The Latest News from Our Field

Many U.S. Costco stores have stopped selling tobacco, Time reports. The move is primarily a business decision, the company says.

The U.S. Senate voted 94-1 to pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. The New York Times reports the measure authorizes funds for various drug treatment and prevention programs for a wide range of people, including those in jail.

The Obama Administration announced Friday it plans to spend $94 million to improve and expand delivery of substance abuse services in health centers. The funding will focus on treatment of opioid use disorders in underserved populations.

Some states are limiting how opioids are prescribed, in an effort to reduce the number of deaths from prescription painkillers, The New York Times reports.

The American Board of Medical Specialties has officially recognized Addiction Medicine as a subspecialty.

Buprenorphine may be more effective than opioid therapy in treating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans struggling with chronic pain, PTSD and substance use disorders, a new study suggests.

The maker of the long-acting painkiller Opana ER has agreed to stop marketing the drug as crush-resistant, under a settlement with New York State. The company also agreed to accurately describe the risk of addiction to the drug, Reuters reports.

A new study suggests that in some patients undergoing a total knee replacement, taking opioid painkillers before the operation may increase the risk of being on opioids much longer afterwards. The drugs may also increase the risk of complications after surgery, Medscape reports.

The California Senate will consider a package of anti-smoking measures Thursday that would raise the smoking age to 21 and classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products, the Associated Press reports.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, March 4- Thursday, March 10, 2016.

A new online tool introduced this school year is helping colleges compare and choose interventions to address harmful and underage student drinking. The College Alcohol Intervention Matrix helps administrators find programs that are effective and fit into their budget, says Jason Kilmer, PhD of the University of Washington, who helped to develop the resource.

A study of teens finds almost 90 percent of those who abuse medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder say they used someone else’s medication.

The Senate on Monday voted 86-3 to advance the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, USA Today reports. A vote on the final passage of the bill is expected this week.

A new study suggests having six to nine drinks in one day nearly doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke over the following week.

Proving synthetic drug use is the cause of traffic accidents can be difficult, experts tell The Seattle Times. Prosecutors in some cases involving traffic fatalities have ended up charging drivers with less serious crimes.

The heroin epidemic is becoming increasingly visible as more people who use the drug are overdosing in public spaces, The New York Times reports.

Doctors who write many more prescriptions than their peers for potentially addictive drugs, such as opioids or stimulants, are not likely to reduce the number they write after they receive a warning from the government, a new study finds.

Almost six million American adults experienced marijuana use disorder in the past year, according to a study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health.

Members of the Senate Special Committee on Aging are seeking help for a retired pastor from Maine who is imprisoned in Spain for smuggling drugs. The New York Times reports the pastor was tricked into carrying contraband.

E-cigarettes have been banned on commercial flights to and from the United States, the Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.

The Senate on Wednesday voted against an amendment to the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act that would have added $600 million in funding. The bill would increase addiction treatment and prevention.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Houston are seeing an increasing amount of a type of high-potency marijuana known as “shatter,” ABC7NY reports.

A study that looks at why parents allow their teens to sip alcohol concludes they are more likely to permit drinking if they think their child’s friends drink, too.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, February 26- Thursday, March 3, 2016.

Use of flakka has declined in South Florida since last year, but other chemical compounds continue to be sold under the same name, according to a drug prevention specialist in Broward County, Florida.