The Latest News from Our Field

Teenagers can purchase alcohol on eBay, according to an investigation by the news show “20/20.”

Secondhand smoke has a major impact on the health of black Americans, a new study finds.

Estimates vary widely about how much tax might be collected from marijuana sales if recreational use of the drug is approved by voters in Colorado, Oregon and Washington this November, the Associated Press reports.

Veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse face an increased risk of death, a new study suggests.

A new study concludes that exposure to secondhand smoke can harm the developing brain of newborns. Researchers found exposure to active or secondhand smoke affected newborn babies’ ability to inhibit stimuli that can harm the central nervous system.

Almost six million Americans will face a tax penalty under the Affordable Care Act for not obtaining health insurance, according to an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office.

A new study finds a link between mothers’ belief that it is acceptable to let their children sip alcohol, and their children’s reported alcohol use. The study found one-quarter of mothers of young children believed allowing children to sip an alcoholic drink would likely deter them from drinking in the future.

A growing number of children enrolled in Medicaid are taking antipsychotic drugs for off-label uses, a new study finds. These drugs are prescribed for a purpose that has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Almost 400 people in Minnesota have died of methadone-involved overdoses since 2001, according to the Duluth News Tribune. From 2006 to 2010, the number of methadone deaths almost equaled those who died from firearms, the newspaper reports.

Supporters of a measure that would repeal a new Los Angeles City Council ban on medical marijuana dispensaries have gained enough signatures to put the initiative on the upcoming March ballot.

While it's true that one in five teens binge drinks, it's important to note that this means four out of five teens don't binge drink. That is power, says Mothers Against Drunk Driving President Jan Withers.

Substance abuse among members of the U.S. military and their families has become a public health crisis, according to a new report. The Defense Department’s approaches to preventing and treating substance abuse are outdated, the report states.

Smokers are using fewer cigarettes, a new Gallup poll suggests. Only 1 percent of smokers say they smoke more than a pack a day, and 68 percent say they smoke less than one pack a day.

The increased risk of esophageal cancer that is related to alcohol is reversible after a person gives up drinking, but it can take up to 16 years to return to the risk level for non-drinkers, a new study concludes.

Smoking can reduce the chance of successfully removing a tattoo by 70 percent, a new study finds.

A new study links “doctor shopping” with an increased risk of dying from an overdose of prescription drugs, HealthDay reports.

Teenagers struggle with quitting smoking as much as adults do, even though they have not been smoking as long, a new study finds.

Alcoholics can help reverse bone loss that results from their addiction by quitting drinking and engaging in exercise, a new study suggests.

Synthetic drug packages featuring Scooby Doo are attracting youth in the Baltimore area, warns a local minister. He is trying to get these “Scooby Snax” out of the hands of the city’s young people.

Nurses are key partners in implementing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Treatment (SBIRT) for alcohol use disorders, but they face challenges in putting the program into practice, a new project suggests.

Methamphetamine makers are importing raw powdered meth from Mexico, and refining it at “conversion labs” into the crystal form of the drug, The Wall Street Journal reports. In the past, the drug was produced in small U.S. labs, or shipped in its finished form from Mexico.

A new study suggests smokers may get less sleep, and have more impaired sleep, compared with non-smokers.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed court documents this week in support of its lawsuit over the state’s mandatory drug testing system for welfare applicants. The documents suggest the system is flawed, according to The Palm Beach Post.

Minnesota unveiled a statewide plan this week to tackle drug abuse, in response to the rising abuse of prescription opioids, and the increasing purity of heroin on the streets.

The federal government has launched two pilot programs designed to make prescription drug monitoring programs easier for doctors to use, American Medical News reports.