Although severe stress, such as sexual abuse, early in life has been shown to increase the risk of alcohol and drug addiction later on, scientists have found that some abuse survivors carry a genetic variation that protects them from the increased risk of alcohol abuse and its effects.

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identified the key set of genetic variations, called the H2 haplotype, in a recent study. They believe that the finding could support the development of targeted treatments for alcohol dependence that are based on both genetic traits and history of exposure to severe stress. Scientists estimate that genetics account for about half the risk of developing alcoholism, while the other half comes from environmental factors.

Elliot C. Nelson, M.D., lead author of the study, commented: "We looked at how genes and environment interact. Our analysis included both sexual abuse and information about the DNA region that carries the H2 haplotype. People who carry that genetic pattern were protected against the risks for alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence typically associated with sexual abuse."

The researchers found that sexual abuse survivors with the alternate genetic pattern, known as the H1 haplotype, were three times more likely than study participants who had not been abused to be heavy drinkers and alcohol dependent. By contrast, participants with the H2 haplotype appeared to be completely protected from this increased risk.

(Source: sciencedaily.com)

Labels: genetics, sexual abuse, substance abuse

According to new research by a team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, a specific stress hormone is key to the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence. The researchers found that by blocking the stress hormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), they could also block the symptoms of addiction. This correlation suggests a promising concept for developing a drug to treat alcohol dependence.

The research, which occurred over the six-year period, will appear in an article in an upcoming print edition of the journal Biological Psychiatry.

Associate Professor Marisa Roberta, lead researcher, commented on the findings: "I'm excited about this study. It represents an important step in understanding how the brain changes when it moves from a normal to an alcohol-dependent state."

The study not only confirms the central role of CRF in alcohol dependence, but it also shows that CRF can be successfully blocked on a long-term basis (at least in rats) to alleviate the symptoms of alcohol dependence. This is the first study to do so.

Roberta further commented: "Research to understand alcoholism is important for society. Our study explored what we call in the field 'the dark side' of alcohol addiction. That's the compulsion to drink, not because it is pleasurable -- which has been the focus of much previous research -- but because it relieves the anxiety generated by abstinence and the stressful effects of withdrawal."

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: alcohol, brain_chemistry

North Carolina is home to more than 120,000 active-duty military personnel, the fourth largest concentration in the nation. According to a new report by The Coalition, a group of 40 statewide organizations that advocates for North Carolina veterans, returning troops require greater access to substance abuse treatment.

Researchers have found evidence of alcohol and substance use problems among military personnel during pre- and post-deployment. Research has also found that those military personnel who were deployed and exposed to combat were significantly more likely to experience new-onset heavy drinking, binge drinking and alcohol related problems (Jacobson et al., 2008).

Of 350,000 OEF-OIF (Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom) veterans, 16 percent were diagnosed with alcohol or other substance abuse; 4 percent with alcohol dependence; and 2 percent with other substance dependence (Eggleston et al., 2009). Research also shows that when substance abuse or dependence is combined with post-traumatic stress disorder (prevalence rates of 13-22 percent), clinical problems such as psychosocial impairment, aggression and suicide increase.

(Source: www.carolinanewswire.com)

Labels: military, substance abuse, treatment

This week, the West Virginia Senate introduced legislation designed to address the state's problem with prescription drug abuse. On Wednesday, lawmakers introduced five bills, bringing the total number of new bills under consideration to seven.

West Virginia currently has the highest overdose rate of any state in the nation, and lawmakers are making an effort turn the tide of drug abuse in the state and bring this rate down. A December 2008 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that West Virginia's rate of accidental fatal overdoses was almost twice the national average.

The bills introduced this week focus on curbing "drug diversion" -- the illegal procurement of prescription medications by lying to doctors, buying on the black market or theft.

Democratic senator Ron Stollings, a physician who is leading the charge, commented: "I am out there every day, seeing patients and trying to do good, empathetic, appropriate care, and at the same time not allowing this fraud and abuse to continue."

