The Latest News from Our Field

The Attorneys General of 39 states reached an agreement with the companies that own Circle K (Dairy Mart) and On The Run stores aimed at preventing tobacco sales to minors. The agreement increases training for store employees and will impose independent compliance checks for the companies’ 4,000 stores.

Synthetic marijuana known as Spice can cause long-lasting psychosis, according to a report at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. Doctors at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego reported that in 10 men hospitalized for psychosis caused by Spice, symptoms lasted for days or even months.

Doctors can help influence teens’ attitudes and knowledge about smoking, and can help convince those who’ve already started smoking to think about quitting, a new study suggests.

On July 1, the first group of medical residents will start training in 10 newly accredited addiction medicine residencies around the country. The programs, accredited by the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) Foundation, will signal a new era in addiction medicine, says ABAM Foundation President Kevin Kunz, MD.

Binge drinking appears to hamper young adults’ ability to perform simple language and memory tests, a new study shows. The research suggests that drinking large quantities of alcohol in a short period may have an effect on the region of the brain involved in learning.

Georgia has become the latest state to approve a prescription monitoring program designed to help stop the abuse of opioid painkillers.

People with a family history of a milder form of alcoholism show a greater response to alcohol, than people without this family history, a new study finds. This enhanced sensitivity to alcohol could increase the risk for developing alcoholism, the researchers say.

Smoking increases the risk of developing advanced kidney cancer, a new study suggests. Quitting smoking can reduce the risk, the researchers found.

Florida officials met with health care executives last week to discuss how to protect babies born to women addicted to prescription drugs. An estimated 1,300 babies were treated for drug withdrawal in Florida in 2010, a 30 percent jump from the previous year.

Women who screen positive for unhealthy substance use receive mammograms less frequently than women who screen negative, a new study finds. In addition, both men and women who screen positive for unhealthy substance use are less likely to receive flu shots than patients not engaging in unhealthy substance use.

A law restricting access to the cold medicine ingredient pseudoephedrine has helped in the fight against methamphetamine, according to Iowa officials. But meth producers are still finding ways around the law.

Selling malt liquor containing caffeine, ginseng or other stimulants would be illegal under a bill passed by the Texas House.

A type of smokeless tobacco popular in Sweden called snus is growing in popularity in the United States. While most recognize that it is a safer alternative to cigarettes or older forms of smokeless tobacco, others are concerned that it will attract young people, becoming a steppingstone to cigarettes, says a researcher who spoke this week at the Smokeless Tobacco Summit in Austin, TX.

Missouri’s General Assembly this week passed a bill that would require all work-eligible welfare recipients to undergo drug testing. Anyone testing positive would be barred from receiving benefits for three years.

The rate of misuse of prescription pain medications jumped 40 percent in New York City from 2002 to 2009, according to the city’s Health Department.

People who undergo gastric bypass surgery to lose weight are twice as likely to need inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse, compared to those who undergo Lap-Band weight loss surgery, according to a new study.

Teen musicians ages 14-18 are invited to compose or create an original song and/or music video that promotes a healthy lifestyle or accurately depicts a story about drug abuse as part of the Teen Substance Abuse Awareness Through Music contest.

The Canadian Supreme Court will consider the legality of North America’s only government-sanctioned facility that medically supervises the injection of illegal drugs. On Thursday, the court is scheduled to hear a case that pits its founders against the government, which says the facility promotes drug abuse.

States that had the fastest growth of high-speed Internet access from 2000 to 2007 also had the largest jump in admissions for treatment of prescription drug abuse, a new study finds. The researchers say the findings may suggest that online pharmacies, many of which do not adhere to regulations requiring a doctor’s prescription, are contributing to the increase.

Missouri legislators approved a ban on synthetic drugs, known as bath salts, this week. The bill also expands an existing ban on another synthetic drug called K2, to include other similar substances. The measure is awaiting the governor’s signature.

The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) and its subsidiary organization, the National Prevention Network (NPN), present a call for applications for the 2011 National Exemplary Awards for Innovative Substance Abuse Prevention Programs, Practices and Policies.

The ranks of school drug and alcohol counselors are thinning as grant funding to pay for these positions declines, The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Some school administrators view drug and alcohol programs as luxuries that they can no longer afford.

A bill introduced in the House by a Louisiana Republican would require drug testing for anyone applying for or receiving benefits under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

A new law in Indiana will make it easier for people to drop off their unused or expired drugs to pharmacies and health clinics. Until now, a police officer had to be present when a pharmacy collected unused drugs.

An Ohio doctor was convicted in federal court on Tuesday of illegal distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in the death of four people. Dr. Paul H. Volkman was described by federal authorities as one of the largest dispensers of oxycodone in the nation. He could face life in prison.