A new study shows that the effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine might not be evident in the brain at birth, but can have a dramatic developmental impact on brain and behavior alike. Also under investigation are the exact chemical culprits behind the effects of heroin. If, as has long been known, heroin doesn’t work … Continued
Here’s a thoughtful article on the recent, tragic death of Glee actor Cory Monteith, in which Dr. Hart points out that drug deaths are not often due to heroin alone, and we should be putting more effort into promoting awareness of the dangers of mixing addictive substances. This blog post on “Spicephrenia” sums up a … Continued
Late last week I received a letter from the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. I and other board-certified addiction specialists were sent a special message highlighting that the overdose and prescription drug abuse situation has become “desperate”. If any registered physician was not treating addiction patients, or not seeing their full capacity, … Continued
First in the news and on everyone’s mind this week: the tragic death of Cory Monteith was confirmed to be addiction-related. Demi Lovato comments on the nature of the disease that killed Cory, and his death may cast light on the scope and sheer number of similar deaths that occur each year. The other big … Continued
There has been a lot of deeply emotional stories in the news these past few days here in the U.S. Particularly, the death of Cory Monteith saddened me as an entirely preventable tragedy. I tend to repeat the same few points on this blog; that addiction needs to be treated like any other disease; that … Continued
I am complete agreement with this blog post: addiction needs an answer. Its victims need an answer. A new medication that combines buprenorphine and naltrexone may be on the market soon. Keep an eye out for more news here as it develops. Here’s a fantastic article about how dopamine, while playing a role as one … Continued
A story came to my attention this week about a new drug in testing to treat the symptoms of acute opiate withdrawal “such as vomiting, sweating and muscle pain”. While I have nothing against the drug itself, or any real objection to its testing, I do think it will end up being a waste of … Continued
As you’ve probably heard, the new DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders), which was released back in May, officially considers obesity as a medical disease for the first time in history. We at the Bel Air Center for Addictions weren’t particularly surprised by this development. While we don’t yet know exactly what the … Continued
A new study shows that, in the ongoing hunt for vaccines that can guard against addiction, a weak nicotine vaccine might be worse than none at all. While research in that field is continuing, this is another pitfall for scientists to be wary of. While an attempt to scare younger smokers into quitting by showing … Continued
This tragic story was recently brought to my attention (if you can’t read the link, it has to do with two terminally ill children and their families attempting to change the medical rules governing organ transplants, in order to increase the chance of getting transplanted lungs). While illness in children is always a tragedy, and … Continued