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Doctors treat millions of children with Ritalin every year to improve their ability to focus on tasks, but scientists now report that Ritalin also directly enhances the speed of learning. In animal research, the scientists showed for the first time that Ritalin boosts both of these cognitive abilities by increasing the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine deep inside the brain.

A Winnipeg man who has struggled with alcoholism for decades says he has filed a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission over the lack of a treatment program that's free of religious or spiritual elements. Rob Johnstone said he has battled alcoholism for 40 years and can't find a treatment program that doesn't rely on religion or spirituality as part of the recovery process.

Joe Gerstein, founder of the Smart Recovery treatment programme that is spreading from the US as an alternative to AA, explains why he rejects the myth that alcoholism is a 'disease' to be endured rather than cured. Alcoholism is a disease that leaves victims powerless and needing to stay in permanent recovery if they are serious about stopping the demon drink from inflicting further damage, conventional wisdom holds.

“At least two out of every five U.S. college students regularly binge drink,” Harvard researcher Henry Wechsler said. When the night is young and the drinks are in abundant supply, the temptation to let loose and party hard can be too much for even the best of us to resist. About 90 percent of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 and about 75 percent of the alcohol consumed by adults is in the form of binge drinks, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Corey Haim was in full teen-idol mode in 1988, swamped with letters from adoring young female fans and his face on the covers of teen magazines. His growing list of credits included "Lucas" and the teenage vampire movie "The Lost Boys." Haim, who struggled with drug addiction during a career that fell far short of legendary status despite early reviews that praised his acting ability, died Wednesday morning, according to a Los Angeles County coroner's spokeswoman. An autopsy will determine the cause of death.

Women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol don't gain as much weight in midlife as those who abstain, a study has found. However, drinking should not be heralded as a new diet, said the authors and alcohol abuse experts. But some of the link might not be due only to alcohol consumption but to other things drinking women tend to do.

According to the New York Council on Problem Gambling, 1 million New Yorkers have a gambling problem. National Problem Gambling Awareness Week, March 7-13, gives us an opportunity to talk about this rarely discussed addiction that can have a life-changing and often swiftly devastating impact on individuals - and on their families.

Tiger Woods, who recently admitted to multiple extramarital affairs, said he is receiving treatment. David Duchovny, who plays a sex-obsessed professor on the TV show Californication, underwent rehab in 2008. Dr. Drew Pinsky has launched a reality series dealing with the subject. Sex addiction talk seems to be everywhere. But mental health experts are split on what underlies such behaviour.

Journal of Current Issues in Crime, Law and Law Enforcement recently published a research study of the Hoboken bar scene identifies a connection between the drinking establishments’ secondary wait staff and customers’ irresponsible behavior and alcoholism.

The dreaded morning-after feeling could be a thing of the past after scientists in South Korea came up with a technique that allows drinkers to avoid a hangover, Sky News reported Thursday. A team of researchers added extra oxygen to drinks and found that the body was then able to metabolize the booze quicker and eliminate the alcohol quicker — cutting down the after affects.