The Latest News from Our Field

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has described the country’s sharp rise in overdoses over the last decade from prescription painkillers, or opioids, as an epidemic. But it can be easy to lose sight of what “epidemic” truly means.

A national campaign launched this week aims to prevent half a million teenagers from abusing medicine within five years. CBS NewYork reports The Medicine Abuse Project is a multi-year effort to help educate parents, teens and the public about the dangers of medicine abuse.

Treating alcoholism saves families money, largely by cutting down on expenses related to alcohol and cigarettes, a new study finds.

The number of smoking scenes in movies rated G, PG and PG-13 increased by more than one-third from 2010 to 2011, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A Massachusetts chemist accused of mishandling drug test results has admitted wrongdoing, The Boston Globe reports. Annie Dookhan says she changed test results, did not perform proper testing, and forged colleagues’ initials for two to three years.

As a growing number of states enact restrictions designed to clamp down on prescription drug abuse, some pain sufferers say they are not able to get the opioids they need, The Wall Street Journal reports.

A new government report finds that Medicare routinely refills pain medications without new prescriptions that are required by federal law.

The Supreme Court announced it will hear a case that centers on the question of whether police must obtain a warrant before forcing suspected drunk drivers to submit to a blood alcohol test.

Officials at the University of Tennessee are investigating claims that fraternity members took alcohol enemas, leading to the hospitalization of one student with alcohol poisoning.

Laws that ban smoking in bars and restaurants may reduce alcohol abuse, a new study suggests. Researchers found people identified as problem drinkers who live in states with smoking bans have a higher rate of remission, compared with problem drinkers who live in states without laws that ban public smoking.

Critics of ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana in Oregon, California and Colorado are focusing on mothers, according to Reuters.

A top official of the World Health Organization called doping in sports a public health issue. Speaking at an international anti-doping conference, Dr. Timothy Armstrong said the use of performance-enhancing drugs is not just a sporting problem.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys in Massachusetts are faced with reevaluating more than 34,000 drug cases that were handled by a chemist who is accused of misconduct, the Associated Press reports.

Simply by initiating a pre-surgical checklist comprised of the agreed-upon procedural steps, even very experienced surgical teams showed remarkable reductions in errors, untoward events, complications and deaths, says Thomas McLellan, PhD, CEO of the Treatment Research Institute.

Doctors and nurses should routinely screen their adult patients and pregnant women for alcohol misuse, and provide those engaged in risky or hazardous drinking with brief behavioral counseling, according to new recommendations from a national task force.

The latest synthetic drug to cause concern among law enforcement officials is called “Smiles,” or 2C-I, Fox News reports. The drug has been linked to the deaths of two North Dakota teens.

Generic drug company Watson Pharmaceuticals announced it is recalling two lots of a drug that contains hydrocodone and acetaminophen. The pills may contain doses of the medicines that are higher than intended, Reuters reports.

California Governor Jerry Brown has signed legislation that is designed to cut down on underage drinking on chartered party buses. Under the new law, party buses with alcohol and underage passengers will need chaperones and ID checks.

A new government survey finds the number of young adults ages 18 to 25 who used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes in the past month declined 14 percent, from 2 million in 2010, to 1.7 million in 2011.

Addiction experts are advocating for a more medical approach to addiction treatment, instead of relying on 12-step programs, according to The Los Angeles Times.

A growing number of middle schools are requiring that students submit to drug testing, The New York Times reports.

Polls suggest there is substantial voter support for initiatives in Colorado and Washington that would allow recreational use of marijuana, according to The Wall Street Journal. Voters in Oregon, where a similar measure will appear on the ballot in November, are split.

If you’re a parent, take the time to talk to your children about the harm caused by medicine abuse, and educate yourself on the signs of abuse, encourages Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy.

State prescription drug monitoring programs need to shift from a reactive approach to a proactive one, according to a new report by the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Center of Excellence at Brandeis University.

An increase in prescription drug overdoses among young whites, and higher rates of smoking among less educated white women, may be contributing to the decline in life expectancy for white Americans with lower levels of education.