Why is quitting smoking particularly difficult for depressed people? Researchers are now testing a new smoking cessation treatment combining medication and behavioral activation therapy targeted at this population. Read more

Exercising, at even basic recommended weekly physical activity levels (at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity), may offset some of the harmful effects of drinking alcohol, suggests new research. This first-of-its-kind study found that for alcohol drinkers, physical activity may decrease the risks of dying both from cancer and from ‘all-cause mortality’ that is, deaths […]

It’s that time of year again, when students old and new are heading to university. Certain behaviors might be expected in the coming months, drinking in particular. Drinking is widespread among student populations, whether for social enrichment or the need to conform. However, many college students experience the darker side of binge drinking; violence, unsafe […]

While becoming intoxicated can impair brain function and result in poor judgment, a new study by Cardiff University in the United Kingdom finds that people’s perception of how trashed they are is judged in comparison to how drunk they think their peers are, rather than based on how much alcohol they have consumed. Individuals are […]

Trauma exposure has consistently been reported as a risk factor for alcohol use and related problems. Further, racial differences in alcohol use, alcohol use disorder (AUD), and trauma exposure between European American (EA) and African American (AA) women have been reported previously. This study sought to identify racial differences in alcohol involvement, and to examine […]

While cigarette smoking rates have declined among younger people in the United States, those who do smoke are more likely to have a psychiatric or substance use disorder compared with those who began smoking in earlier decades, new research indicates. Read more

Regular cocaine and methamphetamine users can have difficulty choosing between right and wrong, perhaps because the specific parts of their brains used for moral processing and evaluating emotions are damaged by their prolonged drug habits, according to a study among prison inmates.  Read more

While there are a number of studies on alcohol misuse, most of the research has been focused on the adult population. Alcohol is the most widely used drug among young adults between the ages of 18 to 25. Binge drinking – almost a rite of passage – peaks during the college years. So this begs […]

Marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit drug in the North America, and its use is particularly widespread among adolescents. Now, a new study has identified the ages at which adolescents are most likely to try the drug, which may have implications for current marijuana intervention programs. Read more