A 2026 randomized youth trial found that integrated exposure-based treatment reduced posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms more than supportive counseling, while substance-use changes were smaller and showed no clear treatment-specific advantage. Research Highlights COPE-A reduced PTSD more: youth receiving Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure – Adolescent version had a 17.00-point …
A 2026 PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis in Drug and Alcohol Review consolidated 30 publications covering 202 prevalence estimates from 120,041 South African adolescents: pooled lifetime prevalence was 35.09% for alcohol use, 25.47% for tobacco use, and 10.47% for cannabis use.1 Research Highlights 30 publications, 202 estimates: pooled data covered 120,041 South African adolescents. Alcohol …
Alcohol’s effects on the brain, especially among the elderly, have long been a subject of scientific inquiry. A recent study from Gothenburg, Sweden, provides new insights into how varying levels of alcohol consumption impact brain structure in individuals aged 70 and over. This research sheds light on the relationship between alcohol intake and the aging …
The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably transformed various facets of human life, including our health behaviors and substance consumption patterns. Through the lens of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), a study conducted in Riga, Latvia, from December 2020 to July 2023, sheds light on how the pandemic and subsequent restrictions have impacted the use of pharmaceuticals and recreational …
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) emerges as a promising, noninvasive treatment for reducing cravings in substance addiction. This technique involves the use of scalp electrodes to modulate neural activity, influencing cravings associated with drug addiction or substance dependence. Despite its promise, further research is needed to standardize protocols and understand long-term efficacy. Highlights: tDCS significantly …
Xanax (alprazolam) is a drug of the benzodiazepine class originally developed by Upjohn, a Michigan-based pharmaceutical company (now a subsidiary of Pfizer). In the United States, Xanax first received FDA approval for the treatment of panic disorder and hit the market as a prescription medication in 1981. It eventually received subsequent FDA approval for the …
ZzzQuil is an over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aid manufactured by Vicks (a subsidiary of Proctor & Gamble) that initially hit the market in 2012. When administered on an “as-needed” basis, ZzzQuil is thought to alleviate occasional bouts of insomnia and other sleep disturbances with minimal risk of abuse, addiction, and/or dependence – as compared to pharmaceutical …