Most Americans readily accept that alcoholism is a disease and that the only treatment is abstinence. But in an eye-opening report, ABC News medical correspondent Nancy Snyderman questions the established beliefs and conventional theories about drinking, opening the door to a heated and even hostile debate within the medical and treatment communities. Metabolic, genetic, and neurochemical models of alcoholism are challenged, and alternatives to twelve-step...

Alcohol, the most widely used psychoactive drug in the United States, contributes to approximately 100,000 deaths annually-fatalities that could very likely be prevented through education and treatment. This program is designed to promote a deeper understanding of the drinking problem in America, particularly among students on college campuses. The immediate and long-term behavioral and physiological effects of alcohol consumption are discussed as...

Alcohol consumption by the average woman-even in moderate amounts-has far more lasting effects than an equal amount imbibed by her male counterpart. Even if it is a single glass of wine, the effects on their respective physiology are very different: the female body absorbs alcohol faster and retains it up to twice as long as the male body, which has considerable implications both for social drinking and for driving while under the influence. This...

We all by now that binge drinking can lead to deadly car accidents, but some of the other outcomes are just as horrific. From unintended pregnancies and STDs, to injuries due to violence, binge drinking impacts communities on many levels. A Production of the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

In the early days of the nation, men drink cider and beer all day long and at nearly every occasion, from barn-raisings and baptisms to funerals and public hangings. But as hard whiskey becomes increasingly affordable and saloons turn more and more drunks into the gutter, America seems to have become a nation of drunkards. Unable to vote, women in Ohio shut down taverns by praying on their doorsteps. In Kansas, Carrie Nation attacks hotel bars with...

Alcohol is pervasive in our society; its use is accepted and encouraged. Alcoholism, on the other hand, is a disease which must be recognized and treated. This program analyzes the signs of alcoholism and shows how a family member, coworker, or friend can help break the chain of alcoholism; demonstrates how one family dealt with the problem and discusses the impact of alcoholism on the children of alcoholics; and discusses the options and prognosis...

Fentanyl is an extremely powerful, fast-acting, synthetic opioid. It is a leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Fifty to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin, fentanyl can kill even in very small doses and is more addictive than heroin. Although it may be safely used when administered by doctors, it is very easy to overdose on a small amount of fentanyl. Worse, illicit drug dealers often...

There are all kinds of drugs. Some help people with medical problems and can be bought in any store, right over the counter. Other medicines must be prescribed by a doctor. The alcohol and energy drinks we see advertised everywhere? Those are drugs, too. Then there are illegal drugs. Some drugs are helpful. Some can be hurtful—and even deadly. What do all they have in common? They all change how your body works, and they should all be taken seriously....

Poverty drugs, violence, abuse, family death….all of which “Billionaire PA” experienced as a child and young teenager. He became a great salesman. The only problem is he sold drugs on the street landing him in and out of jail. What else you can you do when you live in such poverty? His grandmother planted a thought in his head, “if you could use the focused energy you have in selling drugs and channel into something good, you will be unstoppable”....

Troubled Teens Talk Addiction is a six part series. For further information, please reference individual episodic descriptions.