The Latest News from Our Field

For those who have battled the prescription drug abuse epidemic, we know it doesn’t stop when drug dealers are arrested - it doesn’t end with justice alone. It requires a holistic approach, including a variety of treatment options, as well as education in our schools and communities.

A bill introduced Tuesday by three U.S. senators would end the federal prohibition on medical marijuana, The Washington Post reports.

An estimated 17 percent of college students misuse drugs designed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a new analysis of previous studies.

Swedish researchers report they have developed a breath test that could be used as an alternative to urine drug testing. The test detects many drugs including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, according to HealthDay.

Kentucky legislators are considering adopting a needle-exchange program, in an effort to reduce the spread of hepatitis C among injection drug users. The nearby city of Portsmouth, Ohio, has had some success with a similar program, USA Today reports.

A new study finds prescription painkillers are largely to blame for an increase in the death rate among white women ages 15 to 54 in the United States over the past 15 years, The Washington Post reports.

The number of babies born in Florida with neonatal abstinence syndrome soared more than 10-fold in the past 20 years, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the same period, these births increased three-fold nationally.

One-fourth of health plans sold on health insurance exchanges created through the Affordable Health Act appear to offer unequal benefits for mental and physical illness, a new study concludes. A federal “parity” law requires equal benefits for general medical and mental health care.

NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, is offering a Minority Fellowship Program for Addiction Counselors. The deadline is March 15, 2015.

Brief alcohol education programs are only temporarily effective in convincing college students to reduce their drinking, a new study suggests.

Teens are easily able to purchase e-cigarettes online because websites that sell the devices do not verify the age of purchasers, a new study concludes.

A large national survey finds 52 percent of Americans favor marijuana legalization. The General Social Survey, conducted every two years, is widely considered to be the gold standard for public opinion research, according to The Washington Post.

Sheriffs from Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas are asking a federal court in Denver to strike down Colorado’s amendment that legalizes recreational marijuana. They are also asking the court to shut down the state’s licensed marijuana stores, USA Today reports.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, February 27, 2015- Thursday, March 5, 2015.

Doctors and nurses should undergo random drug testing, argues a leading medical ethicist. “I am sorry to say that addiction and the abuse of drugs are not really a part of the discussion about making medicine safer,” says Arthur L. Caplan, PhD.

Heroin-related deaths are now most common among young, white male adults in the Midwest, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fifteen years ago, the death rate was highest among older black males in the West and Northeast.

The more friends a person is with when they are out drinking, the more they will drink themselves, a new study concludes.

Increasing the minimum age to purchase cigarettes to 21 would prevent teens from starting to smoke, and would ultimately save lives, according to a new report. The minimum age to buy cigarettes in most parts of the country is 18.

Among Republicans ages 18 to 34, almost two-thirds say they support marijuana legalization, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Among Republicans ages 35 to 50, almost half approve legalization, NPR reports.

Only 53 percent of primary care physicians use their state prescription drug monitoring program, according to a new survey. The national survey found 72 percent of doctors were aware of their state’s program.

Two legislators are calling on the company that makes the opioid overdose antidote naloxone to lower the price of the drug nationwide. Last month, the company, Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, agreed to offer a $6 rebate per dose to agencies in New York state.

There is evidence of widespread overuse of antipsychotic drugs by the elderly with dementia, a new government report concludes. The report calls on Medicare to take immediate steps to reduce unnecessary prescriptions, according to The New York Times.

Forty percent of tobacco consumers use more than one product, according to a new study. Half of all combinations include e-cigarettes, Reuters reports.

From powdered alcohol to abuse-deterrent opioids, our Join Together News Service covers the top drug and alcohol news of the day making an impact in your community, work and life.

Teens who drink supersized flavored alcoholic drinks known as “alcopops” are at greatly increased risk of injury, according to a new study.