"Health & Medical News"

Nearly one in ten first-year college students at a mid-Atlantic university have a cannabis use disorder (CUD), according to a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded study of drug use conducted by Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) investigators.

First-year students attending new student orientation were randomly selected to participate in a multiyear follow-up study. Overall, 9.4% of first-year students met the clinical definition for cannabis abuse (5.4%) and/or dependence (4.0%).

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Youths who begin smoking at age 12 or younger are more likely to meet the criteria for past year alcohol and drug abuse or dependence, according to a recent analysis of data from the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Twelve percent of youths who initiated daily smoking at age 12 or younger met the diagnostic criteria for past year alcohol abuse or dependence, compared to 9.6% of those who began smoking at age 16 or older.

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The U.S. asset-forfeiture laws — designed to intercept proceeds from drug trafficking and prevent money laundering — have an illegal immigrant from Guatemala fighting the government for $59,000 he earned as a dishwasher in South Florida.

The St. Petersburg Times reported Oct. 28 that Pedro Zapeta, 39, was trying to take the earnings home to Guatemala after a decade of working illegally in the U.S. when airport security screeners spotted the cash in his luggage. For the past two years, Zapeta has been trying to recover the cash, which was seized because he failed to declare it to Customs agents.

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Depression, alcohol use, and marijuana use are all more prevalent among adolescents who smoke, according to a report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA).

Reuters reported Oct. 23 that the report, which analyzed previously published data and surveys, found that 59 percent of smokers aged 12 to 17 also drank alcohol, compared to 11 percent of nonsmokers. Current cigarette smokers in this age group also were 13 times more likely to smoke marijuana, and also have a higher risk of depression and anxiety disorders.

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