The new legislation would require, among other things, that prescriptions be written on tamper-proof forms, the penalties be stiffened for using false information to obtain medication, and that all pharmacies in the state give pharmacists access to a controlled substances database.

(Source: www.businessweek.com)

Labels: laws, overdose, prescription-drug-abuse

Soaring rates of drug addiction in Afghanistan have led one province to adopt an extreme policy: Kick the habit or get kicked out of the region.

Leaders of the area, which is located in the remote eastern region of Ghazni, are taking desperate action to battle the overwhelming increase in young addicts over the past several years. Heroin addicts are being given quitting deadlines after tribal elders decided that the only way to fight the tide of addiction was to begin threatening, punishing and ultimately evicting drug users.

Users receive a warning, followed by a fine. If they ignore these measures, they may have their houses burned down, and they will eventually be evicted from their communities. The measures will also be used against drug dealers and suppliers.

Elder Mohammad Razaq commented: "Heroin addiction among our young people was destroying us. This destruction was getting worse and worse every day and we felt that we had no choice but to deal with it in this way.

"Since the elders made the decision, we have evicted more than 200 addicts from villages in this district. They have all been told that until they give up their addiction, they are not welcome back."

Opium exports currently represent about 25 percent of Afghanistan's annual gross domestic product, or $2.8 billion. Opium is a widely grown crop, which contributes to its easy availability.

In addition, according to a United Nations report, "Conflict, displacement, economic hardship and overflowing opium production have generated widespread drug abuse in Afghanistan."

(Source: www.google.com/hostednews)

Labels: addiction, drugs, heroin, opium

This week, in a letter to the editor of the Boston Globe, Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray acknowledged the seriousness of prescription drug abuse in Massachusetts and highlighted the administration's current efforts to tackle the issue. Lt. Governor Murray admitted that the state's current Prescription Monitoring Program is ineffective.

According to a statement by the Public Health Council: "The Prescription Monitoring Program was established in 1992 by joint regulation between the Board of Pharmacy and the Department of Public Health. The Program collects prescription records for Schedule II drugs, dispensed at community, clinic and outpatient pharmacies and hospitals. The data is reviewed by the Department and a Medical Review Group, which is comprised of physicians, dentists, other practitioners and pharmacists."

Lt. Governor Murray stated that the administration has been working to overhaul this program, in collaboration with the Department of Public Health and the Governor's Interagency Council on Substance Abuse and Prevention. Murray also indicated that recommendations from the OxyContin and Heroin Commission, as well as input from legislators, public safety officials, providers, and community representatives will be incorporated into improvements to the monitoring system.

(Sources: www.boston.com; www.mass.gov)

Labels: prescription-drug-abuse

Experts are warning that the increased availability of gambling opportunities may be causing an increase in problem gambling and gambling addiction. According to San Francisco psychotherapist Michael Halyard, addiction treatment providers are receiving more requests to treat gambling behaviors, which are extremely similar to drug and alcohol abuse behaviors.

According to Halyard, "Compulsive gambling is the urge to gamble despite having harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. It's not how much time or money a gambler gambles, but the harm to the gambler or his or her partner or family that determines whether it is compulsive gambling. Compulsive gambling, like drug and alcohol addiction, is a debilitating condition that wrecks havoc in people's lives."

Halyard says that problem gamblers seeking treatment even include teens who become addicted to Internet gambling. Teen gamblers, like other gamblers, are falling prey to the new proliferation of gambling opportunities, especially on the Internet.

He said, "It used to be that if you wanted to gamble, you had to go to Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Now days, people can gamble in the comfort of their own homes on the computer, or go to nearby card room or Indian Casino. Casinos offer slot machines, sports betting, card games, but there's also the horse racing, greyhound racing, card rooms, bingo parlors, and state lotteries. Gambling is ubiquitous and one of the few booming industries. In 2006, Americans lost nearly 91 billion dollars gambling."

(Source: www.prweb.com)

Labels: addiction, gambling