In the News

Summer Is Peak Time for Teens to Try Drugs, Alcohol

Experts advise parents to be alert, help kids structure their days

More teenagers start drinking and smoking cigarettes and marijuana in June and July than in any other months, U.S. health officials say.

During each of those summer days, more than 11,000 teens on average use alcohol for the first time, 5,000 start smoking cigarettes and 4,500 try marijuana, according to the report, which was released recently by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Congress agrees to add synthetic drugs to Controlled Substances Act

“K2” and “Spice” would permanently appear on Schedule I.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) commended House and Senate negotiators for agreeing on legislation to control 26 synthetic drugs under the Controlled Substances Act.

These drugs include those commonly found in products marketed as "K2" and "Spice."

Prescription Painkiller Abuse Jumped 75 Percent From 2002 to 2010

A new study finds prescription painkiller abuse jumped 75 percent between 2002 and 2010.

Men and adults ages 26 to 49 were most likely to abuse prescription painkillers.

Bloomberg News reports the study is the first to examine who is likely to abuse prescription painkillers, and how often it occurs. The study found more than 15,000 people overdosed on painkillers and died in 2009—more than double the number in 2002.

Drug Abuse Kills 200,000 People Each Year

19142025 Drug abuse kills about 200,000 people worldwide each year, according to a new United Nations (UN) report.

Global treatment for drug abuse would cost $250 billion per year if everyone who needed help received proper care, according to the UN. Fewer than one in five people who need treatment actually receive it, according to the Associated Press.

Crimes committed by people who need money to finance their drug habit, as well as loss of productivity, add tremendous costs for many countries, the report notes.

Addiction: Misunderstood, Greatly Undertreated, Report Finds

Professional1 Only about one in 10 people who need treatment for addiction to drugs or alcohol receive it, according to a new report.

Many who do receive treatment do not receive evidence-based care, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse Treatment at Columbia University (CASA Columbia).

Many people misunderstand addiction, and think of it as a moral failure or a lack of willpower, instead of a complex brain disease, according to the report, Addiction Medicine: Closing the Gap between Science and Practice. The report finds that doctors are not prepared to intervene or treat addiction.

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