The Latest News from Our Field

A federal judge will rule later this year on whether marijuana should continue to be classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside LSD and heroin, according to the Associated Press.

A study of young drivers who died in crashes finds that half were under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or both at the time the accident occurred, HealthDay reports.

Two organizations representing cancer researchers and specialists are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to bring e-cigarette regulations more in line with those of traditional cigarettes.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, January 9, 2015- Thursday, January 15, 2015.

A vaccine to treat heroin addiction has shown promise in rat studies, but faces challenges including a lack of funding, Time reports.

As U.S.-grown marijuana displaces Mexican cannabis in this country, drug traffickers are sending more cheap heroin and methamphetamine into the United States, according to The Washington Post.

The impact of marijuana legalization in Colorado has been less than critics and supporters predicted, according to The Wall Street Journal. The state has seen neither a tax windfall nor dramatic social consequences, the newspaper reports.

Employees who work more than 48 hours a week are almost 13 percent more likely to engage in risky drinking, compared with those who work less, a new study suggests.

Heroin overdose deaths increased 39 percent from 2012 to 2013, a new government report finds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced 8,257 Americans died of a heroin overdose in 2013, according to The Huffington Post.

Healthcare providers in the United States are poorly prepared to manage pain, according to a new report by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Some doctors stigmatize patients who seek pain relief, the NIH says.

A new device known as an “e-joint” brings together marijuana and an e-cigarette, The New York Times reports.

Raising alcohol taxes may help reduce the binge drinking rate, according to researchers at Boston University. They found a 1 percent increase in alcohol prices due to taxes was associated with a 1.4 percent decrease in binge drinking.

Drug overdose deaths may peak in 2017, experts at Columbia University predict. By 2034 the overdose rate could fall back to rates last seen in the early 1980s, they say.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health are using a replica of a fully stocked bar to test an experimental treatment for alcohol use disorders, ABC News reports.

Teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder are at increased risk of starting to smoke or drink, a new study suggests. The more symptoms of these disorders they have, the greater their risk.

Vermont has responded to the state’s opiate addiction problem by expanding treatment, but many people are still waiting to receive help, according to NPR.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, December 19, 2014- Thursday, January 8, 2015.

American Indians report the highest smoking rates of any U.S. subpopulation. Health surveillance and monitoring is integral to improve the health and prevent disease of these individuals, explains Favian Kennedy, MSW, Executive Director of the Health Education and Promotion Council.

Six Americans die from alcohol poisoning each day, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The death rate from alcohol poisoning is highest among men ages 45 to 54.

Counties that ban alcohol sales have more meth lab seizures per capita, compared with counties where liquor sales are legal, a new study suggests.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has added three new strains of synthetic marijuana to its list of banned substances.

Stress associated with retirement, caused by factors such as loneliness and financial pressures, may be associated with an increased risk of substance abuse, a new study suggests.

From the DEA cracking down on a potent form of marijuana to fingernail drug testing, Join Together kept their readers on top of the news making an impact in their community, work and life.

Methamphetamine seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents surged in 2014, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. A crackdown on meth ingredients in the United States has pushed the drug’s manufacture to Mexico.