The Latest News from Our Field

A growing number of companies are linking employees’ eligibility for lower-cost health plans to tobacco screening test results. Hospitals are at the forefront of the trend, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

A new study suggests that people with alcohol use disorders who show signs of being impulsive are more likely to die within the next 15 years than those who act less rash.

California is facing budget cuts that threaten to hamper efforts to fight prescription drug abuse at a time when more people in the state are illegally obtaining prescriptions.

An appeals court in Los Angeles has upheld $13.8 million in punitive damages against tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris. The damages were awarded for the addiction and death of a woman who smoked for 45 years.

Conducting drug tests in high schools appears to have only a small effect in reducing substance use, a new study suggests. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found the tests had no influence on male students, and only a slight impact on females—but only in some schools.

Hundreds of New Yorkers who have been found with small amounts of marijuana, or who have simply admitted to using the drug, have been accused of child neglect, even though they did not face criminal charges.

Countering the myth that alcohol can help a person sleep better, a small study indicates drinking interferes with the restorative functions of sleep.

Many soldiers are unaware that the Army’s restrictions on smoking include smokeless tobacco products. Both soldiers and civilians using smokeless tobacco or cigarettes in a federal facility can be held in violation of Army regulations, the Leesville Daily Leader reports.

Five tobacco companies are suing the federal government over graphic cigarette warning labels that are scheduled to be on all packages by the fall of 2012. The manufacturers claim the labels violate First Amendment protections for commercial speech.

A new study finds asking patients to use a cell phone to snap a picture of medication for methamphetamine dependence treatment before they take it, and emailing it to their doctor, may be a simple and effective way of monitoring treatment compliance.

Smoking cigarettes is a significant risk factor for developing bladder cancer, according to a study that found almost half of these cancers are caused by smoking.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is seeking feedback on its working definition of recovery. The definition aims to portray the essential, common experiences of people recovering from substance use and mental disorders, and includes 10 guiding principles of recovery.

A pilot Army program allows soldiers at high risk for developing alcohol problems to enroll in a confidential treatment program that will not adversely impact their careers. The program, which started at three Army installations, is now at six posts.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine has released a new definition of addiction, calling it a chronic brain disorder, not just a behavior problem.

U.S. adults say drug abuse and obesity are the biggest concerns about children’s health in their communities, a new survey finds.

Florida Governor Rick Scott announced Monday that sales of oxycodone are down 17 percent in the first five months of this year, compared with the same period in 2010.

People who smoke menthol cigarettes may find it more difficult to quit smoking than those who smoke other types of cigarettes, a new study suggests. The findings were most striking among black and Puerto Rican smokers.

An online course that demonstrates the consequences of excessive drinking appears to significantly reduce the most common types of alcohol-related problems among freshman, including binge drinking and sexual assault.

Federal budget cutbacks have forced many states to severely reduce efforts to shut down methamphetamine labs and clean up the toxic waste left behind. Missouri has found a way around this problem by developing its own program for safe disposal of meth lab waste.

Young adults who work 50 or more hours a week are at significantly higher risk of developing alcohol-related problems, compared with young adults who don’t work, a new study suggests.

Health officials in Colorado have called for a hearing on new dissolvable tobacco products being tested in Denver. They are concerned the products are attractive to children and prevent smokers from quitting.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which has a long track record of battling high-risk drinking among students, is trying new tactics, including web-based programming and an initiative to engage parents of incoming students.

Children who are exposed to medication through family members’ transdermal patches are at risk of overdose, experts warn.

A finding about the role of a protein in the brain that influences behavior may hold clues to addiction-like behaviors, a study in mice suggests. The research could help scientists searching for more effective addiction treatments, according to Science Daily.

West Virginia, which has the nation’s highest rate of drug overdose deaths, cannot rely on arrests to solve the state’s problem with prescription drug abuse, officials said Thursday.