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Parental Addictions Linked to Adult Children’s Depression

The offspring of parents who were addicted to drugs or alcohol are more likely to be depressed in adulthood, according to a new study by University of Toronto researchers. In a paper published online in the journal Psychiatry Research this month, investigators examined the association between parental addictions and adult depression in a representative sample of 6,268 adults, drawn from the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey. Of these respondents, 312 had a major depressive episode within the year preceding the survey and 877 reported that while they were under the age of 18 and still living at home that at least one parent who drank or used drugs “so often that it caused problems for the family”.

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Record-Setting Year for Medication Disposal Efforts

St. Louis College of Pharmacy, the city of St. Louis, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration collaborate to collect unwanted and expired medicine. This year, the result was more than 16,000 pounds collected.

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Experts Discuss Ways to Slow “Epidemic Level” Addiction Problems in Appalachia Through Community-Based Interventions and Research

Nationwide, only one in ten people with substance abuse disorders receive medical intervention, opposed to nearly 90% of those with diabetes – a problem that becomes exponentially worse in the Appalachian region, where deaths from prescription drug overdoses have jumped 360% in the last decade. Experts gathered at the Fourth Annual Scientific Meeting of The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), to share ideas and examples to help reverse the deadly substance abuse trends that are further complicated by health disparities, social and economic issues unique to a region that spans 13 states.

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Preclinical Study Shows Heroin Vaccine Blocks Relapse

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have reported successful preclinical tests of a new vaccine against heroin. The vaccine targets heroin and its psychoactive breakdown products in the bloodstream, preventing them from reaching the brain.

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Teen Girls Less Successful Than Boys at Quitting Meth

A study of adolescents receiving treatment for methamphetamine dependence has found that girls are more likely to continue using the drug during treatment than boys, suggesting that new approaches are needed for treating meth abuse among teen girls.

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Maternal Diet Sets Up Junk Food Addiction in Babies

Research from the University of Adelaide suggests that mothers who eat junk food while pregnant have already programmed their babies to be addicted to a high fat, high sugar diet by the time they are weaned.

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PROSPER Prevention Programs Dramatically Cut Substance Abuse Among Teens

Young adults reduce their overall prescription drug misuse up to 65 percent if they are part of a community-based prevention effort while still in middle school, according to researchers at Iowa State University.

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Fight Drug Addiction. Free Medication Disposal This Weekend

Police say prescription medication is often a gateway to narcotics like heroin. Remove potentially harmful medication from your home this weekend.

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Laser Light Zaps Away Cocaine Addiction

By stimulating one part of the brain with laser light, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have shown that they can wipe away addictive behavior in rats – or conversely turn non-addicted rats into compulsive cocaine seekers.

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