Drug Facts in Media

Legalization of recreational cannabis may be associated with an increase in fatal motor vehicle collisions based on data from the United States.

As the world awaits the upcoming Olympic games, a new method for detecting doping compounds in urine samples could level the playing field for those trying to keep athletics clean. Now, scientists report an approach using ion mobility-mass spectrometry to help regulatory agencies detect existing dopants and future 'designer compounds.

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), a synthetic version of the male sex hormone testosterone, are sometimes used as a medical treatment for hormone imbalance, and its use is known to have many side effects, ranging from acne to heart problems to increased aggression. A new study now suggests that AAS can also have deleterious effects on the brain, causing it to age prematurely.

Study finds that a small portion of the risk for repeated cannabis use into adulthood can be attributed to the genetic effects of neuroticism, risk tolerance and depression that can appear during adolescence.

Medical cannabis can reduce essential tremor in mice. By injecting a specific synthetic cannabinoid into the spinal cord of mice suffering from essential tremor, researchers have shown that the drug can reduce involuntary shaking - as the cannabinoid activates a particular type of cell, the so-called astrocytes.

A new analysis explores the effects of these changes on use. The analysis concludes that sharp declines in production costs for cannabis and opioids could dramatically reduce the price per dose for consumers in ways that alter patterns of use and dependence.

A team of neuroscientists is uncovering how psychedelics affect brain activity. New work shows a strong connection in rodent models between brain activity and behaviors resulting from psychedelic treatment, a step forward in the quest to better understand their potential therapeutic effects.

Illegal use of anabolic steroids not only has dangerous side effects during use but also can harm of men's testicular function years after they stop abusing steroids, according to a new study.

Researchers have found that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana, stays in breast milk for up to six weeks, further supporting the recommendations to abstain from marijuana use during pregnancy and while a mother is breastfeeding.

Researchers have shown that frustration is additional factor that can lead to addiction escalation.

Three decades-old antibiotics administered together can block a type of pain triggered by nerve damage in an animal model, researchers report. The finding could offer an alternative to opioid-based painkillers, addictive prescription medications that are responsible for an epidemic of abuse in the US.

The Netherlands, United States, Australia and New Zealand are consuming the highest amounts of designer 'party' drugs, according to wastewater samples taken from eight countries over the New Year period.

Study reveals the unintended and negative consequences of policies designed to reduce the supply of opioids in the population for overdose.

Recreational drinking, smoking, and drug use is linked to premature heart disease in young people, particularly younger women.

Researchers have developed experimental vaccines that have shown in rodents to blunt the deadly effects of fentanyl as well as its even more fatal cousin, carfentanil.

Nearly a third of US teens and young adults prescribed a psychoactive drug misuse that drug, with the likelihood of misuse rising with age, suggests an analysis of national survey responses.

Access to legal cannabis stores is associated with a reduction in opioid related deaths in the United States, particularly those linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, finds a new study.

A recent study of drugged driving shows that a sizable percentage of individuals reported the use of marijuana and other illicit drugs while operating behind the wheel.

Teenagers with happy childhood memories are likely to drink less, take fewer drugs and enjoy learning, according to new research.

A combination of two medications, injectable naltrexone and oral bupropion, was safe and effective in treating adults with moderate or severe methamphetamine use disorder in a double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trial. The findings suggest this combination therapy may be a promising addition to current approaches to treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management interventions, for a very serious condition that remains difficult to treat and overcome.