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.
The Animal Poison Control Center reports an increase in the number of calls about marijuana poisonings in pets, according to NBC News.
State inaction, coupled with a tobacco industry determined to maintain its market share, are slowing efforts to reduce the number of smokers in the United States, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, January 17- Thursday, January 23, 2014.
The Institute of Medicine conducted a comprehensive analysis of the substance use disorder problems by reviewing Department of Defense policies and practices and by hearing from both the military commanders and the troops themselves at bases throughout the USA. It found that identifying the problems was relatively easy. Solving them is not.
Drivers with blood alcohol levels well under the legal limit are more likely to be at fault for accidents, compared with the non-drinking drivers they hit, according to a new study.
As the first legal marijuana stores open in Colorado, and Washington state gets ready to issue licenses for producing, processing and selling marijuana, momentum is building in other states to legalize the drug, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Two organizations representing black media outlets say tobacco company ads about the dangers of smoking, ordered by a federal judge, should run in their newspapers, and on their TV stations and websites.
The Denver County Jail uses a peer recovery model to help inmates take a more active role in their substance abuse treatment, The Denver Post reports.
President Obama told The New Yorker magazine he does not think marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol. He added smoking marijuana is “not something I encourage.”
A new report by the U.S. Surgeon General warns smoking is a causal factor in 10 diseases and conditions that were not previously definitively linked to cigarettes, including diabetes, arthritis, colorectal cancer and erectile dysfunction.
Thoughts of suicide are more common among adults who use illicit drugs, compared with the general population, according to a new government survey.
During National Drug Facts Week, January 27 to February 2, communities and schools around the country will host events to allow teens to learn how drugs affect the brain, body and behavior.
Policymakers in Colorado are imposing a 15 percent wholesale and 10 percent retail tax on marijuana transactions. The impact of the tax rate is unclear, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.
A new study finds some brands of cigarettes have increased the amount of nicotine they deliver. This is likely to make them more addictive, according to the researchers.
Companies are struggling with the question of whether to allow employees to use e-cigarettes in the workplace, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Men who drink heavily in middle age experience a faster, steeper decrease in memory and thinking skills 10 years later, compared with men who drink less or don’t drink, a new study concludes.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, January 10- Thursday, January 16, 2014.
With nearly half of state prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) sharing data via the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® PMP InterConnect® program, the system is successfully helping states in their efforts to protect patient health and lower rates of prescription drug abuse and diversion.
Entrepreneurs are moving forward with new business strategies as legal sales of recreational marijuana get underway in Colorado, CNBC reports. Washington state will begin selling marijuana later this year.
The Treasury Department is compiling a list of all alcoholic beverages sold in stores and online, to determine which ones it needs to test. The department wants to ensure the products’ labels do not mislead consumers, according to The New York Times.
Deaths from heroin and prescription drugs more than doubled last year at the Jersey Shore, a locale well known as a vacation destination. Three people in Ocean County, New Jersey have already died in 2014 from drug overdoses, according to NBC News.
A new campaign in Colorado, to be unveiled Wednesday, aims to reduce prescription drug abuse among teens, The Denver Post reports.
Primary care doctors can discover whether patients are abusing drugs or alcohol by asking a single question, a new study finds.
Tobacco companies and the federal government reached an agreement on publishing statements about the dangers of smoking, the Associated Press reports. The “corrective statements” will say the companies lied about the health effects of cigarettes.
A new study suggests a connection between misuse of prescription drugs and incidents of dating violence.
Get Support
