drugs

A new study suggests people who earn money by committing crimes such as selling drugs, burglarizing homes and cashing forged checks make more than $900 a week, on average.

Drug overdose deaths nearly tripled in the United States between 1999 and 2014, according to government statistics. Of the 47,055 overdose deaths in 2014, 61 percent involved an opioid.

Teenagers in wealthy American suburbs seem to have it all: a nice home, great opportunities. More often than other adolescents, they also seem to have a taste for drugs and alcohol.

Over half of all federal prisoners are locked up for drug-related crimes, often possession or other non-violent offenses, according to government figures.

Legislation like the Clean Water Act has helped check the effluent flowing into rivers and streams. Though that fight is far from over, a new, all-too-modern danger has meanwhile seeped invisibly into waters around the world: legal and illegal drugs. And their effect on the ecosystem is poorly understood.

As parents and policy-makers look for insights into how to best prepare children for the future, research is focusing on the long-term implications of early development and behavioral patterns. One key factor is children’s degree of self-control, which includes attributes such as the ability to delay gratification, conscientiousness and willpower.

Alcohol-related disorders in the United States cut across gender, race and other demographic lines, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In the United States, 17.6 million people (about one in every 12 adults) abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent.