Why “Just Say No” Programs Don’t Prevent Alcohol Misuse

September 21st, 2017

Youth programs with a “just say no” approach to preventing substance use have proven largely ineffective. Researchers have known this for over a decade, but now studies are helping to explain why. Alcohol misuse results from a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and developmental factors, those studies find. There is no one reason problems develop “and no one-size-fits all solution to solving them,” according to Jeanne Savage and colleagues in a review

Should you give your child a time-out? It depends

July 27, 2017

One of the hardest parts of being a parent or teacher is dealing with behavior problems. Tantrums, aggression, and oppositional behaviors are painful for everyone involved, and when they are persistent, they increase a child’s risk of long-term consequences like mental health disorders, special education placements, and problems with peer relationships.

Part of the problem is that “unfortunately, parents and teachers are often woefully unprepared for effectively

What We Don’t Know Can Hurt Us: Toxic Chemicals, Science, and Policy

June 21st, 2017

Environmental protection is the subject of heated debate these days. In February of this year, President Trump signed an executive order to roll back the clean water rule, which limits corporations’ ability to pollute about 60% of U.S. waterways. The irony is that we know more than ever before about how toxic chemicals adversely affect people, and we can be certain that what we don’t yet know can hurt us. Scientific research on potential chemical contaminants is both

How to prevent obesity? Look to anti-smoking efforts

May 25th, 2017

Almost half of deaths in the U.S. are caused by our decisions to engage in unhealthy behaviors like poor food choices and alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use. So it should be easy to improve health, right? Not really, as it turns out. People continue to make self-destructive choices, despite knowing that their behaviors will likely cause them problems in the long run. That means policymakers need to understand why people make those choices, and then give them good