The Latest News from Our Field

Two types of state laws can help reduce the risk of teens’ drinking and driving, a new study suggests.

Parents are finding it more difficult to have discussions with their children about why they shouldn’t use drugs, as a growing number of states are allowing medical marijuana, or considering legalizing recreational use of the drug, the Associated Press reports.

A new hand-held laser device, which can immediately identify illegal drugs, could be a big help to police in investigating and prosecuting narcotics cases, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Pain patches are slowly gaining in popularity in the United States, where 88 percent of pain relief comes in the form of pills.

Almost one-quarter of people who call into the New York State Smoker’s Quitline also report hazardous drinking, according to a new study. Researchers say the findings suggest that smoking cessation hotlines can provide valuable brief alcohol interventions for high-risk drinkers.

National survey studies suggest that roughly one in four college students who drink will experience a blackout in a given year, making blackouts a surprisingly common outcome of excessive drinking.

A new Senate report highlights the growing problem of prescription drug abuse, calling into question the conventional wisdom that drug cartels in Latin America should be the major focus of US drug policy, The Christian Science Monitor reports.

Only 7.6 percent of adult tobacco users were prescribed tobacco cessation medication before 2010, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings were part of a report showing that before 2010, almost half of Americans did not receive routine clinical preventive services that can save lives.

Women who smoke during pregnancy raise the risk their baby will develop a severe, potentially life-threatening illness of the bowel if the infant is born prematurely, a new study suggests.

A New York judge said this week that police should be required to prove beverages cited in public drinking cases are alcoholic, through laboratory testing.

New York Senator Charles Schumer has proposed steps the federal government should take to tackle the increasing problem of opioid exposure in newborns.

Smoking and excessive drinking are unlikely to harm a man’s sperm, a new study suggests.

The prescription drug monitoring database in Massachusetts, which has been in operation for two years, appears to have helped stem “doctor shopping,” according to state health officials.

A bill that would make New York the first state to ban the sale of e-cigarettes appears unlikely to pass, the Associated Press reports.

A new study finds college students who use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes are at increased risk of depression and thoughts of suicide.

The Justice Department is using a civil statute, aimed at seizing the assets of drug trafficking organizations, against medical marijuana dispensaries in California, Reuters reports. By using the law, the department is avoiding expensive and potentially embarrassing criminal prosecutions.

Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables may help smokers quit, a new study suggests.

A landlord in California has announced that residents of almost 2,000 rented apartments will no longer be allowed to smoke in their homes. Until now, few property owners have employed the state’s new law, allowing landlords to ban smoking in rented apartments.

Many people struggling with alcohol dependence who could benefit from medication are not receiving it, according to an expert who spoke at the recent American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

Quitting smoking is beneficial, even for smokers ages 60 and older, a new study suggests.

A new study concludes teenagers and young adults with mental health disorders are more likely to be prescribed opioids for chronic pain, and more likely to become long-term opioid users, compared with their peers who don’t have a mental health disorder.

Police in rural and suburban areas around the country are reporting finding drugs, money and guns linked to Mexican drug cartels, CNN reports.

The Defense Department’s new drug testing policy is raising questions about what a valid prescription is, according to the Navy Times.

A growing number of high school students are using attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs, such as Adderall and Ritalin, to help them get better grades, The New York Times reports. Teens get them from friends, buy them from student dealers, or pretend to have ADHD in order to get prescriptions.

Addiction is a disease, not a moral failure, according to Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He is scheduled to speak about addiction and drug control policy Monday at the Betty Ford Center in California.