Researchers investigate why certain brains are more vulnerable to addiction
A new USC study examines how to identify the people most at risk of opioid addiction and how to best treat those already addicted.
Efforts to minimize opioid use after surgery appear to be working
A major step in reducing reliance on opioids is empowering surgical patients to make informed, educated decisions about their health, a USC expert notes.
Teens who abuse opioids are more likely to later use heroin, USC study shows
The association between prescription opioids abuse and later heroin use reinforces that adolescents need to be considered in the opioid epidemic discussion.
They’re Cutting Opioid Prescriptions by Stopping Pain Before It Starts
What if you could quickly feel better after surgery just by planning ahead? That’s one way physicians are tackling the opioid crisis.
The USC Experts on the Front Lines of the Opioid Epidemic
Nearly 400,000 people in America died from opioid overdose from 1999-2017. USC experts believe they can stem the tide.
How tobacco companies use social media to hook a new generation of smokers
USC’s Robert Kozinets documents how Big Tobacco is crafting creative Facebook and Instagram advertising campaigns — with dubious motives.
Mindfulness could be a key to recovering from substance abuse, USC experts say
Initial studies with young adults show dramatic drops in stress, cravings, impulsivity and risk of relapse after practicing mindfulness.
Mobile device use: Calling all British parents and teens
Study by USC Annenberg and colleagues compares responses with recent data gathered from Japan and the U.S.
Most teens who tried marijuana used it in various forms, research finds
A USC study raises concerns about adolescent health amid a booming cannabis market that touts sleekly packaged products claiming an array of health benefits.
USC receives $17.8 million grant to research tobacco-related health risks
The funding will be used to promote biomedical and behavioral research to build the scientific underpinning for regulation of tobacco products.
AI tool uses positive peer groups to fight substance abuse
Algorithm created by USC researchers leverages social networks to make the best use of substance abuse intervention groups for homeless youth.
Kids sneak smoking substitute into school, USC researchers find
Social media survey reveals new undetectable device is more likely to hook kids on nicotine than free adults from cigarettes.
Unexpected addiction for minority teens in L.A.: Tanning
USC researchers dispel myth that tanning is a problem only among white, college-age women.
How to prevent opioid addiction before it begins
USC Viterbi researchers respect privacy while reviewing medical histories to predict the possibility of a person’s dependency on opioids.
Opioid abuse leads to heroin use and a hepatitis C epidemic, USC researcher says
Nearly everyone who used heroin transitioned to drug injection in about six months — a trend that contributes to the hepatitis C epidemic, USC-led study finds.
Where patients get prescription opioids: It’s not where you might think
A new study is a hard look in the mirror for how providers have contributed to the addiction epidemic.
A nonaddictive opioid painkiller with no side effects? USC researchers think it’s possible
USC Michelson Center scientists are part of an international team developing new alternatives to easing pain in the midst of a national crisis.
Are Smartphones as Addictive as Drugs?
Since their introduction 10 years ago, smartphones have become a necessity many can’t live without.
Teens who vape higher doses of nicotine are more likely to become regular smokers
Nicotine is extremely harmful to the developing adolescent brain, USC study finds.
Addicted to your smartphone? Half of teens in U.S. and Japan say they are
First study to compare data from both nations reveals teenagers and parents feel distracted and anxious due to device use.
Happy 10th birthday, iPhone: You’ve changed the world in addictive ways
Our love of smartphones shows no sign of stopping a decade after Apple released its first one.
Opioid epidemic may be driving illicit drug users to use needles sooner, USC study finds
Injection comes more quickly to those born in the ’80s and ’90s, increasing their risk of HIV, mental health disorders, overdose and early death.
Social upheaval in America: Why so many working-class whites are dying in midlife
USC Presidential Professor Angus Deaton and his colleague look at the rising trend of deaths from drug overdose, alcohol-related disease and suicide.
Nutritional guidance often missing from substance abuse treatment
Patients in drug and alcohol recovery face the risks of malnutrition, dramatic weight changes and eating disorders.