News and information on the role that government, small business, the nonprofit sector and philanthropy play in creating healthy and vibrant communities.

Schuylkill County Chosen for Expanded State Block Grant Program

Schuylkill County was among the 10 counties chosen to participate in the expanded state block grant program for human services. The expanded block grant program will enable county officials to...more

5.6 Million American Children Will Prematurely Die Unless Current Smoking Rates Decline

According to a new Surgeon General's report, a total of 5.6 million children alive today in the U.S. under age 18 will die prematurely from smoking-related diseases unless current smoking rates...more

Mindfulness Meditation Could Cut Smoking Addiction

In a study published online in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers discovered that a form of mindfulness meditation called Integrative Body-Mind...more

Economic Status Affects Substance Abuse Among Youth

In a study led by a team of researchers at Duke Medicine, kids who live in economically disadvantaged homes are more prone to smoke cigarettes and binge on other illegal substances than their...more

Those Who Binge Drink Shows Increased Mortality Risk among Older Drinkers

Results of a new study to be published in the May 2014 online-only issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research finds that those who binge drink, even in moderate consumption, show...more

Women Abused Early in Life Tend to have Children with Autism

Women who suffered from physical, emotional, or sexual abuse early in life is more inclined to bear children with autism. The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) conducted the study, led by...more

Molecular Process Discovery Could Provide Treatment for Cocaine Dependents

Michigan State University (MSU) scientists recently discovered a molecular pathway in the brain prompted by cocaine dependency that could supply a target for treatments to prevent or repeal addiction...more

Startling Distinction in Brain Activity among Alcohol-Dependent Women

A current study, "Neural mechanisms of high-risk decisions-to-drink in alcohol-dependent women," looks into the brain activity of alcohol-dependent women compared to women who were not...more

Marijuana Use in Teens May Result in Permanent Brain Damage

In a University of Maryland School of Medicine study published in Neuropsychopharmacology journal, habitual use of marijuana can cause permanent brain impairment in adolescents, not in...more

Teen Energy Drink Use Associated with Substance Use

A study in the January/February Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, documents teens who consume energy drinks are more likely to use...more