Here's an academic take from the perspective of an economist on the war on drugs. The post was inspired by an article about cigarette bans in prison driving prices to as high as $125 per pack.

A new smoking cessation study finds promising long term outcomes:An intensive stop-smoking program with at least three months of counseling and free drugs can help smokers kick the habit, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. Their intensive care program helped 39 percent of smokers stay tobacco-free for two years, the team at Creighton University Cardiac Center … Continue reading Intensive care helps smokers quit, study finds

Lou Dobbs weighs in on the war on drugs:We're fighting a war that is inflicting even greater casualties than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and, incredibly, costing even more money. We're losing the War on Drugs, and we've been in retreat for three decades. That statement may come as a surprise to John Walters, … Continue reading The war within, killing ourselves

I've been in a couple discussions over the past few days about federal drinking guidelines and what constitutes risky drinking. It just happens that Australia is reviewing their drinking guidelines. Of special concern are pregnant women and young women. Their drinking guidelines for healthy people between 18 and 64 are as follows:For men: No more … Continue reading How many drinks is too many? | The Daily Telegraph

Independent Online Edition >England is also experiencing problems with underage drinking. In England 18 year olds can purchase alcohol and 16 year olds can drink alcohol in s restaurant, if the alcohol was purchased by a parent.Amid growing concerns over 24-hour drinking, soaring rates of liver disease and police forces unable to cope with drunken … Continue reading Special report: Under-age drinking (U.K.)

From Inside Higher Ed:Two months after he finished up as president of Middlebury College in 2004, John M. McCardell Jr. wrote a column for The New York Times called “What Your College President Didn’t Tell You.” In the piece, he discussed how he was “as guilty as any of my colleagues [as presidents] of failing … Continue reading An Honest Conversation About Alcohol

From NIDA: "Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction" was unveiled today by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health. The 30-page full-color booklet explains in layman's terms how science has revolutionized the understanding of drug addiction as a brain disease that affects behavior. NIDA hopes … Continue reading Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction

Psychology Today has an article on ACOAs. Something I haven't seen in a while:If alcoholism seems like a lot to handle, imagine growing up with addicted parents. The alcoholic family is one of chaos, inconsistency, unclear roles, and illogical thinking. Arguments are pervasive, and violence or even incest may play a role. Children in alcoholic … Continue reading A Toxic Brew

Three recent articles on tobacco. First, The Boston Globe reports on the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments for nicotine addiction. The article presents a pretty pharmacological treatments as an essential part of a smoking cessation plan.Philip Quartier, a 64-year-old stockbroker from Mission Hill, had been smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 45 years when … Continue reading Tobacco, tobacco tobacco

A couple of weeks ago I posted about laws that allow teens to drink with their parents and asked for info on Michigan law. Brian, a student of mine who is also a juvenile probation officer sent this:I checked into the laws governing underage drinking related to parents here at the courthouse. There are no … Continue reading Teen drinking laws update