The Latest News from Our Field

Middle school students are less likely to think using drugs is bad if their parents told them about their own past substance use, a new study finds.

Older smokers who quit can see health benefits within five years, according to a new study. The study of 8,807 people ages 50 to 74 found a person can reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke by more than 40 percent within the first five years after they stop smoking.

The case of a Florida man arrested as part of nationwide synthetic drug sweep could have implications across the country, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

A task force in Colorado will be making recommendations on how to regulate marijuana, now that recreational use of the drug has been legalized. The group is suggesting rules for everything from “pot tourism” to whether people can smoke marijuana on their backyard patios.

The federal government on Wednesday issued a final rule on “essential health benefits” that most health insurance plans must offer next year, including treatment of drug addiction and alcohol abuse.

An international survey has found 80 percent of people who use e-cigarettes do so because they consider the products less harmful than traditional cigarettes. The researchers say e-cigarettes may have the potential to help smokers quit, Medical News Today reports.

A growing number of people are becoming addicted to heroin in New York state, according to drug treatment counselors and police. They say many people have switched to heroin from prescription painkillers, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone.

Massachusetts officials are struggling to figure out how the state’s new medical marijuana law will impact health care professionals. Because marijuana is still illegal under federal law, health workers who use medical marijuana may endanger their licenses, according to WBUR.

The number of deadly drug overdoses in the United States increased for the 11th consecutive year, according to new government data. More than 22,000 people died of overdoses involving prescription drugs in 2010.

Mapping the location of alcohol outlets, drug activity and violent crimes could help police prevent violence, a new study suggests.

The Supreme Court ruled police do not have to extensively document a drug-sniffing dog’s expertise to justify relying on the canine to search a vehicle, according to The Washington Post. The unanimous ruling overturned a Florida Supreme Court decision.

The risk of dying before age 55 is increased in teens and young adults who smoke, are obese and have high blood sugar levels, a new study suggests.

The second National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, to be held April 2-4, 2013, will bring together top leaders from many disciplines, and provide all stakeholders timely, relevant and evidence-based information to help put an end to prescription drug abuse, explains Karen Kelly of Operation Unite.

A bipartisan group of legislators from around the country has introduced a bill designed to reduce methamphetamine addiction.

Substance abuse prevention programs that begin in middle school may help deter prescription drug abuse in later years, new research suggests.

Public health groups and tobacco companies are united in their opposition to a provision of the Affordable Care Act that allows insurance companies to charge smokers 50 percent more than nonsmokers, The Washington Post reports.

A growing number of drug companies are working with the World Anti-Doping Agency to try to prevent illegal use of their products among athletes, according to The New York Times.

The term "enabling" is commonplace in the field of addiction and used within support group settings, in treatment programs and throughout the professional literature about addiction and the family. Kimberly Kirby, PhD, of the Treatment Research Institute, explains how it is one of the most frequently misunderstood terms in the field.

Teens who are old enough to be in 12th grade, but have dropped out of school, have higher substance abuse rates than their peers who are enrolled in school, according to a new government report.

Kidney damage caused by synthetic marijuana was reported in 16 patients in six states last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All were admitted to the hospital, and five required hemodialysis, a treatment for advanced kidney failure.

Alcohol consumption results in an estimated 20,000 cancer deaths in the United States, a new study concludes. The majority of alcohol-related deaths in women are from breast cancer, while in men, alcohol is most likely to cause upper airway and esophageal cancer.

Laws that ban smoking in enclosed public places may result in lower preterm birth rates, a new study suggests.

A new study finds racial differences in opioid prescribing, monitoring and follow-up treatment practices. Black patients are less likely than white patients to have their pain levels documented, and to be referred to a pain specialist. They are more likely to be referred for substance abuse assessment after being prescribed opioids, MedicalXpress reports.

Women who are attempting to quit smoking may try to reduce their quitting-related stress by using alcohol, which in turn can lead to greater urges to smoke, a new study finds. This vicious cycle can increase the risk of smoking relapse, according to Science Daily.

The generic drug distributor Rochester Drug Co-Operative Inc. has sued the maker of the opioid addiction treatment Suboxone for allegedly monopolizing the opioid treatment market, Bloomberg reports.