Demi Moore had to be hospitalized recently after a concerned friend called 911, telling the operator that the 49-year-old actress was having convulsions and “burning up” at her Los Angeles home. The health issues were attributed to Moore smoking an unknown substance that could have been similar to bath salts, according to the recently released recording of the 911 call.

A rescue crew arrived 10 minutes after the call went out and Moore was rushed to a local hospital. She is now seeking “professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health,” according to her rep, Carrie Gordon.

That response seemed to frustrate addiction expert and TV host Dr. Drew Pinsky.

“That’s spin — nothing more than spin,” he said on his HLN show. “I have a stronger word for that, but not able to say it on television. I’m sick and tired of reps shooting things out that don’t make sense. Exhaustion isn’t a diagnosis that requires hospitalization.”

Downplaying addiction issues doesn’t help anyone, but why was Dr. Drew so bothered? Do public figures owe us the details of their addiction issues? Is their treatment negatively affected by downplaying the problems in the press? We know honesty is important to the healing process, but are getting clean and coming clean related?

It’s a topic that’s certainly open to discussion and debate. For now, Dr. Drew is trying to stay focused, saying, “Treatment works, and I hope she engages in that treatment.”

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The public’s understanding of addiction seems to be growing, with a more general acceptance of the scientific reality that it is a disease, not a personal weakness. At the same time, non-chemical addictions are still more of a mystery. While some are skeptical, studies have shown that gambling, sex, food, even video games or the Internet can produce addictive behaviors. One recent study even found that Internet addiction can change the brain in a way that is similar to the effects of cocaine.

To determine this, Chinese experts scanned the brains of young Internet addicts, discovering that their addiction actually changes the way their brains function, according to a BBC report.

The results are helping to expand our understanding of these “process” addictions (aka addiction that aren’t drug or alcohol related but instead involve an activity or process) and how they work. The study’s findings suggest that the brains of the addicted appeared to show the same changes to the brain’s “white matter” — the connecting web of the brain — as those found in individuals addicted to alcohol, cocaine and cannabis.

The study, conducted by Hao Lei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, looked at the brain scans of 35 men and women aged between 14 and 21. Of those studied, 17 were thought to be Internet addicts, a status that is more rare than you might think in this technology age. While many of us joke about being addicted to our computers, smart phones or other tech devices, the truth is just 5 to 10 percent of users are thought to be addicted.

“Modern life requires us to link up over the ‘Net in regard to jobs, professional and social connections — but not in an obsessive way,” says Henrietta Bowden Jones, consultant psychiatrist at Imperial College, London, an expert on Internet addiction.

The exception seems to be gamers. That co-worker who shows up at the office bleary-eyed because he spent a dozen hours playing his favorite video game last night and it’s a regular occurrence that he cannot stop even if he tries, that’s the sign of a growing problem.

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Look around at a bar full of people. How come some can have one or two drinks – or even choose a nonalcoholic option – while others can’t stop drinking until they’re well past the point of intoxication? It’s not because they’re unaware of the health risks, the dangers of driving drunk or the other negative consequences alcohol abuse can cause. Instead, the reason may be because their brains react to alcohol differently.

A new study confirms what addiction experts have been espousing for decades: alcoholism isn’t about a lack of will power, it’s about a powerful chemical. The Science Translational Medicine journal reports findings that explain just what makes alcohol so addictive to some people and not others.

Researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) to look at the distribution of chemicals in the brains of participants, which included 13 heavy social drinkers (a woman who consumes 10 to 16 drinks per week or a man who indulges in 14 to 20 drinks per week) and 12 healthy control subjects (women who drank fewer than five drinks per week and men who drank less than seven). The heavy drinkers in the study didn’t meet the criteria for alcohol dependence.

During the study, scientists found some people’s brains give them more of an opioid release when they drink, leading them to perceive alcohol as more pleasurable than other people. In the heavy drinkers who were studied, a single drink led to the release of more opioids in the orbital frontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens — two regions that play a role in reward. That reward makes the individuals in that group subconsciously learn to want that rush of pleasure again — making them seek and crave alcohol in a way they’re not even aware of.

This may also explain why alcoholics who truly desire to stop drinking may have so much trouble doing so. Once that part of the brain learns that drinking is important, it compels the individual to continue drinking – even despite negative consequences.

The researchers’ ultimate objective was to come up with new ways of treating alcohol addiction, according to Jennifer Mitchell, adjunct assistant professor at University of California, San Francisco and lead author of the study. Currently, the main drug used in alcohol treatment is Naltrexone. This drug binds to the same receptors in the brain that opioids would bind to, making the alcohol provide less of a reward. It means that pleasurable feeling that alcoholics get from drinking is greatly diminished.

Still, doctors are often hesitant to prescribe Naltrexone, partly because of the side effects, which can include headaches, nausea, irritability and achiness. Studies like this latest one help justify the search for new alternatives to Naltrexone. To do that, researchers will likely look at the role that other opioid receptors play so they can determine which receptors a drug should affect in order to get the benefits without the side effects.

