addiction

(Newser) - A pill that helps smokers quit also shows promise in combating alcoholism, and future uses may include treatment for other addictions and even Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Varenicline acts on brain receptors that bind with nicotine, blunting its effects by inhibiting the release of dopamine, a so-called pleasure hormone. Alcohol...

(Newser) - A New York judge is handing down treatment-oriented sentences to defendants whose crimes result from gambling addiction, on a model introduced to address drug and spousal abuse. Offenders willing to plead guilty can choose Justice Mark Farrell's suburban Buffalo courtroom and receive lighter sentences, along with counseling and status checks...

(Newser) - The drug-trafficking trial of a Virginia pain specialist demonstrates the slippery slope between treating chronic conditions and enabling addicts. Dr. William Hurwitz's jury heard the story of a patient with deblitating migraines who had been treated with anxiety medication that actually caused headaches—by another doctor who happened to be...

(Newser) - Drug addicts who check into New York hospital detox units dozens of times per year cost the state more than $300 million annually. These frequent fliers are often homeless or mentally ill people who see detox as a source of food and housing. People use it instead of the shelter...