We curate a digest of the latest news in our field for advocates, policymakers, community coalitions and all who work toward shaping policies and practices to effectively prevent substance use and treat addiction.
The Chief Executive of Scotts Miracle-Gro is hoping that the medical marijuana market will boost his company’s sales.
Tobacco control policies, such as clean indoor air laws and increased cigarette prices, can also lower the rate of teen smoking, a new study suggests.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has found that the number of college athletes who test positive for marijuana at postseason events has almost tripled, USA Today reports.
Some young adults who receive prescription painkillers for acute pain, such as that from a dental procedure or a broken bone, might have enough medication to both overuse it and divert to others, a new study suggests.
People who misuse prescription painkillers are much more likely to get the drugs from family and friends than from a doctor, a new study suggests.
Several states are taking action to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries from alcohol-related boating accidents. Alcohol is the leading contributing factor in deadly boating accidents.
A program that aims to promote a culture of recovery at several U.S. universities is showing promise, a new study suggests.
Drinking even a little bit of alcohol increases the risk of driving accidents, a new study finds. The study shows that the severity of life-threatening motor vehicle accidents increases significantly at blood alcohol levels far lower than the current U.S. limit of 0.08 percent.
A major reduction in federal funds to clean up meth labs is having a negative impact in Tennessee, where methamphetamine use has been spiking. From 2007 to 2010, the state saw a 250 percent rise in meth lab incidents, busts and explosions.
The growing popularity of synthetic drugs known as "bath salts" has contributed to the rise in the number of arrests related to drugged driving in Pennsylvania, according to a state DUI expert.
The planned merger of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism is likely to be delayed until October 2013, the Los Angeles Times reports. The merger originally was scheduled for October 2012.
New cigarette labels mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will carry graphic images of the consequences of smoking, including diseased lungs and rotting teeth.
Following a 2010 report on health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention in the Army that cites prescription drug abuse as a growing issue, the Army is making changes to reduce the misuse of prescription pain medications.
A new national study found a 55 percent jump in emergency room visits for drug-related suicide attempts in men ages 21 to 34 between 2005 and 2009.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Thursday that the smoking-cessation drug Chantix (vareniclene) may be associated with a small, increased risk of certain heart problems in patients with heart disease.
Florida Governor Rick Scott suspended an order that requires all state workers to undergo drug testing until a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union is resolved.
Law enforcement officials in Tennessee say that a recent law aimed at shutting down methamphetamine labs isn’t strict enough because it doesn’t make meth’s key ingredient, pseudoephedrine, available only through a doctor’s prescription.
Now that OxyContin has been reformulated to make the opioid harder to snort, inject or chew, The New York Times reports that demand for other narcotics has increased.
An experimental drug to treat alcohol dependence has shown promising results in three clinical trials in Denmark. The company is now submitting the drug for approval in Europe, The Wall Street Journal reports.
People who own guns are twice as likely to binge drink and to drink and drive, compared with those who don’t own firearms, a new study finds.
The abuse of prescription drugs among teens is growing in New Jersey and is leading to heroin addiction, experts testified at a state hearing this week.
This week’s 40th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s 1971 declaration of the “war on drugs” finds two new contrasting reports addressing the nation’s drug policy.
A bill introduced this week in the New York Assembly would create a real-time database for prescriptions of controlled substances such as oxycodone. The goal is to cut down on illegal trafficking of opioids.
College students who start their classes later in the day are more likely to drink more alcohol and binge drink, compared with students who get an earlier start, a new study has found.
Children and Family Futures will present “Putting the Pieces Together for Children and Families: The National Conference on Substance Abuse, Child Welfare and the Courts,” September 14-16, 2011, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on the Potomac in National Harbor, MD.
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