Archive for February, 2010
- Report Reveals High Cost of Untreated Substance Abuse Disorders in Prison System
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) released a comprehensive report on the cost and consequences of untreated substance abuse disorders in the nation’s correctional system, entitled “Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population.”
- Alcohol Use Lower, Illegal Drug Use Higher Among African Americans
African Americans have lower drinking rates than other racial groups, according to a new survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The survey found that blacks ages 18 and older use alcohol at a rate of 44.3% compared with the national average of 55.2%
- Michael Douglas’ Son Denied Bail in Drug Case
Michael Douglas’ troubled son Cameron was denied bail and a chance for outpatient addiction treatment Thursday as he awaits sentencing in a federal drug-dealing case.
- Charlie Sheen Enters Rehab
Charlie Sheen’s publicist announced Tuesday that the actor has entered rehab and is taking a break from television’s top-rated comedy, "Two and a Half Men," prompting the network to announce it is temporarily halting production of the show.
- “Superwoman Syndrome” Fueling Prescription Drug Abuse
Laurie J. Besden doesn’t seem like a drug addict—she’s smart, motivated, and an overachiever. But she started popping pain pills to help her stay up all night to study for the Pennsylvania bar exam, and eventually landed in jail. Karen Asp writes for MSNBC.com that Besden is one of an alarming number of women who have turned to prescription pills to get ahead, or even just to keep up.
- Berkeley Woman Overcomes Major Obstacles, Now Graduating from Yale
Homeless people, drug dealers, prostitutes, and mounds of junk filled Lily Dorman-Colby’s south Berkeley home before she was separated from her brothers and placed in foster care. Doug Oakley of the Oakland Tribune writes that although living with her drug-addicted, bipolar mother seemed like freedom at the time—no bed times, homework, or general supervision—Dorman-Colby knew something was wrong.
- The Downsides of Medical Marijuana
Peter A. Lipson, a practicing physician who blogs about medicine, wrote an opinion article for Forbes.com about the many downsides of medical marijuana. Following is the article, titled "Medical Marijuana: An Over-Hyped Drug.”
- Judge Praises Former Royal Harpist for Drug Rehab Progress
The Prince of Wales’s former harpist, who handled stolen goods while battling a drug addiction, has been praised by a judge for her progress on a rehabilitation order.
- Study Examines Impact of Adolescent Exposure to Ecstasy and Cocaine
Your exposure to cocaine or ecstasy will greatly impact your relationships with the drugs later in life. According to a recent release in Science Daily, when an individual is exposed in adolescence, it increases the reinforcing effects that make them vulnerable to developing an addiction.
- Catholic Church Offers Clean Needles to Drug Addicts
Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., has long been interested in helping drug addicts. In the late 1960s, as a young priest, he founded the first drug rehabilitation center in upstate New York. But his approval of his diocese’s Catholic Charities’ plan to start handing out free syringes to intravenous drug users has some Catholics wondering if his decision respects Catholic moral teaching, writes Carlos Briceno of the National Catholic Register.