The Latest News from Our Field

Washington state’s initiative to legalize marijuana, which will be on the November ballot, could raise up to $1.9 billion in new tax revenue over five years, if the federal government allows it.

Naloxone, the drug carried by ambulances to reverse overdoses, is also available in some states to be administered by trained members of the general public who might be present when an overdose occurs. Many lives have been saved by bystanders, and increasingly, notice is being taken of community-based naloxone distribution, says Dr. Sharon Stancliff of the Harm Reduction Coalition.

Almost 30 percent of boys and 18 percent of girls in middle and high school used some type of tobacco last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. The rate of teen tobacco use has been slowly declining over the past decade.

A combination of the drugs naltrexone and buprenorphine might be an effective treatment for cocaine addiction, a study in rats suggests.

Amerisource Bergen, the third-largest drug wholesaler in the United States, received subpoenas from the Drug Enforcement Administration and federal prosecutors seeking information on how the company monitors for possible diversions of opioids and other drugs with high potential for abuse.

The drought that has hit much of the country has also affected Ohio’s marijuana crop, The Plain Dealer reports.

Alcohol ads that violate industry guidelines are more likely to appear in magazines popular with teen readers, a new study finds.

The Affordable Care Act makes changes to the health insurance system and health insurance benefits that may affect the cost of insurance and healthcare for people with mental illnesses, according to The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati.

E-cigarettes, currently a small but growing part of the tobacco market, eventually could surpass traditional cigarettes to become a leading tobacco product, one industry expert says.

Patients in New Jersey with a doctor’s recommendation to use marijuana to treat certain health problems will be allowed to register for identification cards starting Thursday. The state plans to open its first medical marijuana dispensary in September.

Antipsychotic treatment has increased rapidly among young people in the United States, with much of the increase coming from prescriptions for disruptive behavior disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Reuters reports.

A new government study finds one-third of doctors do not accept new Medicaid patients. Most of the doctors cited low reimbursement as the reason, according to The Wall Street Journal.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday announced new regulations to expand the existing list of prohibited drugs and chemicals used to make synthetic drugs.

Texas has launched an online prescription monitoring database, building on a long-standing program that was criticized for being slow and requiring paperwork.

Building on successful efforts in 2008, Recovery/Wellness rooms will offer peer-support meetings, an alcohol-free environment and recovery support to people attending the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, says Pat Taylor of Faces & Voices of Recovery.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday its graphic ad campaign featuring the health consequences of smoking has been successful, and plans more ads for 2013.

The Affordable Care Act is leading to changes, both now and in 2014, for people with private health insurance who have a substance use disorder.

Two marijuana-related incidents before and during the Olympics are putting the spotlight on athletes and illegal drug use, according to USA Today.

A bill passed by Massachusetts lawmakers last week requires doctors to sign up for and use the state’s prescription monitoring program. The measure is awaiting the signature of Governor Deval Patrick.

The number of marijuana plants that have been eradicated nationwide has dropped over the past three years, while the amount of bulk processed marijuana seized by authorities has doubled.

Substance abuse treatment centers say they expect to see increased drug and alcohol abuse in the wake of the shootings in Aurora, Colorado, according to The Denver Post.

Officials from 27 colleges are meeting this week to tackle the growing problem of prescription drug abuse among students.

All Walgreens pharmacies in Arizona will store certain prescription painkillers, including products containing oxycodone, in time-delayed safes. The new policy comes in response to a spike in prescription drug robberies.

Maine’s decision to retroactively limit Medicaid payments for buprenorphine to treat opiate addiction is likely to have disastrous consequences, warns the President of the Northern New England Society of Addiction Medicine.

A growing number of smokers are switching from cigarettes to small cigars, which are less expensive, but just as dangerous, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.