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.
Gil Kerlikowske will leave his post as Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He was nominated by President Obama on Friday to become the new U.S. Commissioner of Customs.
The chairman of the California Assembly Health Committee announced he will examine the issue of fraud in taxpayer-funded drug rehab clinics, during a hearing on the state’s Medicaid program. The problems in the clinics were uncovered through an investigation by CNN and The Center for Investigative Reporting.
Mothers who consume a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy may be more likely to have children with an increased vulnerability to drug or alcohol abuse, a study of rats suggests.
Tobacco companies are using marketing tactics for their e-cigarettes that are similar to the ones they have used for regular cigarettes, including sponsoring race cars, using cab-top and bus stop displays, and buying TV ad time to tell smokers to take back their freedom, the Associated Press reports.
Alcohol plays a major role in almost 20 percent of deadly crashes that involve recreational boats, according to The Journal News.
The number of women receiving treatment for substance use disorders could rise under changes that will be implemented as part of health care reform, according to an expert at UCLA.
Legislators in the lower house of Uruguay voted to approve a bill to legalize marijuana, The New York Times reports. The country’s Senate is expected to approve the bill as well. President José Mujica supports the measure.
As a growing number of doctors use urine drug tests in an effort to detect prescription drug abuse in their patients, they face ethical questions about the tests, according to The New York Times.
The U.S. Postal Service is considering delivering alcoholic beverages as a way to raise revenue, according to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. He told the Associated Press alcohol deliveries could raise as much as $50 million annually.
Quitting smoking after undergoing a balloon angioplasty procedure to improve blood flow to the heart could add an average of two years to a person’s life, a new study concludes.
The death of “Glee” star Cory Monteith from an overdose that involved heroin highlights the growing use of the drug, ABC News reports.
People seeking a doctor who will write a recommendation for medical marijuana often have a long wait. MarketWatch reports in Massachusetts, many patients have been waiting since the state’s medical marijuana law took effect in January.
A new Gallup poll finds 22 percent of Americans support a complete ban on smoking, The Huffington Post reports. Only 9 percent of smokers support a complete ban.
Law enforcement officers in one West Virginia county will start using a database this week to track children who may be at risk of drug-related abuse, according to the Associated Press.
An investigation by The Center for Investigative Reporting and CNN has uncovered fraud by California rehab clinics that receive government funds to assist clients who are poor and addicted.
Methamphetamine may raise the risk of dying from a fungal lung infection called cryptococcus, a new study in mice suggests.
Young adults who grew up in poverty are more likely to smoke than their peers who grew up in more economically secure homes, but they are less likely to binge drink, a new study suggests.
Capital City Care, the first medical marijuana dispensary in Washington, D.C., opened this week. It is located about one mile north of the U.S. Capitol, according to The Huffington Post.
The impact of menthol cigarettes on young smokers is alarming, particularly when one considers the health consequences of a lifetime of smoking, says David Dobbins of the American Legacy Foundation.
A video ad promoting the legalization of marijuana was pulled from a screen outside a NASCAR event at the Indiana Motor Speedway Friday, several hours after it began running, USA Today reports.
Medical marijuana trade associations, dispensary owners and advocacy groups are concerned that full legalization of the drug will negatively impact their industry, according to Politico.
A government health panel on Monday recommended heavy smokers ages 55 to 80 receive annual screenings for lung cancer with low-dose CT scans, The New York Times reports.
In recent years, a growing number of states have passed laws protecting retailers from being liable for harms caused by customers served alcohol illegally, according to a new study.
The percentage of pregnant women in substance abuse treatment programs who were being treated for alcohol abuse decreased between 2000 and 2010, according to a new government report. During the same decade, the percentage of pregnant women in these programs being treated for drug abuse rose.
The dramatic decrease in cocaine use in America is due to a number of factors, ranging from changing trends to new drug control strategies implemented by Colombia, according to NPR.
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