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.

Partnership at Drugfree.org Releases New Prevention Ad Campaign for Hispanic Parents

The Partnership at Drugfree.org has launched a multi-media prevention campaign in Latino communities, urging parents to talk with their children about alcohol and drugs.

Male Veterans More Prone to Substance Abuse

Women serving in the U.S. military smoke, binge drink, and use illicit drugs less frequently than male servicemen, according to the U.S. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality.

Effective Screening: It’s How You Ask

The key to successful substance abuse screening may be changing the way healthcare providers approach patients about it.

Advocates Urge State and Local Action on Alcoholic Energy Drinks

After three federal agencies acted together on Nov. 17 to shut down caffeinated alcoholic beverages, public health advocates are now looking to state and local governmental authorities to enforce the rulings and pressure retailers and distributors to quickly get the drinks off the market.

Teens Who Text Too Much: More Likely to Smoke, Drink, Have Sex

A study conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that teens who engage in excessive texting or social networking on school days are more likely to engage in risky behaviors than their peers.

Study: Younger Users of Marijuana at Higher Risk of Brain Damage

A small study performed by researchers at McLean Hospital in Boston suggests that children who start using marijuana before age 16 are at higher risk of long-term brain damage than those who start later.

FDA, FTC Target Alcoholic Energy Drinks

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) simultaneously notified makers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages that such products are unsafe, unapproved, and misleadingly marketed.

Nicotine Increases SIDS Risk

A multi-study review found nicotine might be behind the increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in babies whose mothers smoke.

MADD Wants ’DADSS’ to Stop Drunk Driving

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) wants Congress to authorize $60 million over five years to pay for the development of a device -- called the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety or DADSS -- that would lock the ignition for drivers with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.

2011 'Free The Bowl From Beer Ads'

Marin Institute launches its third annual anti-alcohol-advertising contest at FreeTheBowl.com. This yearâ€™s theme, 'Free the Bowl from Beer Ads,' seeks original, 'performance art' counter-beer-ads from youth and young adults ages 10-20.

Ariz. Legalizes Medical Marijuana After All

A measure to legalize medical marijuana in Arizona passed after trailing in the polls throughout almost two weeks of vote-counting.

'Why to Quit' Smoking Ads Most Effective

Smokers report that they find ads that focus on 'why to quit' -- using graphic images or testimonials that evoke emotional response -- more effective than others, according to a new study.

Rural Teens More Likely to Abuse Prescription Drugs

Teens in rural areas abuse prescription drugs at significantly higher rates than their urban and suburban counterparts, a study of national data suggests.

States Slash Tobacco Prevention Funding

Anti-tobacco advocates fear that smoking rates have stopped falling because many states, facing large deficits, have cut funding for tobacco prevention.

Slippery Slope: Assessing Costs of Risky Behavior

Putting a price tag on social ills is a common way to garner media attention, and if the numbers are scary enough, they can have a real impact on public opinion -- and by extension, on public policy.

Graphic Warnings Coming Soon to U.S. Cigarettes

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled strong new health warnings for cigarettes that show skin lesions, diseased lungs, and dead bodies.

Smokeless Tobacco Use On the Rise

A US study found snuff and chewing tobacco use are on the rise in some states, and smokers who use the products may find it harder to quit.

Mass. Hospital Association to Stop Hiring Tobacco Users

The Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) will stop hiring people who use tobacco as of January 1, 2011.

Lobbyists Try to Block Cigarette Display Ban in U.K.

Regulations scheduled to go into effect next October would ensure that British shoppers do not see cigarettes behind store counters, but tobacco companies and corner store owners are lobbying newly-elected British government ministers to roll back the regulations.

Wash. State Bans Alcoholic Energy Drinks

The state of Washingonâ€™s Liquor Control Board outlawed alcoholic energy drinks beginning Nov. 18.

Phoenix House, Vanguard Merge for D.C. Addiction Services

Phoenix House Foundation, a large, multi-state addiction treatment provider, has partnered with Vanguard Services Unlimited, a nearly 50-year-old substance abuse treatment provider based in the Washington D.C. area. The new organization will extend both groups’ reach and will be dubbed "Phoenix Houses of the Mid-Atlantic."

No Phoolin’: Four Loko’s Phusion Projects Wants ’Responsible Drinking’

Phusion Projects, LLC, maker of alcoholic energy drink Four Loko -- known to college students as ’blackout in a can’ -- has suddenly gotten ’serious’ about alcohol abuse and underage drinking on college campuses.

Advocacy Group's Persistence Spurs Mich. Ban on Alcoholic Energy Drinks

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission's decision to ban sales of beverages combining alcohol and stimulants is being credited to a convergence of factors, including persistent pleas from advocates and a troubling local crime.

Ob-Gyns Urged to Screen Pregnant Women for Smoking

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued a call for all pregnant women to be screened for smoking, from the first office visit to term.

Calif. Limits Company's Marketing of e-Cigarettes

California officials and a distributor of electronic cigarettes have reached a consent agreement under which sales of the increasingly popular devices will be subject to several restrictions, including a ban on flavored cartridges that many say are meant to attract young people, and an outright ban on under-18 sales.

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