Category Archives: Words

Sep 05 2017

The Influence

Investigations shake confidence in treatment centers

Addiction treatment centers are supposed to be places of hope and recovery, sanctuaries where people feel cared for and supported so they can enter treatment with confidence. But a recent string of investigations found some treatment providers are putting their own interests ahead of their patients’...

Aug 31 2017

The Influence

Calculating the economic cost of drug-related crime

“Drugs and crime go hand in hand.” It’s a message that’s been burned into our minds since before Nixon declared his War on Drugs. But it’s also an overly simple message that belies the complex nature of the problem and has more often provided an excuse for authorities to target minority populations ...

Aug 01 2017

The Influence

Stop Claiming Alcohol is Good for You

People have looked for miracle remedies to life’s maladies for centuries. Before the FDA, snake oil salesmen roamed the U.S. offering tonics that were guaranteed to cure what ails you. Although we’ve done away with much of that practice through federal regulations, there seems to be one substance wi...

Jul 31 2017

The Influence

College drinkers bingeing less, study says

Among college students, keg parties and drinking to excess have – wrongly – been considered an integral part of the college experience. In recent years, many U.S. colleges and universities have made efforts to educate students on the dangers of binge drinking, and change behavior. Those efforts may ...

Jul 21 2017

The Influence

Accidental fentanyl exposure blamed in 10-year-old’s death

Fentanyl came into the national spotlight after it was revealed that the opioid caused the death of legendary musician Prince in April of 2016. Much of the attention surrounding fentanyl has been focused on the prescription form and the increasing trend of it being used as an additive to heroin. The...

Jul 19 2017

The Influence

Not Just an Urban Problem

It’s a long held tenet of substance abuse treatment that addiction affects everyone regardless of age, gender, class, or location. But recently treatment providers have noticed a shift in the overall addiction trends that require immediate attention. Addiction to illicit drugs was long thought to af...

Feb 08 2016

The Influence

Why Is Marijuana Banned? The Real Reasons Are Worse Than You Think

Across the world, more and more people are asking: Why is marijuana banned? Why are people still sent to prison for using or selling it? Most of us assume it’s because someone, somewhere sat down with the scientific evidence, and figured out that cannabis is more harmful than other drugs we use all ...