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The Latest News from Our Field

We curate a digest of the latest news in our field for advocates, policymakers, community coalitions and all who work toward shaping policies and practices to effectively prevent substance use and treat addiction.

Federal money is drying up for meth lab cleanups, making it more difficult for local law enforcement agencies to dispose of toxic leftovers from meth labs.

Synthetic drugs—substances that mimic the effects of marijuana, cocaine and other illegal drugs—are causing a sharp rise in serious health problems ranging from seizures and hallucinations to death.

A new study finds higher doses of opioids are associated with increased risk of death by accidental overdose from these powerful painkillers.

A new study identifies a gene that appears to be involved in regulating how much alcohol a person drinks. The findings could help scientists in their search for more effective treatments for alcoholism and binge drinking.

Communities have started to take advantage of a federal law signed by President Obama in October that makes it easier for communities to run programs allowing people to safely dispose of old medications.

Two new studies add to evidence that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at increased risk for abusing tobacco, alcohol and possibly other drugs when they are older.


A growing number of physicians are asking patients who take painkillers to sign a contract to discourage them from abusing the medications.


As we all know, drug abuse is costly—to individuals, families, communities and our society as a whole. And like addiction itself, the strategies for lessening its impact are often complex and necessarily diverse.


More than 500,000 Americans die from smoking-related causes each year, according to new statistics. Smoking kills slightly more men than women, the report says.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says he believes smokeless tobacco should be banned at the Major League level.

Actor Martin Sheen, father of the infamous Charlie Sheen, appeared at a Congressional briefing on Friday to defend drug courts. His testimony comes on the heels of two think tank reports that criticized the courts.

Students in schools that perform better than expected are less likely to use drugs and alcohol, a new study finds. The study looked at 61 inner-city middle schools in Chicago.

Asthma may be significantly associated with a higher risk of daily smoking and nicotine dependence, according to new research.

Robert Meenan, Dean, Boston University School of Public Health

The Boston University School of Public Health has been proud to sponsor and host Join Together as part of our mission to provide community leaders with science-based public health information and assistance. Today, Join Together enters a new phase of its important work as it becomes part of The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

ASAM, a professional society of physicians involved in addiction practice and policy, is calling for an end to voter-approval of marijuana as medicine at the state level, recommending instead that marijuana be subject instead to federal testing and regulation.
Join Together's David Rosenbloom announces that effective April 4, Join Together will become part of The Partnership at Drugfree.org.
Maryland state senators have approved a three-percent alcohol tax increase, which, if also passed by the House and signed by governor, would be the first increase since 1973.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will once again review the effectiveness of the alcohol industry's voluntary marketing guidelines, taking an especially close look at the credibility of age registrations in social media advertising. The agency invites public comment until April 26.
A new analysis supports past studies showing that women who live and work in smoke-free environments are less likely to develop breast cancer.
Americans 50 and over are more likely to end up in the emergency room seeking treatment for adverse reactions to medication.
A 2010 study in the British Journal of Criminology on the "Portugal Model" is being cited in support of decriminalizing illicit drugs in the United States, but one leading drug policy analyst argues that the authors' conclusions are weak and contradictory, and that drug policy in general is difficult to translate from one country to another.
Star Scientific Inc. said it can now market its dissolvable tobacco lozenges because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that its products are not subject to the federal law regulating tobacco.
Emergency room visits related to use of the illicit drug ecstasy rose 74.8 percent between 2004 and 2008, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Star Scientific Inc. said it can now market its dissolvable tobacco lozenges because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that its products are not subject to the federal law regulating tobacco.