The Latest News from Our Field

Tobacco-control advocates would likely gain an ally in Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, but she would be conflicted out of voting on some key tobacco cases ... State budget cuts mean less scrutiny over alcohol sales to youth in Missouri ... Domino theory: Colorado advocates say the state’s medical-marijuana law lays the groundwork for outright legalization of the drug ... Raves and ecstasy overdoses go together like, well, raves and ecstasy use, the CDC says ...

Robert A. Zucker, director of the University of Michigan Addiction Research Center, will receive the 2010 Research Society on Alcoholism Distinguished Researcher Award -- the group’s highest honor, according to a June 15 announcement.

Zucker has directed the Michigan Longitudinal Study -- which tracks the alcohol and other drug use histories of 2,200 people in 460 families -- for the past 26 years, as well as conducting research into gene-based environmental relationships and the neural circuitry underlying addiction risk.

Following up on the recent National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) meeting in the Hub, the Boston Herald has a nice article attesting to the effectiveness of naltrexone treatment.

They say it’s not a call for legalization, but Canadian researchers contend that marijuana interventions should be focused on the minority of users likely to have problems with the drug ... Sick convicts? Nine times more parolees than average citizens in Montana have medical-marijuana cards ... In the dubious honors department, Missouri now has the nation’s lowest tobacco tax -- 17 cents per pack -- thanks to a recent tax hike in South Carolina ... Keeping away from drinking and smoking can help teens avoid headaches, researchers say ...

The New York Post is warning that another 9-11 could be coming unless we cut cigarette taxes. Writer Deroy Murdock says that Islamic terror groups are getting money by smuggling cigarettes from low-tax states like Virginia to high-tax ones like New York. Ergo, New York’s tobacco tax should be frozen or cut, says Murdock.

Here’s a better idea: raise Virginia’s tobacco tax in the name of fighting terrorism.

Here’s one way to separate the sick from the stoners: A California doctor is promoting a form of medical marijuana he claims is more therapeutic -- but won’t get you high ... Isn’t that special: Researchers say that frequent users of ketamine (a.k.a. Special K) can develop incontinence ? Professional poker players are renowned for their stamina and focus -- but some may be using drugs to gain an edge at the table ? Yet another report finds fewer heart-attack hospitalizations after public smoking bans -- this time in London ?

Is there really a teenager in America who is not aware of the fact that 21 is the legal drinking age? I ask because it seems like every so-called underage-drinking prevention campaign involving the alcohol industry is some variation on the theme of, "Hey kids, remember, if you’re not 21, you can’t drink." You know, the kind of message that’s always effective with kids -- telling them they’re not old enough to do something.

The collected papers of William White, an important author and historian in the addiction treatment and recovery field, are now online in a new website devoted to his writings.