Psychemedics Drug use among America’s youth is dropping, but it’s booming among people over 50, a U.S. government survey released Wednesday shows. Last year, the rate of illicit drug use among children and teenagers 12 to 17 years old dropped to 9.5 percent, down from 11.6 percent a decade earlier, according to the Substance Abuse and … Read more
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
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
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
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
World’s largest hair analysis drug testing company launches a new test that determines consumption levels of alcohol by measuring EtG in hair. ACTON, Mass., July 8, 2013,/PRNewswire/ — Psychemedics Corporation (NASDAQ: PMD), hair testing pioneer and global leader for over twenty-five years, announced the launch of its hair alcohol test – a test that measures … Read more
Non-medical prescription drug abuse is on the rise in young people, and a new study from the University of Cincinnati could shed light on what could increase or lower the risk of such abuse. The research team, led by Keith King, professor of health promotion, focused on 54,000 students — 7th through 12th grade — … Read more
The recent changes to Colorado’s marijuana laws have made it easier for those who need pot for their ailments to get their medicine. Unfortunately, with an abundance of marijuana and easier access to it come to some unintended consequences. According to new research, there’s been a marked uptick in accidental ingestion of marijuana by children. … Read more