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In the movies and among many teens and college students, the perception is that pot is relatively harmless. It mellows you out and the worst side effect is a bad case of the munchies, right? Not according to a new study. An article published in the latest issue of the professional journal Archives of General Psychiatry shows a much scarier potential effect of marijuana. It turns out that a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), found in pot, increases the brain processes that can lead to symptoms of psychosis.

So what does that mean for the average person? Can smoking pot lead to psychosis? Are there are other possible health concerns uncovered by this new study?

Previous research has found that THC can induce symptoms of psychosis in healthy people and worsen psychotic symptoms in people already experiencing them. Long-term cannabis use is also associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia, the study suggests.

The study is groundbreaking in another way: Its findings are the first to use images of the brain to demonstrate that the reason symptoms of psychosis arise in marijuana users may be because THC interferes with the brain’s ability to distinguish between stimuli that are important, and those that aren’t, according to the study.

The study, led by Dr. Sagnik Bhattacharyya, a psychopharmacologist at King’s College in London, included 15 healthy men with minimal previous marijuana use. The researchers used functional MRI scans to observe the men’s brains after they took pills containing THC, cannabidiol or a placebo. The resulting images showed changes in the areas of the brain that are believed to be linked to symptoms of psychosis. Men taking THC had increased activity in the prefrontal cortex but lower activity in the region called the striatum, changes that the study says could be attributed to THC’s ability to alter the brain’s levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

While those in charge of the study don’t go to far as to say that prolonged marijuana use will make you psychotic, the findings are interesting and provide just one more argument for abstaining from pot use.

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Actress Heather Locklear has been in the news lately, but it’s not welcome publicity. The former Melrose Place star landed in a Los Angeles-area hospital after her sister called 911 on January 12. The brief hospitalization was attributed to mixing prescription drugs and alcohol, according to People magazine.

Her parents quickly issued a statement through the hospital that Locklear was in no immediate danger and was healthy, while other sources suggested she was being urged by loved ones to seek treatment. Locklear, 50, has had issues with alcohol in the past, undergoing treatment in 2008 for what her reps classified as “anxiety and depression.” Just months later, she was arrested for DUI in Southern California. Now, many worry that she’s relapsed. People.com recently ran a story that cited sources who claimed the troubled actress was “out of control” in the weeks leading up to the incident.

While Locklear’s rep hasn’t commented on the actress’ condition, others suggest the end of her engagement to longtime beau Jack Wagner in November may have been a trigger. Wagner, who has been successfully in recovery, issued a cryptic message after the relationship ended, saying, “We took the pressure off and said, ‘Let’s just love each other the way we are.’” More recently, reports surfaced of a physical altercation between the exes in late December that drew the police. No charges were filed, but the incident is being reviewed by the authorities before it is determined if it will be pursued any further.

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In this day and age, when we have more information than ever before about the dangers of drinking and more help for the problem of substance abuse or alcoholism, it’s surprising to hear that binge drinking is a bigger problem than previously thought.

It’s surprising, but it’s true, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the new Vital Signs report issued Jan. 12, 2012 from the CDC, more than 38 million U.S. adults binge drink an average of four times a month consuming up to eight drinks at a time, on average. And this dangerous pastime isn’t just the indulgence of the young. While binge drinking is more common among young adults ages 18–34, of those age 65 and older who report binge drinking, they do so more often than their young counterparts – an average of five to six times a month.

Income may play a role in binge drinking, too. The study showed it’s more common among those with household incomes of $75,000 or more, but the largest number of drinks consumed per occasion is significantly higher among binge drinkers with household incomes of less than $25,000 – an average of eight to nine drinks, the report said.

Just what constitutes binge drinking? The practice is defined as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on any occasion. Binge drinkers also put themselves and others at risk for many health and social problems, including car crashes, other unintentional injuries, violence, liver disease, certain cancers, heart disease, sexually transmitted diseases and both unintended and alcohol–exposed pregnancies.

Drinking too much, including binge drinking, causes more than 80,000 deaths in the United States each year, making it the third leading preventable cause of death, and was responsible for more than $223.5 billion in economic costs in 2006. Over half of these deaths result from injuries that disproportionately involve young people.

“Binge drinking causes a wide range of health, social and economic problems and this report confirms the problem is really widespread,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, adding, “We need to work together to implement proven measures to reduce binge drinking at national, state and community levels.”

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Prescription painkillers are big business in the US, with pharmaceutical companies racing to provide the next big thing to bring in huge profits from an overmedicated American public. Now the Associated Press reports that another drug company has confirmed it has plans to market a new form of hydrocodone. This announcement has experts concerned that this new version of the powerful and addictive painkiller will only worsen an already dangerous national prescription drug problem.

The latest contender is Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals, which says its product, TD Hydrocodone, could be worth as much as $500 million annually in sales. While not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the drug is in the final stages of testing.

Teva isn’t alone in its pursuit of the next popular painkiller. Four companies have been quietly working to develop their own pure forms of hydrocodone, the AP reports. (For those not in the know, hydrocodone is the main ingredient in Vicodin, Lortab and other currently available painkillers.)

