Helpline
Call 1.855.378.4373 to schedule a call time with a specialist or visit scheduler.drugfree.org
Helpline
Helpline
Call 1.855.378.4373 to schedule a call time with a specialist

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.

The Clinton Foundation announced Monday it has negotiated a lower price for a device that delivers the opioid overdose antidote naloxone. The device, called Evzio, will be available at a lower price to institutions that can distribute naloxone more widely, such as police departments and universities.

Mixing alcohol and energy drinks leads to negative consequences that are a public health concern, according to a new paper. Combining the two beverages makes a person want to drink more and masks the signs of drunkenness, Time reports.

Vapor produced by e-cigarettes can contain formaldehyde at levels five to 15 times higher than regular cigarettes, a new study finds. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, NPR reports.

Most states are failing to curb tobacco use, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. Only Alaska and North Dakota are funding their state tobacco prevention programs at levels recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Owners of legal marijuana businesses in Colorado and Washington state will have to file their first federal tax returns this year, CNBC reports. While the cost of growing marijuana is deductible under the federal tax code, the cost of selling it is not.

Substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals from around the nation will gather at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s 25th Annual National Leadership Forum, February 2-5.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, January 16, 2015- Thursday, January 22, 2015.

Since California passed the first medical marijuana legislation in 1996, 22 other states and the District of Columbia have followed suit. However, under federal law, marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance and illegal for any use, whether medical or recreational. When it comes to marijuana, does federal law trump state law?

Smokers burn through an average of $1.4 million in personal costs, a new study concludes. The figure includes spending on cigarettes, medical costs and lower wages brought on by smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke, CBS News reports.

Federal agents arrested a man Tuesday who told them he was a top assistant to the operator of Silk Road 2.0, a widely used online criminal marketplace. The site allowed anonymous users to buy and sell illegal drugs, weapons and other illegal items.

Teenagers who don’t get enough sleep are at higher risk of developing problems with alcohol compared with their peers who don’t drink, a new study suggests.

Under a new law, Maine will require drug testing for welfare recipients with a prior drug conviction within the past 20 years who indicate a potential for drug dependency.

A spate of home explosions caused by amateur hash oil makers is an unexpected consequence of legal marijuana in Colorado, The New York Times reports.

A new, more dangerous form of the club drug known as “poppers” is being marketed toward and used by some gay men, a new study concludes. Poppers are inhaled drugs. The new forms can contain harmful solvents and propellants.

Almost 42 percent of American adults who drink also use medications that can interact dangerously with alcohol, according to a new study. Among adults 65 and older, the rate rises to almost 78 percent.

CVS President and CEO Larry Merlo, who announced earlier this year the company was halting tobacco sales, will be a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama at tonight’s State of the Union address.

The diversion and abuse of prescription painkillers decreased slightly between 2011 and 2013, after increasing substantially from 2002 to 2010, according to a study in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine. The findings suggest the U.S. may be making progress in controlling prescription opioid abuse, the researchers say.

A federal judge will rule later this year on whether marijuana should continue to be classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside LSD and heroin, according to the Associated Press.

A study of young drivers who died in crashes finds that half were under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or both at the time the accident occurred, HealthDay reports.

Two organizations representing cancer researchers and specialists are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to bring e-cigarette regulations more in line with those of traditional cigarettes.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, January 9, 2015- Thursday, January 15, 2015.

Courtesy of the Family Acceptance Project
Studies show high rates of substance abuse and risky behaviors among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) young people and adults. The Family Acceptance Project explains how family support can greatly improve the health and well-being of LGBTQ children.

A vaccine to treat heroin addiction has shown promise in rat studies, but faces challenges including a lack of funding, Time reports.

As U.S.-grown marijuana displaces Mexican cannabis in this country, drug traffickers are sending more cheap heroin and methamphetamine into the United States, according to The Washington Post.

The impact of marijuana legalization in Colorado has been less than critics and supporters predicted, according to The Wall Street Journal. The state has seen neither a tax windfall nor dramatic social consequences, the newspaper reports.