The Latest News from Our Field

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say workplaces designed to help employees who are addicted to drugs can help them tackle their addiction. These “therapeutic workplaces” have been shown in studies to increase abstinence from drugs and maintain abstinence over long periods.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is scheduled to announce Tuesday that during the past year there was a 6 percent decrease in the number of federal drug trafficking prosecutions. The Associated Press reports prosecutors sought mandatory minimum sentences in 51 percent of cases, down from 64 percent the previous year.

The number of Americans who die from smoking-related diseases is significantly higher than previously estimated, according to a new study. The researchers say 60,000 additional deaths annually should be added to the almost half a million already attributed to smoking.

There is no coordination among the 112 federal programs, run by eight government agencies, which support people with serious mental illnesses, according to a new government report.

Drugs to treat alcoholism would not have to lead to sobriety in order to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, under a proposal by the agency. Instead, drug companies could gain approval for treatments if they prove patients using them no longer drink heavily.

A group of marijuana entrepreneurs in Colorado hopes to open the first-ever financial institution designed to serve their industry. They are faced with a stumbling block—they have not been given approval to make deposits in a Federal Reserve account, according to The New York Times.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, February 6, 2015- Thursday, February 12, 2015.

Many families and loved ones of children struggling with substance-related problems often feel completely alone. Parent groups, if available, often function more like an underground railroad than a true community resource.

Moderate consumption of alcohol confers little to no health benefit for most people, a new analysis of almost 53,000 adults finds. The researchers said previous studies that found light alcohol consumption could benefit health were flawed.

A survey of college freshmen finds many fewer of them report drinking and smoking in high school, compared with first-year college students in previous years.

In the four states where recreational marijuana is legal, local and state governments are figuring out how to divide the tax revenue, NPR reports.

CVS Health reported Tuesday that its fourth quarter, the first full three-month period without tobacco sales, was the company’s best ever, according to Forbes.

Fewer Americans are driving drunk, but a growing number are driving under the influence of marijuana and other illegal drugs, according to a new government report.

Schools in two states are starting to use new programs designed to fight prescription painkiller abuse, Reuters reports. The programs, being rolled out in Illinois and Pennsylvania, are designed for middle school and high school students.

Michael Botticelli received unanimous Senate approval on Monday to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Botticelli has served as acting head of the agency since March.

Public health groups say they are concerned that some state measures that appear to keep e-cigarettes out of the hands of young people may do more harm than good, according to USA Today.

Ross W. Ulbricht, the man who founded Silk Road, was convicted this week on seven federal charges. Silk Road sold illegal drugs including heroin, cocaine and LSD, The New York Times reports.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in an interview this week that medical marijuana may help some patients.

A new study of how cocaine affects the brain may help explain why people who use the drug make many destructive decisions, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Lung cancer, long the leading cause of cancer deaths among men in developed nations, is now also the top cause of cancer deaths in developed countries among women, according to a new report.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, January 30, 2015- Thursday, February 5, 2015.

Policymakers believe abuse-deterrent formulations of medications are so important, that they are considering legislation that requires they be used for all extended-release/long-acting opioid prescriptions. However, many of those policymakers haven’t considered how much this is going to cost, and who is going to bear that cost.

The share of American nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke fell by half since 2000, from 53 percent to 25 percent, according to a new government report.

Makers of beer, wine and spirits reported a growth in sales last year, USA Today reports. Overall sales of liquor increased 4 percent, to $23.1 billion.

Dartmouth College has announced it will ban hard liquor on campus in an effort to reduce alcohol-related incidents.