The Latest News from Our Field

Abusing methamphetamine or other stimulant drugs can increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, new research suggests.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is objecting to new ads promoting a brand of cigarettes as “eco-friendly.”

Abuse of Suboxone, a drug used to treat addiction, is a growing concern among Vermont corrections officials.

Despite concern that few substance abuse clinics are enrolled in Medicaid, a new report finds that 64 percent of publicly funded facilities that deliver substance use disorder treatment accept Medicaid.

Under the American Psychiatric Association’s new definition of addiction, one-third of patients undergoing long-term pain therapy with opioids meet the criteria for addiction, a new study finds. Contrary to expectations, the new definition does not reduce the percentage of people considered addicted to opioids.

A new study suggests that people, who quit smoking after being hospitalized for signs of a heart attack, but start again after their release, may triple their risk of dying.

Illinois has become the latest state to ban “bath salts,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

The office of California’s Secretary of State has approved the circulation of ballot petitions for a measure that would legalize recreational marijuana. The measure would be voted on in 2012.

A new study suggests that abuse of prescription opioids may be a first step on the path toward misuse of heroin and other injected drugs.

A Food and Drug Administration panel said Friday it needs more information about the marketing of the smokeless tobacco product called snus, before it can make recommendations about new dissolvable tobacco products.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed a law designed to reduce preventable overdose deaths by encouraging people to call 911 if they witness a drug overdose, without fear of being arrested for drug possession.

Ohio, a state hit particularly hard by opioid abuse, is beginning to show early signs of success in fighting the problem, The Columbus Dispatch reports. But many problems remain.

Frank Vocci, PhD, President of Friends Research Institute, discusses the importance of treating drug-dependent prisoners in the criminal justice system, current barriers to treatment, and what changes are needed in the United States in order for these prisoners to receive the treatment they need.

As a new smokeless tobacco product is tested in two U.S. cities, public health officials are expressing concerns about the safety of this and other similar products. They say the products are especially attractive to teens.

New recommendations issued by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecology call for annual alcohol screening for women, and screening in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A new study finds that borrowing medication prescribed to someone else is not more common in low-income, urban populations, compared with the general population.

Some Connecticut universities and colleges are considering easing their marijuana policies in light of a new state decriminalization law.

Almost one-quarter of Americans age 12 or older say they participated in binge drinking in the previous month, according to a government survey.

A new vaccine shows promise in heroin addiction treatment, a study in rats suggests.

Electronic cigarettes, or “e-cigarettes,” are crude drug delivery systems for refined nicotine that pose unknown risks, two experts write in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine.

Seattle’s City Council voted this week to establish a system for licensing and regulating medical marijuana distribution under a new Washington state law.

Exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to hearing loss in teenagers, who often don’t realize they have hearing difficulties, a new study suggests.

Actor Martin Sheen returned to Congress this week to testify in favor of authorizing drug court funding for veterans in 2012.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has given approval to the state’s medical marijuana program. He says he believes the state’s narrowly focused program will not be subject to federal prosecution.

Health care providers in Ohio are reporting cases of people abusing a type of incense sold under the brand name “Mad Hatter.”