March 2011 Reports 2010 rates of marijuana use among 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students, noting that daily use increased by more than 10 percent in all three grades since the 2009 survey. Also reports a rise in ecstasy use.
March 2011 Describes research findings that show that chronic cocaine abuse may change the production of many proteins in the neurons of the brain’s reward system, aiding in our understanding how the drug causes addiction.
December 2010 Reviews research indicating that both parental influence and certain genes interact to influence nicotine addiction and that parental monitoring may play a role in reducing risk.
December 2010 Announces three new NIDA National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse members and describes their drug abuse and addiction research experience.
December 2010 Reports on the results of a clinical trial that tested the effectiveness of a cocaine vaccine designed as a therapy for cocaine abuse and plans underway for a new study of 300 patients to confirm these results.
October 2010 Describes a study of smokers' brain function while they watched antismoking PSAs and findings suggesting that calmer ads may be more effective.
October 2010 Reports study findings that show young people who have gotten into trouble with the criminal justice system report high rates of sexual behaviors that increase risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
October 2010 Reports on a school-centered program for social and emotional development that was credited with reducing rates of substance abuse, violent behavior, and voluntary sexual activity among primary school children.