The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will hold a teleconference on Wednesday, December 18, to discuss the results of the 2019 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey. The survey, funded by NIDA and conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan, tracks annual drug use and attitudes among eighth, 10th, and…
Surgeon General’s Marijuana Warning Omits Crucial Context
Speaking about a recent federal advisory on marijuana, Dr. Jerome Adams, the surgeon general, put a new spin on long-standing admonitions about the drug. “Marijuana has a unique impact on the developing brain. It can prime your brain for addiction to other substances,” Adams said at a Washington, D.C., substance abuse conference held late…
Higher rates of NAS linked with economic conditions
A NIDA-funded analysis of eight states showed a significant association between rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and poor economic conditions. NAS is a series of uncomfortable symptoms experienced by newborns suffering from opioid withdrawal after their mothers used opioids during their pregnancies. The study used data from all 580…
Cascade of Care model recommended for opioid crisi
Study shows impact of social interactions on addictive behavior
A new study published in Nature Neuroscience finds that social interactions can have a profound effect on behaviors related to addiction, and on the brain’s response to drug-associated cues. These findings have implications for people with substance use disorders (SUDs), because it suggests that social interaction can change the activity of specific neuronal…