The Latest News from Our Field

Americans in their 20s and 30s account for almost half of the wine consumed in the United States, according to a report from the industry nonprofit Wine Market Council.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, February 12- Thursday, February 18, 2016.

Tennessee and New Jersey are the latest states to enact legislation prohibiting sales of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines containing dextromethorphan to minors. The laws are designed to decrease the abuse rate of these medicines by teens, while maintaining access for legitimate consumers of these products, explains Jenni Roberson of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.

Nonmedical use of Adderall, a medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, rose 67 percent among young adults between 2006 and 2011, a new study finds. The number of emergency room visits involving misuse of the drug among 18- to 25-year-olds also rose during this period, NPR reports.

Areas surrounding outpatient drug treatment centers are less likely to experience violent crimes than areas near liquor and corner stores, according to new research.

Several new companies have started to help marijuana businesses deal with their cash, according to The New York Times. Most banks will not open accounts for marijuana businesses, and Visa and MasterCard will not process transactions for dispensaries.

Dental schools in Massachusetts have agreed to begin training their students in opioid abuse prevention and management, WBUR reports. The state already has reached similar agreements with the heads of the state’s medical schools.

Both Republican and Democratic legislators are supporting proposals to address the heroin crisis, USA Today reports.

Almost 500 people in Vermont are on waiting lists to receive medication to treat their opioid dependence, Stateline reports. More than half will wait almost a full year.

New rules proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services would ease consent requirements for providers releasing patients’ substance abuse diagnosis and treatment records, according to MedPage Today.

A bill introduced last week by three U.S. senators would make it easier for college students with drug convictions to receive financial aid, by dropping questions about drug convictions on financial aid forms.

Ignition interlock systems in cars have prevented 1.77 million attempts at drunk driving since 1999, according to a new report by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

A measure that effectively lifts the ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs, passed by Congress last month, could give a financial boost to the programs, WBUR reports. Federal funds still cannot be used for syringes, but they can pay for staff, vehicles, counseling and outreach.

Walgreens announced this week it will install kiosks in more than 500 stores by the end of the year to allow customers to safely dispose of unneeded or expired prescription drugs. The pharmacy chain will also make the opioid overdose antidote naloxone available without a prescription in 35 states and Washington, D.C.

A drug-smuggling scam has ensnared dozens of older American citizens, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, February 5- Thursday, February 11, 2016.

Addiction treatment professionals are often woefully unprepared to care for patients in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community, an expert said this week at the New York Society of Addiction Medicine annual meeting.

It is very difficult to test whether a driver has been using marijuana. The reason is that the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, THC, dissolves in fat, experts tell NPR.

Guns, drug overdoses and motor vehicle crashes are the top three causes of injury-related death in the United States, according to a new study. Researchers say those causes of injury contribute to Americans’ shorter life expectancy compared with people in 12 other wealthy countries.

A growing number of police departments are trying new approaches to battling the heroin epidemic, the Associated Press reports. Instead of simply arresting people, they are helping steer people into treatment.

A program for people involved in alcohol-related crimes that closely monitors them for drinking may reduce deaths, a new study concludes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced it will reassess its approach to opioid medications, in an effort to reverse the epidemic of abuse. The plan comes in response to pressure from Congress, The New York Times reports.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its recommendation that sexually active women should not drink alcohol if they are not using birth control is valid, despite criticism from many women. The New York Times reports the advice was viewed by some women as insulting and impractical.

A White House official said an ad intended to raise awareness of opioid-induced constipation, which aired during Sunday’s Super Bowl, could help fuel the opioid addiction crisis, according to USA Today.

A doctor was convicted of murder last week in connection with the drug overdose deaths of three patients in Los Angeles County, CNN reports.