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When Summer Leads To Underage Drinking A season known for barbecues, pool days, flip flops, and family vacations, summer is a popular time for activities with friends and family. But along with all the parties and picnics comes the seemingly unlimited supply of alcoholic beverages, often tempting children and teens. Every day, more than 11,000…

PHILADELPHIA — When Justin Carlyle, 23, began experimenting with drugs a decade ago, he found himself part of a generation of young Americans caught in the devastating wave of harm caused by fentanyl addiction and overdose. “I use fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, yeah, all of it,” Carlyle said, speaking to NPR on the streets of…

During his final weeks in office back in January, former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, called for alcohol warning labels to highlight its cancer-causing connection. While the majority of Americans are largely unaware that alcohol consumption increases their risk of cancer, 45% agree that having more than two drinks a day is unhealthy, according to…

A crime ring travels around the nation, inviting athletes to parties where there’s gambling. The plan is to put the student-athletes in debt and compromise them for future exploitation. The plot sounds like a Hollywood script. But at least one college official believes it’s happening in real life, part of a season pockmarked by suspicious…

From China to Brazil to Germany, huge numbers of people are addicted to shopping, driven in part by companies that use gaming strategies. Sadie has spent years hiding her problem from her family. In her day job, she works as a purchasing agent for a scientific firm, which requires placing large orders for everything from…

“I literally couldn’t stop.” That’s how Jordan Holt describes the moment that he hit rock bottom with his sports gambling compulsion. The 44-year-old from Yuma, Arizona, says he started placing wagers on football and basketball back in 2007. At first, he says, it felt harmless, but then it quickly spiraled out of control. “It was…

The graying of America is being reflected in the nation’s drug crisis. Even as overdose deaths drop, millions of aging former drug users are living with long-term health challenges exacerbated by their previous substance use. We hear from a number of people in recovery about their experiences, and Ali Rogin speaks with Wall Street Journal…

The holiday season comes with many booze-filled gatherings — a challenge for those who are aiming to cut back on drinking, or quit altogether. We offer four helpful tips to help you get festive while staying sober. I covered my empty wine glass as the Italian waitress made her rounds, a bottle of Chianti in…

You may want to pass on that joint. A new scientific paper describes cannabis as a “genotoxic” substance that damages genetic information within cells, potentially leading to DNA mutations, accelerated biological aging and cancer. The authors of the analysis say this genotoxicity can be transmitted to the weed smoker’s offspring via a damaged egg and…

Use of opioid overdose antidote by laypersons rose 43% from 2020 to 2022, study finds   CNN. After years of continuously rising opioid overdoses, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that overdose deaths decreased 3% in 2023, the first annual decrease since 2018. A new study shows how the increased administration of…