The Latest News from Our Field

The type of care veterans receive for substance use disorders and mental illness varies around the country, according to a new study.

An unknown number of blank prescription pads have been stolen from hospitals in New York City since 2008. The thefts are thought to be linked to gangs selling prescription painkillers illegally.

With an explosion of science suggesting that treatment can work, including laboratory-demonstrated evidence based practices, how do we get those treatments into the hands of our treatment counselors, asks Adam C. Brooks, PhD, a research scientist at the Treatment Research Institute.

Some medical marijuana shops in central California have closed down following a letter from federal prosecutors threatening their landlords with legal action.

The Director of Mississippi’s Bureau of Narcotics says the state’s law requiring prescriptions for the cold medicine pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient in methamphetamine, has reduced the number of meth labs in the state.

Young people who begin using heroin generally are unaware of the drug’s dangerous effects, according to a new study.

One in five songs that are popular with teens have explicit references to alcohol, and one-quarter of these songs mention a specific brand, a new study finds.

School nurses can help some teens—especially boys—quit smoking through counseling, but the results tend to be short-lived, a new study suggests.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Food and Drug Administration continue to delay making a decision about whether to reclassify drugs containing the opioid hydrocodone, to make them more strictly regulated, ABC News reports. The government has been considering the move for 12 years.

The increasing number of women addicted to painkillers in Maine has had a particularly unfortunate consequence—a growing number of babies who have been exposed to opioids before birth and experience withdrawal symptoms after being born.

The use of antidepressants has jumped almost 400 percent in the last 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antidepressants are the third most common prescription drug in America, taken by 11 percent of those ages 12 and older.

Four U.S. senators have asked the baseball players union to agree to a ban on chewing tobacco at the World Series, which begins Wednesday night.

A growing number of states are implementing stricter regulations on doctors who prescribe opioids, in an effort to cut down on prescription drug abuse.

Half of Americans support the legalization of marijuana, up from 46 percent last year, according to a new Gallup poll.

College students who drink heavily and have high levels of aggression and impulsivity may be more likely than their calmer counterparts to continue heavy drinking after college, a new study suggests.

Computer programs and applications for cell phones and other mobile devices are increasingly popular as tools for prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.

The costs to society from excessive drinking add up to $2 per drink, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The costs include lost work productivity, medical expenses and property damage from car crashes.

Medicare will now cover screening and counseling for alcohol misuse, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced.

A new study finds African-American women are more likely than men to stay with a type of substance abuse counseling called Motivational Enhancement Therapy. However, the women’s substance abuse issues continued, UPI reports.

Doctors and law enforcement officials in Florida and Louisiana say state bans on “bath salts” are leading to a decline in the drugs’ use.

The football players union has said it is not ready to test players for Human Growth Hormone, despite urging from two members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America is looking for 25,000 people to sign an online petition on the White House’s “We the People” website to raise the profile of effective drug prevention. If the goal is reached by November 4, the Obama Administration will discuss the issue.

Doctors and pharmacists can begin using Florida’s new drug monitoring database on Monday. The database is designed to reduce prescription drug abuse by preventing people from “doctor shopping” for painkillers.

The California Medical Association has called for the legalization of marijuana, although it acknowledges the drug does have some health risks.

Joseph Lee, MD, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Hazelden's Center for Youth and Families, speaks with Join Together about synthetic drug abuse among teens and what can be done to curb use.