The Latest News from Our Field

Dozens of suspects across the country have been arrested and charged with stealing prescription drugs from tractor trailers and warehouses. Two brothers are accused of stealing more than $70 million of prescription drugs from a warehouse in Connecticut.

Most states do not address youth exposure to alcohol marketing, according to a new report. Researchers at the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore say this represents a missed opportunity to improve public health.

Research shows that teens with substance abuse problems are more likely to break the law, behave violently or drop out of school. In fact, 4 out of 5 young people in the juvenile justice system commit crimes while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, says Susan Richardson of Reclaiming Futures.

Americans turned in 276 tons of unwanted or expired medications during the fourth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced.

The smoking cessation drug varenicline (Chantix) can significantly reduce alcohol use in smokers who drink heavily, a new study suggests.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi criticized the Obama Administration’s stance against medical marijuana suppliers in California this week. She said the government is putting patients in danger, and undermining its policy of deferring to states on the issue, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Researchers at Duke University are using virtual gaming technology to treat substance abuse in veterans. Through a computer-generated environment, they are testing former soldiers with temptations, including alcohol and drugs.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is requiring 14 major alcoholic beverage producers to provide information about their online marketing. The FTC will use the information for a study that will guide recommendations on how the alcohol industry should regulate itself, both online and offline.

About 15 percent of health care providers in New York City wrote more than 80 percent of all opioid painkiller prescriptions in 2010, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The Colorado Senate has passed a measure that would make it easier to convict someone of driving while under the influence of marijuana. The measure will now move to the House, according to The Denver Post.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has signed into law a bill that aims to curb prescription drug abuse. The measure was opposed by the Kentucky Medical Association, which now says it will educate its members about the new law.

Nearly one in 10 teenagers are smoking marijuana at least 20 or more times a month, a new survey finds. The Associated Press reports that the survey, released Wednesday by The Partnership at Drugfree.org, found past-month use of marijuana rose from 19 percent in 2008, to 27 percent last year.

Many emergency room physicians say they see many patients who come in asking for painkillers for dental pain. These doctors must decide whether the patients are truly suffering from dental problems, or are simply seeking an easy way to collect painkillers, The New York Times reports.

Many American children with asthma are exposed to secondhand smoke, and experience health problems as a result, according to a new study.

Teenagers who are familiar with TV ads for alcohol are more likely to drink, according to new research presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ Annual Meeting in Boston.

West Huddleston, CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, addresses National Drug Court Month and the launch of All Rise America!, a national motorcycle relay for recovery.

Every hour, a baby is born in the United States with symptoms of opioid withdrawal, according to a study in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

Some emergency departments do not test patients’ blood or urine for alcohol because of issues with insurance payments, Kaiser Health News reports. In more than half of states, insurers are allowed to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use.

Contrary to concerns that methadone treatment clinics attract crime to the surrounding area, a new study finds there is no evidence this occurs.

Under new Air Force rules, smoking is no longer permitted in many areas on base, including hospitals, clinics, parking lots, sidewalks and playgrounds.

Poor impulse control may be pre-wired in some teenagers, suggests a new study. Researchers have identified brain networks that are linked to impulse control and drug addiction, which may exist even before someone is exposed to alcohol or drugs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says distributing the opioid overdose antidote naloxone should be considered as a way to curb the increase in overdose deaths, Time reports.

Binge drinking may complicate recovery from burn injuries, according to a study presented at the American Burn Association Annual Meeting.

Almost half of apartment residents say they can smell secondhand smoke from their neighbors in their own homes, a new survey suggests.

Prescription drug abuse is perhaps our nation’s most significant drug problem, and trends over the past decade indicate this problem will only worsen, particularly among young adults and teens. While the DEA and law enforcement represent an important dimension in this fight, we are not the only ones, says DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart.