Cocaine Rewires Brain, Overrides Decision-Making After Just One Use, Says Study

A new study at UC San Francisco’s Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center have revealed that cocaine may rewire the brain and drastically affect decision-making after just one use. While similar studies have revealed such rewiring in long-term use, the new study’s results are especially alarming, showing that the brain can be altered after one … Read more

Marijuana Use Among Teens May Cause Permanent Brain Damage, Study Finds

Regular marijuana use during adolescence, but not adulthood, may permanently impair the brain and increase the risk for certain psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, according to an article published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. “Over the past 20 years, there has been a major controversy about the long-term effects of marijuana, with some evidence that use … Read more

Heroin Makes a Comeback

ELLENSBURG, Wash.—This small city east of the Cascade Mountains is known for its hay farms, rodeos and, increasingly, something more sinister: a growing heroin problem. The drug surfaced in the past two years and is spawning a new generation of addicts. The fatal overdose of a state trooper’s son in May convulsed the town—especially when … Read more

Prescription Drug Abuse by Teens up Sharply

WASHINGTON – More parents need to talk with their teens about the dangers of abusing Ritalin, Adderall and other prescription drugs, suggests a new study that finds discouraging trends on kids and drug use. When teens were asked about the last substance abuse conversation they had with their parents, just 14 percent said they talked … Read more

Summer, a Dangerous Time for Drug Overdoses

ROCKFORD (WREX) -The summer can be a dangerous time when it comes to drugs. The Illinois Poison Center sees more cases of overdoses now than any other time of year. The Poison center says hallucinogenic drugs seem to gain popularity over these warm months and they are showing up in places from major concert venues … Read more

St. Viator High to Start Testing Students for Alcohol

Students at a suburban Catholic high school will be taking a new test this year — one that’s supposed to indicate whether they’ve consumed alcohol. Since 2007, St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights has used hair samples to test each of its 1,000 students for drugs in the fall and then conduct random screens … Read more

Deadly Epidemic: Prescription Drug Overdoses

A growing epidemic of overdoses of prescription painkillers is leading to a record number of deaths, especially among women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “More women are dying at rates that we have never seen before,” CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said about the findings, which were released earlier this month. … Read more