Christian Recovery International

Prenatal Drinking, Environmental Enrichment: Effects On Neurotrophins Are Independent Of Each Other
Prenatal alcohol exposure may be particularly destructive for neurotrophins, a family of peptides that influence the growth, development and functional plasticity of the fetal brain. A new rodent study of alcohol's effects on three key neurotrophins has found that, even though environmental enrichment may be able to improve some fetal-alcohol effects, those benefits do not appear to be mediated by neurotrophins.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 23 July 2008, 2:00 am

Frequent Family Meals Might Reduce Teen Substance Use
Parents who have regular meals with their adolescent children might help lessen the chances they will start drinking or smoking later in their teen years, according to new research. Researchers noted benefits in families that ate five or more meals together each week, and found that about 60 percent of the participants did so.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 23 July 2008, 12:00 am

Coffee And Cigarette Consumption Are High Among AA Attendees
More than one million Americans currently participate in the Alcoholics Anonymous program. Recent findings confirm that coffee and cigarette use among AA members is greater than among the general US population. Most AA members drink coffee for its stimulatory effects; more than half smoke to reduce feelings of depression, anxiety and irritability.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 22 July 2008, 2:00 am

Drug Abuse Accounts For A Third Of The Deaths Behind Scotland's Higher Mortality Rate
Drug abuse accounts for a third of the deaths behind Scotland's higher mortality rate, according to a new study. Death rates in Scotland are higher than in England and Wales and the difference between the nations is increasing.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 22 July 2008, 12:00 am

Loud Music Can Make You Drink More, In Less Time, In A Bar
Commercial venues are very aware of the effects that the environment -- in this case, music -- can have on in-store traffic flow, sales volumes, product choices and consumer time spent in the immediate vicinity. A study of the effects of music levels on drinking in a bar setting has found that loud music leads to more drinking in less time.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 21 July 2008, 11:00 am

Teen Smokers Struggle To Kick The Habit; Most Want To Quit And Can't
Most teenagers who smoke cigarettes make repeated attempts to quit but most are unsuccessful, according to new research. The study found that more than 70 percent of the teens expressed a desire to quit, but only 19 percent actually managed to stop smoking for 12 months or more by the end of the five-year study. Girls were more likely than boys to want to quit and to attempt quitting.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 20 July 2008, 8:00 pm

Obesity Is Number One Health Concern For Kids In 2008
As children's waistlines continue to grow, so have concerns about childhood obesity. According to a new report childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern for kids in 2008, topping smoking and drug abuse. In 2007, childhood obesity ranked third among parents' top 10 overall health concerns for kids.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 20 July 2008, 8:00 am

Tobacco Industry Manipulated Cigarette Menthol Content To Recruit New Smokers Among Young People, Research Shows
Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health explored tobacco industry manipulation of menthol levels in specific brands and found a deliberate strategy to recruit and addict young smokers by adjusting menthol to create a milder experience for the first time smoker. Internal industry documents, independent lab tests and survey data reveal strategy.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 18 July 2008, 2:00 pm

Smoking Cessation Therapies More Effective Than Placebos
Six treatments for smoking cessation perform better than placebos -- including varenicline, recently approved for use in Canada.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 16 July 2008, 8:00 pm

Psychiatric Forensic Patients With Tattoos More Likely To Have Antisocial Personality Disorder
The presence of tattoos on forensic psychiatric inpatients should alert clinicians to a possible diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder, and also about the potential for histories of suicide attempt, substance abuse and sexual abuse, according to research published in Personality and Mental Health.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 16 July 2008, 5:00 pm

Program Discourages HIV Transmission In Russia
Sexual behavior counseling during drug addiction treatment should be considered an important component among Russian substance-dependent individuals, in order to decrease risky sexual behavior in the HIV at-risk population, according to recent research.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 14 July 2008, 11:00 pm

Binge Drinking Tied To Conditions In The College Environment
Heavy alcohol use, or binge drinking, among college students in the United States is tied to conditions in the college environment. The review of a landmark 14-year study cites factors such as easy access to alcohol, low prices and special promotions, weak control policies and lax enforcement.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 14 July 2008, 5:00 am

Alcohol's Impact On Heart And Stroke Risk May Differ For Men, Women
Heart and stroke risks associated with alcohol use differ among Japanese men and women. Women with light alcohol consumption had a small decrease in heart disease death risk; heavy alcohol users had a much greater increase in risk. Men with heavy alcohol use had a 19 percent lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease than non-drinking men. Heavy alcohol use increased the risk of stroke in men and women.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 13 July 2008, 2:00 pm

Weight Gain In Adolescent Girls: Role Of Internet, Alcohol And Sleep
Girls moving through adolescence may experience unhealthy levels of weight gain, but the reasons for this are not always clear. In fact, many potential causes of weight gain are easily overlooked. A new study in the Journal of Pediatrics analyzes the effect of Internet usage, sleep, and alcohol and coffee consumption on weight gain in adolescent girls. The researchers found that more Internet time, more alcohol consumption, and less sleep resulted in extra weight gain during the study year.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 11 July 2008, 2:00 am

Brain Chemical Shown To Induce Both Desire And Dread
The chemical dopamine induces both desire and dread, according to new animal research in the Journal of Neuroscience. Although dopamine is well known to motivate animals and people to seek positive rewards, the study indicates that it also can promote negative feelings like fear. The finding may help explain why dopamine dysfunction is implicated not only in drug addiction, which involves excessive desire, but in schizophrenia and some phobias, which involve excessive fear.
Source:ScienceDaily: Addiction News
Time: 9 July 2008, 8:00 pm