In U.S. first, drug company faces criminal charges for distributing opioids

It marks a major shift in the government's battle against the opioid crisis.

George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images
  • The nation's sixth-largest drug distributor is facing criminal charges related to failing to report suspicious drug orders, among other things.
  • It marks the first time a drug company has faced criminal charges for distributing opioids.
  • Since 1997, nearly 222,000 Americans have died from prescription opioids, partly thanks to unethical doctors who abuse the system.
Keep reading Show less
addiction policy criminal justice pharmaceuticals
Politics & Current Affairs

Where you live in America determines when you’ll die

Two maps show two very different takes on the huge discrepancies in U.S. life expectancy

Image: Titlemax
  • These maps show strong links between location and life expectancy.
  • Hawaiians live longest, Mississippians die earliest.
  • County-level ranking shows short-life hotspots in Kentucky, long-life ones in Colorado.
Keep reading Show less
addiction aging population public health race men women map
Strange Maps

The culprit of increased depression among teens? Smartphones, new research suggests.

A new study, led by psychologist Jean Twenge, points to the screen as the problem.

A teenager eyes her smartphone as people enjoy a warm day on the day of silence, one day prior to the presidential elections, when candidates and political parties are not allowed to voice their political meaning on April 14, 2018 in Kotor, Montenegro. Citizens from Montenegro, the youngest NATO member, will vote for a new president on Sunday 15 2018. (Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
  • In a new study, adolescents and young adults are experiencing increased rates of depression and suicide attempts.
  • The data cover the years 2005–2017, tracking perfectly with the introduction of the iPhone and widespread dissemination of smartphones.
  • Interestingly, the highest increase in depressive incidents was among individuals in the top income bracket.
Keep reading Show less
addiction introvert public health suicide psychology depression
Surprising Science

20% of gamblers attempt suicide — why don't we take the addiction more seriously?

Americans lost $116.9 billion gambling in 2016.

Patrons test their luck with a card game slot machine at the renovated Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino November 15, 2006 in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The slot machines are the state of Florida's first Las Vegas-style slot machines. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
  • Gambling addiction has been shown to have the same pharmacological effects as opiates.
  • Eighty-five percent of all gambling revenue comes from slot machines.
  • Casinos are designed to disorient and confuse patrons, from the lighting and carpeting to the key of machine sounds.
Keep reading Show less
gaming neuroscience suicide economics debt addiction
Culture & Religion

Behold, new research suggests the munchies are real

Cookie sales don't lie.

Edible cannabis products are displayed at Essence Vegas Cannabis Dispensary before the midnight start of recreational marijuana sales on June 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. On July 1, Nevada joins seven other states allowing recreational marijuana use and becomes the first of four states that voted to legalize recreational sales in November's election to allow dispensaries to sell cannabis for recreational use to anyone over 21. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
  • Researchers noticed a spike in sales of ice cream, cookies, and chips after the legalization of marijuana.
  • They studied 2,000 U.S. counties over the course of a decade, focusing on data from Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.
  • While research is confirming the medical benefits of marijuana, obesity is an unintended consequence of legalization.
Keep reading Show less
obesity neuroscience human body sociology addiction science
Surprising Science