The Latest News from Our Field

A new assessment tool may allow doctors to evaluate the impact of methamphetamine on babies exposed in the womb. The tool may help identify which babies will go on to develop problems due to exposure to the drug, according to a new study.

Miami-Dade County, which has started a new court program designed for veterans with drug problems, joins a growing nationwide movement of courts for veterans.

A new survey suggests that almost 25 percent of adults who seek medical treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are exaggerating or faking symptoms, to get their hands on stimulant medication such as Ritalin or Adderall.

Prescriptions for the painkiller hydrocodone/acetaminophen have increased dramatically, from 121 million doses in 2006 to 131 million today, a new national survey shows.

Living or working with smokers may increase a pregnant woman’s risk of having a stillbirth, a new study suggests. Pregnant women who breathe in secondhand smoke are also more likely to give birth to babies who weigh less, compared to mothers not exposed to the smoke.

China is imposing a new smoking ban on public places including bars, restaurants and hospitals. The Los Angeles Times reports that enforcing the ban will be very difficult.

All of us who are passionate about reducing drug abuse cannot ignore the growing dangers of prescription drug abuse, particularly among teens and young adults. By preventing drug abuse where it starts, we can make a tremendous difference in the life of our nation: one community, one family and one child at a time.

Mad Men, Black Swan, The Fighter and Nurse Jackie were among the films and television shows recognized Thursday night at the 15th Annual PRISM Awards, which honor entertainment that accurately depicts and brings attention to substance abuse and mental health issues.

Attorneys general from 24 states have asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to do more to shield teenagers from alcohol advertising.

New Jersey’s attorney general has told storeowners who are selling synthetic drugs, known as bath salts, that they have 10 days to voluntarily surrender the drugs or they will face criminal penalties.

Teenagers who are on the computer the most are 50 percent more likely to engage in multiple high-risk behaviors, such as drug and alcohol use and unprotected sex compared to teens who log little screen time, according to a new study.

Researchers at companies that make opioid painkillers are trying to make a “safe” drug that is resistant to abuse, in an effort to combat what the government has called an epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse.

Teens who drink with adult supervision have more drinking-related problems than their peers whose parents don’t allow them to drink, a new study shows.

Homeless alcoholic men openly drink at “wet houses,” where the goal is harm reduction instead of sobriety.

To reduce prescription drug abuse among seniors, SAMHSA is expanding a grant program targeting adults 60 and older who are at risk for or experiencing behavioral health problems. The grant also aims to reduce suicides among this group.

Taking the smoking cessation drug Chantix for a month before trying to quit smoking may boost success rates, according to a new study.

Synthetic drugs known as spice, K2 and bath salts, which mimic the effects of cocaine and marijuana, are a growing problem in the military, according to an article in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Extremely overweight teenagers drink and use illegal drugs about as much as their peers, a nationwide survey suggests. But obese teens are more likely to smoke or chew tobacco.

Almost six million people die from tobacco use and 2.5 million from harmful use of alcohol each year worldwide, the World Health Organization reports.

Addiction is a disease that is hard to understand, explains Dr. Tom McLellan, Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, and Director, Penn Center for Substance Abuse Solutions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it will regulate smokeless electronic cigarettes as tobacco products, treating them the same as traditional cigarettes. The decision comes after the FDA lost a court case in which it argued that the devices should be regulated as drug-delivery devices, which must satisfy stricter requirements.

An estimated 27,500 people died in 2007 from unintentional drug overdoses, many of them involving prescription opioids, according to a report that recommends doctors try other pain control options before prescribing opioid medications.

A new program is showing promise in helping mentally ill people quit smoking. The pilot program’s success is surprising therapists who have long assumed that people with mental illness are not interested in quitting smoking.

An Arkansas group that favors legalizing medical marijuana has gotten the state’s attorney general to certify their proposal’s ballot language. They will now need 62,507 signatures to get on the November 2012 ballot.

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are more likely to use substances including nicotine, marijuana and cocaine, and to develop substance use disorders, a review of 27 long-term studies concludes.