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.
Teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder are at increased risk of starting to smoke or drink, a new study suggests. The more symptoms of these disorders they have, the greater their risk.
Vermont has responded to the state’s opiate addiction problem by expanding treatment, but many people are still waiting to receive help, according to NPR.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, December 19, 2014- Thursday, January 8, 2015.
American Indians report the highest smoking rates of any U.S. subpopulation. Health surveillance and monitoring is integral to improve the health and prevent disease of these individuals, explains Favian Kennedy, MSW, Executive Director of the Health Education and Promotion Council.
Six Americans die from alcohol poisoning each day, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The death rate from alcohol poisoning is highest among men ages 45 to 54.
Counties that ban alcohol sales have more meth lab seizures per capita, compared with counties where liquor sales are legal, a new study suggests.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has added three new strains of synthetic marijuana to its list of banned substances.
Stress associated with retirement, caused by factors such as loneliness and financial pressures, may be associated with an increased risk of substance abuse, a new study suggests.
From the DEA cracking down on a potent form of marijuana to fingernail drug testing, Join Together kept their readers on top of the news making an impact in their community, work and life.
Methamphetamine seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents surged in 2014, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. A crackdown on meth ingredients in the United States has pushed the drug’s manufacture to Mexico.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about powdered pure caffeine, following the deaths of at least two young men who used the product.
Marijuana use in all age groups in Colorado and Washington State, where recreational marijuana is legal, has exceeded the national average during the past year, according to a new report by the anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new non-opioid painkiller that is delivered by injection, Reuters reports. The painkiller, Dyloject, is designed to provide fast relief to patients suffering moderate to severe pain.
This year Medicare has started examining prescribing data to identify physicians who write large numbers of prescriptions for narcotic painkillers and stimulants. Next year Medicare will be able to kick doctors out of the program if they are found to be prescribing in abusive ways.
A group of senators working to reduce the toll of prescription drug abuse sent letters to government officials and health groups this week, urging them to continue fighting what they called a national epidemic.
The Colorado Board of Health announced it will fund grants totaling more than $8 million for studies examining the potential medical benefits of marijuana. The studies will examine marijuana’s effects on epilepsy, pain relief, brain tumors and post-traumatic stress disorder.
A survey of college students finds the most common reason for experimenting with synthetic marijuana is curiosity, HealthDay reports.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, December 12- Thursday, December 18, 2014.
Many college students participating in Collegiate Recovery Programs for drug and alcohol addictions also report being in recovery from or currently engaging in multiple behavioral addictions, a new survey finds. These addictions include eating disorders, and sex and love addiction.
The federal spending measure passed over the weekend includes a provision that will end the federal government’s prohibition on medical marijuana in states where it is legal, The Los Angeles Times reports.
Among teens who drink, 90 percent have blacked out after drinking at least once by the time they reached age 19, according to a new study of British adolescents. Teens who black out after drinking are more likely to be female.
States that have a greater number of random traffic stops and a higher number of DUI arrests have a lower rate of drunk driving, a new study concludes.
A new study finds people who use methamphetamine are three times more likely than those who do not use illicit drugs to develop Parkinson’s disease.
A new survey of teens finds they are using less marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes. The Monitoring the Future study found marijuana use among teens declined from 26 percent last year to 24 percent this year, USA Today reports.
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