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One cause it's tough to design a dependable marijuana breathalyzer is that delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the first psychoactive compound in marijuana, is a big molecule with a posh construction. Ethyl alcohol is extra simply measured with a breathalyzer. In these photos, carbon atoms are darkish grey, hydrogen atoms are mild grey, and oxygen atoms are purple. Three-D mannequin primarily based on pc rendering, not experimental knowledge. Credit score: Kelly Irvine/NIST Marijuana is now authorized for leisure or medicinal use in a minimum of 28 states and the District of Columbia. However driving underneath the affect of marijuana is prohibited regardless of which state you are in. To implement the regulation, authorities want a easy, rigorous roadside check for marijuana intoxication. Though a number of firms are working to develop marijuana breathalyzers, testing an individual's breath for marijuana-derived compounds is way e...

Consuming alcohol in being pregnant. Credit score: © vchalup / Fotolia Quickly-to-be moms have heard the warning -- do not drink whereas pregnant. The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) has issued quite a few statements concerning the risks of alcohol consumption throughout being pregnant, as it could actually result in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Issues (FASD) in newborns. Regardless of this, many ladies drink throughout being pregnant, a alternative that scientists have identified for years may harm these moms' kids. At the moment, there's a new purpose why an expectant mom ought to put down that tumbler of wine -- ingesting alcohol throughout being pregnant won't solely have an effect on her unborn little one, however may additionally impression mind improvement and result in hostile outcomes in her future grand- and even great-grandchildren. The brand new research by Kelly Huffman, psychology professor on ...

Through a research grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Senior Research Scientist Roh-Yu Shen , PhD, is studying how prenatal alcohol exposure alters the reward system in the brain and how this change continues through adulthood. The key appears to lie with endocannibinoids, cannabis-like chemicals that are produced by the brain itself. "By understanding the role endocannibinoids play in increasing the brain's susceptibility to addiction, we can start developing drug therapies or other interventions to combat that effect and, perhaps, other negative consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure," Shen says. Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and neurodevelopmental abnormalities in the United States. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) cause cognitive and behavioral problems. In addition to increased vulnerability of alcohol and other substanc...

Their findings, published online July 10 in the  Journal of Psychopharmacology , also revealed that pills purported to be a purer and safer version of the illegal stimulant drug MDMA known as Molly contained as many harmful additives as the version known as Ecstasy. And, unlike older analyses that found different results, the most common adulterants in this study were chemicals commonly known as "bath salts." The researchers say their study adds critical evidence that on-site pill-testing services may be a valuable public health and safety tool. "People would be safest not taking any street drugs at all, but if free, no-fault testing can reduce deaths and other catastrophic consequences, it may be a service worth having," says Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Our results suggest that some people will reject taking a pill to get high if it doesn't c...

This cartoon depicts how a single-point (mGluR2) gene mutation alters a rat's sensitivity to cocaine reward and the following drug-taking and drug-seeking habits. Credit score: Zheng-Xiong Xi and Lauren Brick Rats lacking a neuroreceptor that controls the discharge of the neurotransmitter glutamate are much less amenable to the rewarding results of cocaine, rising their likelihood of kicking the behavior as soon as addicted, researchers from the Nationwide Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) discover. Their work, showing July 11 in  Cell Studies , means that the receptor, which protects nerve cells from deadly inundation by extra glutamate, is concerned in modulating the reward-seeking habits related to drug habit. By silencing the gene answerable for expressing the receptor, referred to as mGluR2, the researchers studied its impact throughout the levels of the cocaine habit cycle. Rats with out the receptor had been extra prone to devour coc...

Opioid use disorder is a public health problem that has contributed to unprecedented levels of overdose deaths. Detoxification - or medically supervised withdrawal - is a widely used treatment for opioid use disorder. However, failing to adequately manage opioid withdrawal symptoms can contribute to people leaving treatment. Clonidine and buprenorphine are two medications widely used to manage opioid withdrawal. Tramadol hydrochloride is a promising alternative option for effective opioid use disorder treatment, according to the article. Kelly E. Dunn, Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, and coauthors conducted a randomized clinical trial in a residential research setting with 103 patients, mostly men, with opioid use disorder. During a seven-day taper, clonidine, buprenorphine or tramadol hydrochloride extended-release, which is an approved analgesic with low abuse potential, were used. The clinical trial showed tramadol extended-release supp...

The risk of substance use problems during periods of medication use was 35 percent lower in men and 31 percent lower in women in the study. The results, based upon nearly 3 million people with ADHD in the United States, are reported in the  American Journal of Psychiatry . "This study contributes to growing evidence that ADHD medication is linked to lower risk for many types of harmful behavior, including substance abuse," said Patrick D. Quinn, a postdoctoral researcher in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, who led the study. "The results also highlight the importance of careful diagnosis and compliance with treatment." As one of the largest analyses on the risks and benefits of ADHD medication, the study drew on anonymous health care data from 146 million people with employer-based health insurance in the United States from 2005 to 2014. Specifically, the researchers mined the data to iden...

"The broad reach of the epidemic has blurred the formerly distinct social boundary between prescribed opioids and illegally manufactured ones, such as heroin," said committee chair Richard J. Bonnie, Harrison Foundation Professor of Medicine and Law and director of the Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "This report provides an action plan directed particularly at the health professions and government agencies responsible for regulating them. This plan aims to help the millions of people who suffer from chronic pain while reducing unnecessary opioid prescribing. We also wanted to convey a clear message about the magnitude of the challenge. This epidemic took nearly two decades to develop, and it will take years to unravel." As of 2015, at least 2 million people in the United States have an opioid use disorder involving prescription opioids -- meaning they are addicted to prescription opioids -- and a...

In the wake of the opioid epidemic, institutions like the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) created guidelines for monitoring chronic pain patients on opioid medications t o prevent overuse and overprescribing. According to AAPM guidelines, physicians should monitor patient's opioid use through urine drug testing at least once a year and have patients sign an opioid treatment agreement with them. However, previous research has found few primary care providers adhere to the guidelines because most strategies focus on changing individual prescriber behavior rather than implementing a systems-based intervention. The TOPCARE (Transforming Opioid Prescribing in Primary Care) model brings a nurse care manager into the equation to discuss treatment plans with patients suffering from chronic pain, and to ensure monitoring occurs; provides online resources to assist prescribers, and coordinates an individualized educational session for primary care providers conducted by an exper...

The study led by UW Medicine researchers interviewed 521 students recruited from four Seattle public middle schools. Researchers used data from annual assessments when students were ages 12-15 and then again when they were 18. The results were published in the journal  Addiction . "The findings suggest that if we can prevent or reduce chronic depression during early adolescence, we may reduce the prevalence of cannabis use disorder," said lead author Isaac Rhew, research assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. What researchers called "a 1 standard deviation increase" in cumulative depression during early adolescence was associated with a 50 percent higher likelihood of cannabis-use disorder. According to researchers, during the past decade cannabis has surpassed tobacco with respect to prevalence of use among adolescents. Cannabis and alcohol are the two most commonly used substances amo...