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Category : Substances

Addiction – a modern-day scourge that we all have to watch out for

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“The guide to a freer, healthier and happier life”. (ELLE) Addicted to our screens, to the Internet, compulsive players, emotionally dependent, hooked on tobacco, on alcohol, on food, on sex … We are all, to very varying degrees, dependent on something which may cause problems if it gets out of control. Could you be affected? The answer is in this book! It will help you to keep or – if…

Belgium’s H2O Challenge – in February, Belgians drink water for their Tournée Minérale

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A month without drinking alcohol – that’s the challenge set by the Belgian Foundation Against Cancer for their “Tournée Minérale”. Starting on February 1st, 100,000 people committed themselves to giving up alcohol for one month, and to making a donation for research. Live well without alcohol Last year, the first such event attracted 120,000 participants. By combining activism with fun, it showed many of them that they can survive without…

Is your nose to blame when you drink too much during a night out?

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A study published in December 2015 revealed that doing sports activities can lead to drinking alcohol. Now experts say that your sense of smell is also partly responsible. The relationship between smell and drinking is highlighted by a study carried by a team at Edge Hill University in England, published in the journal Psychopharmacology for March 2016. The study, by R Monk, J Sunley, AW Qureshi and D Heim shows…

Reach Out, You Are Not Alone; Jennifer’s Story

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Jennifer Yerhot is in recovery. She’s been addicted to alcohol, painkillers, sugar, diet coke and online shopping, but now she’s clean and life is good. Born into a family of addicts, all now recovering, there was always a chance that Jennifer would have issues. She freely acknowledges her tendency towards addiction, but for too long she tried to deal with it alone. After her jaw was broken by a swinging…

E-Cigarettes are not completely risk-free

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E-Cigarettes have come into popularity in recent years. While most people understand the negative effects caused by smoking, and traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes have presented themselves as a “healthier” solution – no black tar, and no smoke. Rather, smokers of e-cigarettes participate in what they call ‘vaping’, where vapors from the cigarette are dispersed into the air, rather than smoke. While e-cigarettes are certainly a more responsible choice when you happen…

The Many Dangers of Solvent Abuse

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It’s a cheap, widely available and legal high, and therefore especially attractive to young people who may find it difficult to get hold of illicit drugs. But make no mistake, solvent abuse is extremely dangerous. It can kill, quickly and without warning. Solvents can be found in most homes, in such everyday products as lighter fluid, nail polish remover, correcting fluid, paint thinners and glue. The vapours from such preparations…

Cheese Lover or Addict?

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Do you madly crave cheese? Does the thought of a cheese platter make you salivate? Do you compulsively eat a whole slab of cheese at one sitting and then feel guilty afterwards? Well, you might call yourself a cheese lover, but some scientists claim you’re a cheese addict, hooked on what they refer to as ‘dairy crack’. “That’s ridiculous!” I hear you say. “How can cheese be addictive?” Well, according…

Doping in sport

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“Citius, altius, fortius” (“Faster, Higher, Stronger”) – the famous words spoken in 1894 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin on the creation of the International Olympic Committee. Today they’re more relevant than ever, but their meaning has been subverted. The desire to improve athletic performance is still a noble quest, but too often it leads athletes at the highest levels to overdo things, to lose their way and commit excesses including…

Memory and dependence – when addiction causes amnesia

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Behind many instances of memory loss lie addictions, whether to psychoactive substances, or to technology, or a food-related addiction. All forms of dependence, whether physical or emotional, have an effect on our mental state. Each addiction has its own effect, and some are lot nastier than others… Addiction to psychoactive substances As we said in our article about psychoactive substances, drug addiction has undesirable effects and is particularly harmful to…

Cannabis as part of everyday life

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The trivialisation of cannabis – would you like a little joint? Of all the psychoactive substances, cannabis is one the most often tried by young people, with a first experience around the age of 14. Easily available, it has already attracted 17 million people in France, and it has become commonplace. Today, smoking a joint is almost an everyday act, but it carries certain risks. Most young people seem unaware…