The Latest News from Our Field

Researchers at Washington State University are developing a breath test for THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The test could be used to determine if a person is driving under the influence of marijuana, according to The Seattle Times.

A month-long residential treatment program may be more effective than standard outpatient programs for young adults who are dependent on opioids, a new study suggests.

An estimated 7.6 percent of Americans ages 12 and up are moderately to severely depressed, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those with severe symptoms, only 35 percent reported having contact with a mental health professional in the past year.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, November 21- Thursday, December 4, 2014.

For pharmacies, stocking meth-resistant cold medications is a simple way to provide customers with the medicine they have always relied on without requiring them to visit the doctor every time they have a cold. And this switch keeps meth producers looking elsewhere.

Overdose deaths involving heroin nearly tripled from 1999 to 2012, a new government report concludes. Overall, drug overdose deaths more than doubled.

Doctors at a medical clinic in Vancouver, British Columbia will prescribe heroin to a group of 120 adults severely addicted to heroin, according to The Atlantic. Canada’s Health Secretary opposes the policy.

A nursing home in the Bronx, New York, is addressing addiction issues in its elderly patients, the Associated Press reports. Staff members screen patients for addiction when they come in for rehab after a hospital stay, and offer treatment to those who need it.

New antismoking campaigns aimed at American Indian and Native Alaskan communities feature personal stories, instead of statistics or fear-inducing images, The New York Times reports.

The price of naloxone, the heroin overdose antidote, is skyrocketing, according to police departments and public health officials across the country. In some cases, prices for the drug have increased by 50 percent or more.

A long-acting narcotic painkiller designed to deter abuse has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The drug, Hysingla ER, is taken once a day.

A new study finds teenagers who have been prescribed medications for sleep problems or anxiety are much more likely to abuse them, compared with teens who have never received prescriptions for these drugs.

Fewer American adults are smoking than ever before, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The dip in the smoking rate is due to higher cigarette prices, smoke-free policies and campaigns to combat smoking, the CDC said.

Brain scans may be able to detect changes in the brain in preteens that predict future alcohol abuse, a new study suggests.

A new study suggests e-cigarettes may significantly reduce tobacco cravings in smokers. The small study, which included 48 smokers who were not trying to quit, indicates e-cigarettes may help smokers reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke, or help them stop altogether, the researchers say.

Officials in Colorado were unable this week to agree on rules to regulate edible marijuana products, The Denver Post reports. The working group charged with drafting the rules decided to submit ideas for new regulations to the legislature.

The Washington Poison Center reported a large jump in calls about marijuana exposures in October. The majority of exposures likely resulted from marijuana obtained at medical marijuana dispensaries, officials said.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, November 14- Thursday, November 20, 2014.

There are many positive aspects to being in recovery, suggests a new survey of people who are experiencing recovery from alcohol or drug problems. The findings of the national survey of more than 9,000 people will help both people in recovery, and those who treat them, according to the researchers.

Almost one-fifth of college students say they abuse prescription stimulants, a new survey finds. The most commonly abused stimulants are medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, such as Ritalin, Adderall and Vyvanse.

The family of the late reggae superstar Bob Marley has announced they have joined with a private equity firm to develop Marley Natural brand marijuana, Money reports.

The percentage of women dependent on opioids during pregnancy more than doubled from 1998 to 2011, a new study finds. The overall rate of opioid dependency in pregnant women remains low, at 0.39 percent.

A new cigarette made by tobacco giant Reynolds American will heat tobacco instead of burning it, the Associated Press reports. The product, called Revo, uses a carbon tip that heats tobacco after being lit.

A new study finds more than 40 percent of calls to the National Poison Data System about energy drinks involve children under age 6. In many cases, the children experienced abnormal heart rhythms or seizures, CNN reports.

Researchers are working to develop prescription drugs that mimic the medicinal benefits of marijuana without producing a high, according to The Boston Globe.