A recent study from the Boston University School of Public Health has found that teens drink less in states that have more stringent alcohol policies, even if those policies are targeted at adults. Researchers created a scoring system to assess the strength of alcohol-related policies in the US. The policies include alcohol taxing, restricting sales to…
Despite the hype around drugs like Molly and Oxycodone, marijuana continues to be the most commonly used illicit drug in the US, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Numerous studies have documented the potential health implications of marijuana use. Studies have found that teens who used pot daily for 3 years had an increased risk of…
A recent study found published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that teens aged 15-17 years-old who had ever mixed alcohol with energy drinks were four times more likely to meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder than a teen who has tried alcohol but never mixed it with an energy drink. One of the lead…
According to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine smokers are more likely to quit when there’s cash on the line. Dr. Scott Halpern from the University of Pennsylvania and his colleagues studied over 2000 CVS employees assigned to different smoking cessation programs. They found that offering smokers a cash reward if they quit…
The US government makes efforts to keep up with the constantly changing chemicals used in illegal designer drugs. In 2012 federal legislation banned some varieties of bath salts an amphetamine-like drug. But now manufacturers have altered the chemicals in bath salts to create a stronger, more addictive drug that can be sold legally. This drug…
It’s commonly known that If a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, her baby can be born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. What is less commonly known is that when a pregnant woman uses illegal or legal opiate-based drugs such as oxycodone, heroin or codeine her baby can also be severely affected. After a baby is born…
What Nietzche said more than 100 years ago is true: “That which does not kill us outright makes us stronger.” Those of us working in drug and alcohol treatment know that this statement is so very true. I hear clients say things like, “I never thought I’d be able to stop using heroin or alcohol,…
Former Secretary of State and current presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton, told a group of New Hampshire voters that she will make the “quiet epidemic” of substance abuse and mental health issues a focus in her campaign. Clinton is holding small events in towns across the country to hear about problems affecting communities as she begins…
Dr. Abby Medcalf of New Bridge Foundation® spoke at Piedmont High School to a packed room of parents and some of their kids. The topic was Marijuana and its impact on the developing teen brain. The Contra Costa Times covered the event and their article gives a summary of many of the points covered in Dr.…
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism, over 8% of adult women will meet the criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives. Women’s bodies react differently to alcohol for these primary reasons: Women typically weigh less than men. Pound for pound, women have less water in their bodies than…