In the News

SAMHSA Study: Alcohol Abuse Higher Among College Students

U.S. college students seeking treatment for substance abuse are more likely to be having trouble with alcohol but less likely to be abusing drugs like heroin, cocaine or methamphetamine than their non-student peers, according to a new government study.

college drinking Researchers at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) analyzed data from 2009, when about 374,000 people between the ages of 18 and 24 were treated for substance abuse or dependence in the United States.

The overwhelming majority of those admitted for treatment -- about 362,000 -- were young adults who were not enrolled in college or post-secondary school, the researchers found.

About 12,000 of the admissions -- or 3.2 percent of the total -- involved young adults enrolled in higher education.

When researchers looked at patterns of abuse within the two groups, they found significant differences.

Buprenorphine Availability, Diversion, and Misuse

picture of perscription drugs A number of NCADD Affiliates have expressed concerns that there is a growing concern regarding the diversion and misuse of Buprenorphine. The following report from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) is a summary of information provided by The Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland.

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Parents and Peers Can Help Prevent Heavy Drinking in College Freshmen

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A program that uses parents and peers to help prevent college freshmen from becoming or staying heavy drinkers has shown promise in a new study by researchers at Penn State.

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Sativex, a Pot-based Prescription Drug Looks for FDA OK

Twenty five years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first prescription drugs based on the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. A recent USA Today article recently noted that additional medicines derived from or inspired by the cannabis plant itself could soon be making their way to pharmacy shelves, according to drug companies, small biotech firms and university scientists.

HHS' CDC Reports on Binge Drinking Prevalence, Frequency and Intensity Among Adults

According to the report, more than half of the alcohol adults drink is consumed while binge drinking and more than 90% of the alcohol young people drink is while binge drinking.