Publications - Substance Abuse and Addictions

Heroin Use Surges, Especially Among Women And Whites, by Richard Harris, NPR , Jul 7 2015.

“Health officials, confronted with a shocking increase in heroin abuse, are developing a clearer picture of who is becoming addicted to this drug and why. The results may surprise you. The biggest surge is among groups that have historically lower rates of heroin abuse: women and white (non-Hispanic) Americans. They tend to be 18-25 years old, with household incomes below $20,000. "In addition, persons using heroin are abusing multiple other substances, especially cocaine and opioid pain relievers," says a report published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ”

Massachusetts launches plan to counter heroin epidemic, by Jacqueline Tempera, Jun 22 2015.

“Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker unveiled a $27 million plan on Monday to increase the state's capacity to treat drug addicts and reduce the stigma around addiction, as the United States battles a surge in heroin and opioid use. Opioid abuse is a public health epidemic," said Baker at a press conference. "The solution to eradicating opioids is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and will require all of us to rethink the way we treat addiction. ”

Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong, TED Talk, Jun 2015.

“What really causes addiction -- to everything from cocaine to smart-phones? And how can we overcome it? Johann Hari has seen our current methods fail firsthand, as he has watched loved ones struggle to manage their addictions. He started to wonder why we treat addicts the way we do -- and if there might be a better way. As he shares in this deeply personal talk, his questions took him around the world, and unearthed some surprising and hopeful ways of thinking about an age-old problem. ”

Experts caution against random drug testing in schools, by Kathryn Doyle, Reuters , Mar 30 2015.

“Schools should not be using random drug tests to catch or deter drug abusers, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises in an updated policy statement. The Academy recommends against school-based “suspicionless” drug testing in the new issue of the journal Pediatrics. Identifying kids who use drugs and entering them into treatment programs should be a top priority, but there is little evidence that random drug testing helps accomplish this, said Dr. Sharon Levy, director of the adolescent substance abuse program at Boston Children’s Hospital and lead author of the new policy statement. ”

Teens Who Skimp On Sleep Now Have More Drinking Problems Later, by Maanvi Singh, NPR , Jan 16 2015.

“Sleep-deprived teenagers find it difficult to focus in class, and they're more likely get sick. They are also more likely to develop problems with alcohol later on, according to a study published Friday in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. The study included teens who suffered from conditions like insomnia as well as those who simply weren't getting enough sleep. Teenagers ages 14 through 16 who had trouble falling or staying asleep were 47 percent more likely to binge drink than their well-rested peers. Sleep problems were linked to even more issues with alcohol later on. ”

Alcohol poisoning kills 6 people a day, by Jen Christensen, CNN , Jan 7 2015.

“By the end of today, an average of six people will have died from alcohol poisoning, and it's a "surprising group" that's dying more than any other, according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That adds up to an average of 2,221 people in the United States -- a conservative estimate, according to the CDC - dying annually, making it one of the leading preventable causes of death. The numbers come from death certificate data collected from 2010 to 2012. ”

Study finds brain changes in young marijuana users, by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe , Apr 15 2014.

“Young adults who occasionally smoke marijuana show abnormalities in two key areas of their brain related to emotion, motivation, and decision making, raising concerns that they could be damaging their developing minds at a critical time, according to a new study by Boston researchers. Other studies have revealed brain changes among heavy marijuana users, but this research is believed to be the first to demonstrate such abnormalities in young, casual smokers. ”

Phone app keeps recovering alcoholics from falling off the wagon, by Deborah Kotz, Mar 27 2014.

“Recovering alcoholics who used an experimental smart phone app had a far easier time avoiding alcohol for up to a year after they left rehab compared to those who didn’t use the app. That’s based on a new trial involving nearly 350 recovering alcoholics, which found that those randomly assigned to use the app had an average of 1.4 binge drinking days per month - consuming three or four alcoholic beverages in two hours - compared to 2.8 days for those who didn’t get the app. The users of the app, called A-CHESS, were also 22 percent more likely to maintain their abstinence from alcohol, according to the study published on Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. ”

One snapshot in a tragic national picture: Long Island sees exploding heroin use, by Ronnie Berke and Poppy Harlow, CNN , Feb 9 2014.

“Heroin use has exploded in what is being described as an epidemic on New York's Long Island, where addiction counselors are seeing users as young as 12 -- many from middle-class, suburban families. Several factors have contributed to this "perfect storm" of addiction according to experts -- among them, proximity to major airports and transportation centers, and a statewide crackdown on prescription painkillers, that has had the unintended effect of pushing more kids to cheaper and more accessible heroin. ”

Why It's Still a Big Deal If Your Teen Smokes Pot, by Randye Hoder, Time , Jan 23 2014.

“With the president coming out in favor of legalization, parents are wondering whether telling their kids not to use marijuana is futile. But some sobering data about the effects of pot on developing brains can help make the case. ”

Study Finds Vicious Cycle of Heavy Drinking, Worsening PTSD in College, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Jan 17 2014.

“A new study finds that heavy drinking in college may worsen post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms over time. Researchers estimate that 9 percent of college student have PTSD. Investigators discovered that college students who have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are likely to drink more alcohol than peers without it. ”

One Toke, by Marc Aronoff, 2014.

Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose, by Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil , 2014.

Prison Baby: A Memoir, by Deborah Jiang-Stein , 2014.

More students think marijuana is OK, by Jaque Wilson, CNN , Dec 18 2013.

“Most teens may be "Above the Influence" when it comes to cocaine and cigarettes, but marijuana use is growing among students. Sixty percent of U.S. high school seniors do not see regular marijuana use as harmful to their health, according to this year's Monitoring the Future survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. More than a third of the seniors surveyed reported smoking marijuana in the past 12 months. ”