October 6th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in News
BACK in the days when I was a crime reporter in Newcastle, I got to know a heroin user. To fund his habit, Sean became a self-styled “Border reiver”. He and his team would make trips to Scotland where they would carry out raids on social clubs, petrol stations and newsagents. On his return, he [...]
October 6th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Psychoactive Substances, Scientific News
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tic disorders showed a 37 percent improvement when they took the medication guanfacine, an alternative to drugs like Ritalin, which can worsen tics, Yale researchers found in a new study published in the July issue of American Journal of Psychiatry. “Guanfacine appears to be a safe and [...]
October 6th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Drug News, Psychoactive Substances
Britain now has 13 million tobacco smokers. This number has been steadily decreasing due to public awareness of the harm caused by tobacco smoking. [...]
October 6th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Psychoactive Substances, Scientific News
By E. Patrick Curry It is surprising that the article “Effects of Banisteriopsis caapi Extract on Parkinson’s Disease” was published in the Summer 2001 issue of SRAM. If the research truly had merit, why would it not have been published in a neurology journal? As it was, the authors seemed unduly enthusiastic about less than [...]
September 24th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Scientific News
One of the most difficult challenges facing parents today is discussing drug and alcohol use with an adolescent [...]
September 19th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Highlights
In a Viewpoints essay that first ran in The Economist, the writer says American drug policies [...]
September 19th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Highlights
The Journal continues, “Britain’s Lifeline publishes guides that aim to help drug users [...]
September 19th, 2008 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Highlights
The “art” of polling (it’s as much of an art as a science) is very interesting. To begin with [...]
March 20th, 2006 | Full text | published by BRAHA Editor in Interesting Information, Scientific News
March 20, 2006 – The Age (AU) Por: ALEX MITCHELL A NSW Health Department report to be released today proves the devastating impact of cannabis abuse on the mental and physical health of chronic abusers. Announcing a Government offensive to curb cannabis use, Health Minister John Hatzistergos said: “This report should silence the apologists for [...]
The world’s best business model has always been addiction. Tobacco and alcohol have been around for ages, but new temptations and spinoffs are being marketed all the time: meth, painkillers, energy drinks, you name it.
Importantly, the study also finds that the risk of violence from patients with psychoses who also have substance use disorder is no greater than those who have a substance use disorder but who do not have a psychotic illness – in other words, schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses do not appear to be responsible for any additional risk of violence above the increased risk associated with substance abuse.
Smoking marijuana over an extended period of time appears to greatly boost a young man’s risk for developing a particularly aggressive form of testicular cancer, a new study reveals. [...]
Relief from pain. In some people, prescription pain relievers also cause euphoria or feelings of well being by affecting the brain regions that mediate pleasure. This is why they are abused. Other effects include drowsiness, constipation and slowed breathing. [...]
On Sunday researchers at the University of Buffalo reported that Ritalin, used on children diagnosed with ADHD, may cause long-term changes in the brain. Many clinicians regard Ritalin as short-acting but the research with gene expression in an animal model suggests that it has the potential for causing long-lasting changes [...]
The body produces many chemicals and hormones, i.e., histamines, steroids, thyroid hormone, digitalis-like substances, adrenalin, etc, all of which work by attaching to corresponding brain receptors. The key is that these natural substances produced by the body are present in nanogram amounts [...]
As California State Assembly member Tom Ammiano put it: “What if California could raise hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue to preserve vital state services without any tax increase?” [...]
“The fight against drugs is actually the fight for Afghanistan,” said Afghan President Hamid Karzai when he took office in 2002. Judging by the current situation, Afghanistan is losing. [...]
Among the things everybody knows is that Democrats, being the party of the little people, raise money in small contributions, whereas Republicans, being the party of fat cats, raise funds in huge basketfuls from wealthy corporate types. At least, that’s the way the world is usually portrayed by the “Today Show,” The New York Times and the Democratic Party. So it’s of more than passing interest to see [...]