The Latest News from Our Field

A 26-year-old woman in Tennessee has been charged under a new state law that bans taking drugs during pregnancy, according to ABC News. The woman, Mallory Loyola, is the first woman to be charged under the law.

A group of leading lung health organizations is urging governments to ban or limit the use of e-cigarettes until more is known about the devices’ health effects.

Marijuana use in Colorado has been much higher than expected, according to a new study by the state. While only about 9 percent of state residents use the drug, they are likely to use 121.4 metric tons of marijuana annually, The Washington Times reports.

The White House 2014 National Drug Control Strategy, released Wednesday, emphasizes the nation’s growing problem of opioid addiction, according to The Christian Science Monitor.

Studies used to approve drugs to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) did not address long-term safety, according to new research.

Pro-marijuana tweets are reaching hundreds of thousands of American teens and young adults several times a day, a new study concludes. The researchers say they are concerned about their findings because young people can be especially influenced by social media.

Massachusetts General Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston, has announced it will screen all patients for alcohol and illegal drug use starting this fall.

High schools designed to support students in recovery from substance use disorders show promise in helping students sustain their abstinence, but face a number of challenges, according to experts.

The top alcohol brands consumed by underage drinkers are the same ones most heavily advertised in magazines read by those under age 21, a new study finds. The researchers say their findings suggest alcohol ads can encourage young people to drink, HealthDay reports.

Treatment for heroin addiction is most effective if it includes both inpatient and outpatient therapy, according to a new study.

Soldiers are almost four times more likely than civilians to use prescription opioids to treat their pain, researchers at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have found. Almost half of U.S. soldiers returning home report chronic pain.

A new study finds smokers who use the prescription drug varenicline together with nicotine patches are more successful in giving up cigarettes for up to six months, compared with those who use the drug alone.

Sales of recreational marijuana are scheduled to begin as early as Tuesday in Washington state. The first 24 marijuana retailer licenses were issued by the state’s Liquor Control Board on Monday, NPR reports.

Policy changes in Florida have led to a drop in opioid prescriptions, according to a new government report. Prescription rates for opioids remain high in some states, including Alabama, West Virginia and Tennessee.

School districts around the country are implementing e-cigarette bans as part of their tobacco policies, according to USA Today.

CVS Caremark will no longer sell single-ingredient pseudoephedrine products in West Virginia, The Wall Street Journal reports. Pseudoephedrine is a popular source of chemicals used in methamphetamine labs.

Marijuana use is increasing in the United States as Americans change their attitude about the drug’s risks, according to a new report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. Globally, marijuana use seems to be decreasing.

The consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest is urging the Food and Drug Administration to put safety warnings on energy drinks, according to Reuters. The drinks have been linked to 17 deaths in the past two years.

Southern Methodist University in Dallas is among the schools that will start to sell beer and wine at football games this fall, in an effort to increase revenue, according to USA Today.

At least 22 teenagers attending an electronic dance music show in Boston were sent to the hospital on Wednesday. Many of them were suffering from a combination of alcohol and heat, ABC News reports.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, June 20- Thursday, June 26, 2014.

After a four year battle with salivary gland cancer, San Diego Padres player Tony Gwynn passed on Monday, June 16th. Gwynn’s unfortunate tale involved smokeless tobacco, the chewing of which is still associated with baseball. Despite recent efforts from Major League Baseball to discourage the use of this product, coaches and players have battled with addiction to smokeless tobacco for many years.

High school seniors who are most likely to take Ecstasy are those who use other drugs, researchers at New York University have found.

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee this week announced rules designed to keep marijuana out of the hands of children, now that recreational use of the drug is legal for adults 21 and older.