The Latest News from Our Field

A new study in rats suggests heavy drinking during the teen years could lead to structural changes in the brain that last into adulthood. The changes occur in the region of the brain important in reasoning and decision-making.

Initiatives on the ballot in Oregon and Alaska on Tuesday, that would legalize recreational marijuana, are too close to call, according to NBC News. If the states approve the measures, they will join Colorado and Washington state, where recreational marijuana is already legal.

Increasing the availability of the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone could prevent more than 20,000 deaths in the United States annually, according to the World Health Organization.

A Food and Drug Administration hearing last week revealed there are a number of disagreements among experts about abuse-deterrent opioids, MedPageToday reports.

A new study concludes 19 percent of Americans suffer from chronic pain. Women and the elderly are most likely to have constant pain, HealthDay reports.

While many newly insured patients are seeking care now that the Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage, there has not been a rush of new patients receiving treatment for substance use disorders or mental health issues, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The Denver Police Department has posted a public service video, made in conjunction with a marijuana store owner, that advises parents to check their children’s Halloween candy to make sure it isn’t infused with marijuana.

The National Football League is expected to request that a lawsuit filed by former players who allege the league illegally supplied them with prescription painkillers be dismissed, ABC News reports.

Report card grades for members of the U.S. House of Representatives, issued by the pro-marijuana legalization group Drug Policy Alliance, do not fall neatly along party lines. Some conservative members of Congress are among the 49 House members who earned an A+, while some prominent Democrats are among the 141 members who received an F.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, October 24- Thursday, October 30, 2014.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is occurring at increasing rates across the nation, leaving states grappling with treating drug-dependent newborns and whether to charge, prosecute and incarcerate pregnant women who test positive for illegal drug use, explains Sarah Kelsey of NAMSDL.

Measures to legalize recreational marijuana will be on the ballot next week in Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C. The votes come two years after recreational marijuana was legalized in Colorado and Washington state.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing to remove the opiate-based medication naloxegol from the federal drug schedule, according to The Hill. The drug is currently considered a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act.

An increasing number of cities are raising the legal age to purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21, The Wall Street Journal reports.

As many as 5 percent of children may have some type of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, caused by alcohol exposure before birth, a new study suggests.

More than two-thirds of emergency department visits for opioid overdoses involve prescription drugs, a new study finds.

Critics charge the Internet’s central administrator is not doing enough to crack down on illegal online pharmacies, The Wall Street Journal reports. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) says its powers are limited.

A new study finds teenagers are less likely to drink at parties if their community has strong social hosting laws. These laws hold adults responsible if teens drink on their property, even if the adults claim they were unaware that underage drinking was taking place.

More than one-fourth of fatally injured bicyclists ages 16 and older had a blood alcohol concentration of at least .08 percent, according to a new report. The legal limit is below .08 in all states.

Officials in San Francisco have introduced a bill that would require drug manufacturers to fund and manage a take-back program for prescription drugs. The move follows a decision earlier this month by a federal appeals court that forces drug makers to pay to dispose of unused and unexpired medications in Alameda County, California.

Teens who play high-contact sports such as football, hockey, lacrosse or wrestling are more likely than those who play noncontact sports to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes or marijuana, a new study suggests.

The National Institutes of Health will fund researchers who are studying the use of social media, including Facebook and Twitter, to prevent and treat substance use and addiction.

Employees of Reynolds American, the nation’s second-largest tobacco manufacturer, will no longer be able to smoke cigarettes in the company’s buildings and offices starting in 2015. Use of e-cigarettes will continue to be permitted, the Associated Press reports.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, October 17 to Thursday, October 23.

Even though the disease of addiction affects every community, families facing this disease often feel completely isolated. A new resource, The Support Group Project, has been designed to do just that – connect parents and family members with a community support group.