In late September, attorneys launched a landmark, multidistrict lawsuit against several technology giants, accusing them of creating and driving social media addiction in minors. The lawsuit is the first of its kind and recounts harm from many states, including California. The lawsuit draws on a mountain of research on social media harms and on
Last week, the World Health Organization admonished the tobacco industry for creating a new wave of young people addicted to tobacco. According to a new report, at least fifteen million children currently vape nicotine, and billions of people in the world are still addicted to one form of tobacco or another. In fact, one
A dangerous trend, called the “Benadryl Challenge,” has grown popular again on TikTok, urging young people to take high doses of diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl. The users take it so they can experience hallucinations. Most often, it’s teens who are experimenting with drugs in challenges like the Benadryl challenge. They view it
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Journavx, a new pain medication for people with short-term pain. This is the first innovative, novel drug created for pain management in more than 20 years. Designed to treat pain following surgeries or injuries, Journavx can offer an alternative to opioids. It is also an
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has proposed his first major law since taking office. It aims to address the city's worsening fentanyl crisis. The "Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance," unveiled last Wednesday, aims to speed up responses to the city's growing public health and safety issues. It seeks to cut through red tape and
Recent research suggests that GLP-1 drugs, known for their weight loss and diabetes management, can also be a valuable tool for treating people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Recent studies have discovered that these medications, containing the ingredients semaglutide or tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro or Zepbound, seem to reduce hospitalizations related to alcohol use
Going to the hospital and getting treatment might include one extra step for marginalized teens. A new study by Los Angeles-based researchers finds injured minority teens who present at trauma centers who are Black, American Indian, or Hispanic, undergo drug and alcohol screenings more often than white adolescents. The same is true of female and
Two significant surveys are revealing historic highs in the use of hallucinogens and cannabis among adults. In 2023, the Monitoring the Future survey showed that past-year use of cannabis and hallucinogens remained at historically high levels among adults aged 19 to 30 and 35 to 50. Another, more recent study by the University of Michigan’s
"Tusi," commonly referred to as "pink cocaine," has recently become a trend in nightclubs across the country, from New York to Midwestern cities. Despite the name, "pink cocaine" is misleading as it doesn’t contain cocaine. Instead, it’s more of a marketing term for various substances sold in powder or crystal form. They’re usually pink or
San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez announced this week that the jail will begin a new, more intense screening system to keep contraband out of the facility. The new screening program is part of a crackdown on contraband in San Diego-area detention centers. The searches will be conducted to "further secure detention facilities from the
