Thursday marks the beginning of the holiday season with Thanksgiving: A time for families to come together to spend quality time over a plethora of food, football and in most cases alcohol. The holidays can be a tricky time for people in recovery, especially those who are new to the program. The typical experience for...Read More

When someone struggles with substance abuse they tend to keep it a secret for as long as possible, an inclination that can be life threatening. While the public’s perception regarding substance use disorders has come a long way in recent years, there is still a notable amount of stigma surrounding the disease. Those struggling with...Read More

People living a life of recovery traveled a rocky road to get where they are today. Both addiction and recovery are journeys, while the former a road to the depths of solitude and despair – the latter is one of hope and renewal. Many addicts spend many years alone, struggling to make ends meet and...Read More

Nicotine addiction can be extremely difficult to beat, a habit that often takes years to overcome. While cigarettes are legal for adults, more and more research indicates that smoking can make recovering from substance abuse much more difficult. In the United States, addiction treatment facilities take a number of different stances regarding tobacco use, such...Read More

The population of the United States is roughly five percent of the world, yet the country houses 25 percent of the world’s total prison population. In the last 30 years, the American prison population has more than quadrupled, according to a 2013 article from The New York Times. Of the more than 2.4 million prisoners,...Read More

Screening college students for alcohol and drug use is of the utmost importance, crucial for spotting problems early and referring students toward appropriate assistance. Unfortunately, substance use problems often go unnoticed; problems get out of hand and serious consequences can result. It is no secret that college campuses can be hotbeds of reckless drinking and...Read More

In states rampant with opioid abuse novel programs are being implemented to combat abuse with the hope of saving lives. Many first-time prescription opioid users get their first pill from other people’s medication bottles. A new pilot program in Illinois plans to disrupt that trend by putting locks on prescription bottles, the Associated Press reports....Read More

Over the course of the United States’ brief, but important history, Presidents have taken it upon themselves to make proclamations; the act of causing some state matters to be published or made generally known. Most are aware of the famous proclamations, such as George Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793 and Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in...Read More

The United States has seen a disturbing rise in synthetic marijuana use over the summer, with major cities across the country reporting a surge in overdoses linked to the unpredictable drugs, CNN reports. Poison control centers have already reported 4,377 incidents of synthetic marijuana users experiencing adverse effects this year, an exponential rise from last...Read More

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report earlier this month which found that heroin overdose deaths quadrupled from 2002 to 2013, doubling between 2011 and 2013. If anything else, the study was a clear indication that more needs to be done in the nation’s fight to curb the prescription opioid...Read More