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Find information on alcohol and illegal drugs, caffeine and nicotine, and information on addiction.

How Rehab Works

Featured Article: How Rehab Works

Rehab has been in the news a lot lately – usually in connection with a celebrity. And while all rehab centers and programs aim to treat addiction, not all offer the amenities of an upscale resort. Learn about rehab’s beginnings in prohibition and the types of treatment available today. See more »

Alcohol Quiz

Alcohol Quiz

Booze, hooch, devil's brew. Whatever name you call it, alcohol is really just a combination of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules. But this simple compound can have a complicated effect on our bodies. How do we process alcohol, and what lasting ma

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Are tobacco companies increasing the nicotine content in cigarettes?

Are tobacco companies increasing the nicotine content in cigarettes?

Are major cigarette companies secretly increasing cigarettes' nicotine content? Check out the evidence for an increase in nicotine levels in cigarettes in the last 10 years.

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Caffeine Quiz

Caffeine Quiz

It wakes you up, gets you going, and may even cure your headache. But how much do you really know about caffeine?

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Crack Quiz

Crack Quiz

Roxanne, candy sugar, electric cool aid -- no matter what you call it, it's one of the most highly addictive and dangerous drugs out there. Take this quiz and find out how much you know about crack.

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How Addiction Works

How Addiction Works

Addictions to substances such as drugs and alcohol have ruined the lives of people all over the world. Read about current views and ideas on addiction.

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How Alcohol Works

How Alcohol Works

About two-thirds of all adults partake in this mind-altering substance, yet many do not consider it a drug. But if you've ever seen someone who's had too much to drink, you know that alcohol has profound effects on the mind and body.

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How Alcoholism Works

How Alcoholism Works

Alcoholism can be difficult to spot. Learn the difference between heavy drinking and alcoholism, how alcohol affects the body, what factors may lead to alcoholism and what treatments are available for this addiction.

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How Caffeine Works

How Caffeine Works

More than half of all American adults consume more than 300 milligrams (mg) of caffeine every day, making it America's most popular drug by far. What is it that makes this drug so special?

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How can nicotine be good for me?

How can nicotine be good for me?

Nicotine based drugs are currently under development by pharmaceutical companies. Find out which ailments could be treated with nicotine based drugs.

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How Crack Cocaine Works

How Crack Cocaine Works

Crack cocaine, like many other illegal drugs, leads to addiction, death, increased crime rates and imprisonment. But crack is also in a class of its own: This drug targets the inner city almost exclusively and carries with it addiction rates unmatched by most other drugs of its kind.

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How does smoking starve your heart of oxygen?

How does smoking starve your heart of oxygen?

You know how some people try to commit suicide by enclosing themselves in a garage with a running vehicle? When you smoke, you're filling your blood with that same deadly chemical -- carbon monoxide.

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How does your body digest a cigarette?

How does your body digest a cigarette?

Cigarettes are packed with ammonia, arsenic and turpentine. Take a deep drag. Those same substances clean toilets, kill rats and strip varnish from wood.

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How Hangovers Work

How Hangovers Work

Think the "hair of the dog that bit you" is your road to salvation? Think again! There is some complicated chemistry going on in the body when you over-imbibe.

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How LSD Works

How LSD Works

Can you pass the acid test? That electric Kool-Aid changed the fabric of 1960's American counterculture. So what's it's like to trip on LSD?

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How Magic Mushrooms Work

How Magic Mushrooms Work

Mushrooms -- they're not just a pizza topping. This psychotropic fungus has guided many an adventurer on a trip. How do shrooms make their magic?

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How Marijuana Works

How Marijuana Works

Marijuana isn't just a recreational hazard for hippies and philosophy majors -- its main psychoactive chemical has been found in Egyptian mummies. What's the big deal about this leafy green plant?

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How Medical Marijuana Works

How Medical Marijuana Works

Imagine spending your days racked with pain or losing pound upon pound because nausea leaves you unable to eat. Now imagine that someone offers you a wonder drug to cure all your ills. The problem? It's illegal.

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How Meth Works

How Meth Works

As far as stimulating the human central nervous system, meth can hold its shaky, toothless head high. What about this drug makes its sleepless, twitchy, paranoid users so insatiable?

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How Nicotine Works

How Nicotine Works

Smoking or chewing tobacco makes many people feel good, even mildly euphoric. It’s the nicotine that produces the buzz. Find out how nicotine affects the human body and what makes it so addictive.

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How Rehab Works

How Rehab Works

Rehab has been in the news a lot lately – usually in connection with a celebrity. And while all rehab centers and programs aim to treat addiction, not all offer the amenities of an upscale resort. Learn about rehab’s beginnings in prohibition and the types of treatment available today.

See more »
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