The Latest News from Our Field

A new government study finds that retailers sold tobacco to minors in the United States 9.3 percent of the time, the lowest rate in 14 years.

Detroit has become a major source of prescription painkillers that are sold in other states, according to authorities. Pills originating in Detroit are being sold in states as far away as Alabama and Maine.

Manufacturers of synthetic marijuana have changed the chemical formulation just enough to evade a ban by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, according to an article in the Sun-Sentinel. The new formulation is being sold in stores and on the Internet.

A growing number of pharmacies across the country are being hit by robberies as a result of the rise in addiction to prescription painkillers, the Associated Press reports.

Treatment admissions for prescription drug abuse and alcohol abuse problems are on the rise, according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The manufacturer of Newport menthol cigarettes targeted its ads to California high school neighborhoods with a high percentage of African-American students, a new study finds.

Oklahoma is considering a law similar to one in Oregon that requires a prescription for the tablet form of pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient in methamphetamine. Since Oregon instituted the law in 2005, meth labs have almost disappeared from the state.

As headlines about opioids focus on misuse of the drugs, physicians who treat patients with chronic pain are grappling with how to deal with opioid dependence.

A new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime finds that the abuse of prescription opioids and synthetic drugs are on the rise globally, while worldwide markets for cocaine, heroin and marijuana have declined or remained stable. The report found the U.S. market for cocaine has experienced massive declines in recent years.

A new study finds that one-quarter of drivers who died in single-vehicle crashes between 1999 and 2009 tested positive for drugs, and 37 percent had blood alcohol levels above the legal limit of .08.

Cocaine that is diluted with a commonly used veterinary drug can cause serious skin reactions, according to a new report.

Men with prostate cancer who smoke are more likely than nonsmokers with prostate cancer to die from their disease, a new study finds. The longer the men smoke, the greater their risk of dying from prostate cancer.

Nike is refusing Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s request that the company remove a window display with t-shirts that say ‘Dope’ and ‘Get High’ in one of their stores.

The U.S. House Committee on Appropriations says in a report that it is concerned about the growing use of prescription pain medications in the military, which is leading to dependency among service members. Prescriptions of pain management drugs are handled inconsistently at military medical treatment facilities, according to the report.

A study that examined the hearts of heavy cocaine users found that 83 percent had structural damage in their heart, even though they didn’t have any symptoms.

Obese teenage girls are more than twice as likely to have high-level nicotine addiction, compared with their non-obese peers when they reach young adulthood, a new study suggests.

A group of U.S. senators is asking the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products to regulate a new form of dissolvable tobacco products that they say poses health risks, especially for children.

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.