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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. Sign up here to receive weekly updates straight to your inbox.

Senate advances opioid crisis legislation

The reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act is headed to President Trump's desk for enactment.

Sara Carter defends drug czar credentials

Former Fox News journalist Sara Carter went before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing to become ONDCP director.

Local impact of federal directives on involuntary treatment and harm reduction

A recent executive order will reinforce an existing local shift away from harm reduction and toward forced treatment, despite evidence showing the harm of such approaches.

Government shutdown looms amid debate on health care

With a government shutdown looming at the end of the month, Congress is debating whether to include health care protections in a stopgap spending bill.

Research News Roundup: September 25, 2025

View our curated digest of the latest research news, including a recent study highlighting the increasing impact of alcohol consumption on cancer rates, particularly in the United States. Esophageal cancer showed the strongest link to alcohol consumption. Among women an estimated 18,463 new breast cancer cases in the U.S. will be caused by alcohol. While higher daily consumption contributed the most to cancer cases, even low levels of alcohol intake were shown to increase cancer risk. The findings suggest that public health efforts to reduce alcohol consumption could play a significant role in lowering cancer rates.

NIH study: Opioid treatment in jails saves lives

A study found that individuals who receive MOUD while incarcerated are more likely to continue treatment after release and have a lower risk of overdose, death, and reincarceration.

SAMHSA unveils strategic priorities

SAMHSA released its priorities for the administration's work to advance behavioral health prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts.

MAHA Commission strategy targets childhood chronic disease

The MAHA Commission released its strategy on how to address childhood chronic disease, which includes substance use awareness campaigns, addressing youth screentime, and efforts to limit "overmedicalization" of youth mental health conditions.

FDA fast-tracks nicotine pouch reviews

Reuters reported that FDA plans to fast-track reviews of nicotine pouches amid pressure from the administration to speed up approvals.

Research News Roundup: September 18, 2025

View our curated digest of the latest research news, including a survey of Midwestern college students that links difficult childhood experiences to substance use. The survey identified parental divorce as the most common difficult experience and found that students with more adverse childhood events were more likely to have used substances at some point in their lives.

House advances $108B HHS funding bill

The House Appropriations Committee voted to send to the House floor an HHS budget bill proposing a 6% cut.

HHS Secretary Kennedy defends health agenda

HHS Secretary Kennedy appeared before the Senate Finance Committee to discuss the administration's FY 2026 health care agenda.

U.S. strikes cartel ship near Venezuela

In an escalation of the administration's drug war, the U.S. struck a ship near Venezuela reportedly transporting drugs to the U.S.

LAC: Strategies to protect Medicaid coverage

Legal Action Center released a report on strategies to protect Medicaid coverage for people with SUD as the budget law’s new work requirements are implemented.

Research News Roundup: September 11, 2025

View our curated digest of the latest research news, including how infants with prenatal co-exposure to multiple substances have a higher risk of poor physical development, birth defects, and issues with emotional regulation and physiological outcomes compared to infants exposed to a single substance.

Monarez out as CDC director

Susan Monarez is out as CDC director, and four other senior CDC leaders resigned, including one instrumental to the agency's overdose response.

NYT: Medicaid cuts threaten overdose progress

A New York Times editorial outlines how the Medicaid cuts in the budget law will threaten the progress made in reducing overdose deaths.

Cities shift focus from harm reduction

Despite the success of harm reduction programs, cities and states are increasingly moving away from the approach.

Research News Roundup: September 4, 2025

View our curated digest of the latest research news, including how a study on brain development found that exposure to tobacco before birth affects the thickness of the brain's cortex well into a person's life. The researchers saw a clear link between prenatal tobacco exposure and changes in brain structure and how these are linked to more behavioral issues and sleep disturbances later in life.

US alcohol consumption hits record low

A new Gallup poll found that the percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to a record low 54%.

Quitting smoking boosts addiction recovery

An NIH study found that adults with substance use disorder who quit smoking are more likely to achieve recovery.

Research News Roundup: August 21, 2025

View our curated digest of the latest research news, including how co-occurring psychiatric disorders have distinct and varied effects on the neurobiology of substance use disorder (SUD). Conditions like schizophrenia and personality disorders can amplify or have unique effects on SUD neurobiology, while depression may have an attenuating or no effect. These insights are crucial for developing more effective, individualized treatments.

Trump administration targets harm reduction efforts

An executive order and SAMHSA letter target harm reduction policies and funding, while harm reduction education materials are removed from government websites.

Federal grants update

OD2A funding is set to be released, but other CDC programs are still frozen, and a new executive order would give political appointees unprecedented power in awarding research grants.

Trump signs directive to use military force against cartels

President Trump signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain cartels in Latin America, a move that signals a departure from past approaches to drug interdiction.
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