Drugs & Alcohol

FASD impacts brain development throughout childhood and adolescence not just at birth

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta recently published findings showing that brain development is delayed throughout childhood and adolescence for people born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Christian Beaulieu and Carmen Rasmussen, the two primary investigators in the research study, recently published the results of their work in the peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of [...]

Online Cannabis, Ecstasy Sales Booming: Silk Road, Drugs, Internet

Researchers examining the ways illicit drugs are bought and sold through the internet have discovered a sharp rise in the number of people using the online market place to sell Australians cannabis and ecstasy. The study, by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, is the first to monitor sellers of illicit drugs to Australians. [...]

Bhutan’s youth struggle in kingdom of happiness

It is known as "the last Shangri-La" -- a remote Himalayan nation, rich in natural beauty and Buddhist culture, where national happiness is prioritised over economic growth. But urban youngsters in the kingdom of Bhutan are quick to challenge its rosy reputation. "We can see the people are not happy," said Jigme Wangchuk, a social [...]

Girl Mag Watch Dolly July 2013

Dolly tackles binge drinking, abusive relationships and cyber attacks Melinda Tankard Reist Sometimes I wonder if one girl’s mag gets wind of what another is up to and copies it. In this case it’s a good thing, with Dolly also running a feature on binge drinking. I commended Girlfriend for a strong piece on “liquid [...]

Do you REALLY need antidepressants? Brain scan can tell whether medication or therapy is best option for depression

Dr Helen Mayberg at Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the U.S., studied brain scans to look for clues about what happens in the brain when someone is depressed and how different treatments affect brain activity. She used PET scans to measure brain glucose metabolism, an important index of brain function, and found that scan [...]

Sale of alcohol guidelines watered down by NSW government

Strict guidelines proposed for the sale of alcohol in NSW have been watered down to remove bans on the use of celebrities who appeal to under-18s in promotions and mention of specific events targeting women after intense lobbying from the industry. New guidelines released by the NSW government on Thursday morning show sections pertaining to [...]

Liquid Poison: Exposing the harms of binge drinking

Girl Mag Watch Girlfriend July 2013 Melinda Tankard Reist In my talks in schools around the country, I am told distressing stories of alcohol-related harm. Violence, sexual assault, damage to physical and mental health. My friend and colleague Paul Dillon, a drug educator with 25 years experience and founder of  Drug and Alcohol Research and [...]

Smoking prevention in schools: Does it work?

Smoking prevention in schools reduces the number of young people who will later become smokers, according to a new systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. For young people who have never smoked, these programmes appear to be effective at least one year after implementation. via Smoking prevention in schools: Does it work? | Science [...]

ADHD stimulant use as study aid ‘trending’ among U.S. students

A growing number of U.S. college students are abusing the ADHD medication Adderall, which contains amphetamine, to give them an academic edge, and they're tweeting about it. via Adderall abuse as final exam study aid 'trending' among U.S. students.

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