The Latest News from Our Field

Primary care doctors screen only a small percentage of their patients prescribed long-term opioids, despite the risk of abuse, addiction and overdose, according to researchers in New York. Their study found lax screening even in patients who are at high risk for misuse of opioids, including those with a history of drug abuse or dependence.

The smoking habits of fathers may influence the timing of their daughters’ menopause, a new study suggests. Japanese researchers found that a woman whose father smoked, while her mother was pregnant with her, may go through menopause about a year earlier than a woman whose father did not smoke.

Hospitals and state licensing boards in Minnesota are teaming up to try to cut down on drug thefts in hospitals and nursing homes. A coalition organized by the Minnesota Hospital Association and state Health Department is trying to close loopholes in drug-handling procedures in order to make it more difficult to steal drugs.

A new report by a group of current and former world leaders recommends that the United States and other governments end the criminalization of drug use. The group urges governments to experiment with new ways to legalize and regulate marijuana to cut drug cartel profits. The report comes from the Global Commission on Drug Policy, which includes past presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, the current prime minister of Greece and former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Florida Governor Rick Scott this week signed into law requiring that adults in the state who are applying for welfare assistance undergo drug screening. The law, which takes effect July 1, requires applicants to be responsible for the cost of the screening. They can recover the costs if they qualify for assistance.

Female prisoners who are not enrolled in a drug treatment program after they are released are 10 times more likely to return to custody within a year compared with prisoners not in a drug program, a new study finds. More than a third of female prisoners who are not participating in a drug program return to prison within the first six months.

A federal judge this week refused to end a case between the U.S. Justice Department and a group of tobacco companies, calling the arguments of cigarette makers “simply unconvincing.” The companies argued that the judge lost jurisdiction of the case due to a 2009 law that gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that tobacco will kill nearly 6 million people in 2011, including 600,000 nonsmokers. According to the WHO, governments are not doing enough to help people quit smoking or to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke.

Prices for prescription painkillers sold illegally are sky-high, according to data from federal law enforcement agencies. These prices are creating a fast-growing street market for prescription painkillers.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a significant risk factor for developing substance use disorders and cigarette smoking in both boys and girls, new research indicates.

Robert Morrison, Executive Director of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, discusses key issues impacting substance abuse prevention, treatment, recovery and policy.

Although many college students believe that smoking tobacco through a hookah is safer than cigarettes, a growing number of legislators, college administrators and health groups are pushing to ban or limit hookah bars because of health concerns.

Teenagers who are involved in sports or exercising are less likely to use drugs and smoke cigarettes compared with teens who are not as active, a new study suggests. However, Reuters reports that the study found high school athletes on teams drank more alcohol than their classmates who weren’t on a team.

Tobacco companies, which can no longer use words such as ‘light’ ‘mild,’ or ‘low’ to attract smokers in the United States, are using package design elements to lure smokers, new studies suggest.

Prison officials throughout the country are finding that Suboxone, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, is being smuggled in through ingenious means, including greeting cards, children’s artwork and under stamps.

Illicit drug use cost the U.S. economy more than $193 billion in 2007, according to estimates from a study by the National Drug Intelligence Center.

The Food and Drug Administration has sent warning letters to online retailers for illegally marketing tobacco products using misleading health claims. The letter said the 11 retailers had illegally marketed tobacco products using words such as ‘light,’ ‘less toxic,’ ‘mild,’ ‘safer’ or ‘low.’

Some college campuses are seeing an increase in ‘drunkorexia,’ the act of restricting calories by day so students can drink alcohol at night without gaining weight.

A new law signed this week by Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas will require people arrested for the first time for drunk driving offenses to use ignition interlock devices on their cars. The law also requires the state to set up a central database of cases involving driving under the influence.

The skyrocketing growth in the number of Americans addicted to prescription drugs is due to easy accessibility and the diminished perception of risk, the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy told a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday.

New ‘dissolvable’ tobacco products that look like Tic Tacs, toothpicks and breath strips are being test-marketed in Denver. Public health officials are concerned that the products look like candy, making them attractive to young people.

The maker of the popular Tilt malt beverage is lowering the drink’s alcohol content from 12 percent to 8 percent for a 24-ounce container. Anheuser-Busch announced that the new drinks will be sold starting this summer.

More than $100 million in funding is available for up to 75 Community Transformation Grants that aim to reduce chronic diseases through strategies including tobacco-free living.

West Huddleston of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals explains that National Drug Court Month is a powerful demonstration of what has become our most successful justice program. More than a decade of research has established that drug courts significantly reduce substance abuse and drug-related crime and produce greater cost benefits than any other criminal justice strategy.

Methadone, long used to treat heroin addiction, is now becoming a popular tool in the fight against prescription drug abuse in Florida. A state review last year concluded that more methadone clinics and satellite offices will be needed to deal with the growing number of patients addicted to prescription drugs.