health conditions. Veterans returning from Iraq reported more depression or functioning problems and more alcohol and drug use than those returning from Afghanistan. Army and Marine veterans reported worse mental and physical health than Air Force or ... Read more

Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Drug Dependence, Alcohol Dependence

1 in 5 U.S. Adults Suffers Mental Ills: Report

Posted 19 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 19 – Nearly 46 million American adults have had a mental illness in the past year, a new government report shows. Almost 30 percent of those aged 18 to 25 experienced a mental illness, twice as many as those aged 50 and older at just over 14 percent. And more women than men suffered a mental illness in the last year (23 percent vs. nearly 17 percent), according to the report released Thursday from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). "We all know people who have had a depression or an anxiety disorder, maybe something more serious like a bipolar disorder, but this is a pretty big number," said Peter Delany, director of SAMHSA's Office of Applied Studies. "This is only the second year where we have done this as a separate report and the findings were not significantly different from last year," Delany noted, so there are not enough ... Read more

Related support groups: Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Psychiatric Disorders, Alcohol Dependence

Alcohol Targets Brain 'Reward Centers' in Heavy Drinkers

Posted 11 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11 – A small study that offers new insight into how alcohol affects the brain could help lead to more effective treatments for people with drinking problems. Researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to observe the effects of alcohol in the brains of 13 heavy drinkers and a control group of 12 people who were not heavy drinkers. In all of the participants, drinking alcohol triggered the release of endorphins in areas of the brain [the nucleus accumbens and orbitofrontal cortex] that produce feelings of pleasure and reward. Endorphins are proteins that are produced naturally in the brain and have opiate-like effects. The more endorphins released in the nucleus accumbens, the greater the feelings of pleasure reported by people in both groups. Among heavy drinkers, the more endorphins released in the orbitofrontal cortex, the greater the feelings of ... Read more

Related support groups: Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Acute Alcohol Intoxication

Alcoholics More Likely to Die of Cancer: Study

Posted 15 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 15 – Alcoholics have a higher rate of death from cancer and other causes than other people, a new study finds. Italian researchers examined data on nearly 2,300 male and female alcoholics who were treated at the Alcohol Center of Florence between 1985 and 2001. They found a higher rate of death among alcoholics than among the general population for multiple types of cancers, particularly cancers of the pharynx, oral cavity, liver and larynx. Risk of death from cancer of the esophagus, rectum, pancreas and breast was also heightened among alcoholics. Alcoholics were also more likely to die of infections, diabetes, violent crimes and diseases of the immunological, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems. The findings appear online and in the February 2012 print issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. "Our study has provided ... Read more

Related support groups: Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism

Money Woes May Drive Some Seniors to Smoke, Drink More

Posted 9 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9 – Some older adults may turn to alcohol or cigarettes as a way to cope with financial stress, particularly men and people with less education, a new study suggests. In the study, researchers surveyed 2,300 older Americans periodically between 1992 and 2006, and found that 16 percent reported growing financial strain over that time, 3 percent reported increases in heavy drinking (more than 30 drinks a month), and 1 percent said they'd started smoking more. The youngest of the study participants were age 65 when the study began. Older men who faced increasing financial stress were 30 percent more likely to become heavy drinkers than those who remained financially stable. This increased risk was similar for older adults with lower levels of education compared to those with more education. Older women and seniors with higher levels of education tended to reduce their ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Acute Alcohol Intoxication

As Few As 3 Drinks a Week May Up Breast Cancer Risk

Posted 1 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 1 – Women who have as few as three alcoholic drinks a week may have a moderately increased risk of developing breast cancer, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 106,000 women taking part in the U.S. Nurses' Health Study to examine any links between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. The women were followed from 1980 through 2008 and asked about their alcohol consumption about every four years. "We did see a modest risk [of breast cancer] associated with lower levels of alcohol consumption," said lead study author Dr. Wendy Chen, an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. But Chen stressed that women who occasionally over-imbibe on vacation or at a holiday party shouldn't be alarmed; the research measured cumulative alcohol consumption over many years. During the study period, about ... Read more

Undergrads' Drinking Patterns May Predict Future Abuse

Posted 14 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Oct. 14 – College students who are heavy drinkers may be more likely to continue their unhealthy drinking habits after graduation if they have high levels of impulsivity and aggression, according to a new study. The study included 265 female and 96 male undergraduates who completed an anonymous online survey that asked about their drinking patterns and personality traits. About 6 percent of the participants met criteria for alcohol dependence, and about 31 percent met criteria for alcohol abuse. After graduation, most college students "mature" out of heavy drinking, but some will continue to abuse alcohol and be at risk for alcohol-related problems, the researchers noted in the study, which appears online and in the January 2012 print issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. "Many, if not most, undergraduate college students reduce their level of ... Read more

Related support groups: Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Acute Alcohol Intoxication

Teens With Lots of Friends More Likely to Start Drinking: Study

Posted 28 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 – Adolescents with large social networks of friends and acquaintances are more likely to start drinking alcohol than teens who play a less central role in their high school social scene, new research finds. The findings from the study of 2,610 U.S. students in grades 7 through 11 suggest that limiting the size of a teen's social network may help delay the start of drinking. In addition, being close to more popular people increased the risk that an adolescent would start drinking, the researchers found. The study is published in the September/October issue of the journal Academic Pediatrics. The results show that parents have an important role to play, according to study author Marlon Mundt of the University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. "Parental modeling of responsible alcohol use and having fun together as a family offer protective ... Read more

Related support groups: Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Acute Alcohol Intoxication

Problem Drinking Linked to Brain Damage

Posted 15 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Sept. 15 – Long-term alcohol abuse can result in significant damage to the brain, a new study shows. Researchers report that the extent of injury to the brain can be determined by measuring cortical thickness. The more people drink, they noted, the worse the damage. "We now know that alcohol has wide ranging effects across the entire cortex and in structures of the brain that contribute to a wide range of psychological abilities and intellectual functions," study corresponding author Catherine Brawn Fortier, a neuropsychologist and researcher at the VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School, said in a Harvard news release. "This is the first study to precisely measure the variation in the thickness of the cerebral cortex, which is the thin layer of neurons that one sees on the surface of the brain and supports all higher-level human cognition," she said. ... Read more

Related support groups: Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Acute Alcohol Intoxication

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