The Latest News from Our Field

The Florida Senate has approved a bill that would allow random drug testing of state employees. The bill now moves to the desk of Governor Rick Scott, who is certain to sign it, the Associated Press reports.

A new analysis of studies originally conducted in the 1960s suggests LSD may help people with alcoholism quit or reduce their drinking.

A growing number of criminal defense lawyers are successfully questioning the results of blood alcohol tests in Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

A new study suggests teenagers with “pathologic” Internet use are more likely to admit to drug abuse.

Changes brought about by health care reform are making it easier to help people with severe mental illness to quit smoking. This population traditionally has not received much smoking cessation assistance, according to Adam O. Goldstein, MD, Director of the University of North Carolina Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation Program.

A new report by three public health groups charges tobacco companies have made convenience stores important partners in enticing minors to smoke, through marketing and fighting policies that reduce tobacco use.

Students who bully their classmates are more likely to use cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, compared with their peers who aren’t bullies, a new study suggests.

Laws regulating e-cigarettes are under consideration in a growing number of states, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The U.S. military services will expand their drug testing programs to include commonly abused prescription drugs beginning on May 1.

A new report by the U.S. Surgeon General says tobacco companies’ ads and promotional campaigns may influence teens and young adults to start smoking.

As Florida gains success with shutting down “pill mills,” demand for prescription painkillers is shifting to retail pharmacies, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Fetal exposure to cocaine, tobacco or marijuana is not associated with lower academic achievement in children, a new study suggests. However, fetal exposure to alcohol in children with no evidence of fetal alcohol syndrome does lead to lower scores in math reasoning and spelling at age 11.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter Tuesday to the maker of the inhalable caffeine product AeroShot Pure Energy, stating its labeling is false or misleading.

Adopted children whose biological parents abused drugs are twice as likely to do so themselves, compared with adopted children whose birth parents did not abuse drugs, a new study finds.

U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric disorders are more likely than veterans without mental health issues to receive prescription opioids for pain, according to a new study.

The amount of drinking children and teens see in movies may influence their own drinking habits, suggests a new study conducted in six European nations.

Ten percent of American adults consider themselves to be in recovery from drug or alcohol abuse problems, according to a new survey.

A federal judge has ruled that drug distribution companies must "self-police" to track unusually big drug shipments that might be used improperly.

A new government report shows that new HIV infections among injection drug users have been cut in half in the past decade, but they continue to engage in risky behaviors such as needle sharing.

The Obama Administration has appealed a decision by a federal judge that requiring graphic images on cigarette labels violates free speech protected by the Constitution.

The Navy and Marines announced they will start conducting random alcohol breath tests as part of a larger initiative to improve health and safety.

A proposal to implement a prescription drug monitoring program in New York State has sparked a debate between legislators and two health care professional associations, Forbes reports.

The Florida House passed a measure that allows random drug testing for state employees, but rejected an amendment that would have required the tests for themselves and the governor.

“Spice” caused kidney failure in three young people, and vomiting and back pain in a dozen others in Wyoming, health officials report.

Young adults who avoid smoking and heavy drinking, and who eat a healthy diet, exercise and stay lean, reduce their risk of developing heart disease when they reach middle age, a new study indicates.