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Helpline
Helpline
Call 1.855.378.4373 to schedule a call time with a specialist

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.

Progress in the war on teen smoking has slowed to a crawl, and the government will miss a key target for smoking cessation, a CDC report says ... The head of California’s NAACP chapter is under fire for supporting a marijuana legalization ballot initiative ... San Francisco has drawn up the first regulations on marijuana-infused foods ... Alcoholic energy drinks are being marketed to kids, Sen. Charles Schumer says ...

Certain brands of alcoholic energy drinks are marketed with the intent of appealing to underage drinkers, charged Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) in calling for an investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Funding for tobacco prevention programs has dried up and -- perhaps not coincidentally -- progress against smoking in the U.S. has stalled, Steven A. Schroeder, M.D., and Kenneth E. Warner, Ph.D. wrote in a New England Journal of Medicine editorial that called for renewed attention to countermarketing efforts and other interventions.

The California State Conference of the NAACP's president, Alice Huffman, has aroused the ire of some African-American religious and community leaders for endorsing a statewide marijuana-legalization ballot item.
Russia has adopted new policies to regulate and reduce cigarette usage in the country, including 'smoking kills' and other health warnings on cigarette packs.

Children of smokers face an array of health problems, a study finds ... Some smokers may benefit from starting nictoine-replacement therapy before they stop smoking ... Mexican drug smugglers are hiring U.S. teens to move drugs across the border ... Smoking kills, Russia is warning smokers on cigarette packs ...

The USDA has proposed new Dietary Guidelines for Americans that include substantial changes about alcohol. The deadline for public comments on the guidelines is Thursday, July 15.

Every five years, the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) revisit the dietary guidelines "to promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases."

The Advisory Committee is recommending an average (weekly) rather than daily consumption guideline. Tim Naimi’s accompanying commentary and Marin Institute’s talking points outline the issues.

Treatment programs need to meet the unique needs of methamphetamine users, researchers say ... Pennsylvania is experimenting with high-tech alcohol vending machines ... California’s NAACP chapter has endorsed a marijuana-legalization ballot initiative ... Youthful marijuana use may or may not cause depression, but there seems to be an association between the two, a new study finds ...

Missouri has become the fifth U.S. state to ban K2, an herbal blend that mimics the effects of marijuana when smoked ... Price controls on potent alcoholic drinks have helped cut binge drinking, a Canadian province reports ... Healthcare providers need to pay more attention to smoking among gay and lesbian populations, says the American Lung Association ... The long-running legal battle over funding of an Ohio tobacco prevention foundation has reached the state Supreme Court ...