The Latest News from Our Field

Local and federal law enforcement officials raided businesses in almost 100 cities on Wednesday, in the first nationwide crackdown on synthetic drugs, USA Today reports.

A group of doctors and public health experts has asked the Food and Drug Administration to change prescription guidelines for opioids, to prevent prescription drug abuse, according to Reuters.

A researcher at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research has been awarded a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to develop a vaccine that would treat heroin addiction and protect against HIV.

A growing number of U.S. colleges are adopting smoking bans. The Christian Science Monitor reports that many schools have adopted total bans, both indoors and out.

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health is seeking people in recovery from an alcohol or drug problem to participate in a web-based survey. The researchers hope the study will help dispel the stigma that those in recovery face.

A report by the Congressional Budget Office concludes the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act is likely to result in an increase in the number of uninsured Americans.

A new rodent study suggests that a key ingredient in “bath salts” called mephedrone has effects on the brain’s reward circuits that are comparable to similar doses of cocaine. The study offers evidence that mephedrone has the potential for abuse and addiction, the researchers say.

Drug companies must pay to dispose of unused prescription medications, under a plan approved Tuesday in Northern California. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the ordinance, the Associated Press reports.

Addiction experts are looking at exercise as a potential non-drug treatment for various types of substance abuse. One study at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston is examining whether exercise can treat people who are dependent on both cocaine and nicotine.

A coordinated strategy aimed at high-risk college drinking can be effective, a new study suggests. The strategy addresses alcohol availability, policy enforcement and perceptions about the rate of high-risk drinking among peers.

Kentucky lawmakers may consider modifying a state law that requires doctors to use a prescription monitoring database for opioid pain medication, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

Law enforcement at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, has prohibited a new synthetic drug called “Pump-It! Powder.” A warning issued at the Army installation notes the drug can cause convulsions, paranoia, chest pains or increased heart rate that can cause cardiac arrest.

A new study finds about one in 10 U.S. employers say they plan to cut health coverage for workers over the next several years, as the bulk of health care reform regulations are implemented.

The popular synthetic drug methylone, a key ingredient in “bath salts,” is simple to order online from China, experts tell The Virginian-Pilot.

A new Nebraska law permits sales of hard liquor, wine and beer at convenience stores, supermarkets and other outlets beginning at 6 a.m. on Sundays. In Iowa, gas stations and convenience stores no longer need separate wings to sell alcohol.

A new Tennessee law that licenses pain clinics, which is designed to cut down on “pill mills,” has loopholes, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports.

Smokers with a vitamin D deficiency experience a faster decline in lung function than those who have normal vitamin D levels, a new study finds. The researchers said increasing vitamin D levels will not prevent smoking-related health problems such as cancer, heart disease or stroke.

Over 96% of websites claiming to sell prescription medications are out of compliance with U.S. pharmacy laws and practice standards. It is vital to know who you are buying from before making that purchase explains Marjorie Clifton, Executive Director of the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies.

Almost 8 percent of pregnant women report alcohol use, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A new study finds a growing number of workers who get hurt on the job are getting their medication directly from their physicians, instead of pharmacies, which is driving up costs.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Thursday signed a measure that requires treatment for low-level drug offenders who otherwise would go to prison, according to The Star-Ledger.

Current smokers are several times more likely than nonsmokers to try using e-cigarettes, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

A bill to be introduced Thursday in the U.S. House would require most painkillers to have safeguards to prevent abuse, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Adults 65 and older who binge drink at least twice a month are two-and-a-half times more likely to suffer cognitive and memory declines, compared with seniors who don’t binge drink, according to research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Almost one-quarter of college women try hookah smoking during their freshman year, a new study finds.