The Latest News from Our Field

Almost one in five public high schools have mandatory drug-testing policies, despite numerous studies that have shown little evidence these programs are effective, The Washington Post reports.

Heroin use rose significantly over the past 11 years, according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In the past year, 681,000 Americans aged 12 and older used heroin.

The American College of Physicians this week urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban flavorings and television ads for e-cigarettes. The group joins many other medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Heart Association, in calling on the FDA to regulate e-cigarettes.

A new national poll finds while 63 percent of Americans say their state should allow adults to use medical marijuana, only 36 percent say children should be allowed to use it.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that police cannot extend a routine traffic stop to allow a drug-sniffing dog to inspect the vehicle unless they have reasonable suspicion of finding contraband. The vote was 6-3, The New York Times reports.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, April 17 - Thursday, April 23, 2015.

A program in Maine is helping to combat prescription drug abuse by providing a monthly list of people arrested or summoned for prescription or illegal drug-related crimes to doctors and pharmacists.

A new government study finds almost 10 percent of full-time workers in the United States report having had a recent substance abuse problem. Nearly 9 percent of workers reported heavy drinking in the past month.

Extended-release naltrexone is associated with a much lower rate of heroin relapse in men who have been released from jail, compared with released inmates addicted to heroin who are not given treatment, a new study concludes.

Michele Leonhart, the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, will step down next month, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday. The agency has been entangled in scandal, and Leonhart has differed with President Obama on drug policy, The New York Times reports.

Edible marijuana products are now being marketed for sick pets, ABC News reports. The products are being sold as natural pain relievers and anti-inflammatory supplements.

A growing number of workers in a wide variety of professions are abusing stimulants in an effort to stay competitive, experts tell The New York Times.

E-cigarette use among teens tripled from 2013 to 2014, a new government report finds. An estimated 13 percent of high school students used e-cigarettes last year—compared with 9 percent who smoked traditional cigarettes.

The rate of OxyContin overdoses dropped 19 percent in the two years after the company that makes the drug introduced an abuse-deterrent formulation in 2010, a new study finds. Prescriptions of the drug decreased 19 percent after the new version was released.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2015 Ramstad-Kennedy Annual Award for Outstanding Leadership by a Single State Authority (SSA). The deadline is Saturday, May 9.

A ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller keeps marijuana on the list of Schedule I drugs, alongside LSD and heroin. Schedule I drugs are substances classified as having no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Nearly 10 percent of American teens say they have tried hashish, according to a new study. A quarter of teens who have tried marijuana have also used hashish, which contains a greater concentration of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

A new study finds the levels of chemicals in some brands of e-cigarette flavoring exceed recommended limits. Some of the chemicals could be respiratory irritants, HealthDay reports.

Deaths due to oxycodone overdoses declined 25 percent after Florida implemented its prescription drug monitoring program in 2011, according to a new study. The researchers attribute the drop directly to the program.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, April 10 - Thursday, April 16, 2015.

The Walt Disney Company’s CEO and Chairman Bob Iger made an announcement that Disney's studios will produce smoke-free PG-13 films.

The three largest tobacco companies are suing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), claiming new guidelines issued by the agency infringe on their commercial speech. The new guidelines are designed to help manufacturers decide which new products require FDA review.

California will be the key battleground for marijuana legalization next year, experts tell Bloomberg. They say the outcome of the state’s vote on the issue is likely to determine whether most of the nation decriminalizes marijuana for recreational use.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York is urging the Food and Drug Administration to ban over-the-counter dietary supplements that contain the stimulant beta-methylphenethylamine, or BMPEA. The stimulant, often marketed as a weight-loss aid, can lead to serious health problems, doctors say.

Four pitchers have tested positive for the steroid Stanozolol since baseball season began. Major League Baseball is trying to figure out why the drug, long popular with bodybuilders, may have made a comeback, USA Today reports.