The Latest News from Our Field

All of Maine’s public housing units are now smoke free, a coalition of health and clean-air groups announced this week. The Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine says a new survey has found that overall, almost half of renters in the state are living in smoke-free housing.

Female smokers are 25 percent more likely than male smokers to develop heart disease, say researchers at the University of Minnesota.

A new study suggests a majority of children who are removed from homes where drugs are produced are healthy and drug free.

Holding alcohol retailers liable for injuries or damage done by their customers who are intoxicated can reduce alcohol-related occurrences including motor vehicle deaths, homicides and injuries, according to a nationwide task force.

Lifting weights can help smokers quit without gaining weight, new research indicates. Men and women who participated in a three-month resistance training program were twice as likely to quit smoking, compared with smokers who did not lift weights.

A growing number of colleges are creating recovery programs for students, The Wall Street Journal reports. This summer, a group of colleges has formed the Association for Recovery in Higher Education to promote these initiatives.

New cigarette labels required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that will carry graphic images of the consequences of smoking should have the desired effect of reducing demand, a new study suggests.

California Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill that would have encouraged more districts to create veterans courts, citing a lack of funding.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has announced it will ban smoking in staterooms on all of its 11 ships starting in 2012.

Two new initiatives are bringing college leaders and experts together to tackle the seemingly intractable problem of college high-risk drinking.

People who start smoking soon after they wake up are more likely to develop lung, head and neck cancer, compared to those who wait awhile before they light up, new research suggests.

A survey to see how well alcohol use rules are being enforced among Marines could result in an increase in treatment for alcohol abuse, the Marine Corps Times reports.

Smoking and obesity play a large role in the early deaths of many women in Emporia, VA. Women there are likely to die nearly 10 years earlier than women in a wealthier county just a few hours north.

Police and hospitals across Maine report a sharp increase in the use of “bath salts.” The Northern New England Poison Control Center received 110 calls about bath salts—87 of them from Maine—between January and July, compared with just one call in 2010.

An increasing number of colleges are selling beer to legal-age drinkers to increase profits, according to The Des Moines Register.

The rate of alcohol abuse among soldiers has doubled in the past five years, the head of the Army’s substance abuse program says.

Using the U.S. Postal Service and commercial carriers to transport contraband is becoming an increasingly popular choice among South Florida drug smugglers.

Cape Cod, a favorite Massachusetts vacation destination, is experiencing a rash of property crimes fueled by drug abuse.

Screening and brief intervention (BI) is recommended to find patients with unhealthy alcohol use and to treat them, even though there are still many questions about the effectiveness of the procedure, according to the Chair of the upcoming INEBRIA conference in Boston.

Self-medicating with alcohol and drugs to ease anxiety substantially increases the risk of substance use disorders, suggests a new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

The percentage of high school smokers who smoke at least 11 cigarettes a day is on the decline, a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds. ‘Light’ smoking—defined as between one and five cigarettes a day—is increasing among U.S. high school students.

A new study suggests that Florida’s Clean Indoor Air Act, which prohibits smoking in all enclosed indoor workplaces, has not harmed businesses. In some cases, the law has had a positive effect on profits, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

California Governor Jerry Brown this week signed a bill that bans the production and sale of beer with added caffeine.

Vermont has the highest rate of underage drinking in the nation, a new federal report reveals.

Johnson & Johnson’s recent announcement that the company plans to lower the maximum dose for Extra Strength Tylenol highlights the potential overdose dangers of over-the-counter drugs, experts say.