It’s legal, so it must be harmless, right? That’s what teens who turn to synthetic marijuana for quick high seem to think. But synthetic marijuana, also known by the street names K2 or spice, could land users in the emergency room. Researchers examined three cases of teens admitted to the emergency room after suspected use
Keep ReadingFrom huffing and pill parties to overdosing on caffeine on the playground, kids today are finding creative – and dangerous – new ways to get high. Teens and experimentation go together. While it’s natural for kids to explore new things and push boundaries as they journey toward adulthood, some experimentation can be deadly. Teens (and
Keep ReadingWho hasn’t struggled to get to sleep? You lay in bed tossing and turning and trying not to look at the clock, because you know that will only cause you to count the shrinking number of hours until the alarm goes off. Lack of sleep can lead to desperation, and desperate times call for desperate
Keep ReadingWhen someone takes their own life, we are left wondering if there was something we could have done. When addiction or abuse plays a role, it is twice as sad, because the tragedy seems preventable with the right treatment. Country singer Mindy McCready died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her Arkansas home on a
Keep ReadingYou want to have a few drinks with friends, but you’re watching your calories, so you opt for a diet mixer. It seems like the smart option, right? Wrong — at least if you’re worried about your blood alcohol level. A new study shows that if you and a friend drink the same amount of
Keep ReadingIt’s easy to have firm ideas about how much you’ll drink, but, as the hours pass, your judgment becomes impaired by alcohol. You may lose track of just how much you’ve had. Enter: alcohol-monitoring ice cubes. An MIT graduate student, Dhairya Dand, created the new tool after he wound up in the hospital after binge
Keep ReadingLance Armstrong’s two-night interview with Oprah Winfrey was about two specific topics: Is he being honest now and is he sorry. After the cameras were turned off, other players in the story weighed in with their responses and shared additional details that made it even harder to determine the truth. As much as we speculate,
Keep ReadingWhat does MDPV have to do with Internet pioneer John McAfee, and could this dangerous psychoactive drug have played a role in a murder in Belize? Police in the tropical locale are eager to talk to the billionaire after his neighbor, US national Gregory Faull, was found shot in the head. Officials insist McAfee is
Keep ReadingThe images we see 24-7 work their way into our minds and play tricks on us when it comes to our perceptions of what is healthy and what is beautiful. Those glossy magazine ads have an even bigger impact on America’s youth, and it’s not just the stick-thin models we need to worry about. Buff
Keep ReadingThe sudsy new ABC nighttime soap Nashville may not be a completely realistic take on the music biz – or life in Music City (locals would never hang out at the riverfront!) – but its portrayal of addiction is hitting home. Troubled young country star Juliette (played by Hayden Panettiere) doesn’t know what to do
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