The Latest News from Our Field

Teens who take the “cinnamon challenge,” swallowing a tablespoon of the spice in 60 seconds without drinking any liquid, can end up with lung damage, according to a new report.

Three people were injured when gunshots were fired at the first 4/20 marijuana celebration in Denver since Colorado legalized the drug last November. It was one of many such gatherings around the world, The Christian Science Monitor reports.

Although the association between substance use and academic performance has been on the radar of researchers for quite some time, what is under-recognized by researchers and policy makers alike is the contribution of substance use to poor academic performance, suggest two leading experts.

Some pain doctors say they are concerned the Food and Drug Administration’s decision earlier this week not to approve generic versions of the original version of OxyContin could lead to less effective drugs that are potentially addictive, NPR reports.

Five U.S. senators are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to restrict the sale, distribution and marketing of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products to children and young adults.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that police generally need a search warrant before they order a blood alcohol test for someone suspected of drunk driving.

College students who report greater alcohol use and higher levels of anxiety appear to be more emotionally connected with Facebook, a new study concludes.

An analysis of deaths related to underage alcohol use finds 68 percent are not traffic-related, USA Today reports. The study, by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, found 30 percent of such deaths are homicides.

Local governments can reduce excessive drinking by regulating the density of stores that sell alcohol, according to a new report.

Legalizing marijuana will not solve the country’s drug problem, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, said Wednesday.

Banning smoking in public housing and units covered by rental assistance programs could save $521 million annually, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday it will not approve any generic versions of the original form of OxyContin. The move is aimed at preventing prescription drug abuse, Reuters reports.

Between 3 million and 5 million new patients could soon receive addiction treatment under the Affordable Care Act, according to the Associated Press. The change will have a major impact on treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.

Eight new addiction medicine fellowship programs have been accredited by the American Board of Addiction Medicine Foundation, bringing the total number of programs to 18, Newswise reports.

Exercise may help protect the brains of people who drink heavily, a new study suggests.

Plastic and paper filters that have captured a lot of toxins and additives from a smoked cigarette leach into our environment once littered, explains Julia Cartwright of Legacy. Help us start a debate about this hazardous, expensive and nasty litter so we can change social norms and clean up our planet – one cigarette butt at a time.

As prescription painkillers become more difficult to obtain and abuse, a growing number of people addicted to these drugs are switching to heroin, USA Today reports. The trend is increasingly being seen in the suburbs.

The taste of beer may trigger the brain’s reward system and cause a craving for more alcohol, researchers from Indiana University report.

A panel of the Food and Drug Administration this week will meet to decide whether to recommend approval of a new drug for smoking-related lung damage, Fox News reports.

A California congressman has introduced a bill that would protect marijuana users from federal prosecution in states where the drug is legal. The Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013 would legalize marijuana at the federal level to the extent it is legal at the state level.

Generic drug makers are waiting for the Food and Drug Administration to decide whether they must make tamper-resistant forms of OxyContin, or if they can produce the original version, The Wall Street Journal reports. OxyContin’s first patent expires Tuesday.

The federal government has been reducing funding for research on marijuana’s potential medical benefits, Bloomberg reports. Medical research funding for marijuana reached a peak of $131 million in 2007; it dropped to $91 million last year.

A new study suggests planting false memories of getting sick from alcohol may influence a person to drink less of that type of alcohol in the future.

The National Football League has a complex and potentially dangerous system of managing pain, The Washington Post reports. One in four players surveyed by the newspaper said they felt pressure from team doctors to take medications they were uncomfortable with.

As a growing number of states have either passed new legislation or are considering legislation limiting payment for opioid treatment, the American Society of Addiction Medicine has launched a task force focused on FDA-approved medications for opioid dependence, says their Acting President Dr. Stuart Gitlow.