The Latest News from Our Field

Four Americans are receiving marijuana from the federal government, the result of a 1976 court settlement, according to the Associated Press.

Police and medical professionals in Maine say use of “bath salts” is becoming an epidemic. They have witnessed a growing number of people acting strangely—and dangerously—while under the influence of the synthetic drugs.

A review of studies looking at newer antipsychotic drugs prescribed “off-label” for conditions including substance use and eating disorders finds they are not effective in treating these conditions.

Naltrexone, approved by the Food and Drug Administration as treatment for alcohol dependence, may be especially effective in people of Asian descent, a new study suggests.

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are slowly becoming more popular with retailers, Convenience Store News reports. Many retailers continue to take a “wait and see” approach to the products, before deciding whether to assign them shelf space.

Sales of tobacco to minors in California have dropped to 5.6 percent, the lowest rate since the state started keeping track of the sales in 1995, the state’s Department of Public Health announced.

The 11th Tradition of AA and NA states, "Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films." So how does anonymity factor into recovery in the age of social networks asks Ken Pomerance, COO of InTheRooms.com.

Several restaurant chains that recently added alcohol to their menus have decided it causes more problems than it’s worth. Customers aren’t buying as many drinks as expected, and selling alcohol is causing many logistical problems.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced it is awarding 46 grants totaling $22.5 million for substance abuse prevention efforts.

A Michigan company is developing a device that uses an infrared sensor to determine a driver’s blood alcohol level. The company hopes to make the device small enough to fit on a car’s start button.

A new drug shows promise in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or smoker’s cough, researchers reported this week at the European Respiratory Society meeting. The company that makes the drug, Novartis, announced it has applied to start selling the drug in Europe.

Barry McCaffrey, the former head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, called Florida’s new law that requires drug testing for welfare applicants counterproductive.

Experts in the Chicago area say they are seeing more people facing drug addiction who are white, suburban and upper-middle class.

AMC Theaters, one of the nation’s largest movie chains, is considering adding restaurants that serve alcohol in its New York movie houses.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says he will propose a ban on chewing tobacco on the field in the new players’ contract. His pledge is part of a push by Major League Baseball to rid the sport of a habit that has long been part of the game’s culture.

More than a decade of research by CASA Columbia has found that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs, explains Kathleen Ferrigno, Director of Marketing.

Baylor Health Care System in Dallas announced this week it will no longer hire people who use nicotine, starting in 2012. Current employees who smoke will not be fired, but they will have to pay an extra surcharge for health insurance.

Living alone substantially increases a person’s risk of dying from alcohol-related causes, a new study from Finland has found.

Tobacco manufacturer R.J. Reynolds refused a request this week from the Colorado Board of Health to stop using the state as a test market for new dissolvable tobacco products.

Massachusetts legislators are considering abolishing mandatory minimum sentences for some non-violent drug offenders, the Associated Press reports. The move would be part of a plan to reduce overcrowding in prisons and relieve budget pressures.

A coalition of health-care related organizations and companies issued a challenge this week for employers worldwide to ban smoking. The Global Smoke-Free Worksite Challenge was announced at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York.

Tobacco manufacturers this week asked a federal judge to impose a temporary injunction to block the Food and Drug Administration’s requirement that cigarette packs carry graphic images of the consequences of smoking, including diseased lungs and rotting teeth.

Teenagers are more likely to start drinking alcohol when they have large networks of friends, a new study suggests.

Smokers have a more difficult time remembering everyday tasks than people who have quit smoking or those who have never smoked, a new study suggests.

Government researchers report a dramatic jump in the number of hospitalizations for overdoses caused by drugs and alcohol among 18- to 24-year-olds.