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.
A bill that would allow doctors to prescribe the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone is expected to be signed this summer by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, Cincinnati.com reports.
A new Arizona law bans the basic chemical formulas of synthetic drugs. Law enforcement officials hope the law will be an improvement over a previous law that was frequently thwarted by synthetic drug makers.
Scientists have used laser lights to turn cocaine cravings off and on in a study of rats. The findings suggest new directions for treatment of addiction in humans, the researchers say.
Having a parent deployed in the military may increase the risk of substance abuse in teens and preteens, a new study suggests.
CVS Pharmacy has agreed to pay $11 million, in order to settle civil charges for violating the Controlled Substances Act at pharmacies in Oklahoma, according to USA Today.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has unveiled a new series of anti-smoking ads designed to appeal to people’s emotions. They follow anti-smoking ads released last year, which the CDC said had a strong impact across the country.
Researchers at UCLA are studying a drug they hope will treat methamphetamine addiction, The Huffington Post reports. In a small study, the drug, Ibudilast, appeared to be safe and eased meth addiction.
Experts are meeting this week to discuss how to stop the epidemic of prescription drug abuse, according to the Orlando Sentinel. They include leaders from government, the pharmaceutical industry, and public health and safety groups.
Tricare, which provides civilian health benefits for military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents, announced this week it is now covering prescription drugs for smoking cessation.
Washington state is overestimating the amount of tax revenue that will be generated by marijuana sales, according to a consultant hired by the state to set up and regulate its new marijuana market.
Join Together chats with David Sheff, author of the new book, "Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy," to discuss his exploration into the science, prevention and treatment of addiction.
Drug-related deaths increased 3 percent in 2010, and preliminary figures indicate the upward trend continued in 2011, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Almost one in five boys of high school age, and 11 percent of school-age children overall, have received a medical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the United States, according to new government data.
The Food and Drug Administration announced Monday it will relax restrictions on the use of over-the-counter nicotine replacement products.
Officials in Bogota, Colombia are hoping to convince people addicted to a smokable type of cocaine called basuco to use marijuana instead, according to ABC News.
United Parcel Service has agreed to settle an investigation into online pharmacy shipments, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company will forfeit $40 million in payments it received from illicit online pharmacies, and will not be prosecuted.
As a growing number of employers institute policies that ban hiring smokers, medical ethicists debated the policy in the New England Journal of Medicine. One group argues not hiring smokers sends a strong message to employees and the community that smoking is harmful, while the other group calls the practice unethical.
Parents who discuss drinking with their teens before they start college can influence their children’s drinking behavior once they are at school, a new study suggests. A parental talk can reduce the chances that light drinkers will become heavier drinkers, and increase the odds that teens who already drink heavily will reduce their drinking or stop.
A marijuana tourism company is opening in Colorado, the first such business in the nation, according to The Denver Post.
FedEx and UPS say they are targets of a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into online pharmacy shipments, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Some teenagers appear to be more genetically predisposed than others to become heavy smokers, a new study suggests.
A Colorado state audit released this week finds problems in oversight of the state’s medical marijuana industry, according to The Wall Street Journal. The audit comes soon after a task force issued recommendations on regulating recreational marijuana.
Scientists from British American Tobacco are testing cigarettes that reduce exposure to some toxins in smoke, Time.com reports.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that police must first obtain a search warrant before bringing drug-sniffing police dogs onto a suspect’s property to look for evidence, the Associated Press reports.
Eighty percent of Border Patrol drug arrests in recent years involved American citizens, according to a new report. The findings are contrary to public perceptions that most drug couriers are Mexican, according to ABC News.
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