The Latest News from Our Field

Although the federal government began a campaign in 2012 to get nursing homes to reduce their use of antipsychotic drugs, it rarely penalizes institutions that continue to use the drugs at high rates, NPR reports.

Smoking in federal prisons, which has been banned in practice since 2006, has been officially outlawed, according to U.S. News & World Report. Prison guards will still be allowed to possess tobacco.

One-fifth of parents with children under age 18 have blacked out after drinking too much at a party, according to a new survey. One-third of adults who drink at parties admit to driving after consuming too much alcohol, according to the survey by Caron Treatment Centers.

Approximately one-third of “doctor shoppers” cross state lines to obtain prescriptions, according to a new study. These people search for multiple physicians who will prescribe them narcotic painkillers and other prescription drugs.

Almost 60 percent of patients who take narcotic painkillers to treat long-term conditions are also being prescribed other drugs, such as anti-anxiety medication or muscle relaxants, which could cause dangerous interactions, a new study finds.

A survey of primary care doctors nationwide finds almost half say they are less likely to prescribe narcotic painkillers compared with a year ago. Ninety percent of those surveyed say they are concerned about prescription drug abuse in their communities.

Operators of rehab centers are seeing an influx of funding from investors as more Americans receive health care coverage for addiction treatment under the Affordable Care Act, Reuters reports.

A federal appeals court has struck down a Florida law that required welfare applicants to undergo drug tests. The court ruled the law was an “unreasonable search.”

Researchers at Washington State University are developing a breath test for THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The test could be used to determine if a person is driving under the influence of marijuana, according to The Seattle Times.

A month-long residential treatment program may be more effective than standard outpatient programs for young adults who are dependent on opioids, a new study suggests.

An estimated 7.6 percent of Americans ages 12 and up are moderately to severely depressed, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those with severe symptoms, only 35 percent reported having contact with a mental health professional in the past year.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, November 21- Thursday, December 4, 2014.

For pharmacies, stocking meth-resistant cold medications is a simple way to provide customers with the medicine they have always relied on without requiring them to visit the doctor every time they have a cold. And this switch keeps meth producers looking elsewhere.

Overdose deaths involving heroin nearly tripled from 1999 to 2012, a new government report concludes. Overall, drug overdose deaths more than doubled.

Doctors at a medical clinic in Vancouver, British Columbia will prescribe heroin to a group of 120 adults severely addicted to heroin, according to The Atlantic. Canada’s Health Secretary opposes the policy.

A nursing home in the Bronx, New York, is addressing addiction issues in its elderly patients, the Associated Press reports. Staff members screen patients for addiction when they come in for rehab after a hospital stay, and offer treatment to those who need it.

New antismoking campaigns aimed at American Indian and Native Alaskan communities feature personal stories, instead of statistics or fear-inducing images, The New York Times reports.

The price of naloxone, the heroin overdose antidote, is skyrocketing, according to police departments and public health officials across the country. In some cases, prices for the drug have increased by 50 percent or more.

A long-acting narcotic painkiller designed to deter abuse has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The drug, Hysingla ER, is taken once a day.

A new study finds teenagers who have been prescribed medications for sleep problems or anxiety are much more likely to abuse them, compared with teens who have never received prescriptions for these drugs.

Fewer American adults are smoking than ever before, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The dip in the smoking rate is due to higher cigarette prices, smoke-free policies and campaigns to combat smoking, the CDC said.

Brain scans may be able to detect changes in the brain in preteens that predict future alcohol abuse, a new study suggests.

A new study suggests e-cigarettes may significantly reduce tobacco cravings in smokers. The small study, which included 48 smokers who were not trying to quit, indicates e-cigarettes may help smokers reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke, or help them stop altogether, the researchers say.

Officials in Colorado were unable this week to agree on rules to regulate edible marijuana products, The Denver Post reports. The working group charged with drafting the rules decided to submit ideas for new regulations to the legislature.

The Washington Poison Center reported a large jump in calls about marijuana exposures in October. The majority of exposures likely resulted from marijuana obtained at medical marijuana dispensaries, officials said.