These are news items that relate to recovery. If you have any you would like to share, send them to news@quitandrecovery.org.
Addiction is not a new phenomenon, but the types of behaviors and substances that can be classified as addictive are constantly changing. In recent years, a new type of addiction has begun to emerge – addiction to the Internet. In May of 2013, Daria J. Kuss, Mark D. Griffiths, and Jens F. Binder published a study in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, called “Internet addiction in students: Prevalence and risk factors.” Read about it here.
Recent research at the Addiction Recovery Research Center, the lab that sponsors the IQRR, has found some interesting results that could help personalize treatment plans for those struggling with addiction.
Since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) has designated April as Alcoholism Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “Help for Today. Hope for Tomorrow”, with an emphasis on the consequences of underage drinking. For more information about NCADD, underage drinking, NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month and NCADD Alcohol-Free Weekend, visit the NCADD website.
Recent news and media publications have been highlighting the lack of proven effectiveness, and even the potential harm, of programs such as AA.
The recent legalization of marijuana by the State of Colorado seems like an appropriate reason to revisit what the evidence says about the risks associated with its use. Read and discuss.
This article discusses the neurotransmitter, dopamine, and brain circuitry as part of the reason people become addicted to drugs. The relationship between drugs and gambling is also discussed.
A new bill in Massachusetts would send non-violent drug offenders to treatment instead of jail. The Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse passed the bill believing it to be cost effective, beneficial to the drug offenders, and a solution to overcrowded prisons. Check out the whole story!
Leonard Nimoy announced via Twitter that he has been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nimoy gave up smoking 30 years ago, but COPD gets worse with age as the lungs decline. In the same Tweet, Nimoy encourages others to quit smoking.
Check out this summary of a NIDA study in former methamphetamine and cocaine users, who were able to quit smoking without relapse.