While the others have remained quiet about their products in progress, execs at the North American division of Teva offered a preview of TD Hydrocodone during an investors conference in San Francisco recently, boasting that the drug could be on the market soon.

Teva did not divulge details of the drug, but the AP cites documents filed with the National Institutes of Health that show the company has been testing 12-hour, extended-release pills containing up to 45 milligrams of pure hydrocodone. That’s in stark contrast to meds like Vicodin, which are not extended-release and contain no more than 10 milligrams of hydrocodone, mixed acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Hydrocodone, oxycodone and morphine fall into a category of painkillers known as opiates because they are chemically similar to opium. They are extremely powerful and can create a physical dependence. Users who try to stop can suffer intense withdrawal symptoms, such as muddled thinking, stomach cramps, heart palpitations and nausea.

While many experts in pain management insist opiates are needed for legitimate pain control, especially among the growing elderly population in the US, analysts see a market worth billions.

Of note to those in the field of addiction treatment, the TD in Teva’s TD Hydrocodone is said to stand for “tamper deterrent.” This is in response to the known practice of addicts crushing extended-release opiate pills to get an increased high. As a result, many drug companies are working to develop tamper-resistant technologies to combat abuse.

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Has VH1 pulled the plug on the popular show Celebrity Rehab? The network has no current plans for 2012 versions of Celebrity Rehab, or its spin-off Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House, but the official word from the network is that programs are not cancelled and future editions are off the schedule due to scheduling issues, EW.com reported.

While the Dr. Drew-hosted show has been popular, drawing a lot of publicity for the network, the idea of taking the very private process of substance abuse treatment public and showing it on the small screen has been questioned. Proponents argue that the celebrities who appear on the show ARE getting professional help — despite the cameras.

Tragedy struck last year, though, when two previous participants died. Jeff Conaway, who appeared on season two of Celebrity Rehab, passed away from complications from taking prescription medications. Season three participant and former Sober House resident Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr died after mixing Xanax and alcohol.

The network aired five seasons of Celebrity Rehab, including two editions in 2010, EW.com reported. The show, set at Southern California’s Pasadena Recovery Center, was considered a success for the network, averaging about 1 million viewers per episode, higher than the network’s 600,000 primetime average.

The shows could still return, but they remain off the schedule for now and Dr. Drew is currently focusing on his daytime CW talk show, Lifechangers.

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While the health effects of hookahs, or water pipes, haven’t been studied as rigorously as cigarettes, the risks are becoming clearer as the pipes grow in popularity in the US. A major concern is that they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, according to health officials.

Drawing the attention of young users, hookahs are viewed as a less dangerous way of using tobacco. Hookah bars, where many go to indulge, feature water pipes that are used to smoke a blend of tobacco, molasses and fruit called shisha. But researchers are finding that the water in the pipe does not filter all the harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke. In fact, the smoke inhaled in a typical one-hour hookah session can equal 100 cigarettes or more, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Even after it has been passed through water, the tobacco smoke in a hookah pipe contains high levels of cancer-causing chemicals.

Poison Centers are reporting seeing hookah users with significant carbon monoxide poisoning, and regular hookah users may develop long-term health problems from increased carbon monoxide levels, including neurological damage. In severe cases, carbon monoxide poisoning can lead to a coma or death.

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The days of the Florida pill mills may soon be coming to an end. In the past, thousands flocked to the state’s more than 1,000 pain clinics to obtain prescription drugs – often illegally – resulting in 89 percent of all the oxycodone sold to practictioners in the US in 2010 being bought by Florida doctors.

Officials are now using tougher laws to change that. In the past year, more than 400 clinics were either shut down or closed their doors, and prosecutors indicted dozens of pill mill operators, suspending the licenses of nearly 80 doctors for prescribing mass quantities of pills without clear medical need.

New laws are also cutting off distribution. As of July, Florida doctors are barred, with a few exceptions, from dispensing narcotics and addictive medicines in their offices or clinics. As a result, doctors’ purchases of oxycodone, which reached 32.2 million doses in the first six months of 2010, fell by 97 percent in the in the first half of 2011.

As doctors face tough new restrictions, law enforcement agencies are turning their attention to pharmacies. The number of applications to open new pharmacies in Florida has nearly doubled in the past two years, accounting for up to half of all the requests in the entire country, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Violators, whether they are pharmacists, doctors or clinic owners, face stiffer, swifter penalties if they prescribe or distribute legal narcotic drugs to people who do not need them or without following required steps. In one case, a Florida doctor who worked at one of the pain clinics was even charged with murder when a patient died of an overdose in 2009 a few hours after the doctor prescribed him 210 pain pills. And this wasn’t an isolated case. Prosecutors say the clinics in question were responsible for 56 overdose deaths.

Charging a doctor and a clinic owner with homicide “was a game changer,” said Sheriff Ric L. Bradshaw of Palm Beach County. “You are not going to get a slap on the wrist. You are looking at life in prison.”

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