The Latest News from Our Field

The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments in a lawsuit brought by an employee of Dish Network who was dismissed after he tested positive for marijuana. The employee, Brandon Coats, has a state-issued medical marijuana license.

A faith-based group is calling for an automatic “R” rating for movies that include smoking. The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, along with an advocacy organization called As You Sow, say they want to limit the amount of smoking young people see in movies.

Chronic use of alcohol can disrupt a person’s sleep months or even years after a person stops drinking, according to researchers from Boston University School of Medicine.

The risk of death, overdose and addiction from prescription opioids outweighs the benefits in treating headache, chronic low back pain and other non-cancer conditions, according to a new position paper from the American Academy of Neurology.

Tobacco manufacturers are issuing strong health warnings on the packaging of their own e-cigarettes, The New York Times reports. Industry critics are skeptical of their motives.

Marijuana entrepreneurs are starting to become involved in politics by donating to candidates who support their cause, according to the Associated Press. Members of Congress who once returned checks from the industry are now keeping them, the AP notes.

The Federal Railroad Administration has delayed implementing new alcohol and drug regulations for railroad maintenance workers. It is extending the comment period at the request of industry groups, The Hill reports.

Starting to drink at an early age can increase the risk of alcohol abuse in teens, according to a new study. The shorter the time between a teen’s first drink and the first time they get drunk, the greater their risk of later alcohol abuse.

A new study finds cigarette tax increases and smoke-free policies have reduced both smoking and alcohol use. The researchers found consumption of beer and hard liquor declined in states where strict anti-tobacco legislation has been passed in the past 30 years.

A year after health experts gathered in Kentucky to discuss how to deal with the problem of babies born to drug-dependent mothers, the state has seen a surge in babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

It is easier for a young person in rural Pennsylvania to buy heroin than a bottle of wine, according to a new report on the heroin epidemic in the state.

New recommendations have been designed to help in understanding critical success factors and empower families to make life-saving decisions for addicted teens, says Doug Tieman of Caron Treatment Centers.

A group of activists says the Food and Drug Administration has worsened the opioid overdose epidemic. They are calling on the head of the agency, Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, to quit, The Washington Post reports.

At least eight U.S. college freshmen have died so far this semester, many of them in alcohol-related incidents, according to Times Higher Education. Colleges are encouraging freshmen and their parents to talk about alcohol and drugs even before they arrive on campus.

A new study raises doubts about the usefulness of e-cigarettes in helping cancer patients quit smoking.

People tend to drink more alcohol on days they exercise, suggests a new study. Beer is the most popular post-workout alcoholic beverage, Time reports.

People who overcome a substance use disorder have less than half the risk of those who do not overcome it of developing a new addiction, according to researchers at Columbia University.

Daily marijuana use is at the highest rate among college students since 1981, according to the national Monitoring The Future study. Last year, 5.1 percent of college students used marijuana daily or almost daily (20 or more times in the prior 30 days), up from 3.5 percent in 2007.

A bill soon to be introduced in Kentucky would make it illegal to sell cough syrup containing dextromethorphan to anyone under 18. Several states, including New York and California, already have such laws in place.

Coca plants are now being cultivated in Mexico, which could represent a shift in the cocaine cultivation business in Latin America, The Toronto Star reports.

Teens who feel their parents favor their siblings over them are more likely to use alcohol, drugs and tobacco, a new study finds.

Football players will be tested for human growth hormone under a new drug-testing plan agreed upon by the National Football League and the players union. The plan has been in the works for several years, The New York Times reports.

A new study suggests combining positive messages about quitting smoking with negative messages about the health effects of tobacco use may be more effective than using either strategy alone.

A marijuana advocacy group is planning to launch an ad campaign in Colorado to counter the state’s marijuana education effort, ABC News reports.