In the News

Alcohol in Medicines Can Affect Some Kids

41831015 Many cough and cold liquids and other over-the-counter products contain some alcohol. In the formulation, this helps to dissolve certain ingredients or preserve the product. Most people wouldn't give this a second thought, and rightly so, but now and then the amount of alcohol in medicines becomes extremely important. One situation is with young children.

Not too long ago we received a report from a woman whose 11 year old child began having seizures while taking a shower. The family immediately called for help. Paramedics took the child to a nearby hospital for examination. All scans and x-rays were negative. Doctors then ordered blood tests on the child. The family was surprised to learn that the child had an elevated blood alcohol level, which was most likely the cause of the child's symptoms.

New Studies Shed Much-Needed Light on Alcohol-Induced Memory Blackouts

headache National survey studies suggest that roughly one in four college students who drink will experience a blackout in a given year, making blackouts a surprisingly common outcome of excessive drinking.

Blackouts are periods of amnesia, caused by excessive consumption of alcohol, during which a person actively engages in behaviors but the brain is unable to create memories for what transpires. This leaves holes in a person's memory that can range from spotty recall for the events of the previous night (known as fragmentary blackouts) to the utter absence of memory for large portions of an evening (known as en bloc blackouts).

Government Study Finds More Teenagers Smoke Marijuana Than Cigarettes

ore teenagers smoke marijuana than cigarettes, according to a survey released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The survey found 23 percent of high school students said they recently smoked marijuana, compared with 18 percent who said they had smoked cigarettes.

Weight-Loss Surgery Increases Alcohol Use Disorders Over Time

NIH-funded study sheds light on risk of bariatric procedures

Adults who had a common bariatric surgery to lose weight had a significantly higher risk of alcohol use disorders (AUD) two years after surgery, according to a study by a National Institutes of Health research consortium.

Researchers investigated alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorders symptoms in 1,945 participants from the NIH-funded Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS), a prospective study of patients undergoing weight-loss surgery at one of ten hospitals across the United States.

Prescription Painkillers Containing Hydrocodone May Become More Tightly Regulated

vicodin1 Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will meet this fall to discuss whether prescription painkillers containing hydrocodone should be more tightly regulated, Bloomberg reports. They will evaluate the risks and benefits of hydrocodone preparations that are used to treat pain and coughs.

Emergency room visits related to hydrocodone, the key ingredient in Vicodin and other painkillers, have soared since 2000.

Vicodin, which also contains acetaminophen, is subject to fewer regulations than pure hydrocodone, the article notes.

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