We curate a digest of the latest news in our field for advocates, policymakers, community coalitions and all who work toward shaping policies and practices to effectively prevent substance use and treat addiction.
Insomnia may lead to an increase in the risk of relapse for people in the early phases of recovery from addiction, suggests a new report. The researchers say the incidence of insomnia in early recovery may be five times higher than in the general population.
The country’s largest pharmacy benefits manager, Express Scripts, is considering creating a network of outlets that do not sell tobacco or alcohol, The Wall Street Journal reports.
A new study suggests menthol cigarettes could be more harmful to smokers than regular cigarettes. Researchers found menthol cigarette smokers had more trips to the emergency room and more hospitalizations or treatment for severe lung disease flare-ups.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, October 31- Thursday, November 6, 2014.
A public health and public safety partnership program in New York City called RxStat is using data from different government agencies to pinpoint opioid overdoses and to make changes to reduce the toll of prescription drug abuse. The goal is to reduce overdose deaths and to drive home the message that opioid overdose deaths are preventable.
Oregon and Alaska voted to legalize recreational marijuana use on Tuesday. In Washington, D.C., residents voted to allow possession of marijuana, but not retail sales of the drug, Reuters reports.
Walgreen and Rite Aid are unlikely to follow the lead of CVS in halting tobacco sales, experts say. Unlike CVS, which reported revenue growth in the third quarter of this year, its rivals do not have pharmacy benefit management units.
An antibody therapy could prolong the effect of medication designed to treat methamphetamine addiction, a study in mice suggests.
A new study in rats suggests heavy drinking during the teen years could lead to structural changes in the brain that last into adulthood. The changes occur in the region of the brain important in reasoning and decision-making.
Initiatives on the ballot in Oregon and Alaska on Tuesday, that would legalize recreational marijuana, are too close to call, according to NBC News. If the states approve the measures, they will join Colorado and Washington state, where recreational marijuana is already legal.
Increasing the availability of the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone could prevent more than 20,000 deaths in the United States annually, according to the World Health Organization.
A Food and Drug Administration hearing last week revealed there are a number of disagreements among experts about abuse-deterrent opioids, MedPageToday reports.
A new study concludes 19 percent of Americans suffer from chronic pain. Women and the elderly are most likely to have constant pain, HealthDay reports.
While many newly insured patients are seeking care now that the Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage, there has not been a rush of new patients receiving treatment for substance use disorders or mental health issues, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The Denver Police Department has posted a public service video, made in conjunction with a marijuana store owner, that advises parents to check their children’s Halloween candy to make sure it isn’t infused with marijuana.
The National Football League is expected to request that a lawsuit filed by former players who allege the league illegally supplied them with prescription painkillers be dismissed, ABC News reports.
Report card grades for members of the U.S. House of Representatives, issued by the pro-marijuana legalization group Drug Policy Alliance, do not fall neatly along party lines. Some conservative members of Congress are among the 49 House members who earned an A+, while some prominent Democrats are among the 141 members who received an F.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, October 24- Thursday, October 30, 2014.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is occurring at increasing rates across the nation, leaving states grappling with treating drug-dependent newborns and whether to charge, prosecute and incarcerate pregnant women who test positive for illegal drug use, explains Sarah Kelsey of NAMSDL.
Measures to legalize recreational marijuana will be on the ballot next week in Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C. The votes come two years after recreational marijuana was legalized in Colorado and Washington state.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing to remove the opiate-based medication naloxegol from the federal drug schedule, according to The Hill. The drug is currently considered a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
An increasing number of cities are raising the legal age to purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21, The Wall Street Journal reports.
As many as 5 percent of children may have some type of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, caused by alcohol exposure before birth, a new study suggests.
More than two-thirds of emergency department visits for opioid overdoses involve prescription drugs, a new study finds.
Critics charge the Internet’s central administrator is not doing enough to crack down on illegal online pharmacies, The Wall Street Journal reports. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) says its powers are limited.
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