The Latest News from Our Field

California’s Secretary of State announced the proponent, of an initiative that would limit punishment to a $250 fine for possession, cultivation, sale or transportation of up to two ounces of marijuana, can begin collecting signatures to try to get it on the 2012 ballot.

A measure under consideration in the Massachusetts State Senate would allow bars in the state to once again offer happy hours, for the first time since 1984.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that as many as 1 in 4 children younger than age 18 is exposed to family alcohol abuse or dependence. These children are more likely to develop depression or anxiety disorders in adolescence, use alcohol or other drugs early and become tomorrow’s addicted youth, explains NACoA's Sis Wegner.

The number of newborn babies exposed to prescription painkillers is on the rise, USA Today reports.

A new study suggests that teenage girls and young women with a family history of breast cancer should steer clear of alcohol. The study found those who had a drink a day on average were more than twice as likely as those who didn’t drink to develop benign breast disease, a risk factor for breast cancer.

OxyContin is being smuggled into the United States from Canada, because the Canadian version of the drug is easier to abuse, according to The Globe and Mail.

Children with high IQs are more likely to use drugs when they become adults, compared with children who score lower on intelligence tests, a new study indicates.

Some pain experts say doctors not adequately educated about opioids are contributing to the problem of prescription drug abuse by overprescribing the drugs.

Iowa’s system to track and prevent sales of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient of methamphetamine, has prevented more than 21,000 illegal purchases, a new report states.

Last week, voters in 105 cities and counties in Georgia voted to lift restrictions on Sunday alcohol sales, while 22 communities voted against changing the laws.

The surplus of empty houses caused by the mortgage crisis has led to an increase in the number of homes in Las Vegas that have been turned into marijuana greenhouses, the Los Angeles Times reports.

As marijuana use among teenagers increases and its perceived danger among this age group decreases, clinicians need to know the latest science about the harmful effects of the drug on the adolescent brain, according to a researcher at the University of Colorado, Denver.

A new government study finds almost 70 percent of American smokers want to quit, and more than half tried last year, but only 6 percent succeeded.

Painkillers are more difficult to obtain in Britain compared with the United States, according to the Associated Press.

Teenagers living in rural areas who regularly volunteer and help others are less likely than their peers, who don’t often engage in these activities, to drink or use drugs as young adults, a new study suggests.

People hospitalized for methamphetamine or marijuana use are more likely than those being treated as inpatients for other substance use disorders to develop schizophrenia, according to a new study.

Emergency rooms reported 14,270 intentional poisonings in 2009, according to a new government report. Alcohol was a factor in 60 percent of cases.

The Meth Project, a prevention program aimed at reducing teenage methamphetamine use, has expanded, adding online resources and a social media campaign.

Teens entering 12-step substance abuse programs with a background in formal religious practices have better outcomes than those without a similar experience in religion, a new study suggests.

Skipping the recommended six-month “dry out” period for alcoholics in need of a new liver, before performing a liver transplant, results in better survival rates, according to a study published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine.

The first large-scale study of treatment for addiction to prescription opioids finds the drug Suboxone (buprenorphine plus naloxone) can be an effective therapy. The study found adding intensive counseling for opioid dependence was not helpful, however.

The antidepressant mirtazapine (Remeron) can help reduce methamphetamine dependence, a new study suggests.

Financial stress may lead older adults to drink and smoke more, according to a study of more than 2,300 adults over the age of 65. Men and people with less education appear to be most likely to drink and smoke in response to money worries.

Two teenagers who wrote a song about their experience in drug treatment have won the MusiCares and GRAMMY Foundation's Teen Substance Abuse Awareness through Music Contest.

Nurses have an important role in Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral for Treatment (SBIRT) for alcohol use disorders, according to the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA).