The Latest News from Our Field

Fatal overdoses of prescription drugs are having a devastating effect in Ohio, The New York Times reports. In the last decade, fatal overdoses have more than quadrupled and are now more common than car crashes as a cause of accidental death in the state.

The Texas Senate this week passed a bill that would give immunity to underage drinkers who are seeking medical help in an emergency. The bill’s sponsor said it is aimed at minors who are afraid to seek help because they do not want to be charged with underage drinking.

Kidney cancer is both more common and aggressive in smokers compared with nonsmokers, a new study finds. Reuters reports that more than one in four smokers who underwent surgery for kidney cancer had advanced disease, compared with one in five nonsmokers.

Children whose parents have an alcohol use disorder are at increased risk of developing the disorder themselves, a new study finds. The risk appears to be greater for girls than boys.

A new government strategy aims to cut the use of prescription painkillers by 15 percent in five years. The plan includes doctor training, promoting prescription databases in all states and increased focus on rooting out illegal ‘pill mill’ clinics.

Veterans with mental illness often also struggle with substance use disorders, according to a study of records from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Tobacco smoke toxins that linger on surfaces, called ‘thirdhand’ smoke, may pose a danger to developing babies’ lungs, according to researchers at Harbor UCLA Medical Center.

In 2011, the International Network on Brief Interventions for Alcohol Problems (INEBRIA) will hold its annual conference in the U.S. for the first time. Abstract, workshop and symposium submissions are due Monday, May 30th.

A new study showing marked increases in teen use of marijuana and Ecstasy over the past three years underscores the importance of incorporating screening and prevention programs into all health care interactions with adolescents and their parents.

Rapper Snoop Dogg is promoting the new fruit-flavored alcoholic drink, Blast by Colt 45, The New York Times reports.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has created a new program, known as the Addiction Performance Project, to help primary care providers break down the stigma of addiction.

Patients with alcohol use disorders who develop an infection while in the hospital are more likely to die from the infection, than patients without an alcohol disorder, a new study finds.

Legislation proposed by the Australian government would make it the first country to require plain packaging for cigarettes, outlawing all colors, logos and promotional text.

Sign up for CADCA’s 2011 Mid-Year Training Institute in Anaheim, CA on July 24-28.

Colleges can now officially be certified “smoke-free” by a health-education organization, The New York Times reports.

A new study finds that consuming a caffeine-infused energy drink combined with alcohol is more dangerous than drinking alcohol alone.

A government-sanctioned facility in Canada that medically supervises the injection of illegal drugs has reduced fatal overdoses, according to a new study.

In the second half of his interview with Join Together, Nic Sheff, author of the new memoir We All Fall Down, discusses what treatment and recovery mean to him.

The majority of people with substance dependence issues say they have poor oral health, according to a study from Boston University.

Women prisoners with substance abuse problems, who are enrolled in aftercare programs once they are released, are much more likely to stay out of prison, than women not involved in one of these programs, according to a new study.

Drug traffickers in Puerto Rico are using the United States Postal Service and private overnight couriers to smuggle cocaine, the Associated Press reports.

Register now for the NIATx Summit and The State Associations of Addiction Services National Conference in Boston, July 10-13.

Twenty percent of smokers incorrectly assume that lighter colors of cigarette packs—silver, gold or white—are less dangerous than black or red brands, a new study shows.

A new study suggests that a variation in a gene called GABRA2 increases the risk for alcoholism. HealthDay reports that people with this genetic variation tend to act impulsively when they are under stress, which can lead to problem drinking.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol in pregnancy increases the risk of very preterm birth, a new study finds.