The Blood-Brain Barrier This may sound like something out of a horror movie, but the blood-brain barrier is the brain’s own security system.  The brain is the only organ to have this system.  It allows good, essential nutrients into the brain while keeping out other substances.  There are blood vessels in the brain with cells...Read More

In the United States, we begin teaching adolescents about the dangers of mind altering substances at very young age, the hope being that the knowledge will prevent premature experimentation with drugs. Scientists have understood for quite some time that the adolescent brains is at a greater risk of harm due to the fact that they...Read More

While the amount of research on marijuana continues to grow, there has been little research on the effects of the drug when mixed with other substances – despite the fact that many marijuana users drink alcohol and/or smoke cigarettes. It is worth noting that with the rise of relaxed views on the drug, there has...Read More

Whether you are recovering from an alcohol use disorder, or actively in the grips of alcoholism, it is unlikely that you are a stranger to the term “blackout.” Nights of heavy drinking are commonly accompanied by mornings of confusion, often requiring the help of others to fill in the blanks of the night before. This...Read More

While the legal age to purchase and consume cigarettes is 18 years old, there are many that argue that the brain is not fully developed at that age. Science indicates that the use of tobacco products has a greater effect on the developing brain and can lead to medical conditions down the road. Last Friday,...Read More

Efforts to develop more effective methods of cocaine addiction treatments are a major focus in the field of recovery. Recovering from cocaine addiction is extremely difficult; and relapse rates are especially high – even after long periods of being drug free. New research suggests that alterations in our DNA which occur during drug withdrawal could...Read More

It has long been understood that consuming drugs and alcohol while pregnant can have adverse effects on the fetus, such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. While each case is different, time and time again exposure to mind altering substances has proven to severely put babies at risk of lifelong problems. New findings from researchers at...Read More

Binge drinking is a common practice among teenagers and young adults. Drinking as much as you can, as fast as you can carries with it a number of risks. While the most common danger associated with binge drinking is alcohol poisoning, new research from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine indicates that...Read More

Meet Liz Marks To date over 5,000,000 people have met Liz Marks via this YouTube video provided by the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USDOTNHTSA). Those 5,388,628 people have heard Liz’s story about texting and driving. Today we want our readers to meet Liz and we hope they will share this...Read More

Crystal methamphetamine (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The DAWN Report features interesting methamphetamine stats  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) publishes The DAWN Report. DAWN is an acronym for Drug Abuse Warning Network. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) created DAWN in 1972 to track emergency department visits resulting from drug abuse. You can read...Read More