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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.

Increasing Alcohol Taxes Saves Lives, Reduces Crime

Doubling taxes on alcohol products could lead to substantial reductions in alcohol-related deaths, STD rates, and crime, according to a new study.

Five Weeks into Quit, Urge to Smoke on Cue Still Strong

A new study found images of smoking induced stronger cravings among people who hadn’t smoked in five weeks than in those who had quit for one week.

Tobacco Cos. Exploiting 'Little' Cigar Loophole?

Tobacco companies appear to be exploiting a loophole to avoid an excise tax on little cigars.

Mass. Alcohol and Other Drug Leadership Institute: Oct 15

Massachusetts residents are invited to an Alcohol and Other Drug Leadership Institute on Oct. 15 to develop leaders for alcohol and other drug-related issues. Guest speakers include former Governor Michael Dukakis and David Rosenbloom, director of Join Together.

Supervising Methadone Saves Lives, U.K. Study Finds

Supervising the distribution of doses of methadone to recovering heroin abusers cut the rate of overdose deaths in Scotland and England by a factor of four.

Judge: Colo. Law No Protection for Medical Marijuana Growers

A federal judge has ruled that a Colorado man charged for growing marijuana cannot use Department of Justice (DOJ) memos or state medical marijuana laws in his defense.

New Data Show Millions of Americans with Alcohol and Drug Addiction Could Benefit from Health Care Reform

If implemented properly, federal health care reform legislation could help remove financial barriers to addiction treatment for millions of Americans, according to an analysis by the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap (CATG) initiative.

Animal Research Uncovers Neurological Roots of Impulse Control

Canadian researchers have discovered how the rat brain triggers and suppresses impulsive behavior, which could lead to new methods for diagnosing and treating addiction in humans.

Tools to Celebrate Recovery All Year

Recovery Month 2010 may be drawing to a close, but there are great resources for celebrating and promoting recovery from substance abuse all year round.

Anti-Drug Leaders Respond to Uptick in Use Rates, Urge Community Action

A number of anti-drug organizations delivered words of warning this month upon the federal government's release of data from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) showing some increases in young people's use of drugs such as marijuana and prescription medications for nonmedical purposes.

'Snus' Smokeless Tobacco Unsafe for Pregnant Mothers

Pregnant women who use a form of smokeless tobacco known as 'snus' may increase their risk of stillbirths, according to a new Swedish study.

S.F. Ban on Tobacco Sales in Pharmacies Likely to Expand

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors tentatively approved a measure to expand a ban on tobacco sales in pharmacies to include grocery stores and big box stores that have pharmacies.

Big Tobacco Fights Plain Packaging in Australia

You have to admire the guts of the Australian government, which has passed legislation requiring that cigarettes be sold in uniform brown wrappers beginning in 2012. Colorful branding and design elements will be eliminated in favor of graphic health warnings; cigarette brand names will appear in black type.

But according to Jim Gogek on his blog, tobacco companies are fighting the Australian government?s plan -- and they are spending millions of dollars on a public relations campaign to help them do it.

New Recommendations from British E.R. Docs to Limit Alcohol-Related Injuries

Emergency doctors from Britain's College of Emergency Medicine have called for wide-ranging policy changes designed to limit alcohol-related injuries.

Earlier Pub Closing Times Reduce Alcohol Violence

Restrictions on pub closing times in Newcastle, New South Wales, reduced assault rates in the city by 37 percent, a recent Australian study found.

S.F. Alcohol Fee Vetoed, Could Go to Voters

San Franciso Mayor Gavin Newsom vetoed a proposed fee on alcohol distribution. The city's Board of Supervisors had approved the proposal, but there were not enough votes to overturn the veto.

Survey Reveals 17 Million Americans Drive Drunk

Twenty percent of American drivers have gotten behind the wheel within two hours of drinking, and 8 percent have driven when they considered themselves drunk.

Obese Heavy Drinkers at Higher Risk for Alcohol-Related Brain Damage

New research suggests obesity in heavy drinkers increases the severity of alcohol-related brain injury.

Smoking Bans Cut Hospital Admissions for Children's Asthma

A public smoking ban implemented in Scotland in 2006 reduced hospital admissions for children's severe asthma attacks by 18.2 percent a year, according to a new study.

Teen Substance Abuse Awareness through Music Contest

The MusiCares and GRAMMY Foundation Teen Substance Abuse Awareness through Music Contest asks young musicians, ages 14-18, to compose or create an original song and/or music video that explores, encourages, and celebrates a healthy lifestyle or accurately depicts a story about drug abuse.

Vermont Creates Online Game to Help Smokers Quit

Back in 1995, Join Together developed a fledgling web-based smoking cessation tool. It eventually became an independent company, QuitNet.com, which may be the largest smoking cessation program in the world.

That?s why we?re especially glad when we see other public health advocates continue to innovate in this area.

Case in point: the Vermont Health Department is offering an online video game to smokers who want to quit.

Mich. to Review Alcoholic Energy Drink Labels

Michigan's Liquor Control Commission will scrutinize the labels and packaging of alcoholic energy drinks.

Stigma Unaffected by Acceptance of Disease Model, Study Finds

Survey results show that although more Americans now believe that mental illness and alcohol dependency are medical or genetic in origin than did so in the mid-1990s, they are just as likely to reject those who suffer from them.

Researchers Say Smoking Promoted on YouTube

Nearly three quarters of the English-language videos posted to YouTube for five top cigarette brands promoted smoking, according to a new Australian study.

No Prescriptions for Cough Medicine, Panel Advises FDA

A panel of experts advising the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that cough medicine continue to be sold without a prescription despite increased abuse.
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