The Latest News from Our Field

A drug known as “flakka” is the latest synthetic compound to raise concern among public health experts, Fox News reports. Flakka is a tweaked version of bath salts.

Colorado health officials are trying to find a way to prevent people from overdosing on marijuana edibles. The products have been implicated in two suicides and one murder in the past 13 months, according to The Denver Post.

Needle-exchange programs are effective tools to fight the spread of infectious disease and steer heroin users into treatment, according to Michael Botticelli, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

A new study finds a woman’s use of prescription opioids during pregnancy increases the risk her baby will be born small or early. Such use also raises the chance the baby will go through painful drug withdrawal, HealthDay reports.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week launched a social media campaign called “When the Prescription Becomes the Problem.” The campaign is designed to raise awareness of prescription painkiller abuse and overdose.

U.S. Border Patrol agents report seizing smaller quantities of marijuana along the U.S.-Mexican border since the drug was legalized in Colorado and Washington state, Time reports. In 2011, agents seized 2.5 million pounds. Last year, they seized 1.9 million pounds.

Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home are up to three times more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, compared with their peers who don’t live with smokers, according to a new study.

A Seattle program designed to keep low-level drug offenders and prostitutes out of jail is showing promise, a preliminary study suggests. The program, called Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, provides housing, counseling, job training and other services.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, April 3 - Thursday, April 9, 2015.

Seven hundred twenty-two. This is the number of bills that state legislatures are currently considering on five topics related to controlled substances and prescriptions drugs – and it is only April.

Fourteen state attorneys general have asked Congress to launch an investigation of the herbal supplement industry, Reuters reports. The Food and Drug Administration should be given more oversight of herbal supplements, the attorneys general said.

At a Food and Drug Administration hearing this week to consider whether the smokeless tobacco known as “snus” is less harmful than cigarettes, government scientists questioned a proposal to modify cancer warning language on the product’s packaging.

A new survey finds 46 percent of Americans say they approve of President Obama’s decision to free 22 prisoners serving long prison terms for non-violent drug offenses.

A rule proposed this week by the Obama Administration would allow Medicaid recipients who receive services through managed care organizations or alternative benefit plans to get the same access to substance abuse and mental health benefits as those provided by private health insurance.

Legislators in Colorado and Washington are considering rules designed to reduce the number of home explosions and injuries caused by people making homemade hash oil.

The maker of the powdered alcohol product “Palcohol” says it is no more dangerous than liquid alcohol, The Wall Street Journal reports. Palcohol, recently approved for sale by a federal agency, has been banned in six states. A bill to ban powered alcohol’s sale and manufacture nationwide has been introduced by Senator Charles Schumer of New York.

Some colleges and universities are moving to ban alcohol at fraternities to reduce misconduct, according to USA Today.

A $5 million anti-smoking campaign, funded by the National Institutes of Health, targets hipsters, The Washington Post reports. The campaign is designed to reach young adults “focused on the alternative music scene, local artists and designers, and eclectic self expression.”

A new survey finds almost 19 percent of Americans say they take some sort of drug daily to help them relax. The rate of drug use varies widely by state, from 28 percent in West Virginia to 13.5 percent in Alaska.

Almost one-fourth of opioids prescribed for chronic pain are misused, a new study concludes. A review of studies found average rates of misuse were 21 to 29 percent. Average rates of opioid painkiller addiction were 8 to 12 percent.

The Food and Drug Administration this week issued guidelines for drug manufacturers on developing opioid painkillers that are more difficult to abuse. The guidelines recommend the types of studies needed to prove drugs can deter abuse, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Children who are allowed to sip alcohol are more likely to drink by the time they reach ninth grade, a new study finds.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, March 27 - Thursday, April 2, 2015.

While opioid medications are considered powerful painkillers, evidence shows taking a combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen can be more effective in treating pain, according to Dr. Don Teater, MD, Medical Advisor of the non-profit National Safety Council.

Teens who drink are more likely than nondrinkers to use e-cigarettes, a new study finds. Those most likely to use e-cigarettes are teens who drink frequently, binge drink, drink to get drunk, drink strong alcohol products, and show signs of unsupervised alcohol consumption, HealthDay reports.