The new year is off to a start, but we want to take a few moments to reflect on some unique and important headlines from 2011.
- Death of Betty Ford: Wife of former President Gerald Ford and advocate for alcohol and prescription drug addiction who battled addiction herself died in July 2011.
- Teen Drinking is Up: After nearly ten years of declining, teen drug and alcohol abuse was up in 2011.
- Death of Amy Winehouse: Popular Grammy-award winning artist dies of an overdose in July after many battles against addiction.
- Link Between Salt Appetite and Drug Addiction: Researchers in the U.S. and Australia discover a link between your salt appetite and drug addiction.
- Addictive Tanning Beds: New researcher lends credence to the theory that the UV lights in tanning actually create a “fix” and dependency that needs to be fulfilled.
- Impulsivity—Especially in Men—Might be Linked to a Gene: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln believe they might have isolated a gene—especially in men—that may help to identify behavioral aspects of impulsivity, which is often a key factor in addiction.
- One Year of Strange Addictions On TLC: TLC launched a show late in 2010 that has consistently revealed weird and dangerous addictions throughout the year—everything from a woman eating her husband’s ashes to eating glass.
- Childhood IQ and Illegal Drug Use: Researchers are claiming that children with higher IQs are more likely to use illegal drugs later in life.
- Social Networking and Teens: The National Survey on Substance Abuse reported in 2011 that teens who spend time on social networking sites are more likely to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana than teens who do not spend time on social networking sites.
- New Fathers Might be More Open to Intervention: The Oregon Social Learning Center at Oregon State University discover that men who become fathers are often more open to positive changes in their lives, especially in relation to crime, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.