By the time you read this, the last remnants of your Thanksgiving meal would have been eaten. The craziness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just behind us. And now we start to look forward to the remaining holidays. You know, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. And of course, New Year’s. From festive parties to the stress of family get-togethers, to the ever-present question “what do I get for him/her?” The holidays are already an overwhelming time. But they can be especially difficult for those dealing with addiction, or those who may be just “starting out.” The problem with the holidays is that almost every event involves alcohol in some way; it's simply part of the culture. The temptation to drink or to get high can be hard to avoid. For others, the holidays are a particularly lonely time, especially if their past problems with substance use left them estranged from...

It is no secret that the United States is facing a major drug epidemic. Substance abuse has become a public health crisis that demands urgent priority and innovative solutions. But with the advent of the Internet and smartphones, researchers have found new ways to connect with patients. Telehealth is a promising tool for treating and supporting ind...

Beyond the Stigma: Vermont woman in her 70s fighting opioid addiction Jeannie Leavitt says breaking her addiction to prescription painkillers is the hardest thing she's ever had to do.Learn More   Insurance inequalities must end for mental illness, substance use For the past seven years, Rachel S. has been investing inordinate amounts of energy and money in her efforts to receive treatment for her son Michael, who has a severe mental illness and substance use disorder.Learn More   Three ways to avoid substance abuse and still keep up at work From corporate duties to entertainment, many hard workers have a difficult time keeping up with their lifestyle and the expectations placed on them. Many turn to drug abuse or risky alternatives that often end in addiction, or even death.Learn More   Using Facebook to predict depression New research uses over half a million Facebook status updates to predict depression diagnoses in...

National Prevention Week is a SAMHSA-sponsored annual health observance dedicated to increasing the prevention of substance use and promotion of mental health. The observance brings individuals, organizations, coalitions, states, and communities together through local events to raise awareness about the importance of preventing substance use and mental disorders. National Prevention Week takes place May 14 – 20, 2017. Near the kickoff of summer, this is an ideal time for communities to come together and rally around prevention. National Prevention Week is also timed to allow schools to take part in a prevention-themed event before the school year ends, raising awareness among students of all ages. The National Prevention Week 2017 theme is “Making Each Day Count.” This theme highlights the important role that individuals and communities alike have in helping people lead healthy, productive lives and in raising awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and promotion of mental health....

As human beings, we are innately driven to protect our loved ones. Although this intrinsic characteristic typically shields our kin and spouses from life-threatening situations, when substance use is involved, it can sustain and even encourage the illnesses with which our loved ones struggle. Both fueled and blinded by love, we end up protecting the addiction, rather than the loved one trapped within it. We should start by remembering the definition of Substance Use Disorders: Substance Use Disorder is a complex brain disease and includes such diseases as alcoholism and drug addiction. Substance Use Disorders occur when a person has a dependence on alcohol and or drugs that is accompanied by intense and sometimes uncontrollable cravings and compulsive behaviors to obtain the substance. Therefore, the most challenging task for family members and friends is to differentiate the individual from the disease. Be it a person who is in active addiction to...

On an average day in the summer, over 11,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 use alcohol for the first time. Summer is a great season to have fun, explore, and try new things. Unfortunately with all the extra time that teens have, sometimes they explore and try new things that are a risk to themselves and others. Did you know that? On an average day in the summer, over 11,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 use alcohol for the first time. That is 3,000-6,000 more adolescents than any other random day throughout the rest of the year.As for first time cigarette use, the number climbs from 3,000-4,000 adolescents during the fall, winter, and spring months to about 5,000 during the summer months.More than 4,500 teens start using marijuana on an average day in June and July, as opposed to only about 3,000 to 4,000 during the other points in the year....

Our Weekly Addiction News & Policy Update is a compilation of news items provided to NCADD by a variety of sources. NCADD staff assembles this information and is pleased to provide it to you. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The content of this email does not represent the official views or policies of Wellspring Center for Prevention. The content has been collected from a variety of sources and is provided for informational purposes only. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by Wellspring of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. If you do not wish to receive this email in the future, simply email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and ask to be unsubscribed. US facing not one, but two opioid epidemics The headlines have become grimly familiar: “More than 20 overdose deaths hit Middlesex...

Our Weekly Addiction News & Policy Update is a compilation of news items provided to NCADD by a variety of sources. NCADD staff assembles this information and is pleased to provide it to you. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The content of this email does not represent the official views or policies of Wellspring Center for Prevention. The content has been collected from a variety of sources and is provided for informational purposes only. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by Wellspring of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. If you do not wish to receive this email in the future, simply email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and ask to be unsubscribed. Alcohol as an Environmental Mortality Hazard Alcohol is a major environmental hazard, with negative effects on many organs, including the brain,...

Our Weekly Addiction News & Policy Update is a compilation of news items provided to NCADD by a variety of sources. NCADD staff assembles this information and is pleased to provide it to you. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The content of this email does not represent the official views or policies of Wellspring Center for Prevention. The content has been collected from a variety of sources and is provided for informational purposes only. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by Wellspring of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. If you do not wish to receive this email in the future, simply email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and ask to be unsubscribed. Concurrent Cocaine, Alcohol Use Linked to Suicidality The concurrent use of cocaine and alcohol may flag individuals at high risk of...

Our Weekly Addiction News & Policy Update is a compilation of news items provided to NCADD by a variety of sources. NCADD staff assembles this information and is pleased to provide it to you. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The content of this email does not represent the official views or policies of Wellspring Center for Prevention. The content has been collected from a variety of sources and is provided for informational purposes only. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by Wellspring of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. If you do not wish to receive this email in the future, simply email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and ask to be unsubscribed. Cities that are trying to help low-level drug offenders beat their addictions are finding money in a previously untapped source: Obamacare...