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 college students under the legal drinking age to taste alcohol in classes was approved by the Washington State Senate, according to the Associated Press. The bill applies to culinary, beer technology and similar college programs.
Prescription painkiller abuse, which has centered on Eastern and Southern states, is now taking hold in Western states, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Mild traumatic brain injury may be linked to an increased risk of addiction, a study of military personnel suggests.
New Mexico, which has one of the highest rates of alcohol-related traffic deaths in the country, is considering a bill that would bar many convicted drunk drivers from purchasing alcohol anywhere.
Colombian and Mexican drug cartels, which have been using Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador as drug-trafficking transit points, have added Costa Rica, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Recovery groups should advocate for inclusion of peer recovery support services as part of essential health benefits that will be covered under the Affordable Care Act, according to Faces & Voices of Recovery. Peer recovery support services are delivered by individuals who have “lived experience” with addiction and recovery.
Positive pre-employment urine drug screening in the United States rose 5.7 percent in the first half of 2012, compared with all of 2011, according to a survey by Quest Diagnostics, a medical lab research company.
A growing number of employers are requiring tobacco users to pay more for their health insurance if they do not participate in a smoking cessation program, a new national survey finds. Some employers are refusing to hire smokers, according to Forbes.
Random drug testing of middle-school students may help prevent substance abuse, a six-year study of New Jersey students suggests.
A bill introduced in Pennsylvania is designed to prevent people from other states from filling painkiller prescriptions there.
Scientists can use data from Internet searches to learn about unreported side effects from prescription drugs, before they are found by the Food and Drug Administration, The New York Times reports.
Addiction treatment methods in some parts of the world are harsh and unhelpful, according to a new report from the United Nations. Some practices are “tantamount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” the report states.
Exempting tobacco products from global trade agreements, and imposing higher taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products, can help reduce the incidence of cancer, according to a report by cancer experts.
A bill introduced by a Nevada state senator would allow patients addicted to prescription drugs to sue the physicians who prescribed the drugs, as well as the products’ manufacturers. The measure is strongly opposed, according to the Associated Press.
Eight former heads of the Drug Enforcement Administration called on the federal government Tuesday to challenge laws in Colorado and Washington state that legalize the recreational use of marijuana, The Wall Street Journal reports. On the same day, a United Nations agency said the state laws violate international narcotics conventions.
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear approved legislation this week that modifies the state’s new prescription drug law, to make it easier for patients in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice centers to receive painkillers.
People receiving welfare benefits in Louisiana will not be able to spend the money on alcohol, cigarettes or lottery tickets, the state’s social services department has announced.
A series of protests outside four liquor stores in Whiteclay, Nebraska, which sell alcohol to Native Americans from the Pine Ridge Reservation in neighboring South Dakota, are highlighting the problem of alcohol abuse among members of the Oglala Lakota tribe.
A new potential treatment for marijuana dependence, and the success of network therapy, which engages family and friends in a patient’s substance abuse treatment, were two of the topics discussed at the recent annual meeting of the New York Society of Addiction Medicine. This is the second of a two-part report on the meeting, “Addiction Medicine 2013: Emerging Problems, Current Treatment.”
Alcohol is the third leading cause of disease and injury worldwide, even though the majority of adults do not drink, a new study concludes.
Monster Energy on Monday said its medical investigators did not find any evidence the company’s drinks caused the death of a 14-year-old girl, Reuters reports.
The number of medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado has declined 40 percent in the past several years, The Denver Post reports. The industry faces challenges from the federal government, as well as shrinking profit margins.
Heroin use is on the rise in Missouri, according to a new report to be released Tuesday. Many people using heroin have switched from more expensive opioid pills, according to The Kansas City Star.
Following decades of success for drug courts at the state level, federal judges around the nation are collaborating with prosecutors to create the special treatment programs for defendants who are addicted to drugs, The New York Times reports.
Some tobacco companies are putting the type of clay used in cat litter into cigars to increase their weight, thereby allowing them to pay less tax, Bloomberg reports.
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