The Latest News from Our Field

Almost 700,000 children younger than 6 received the wrong medication or dose at home between 2002 and 2012, a new study finds. Just over one-fourth of these mistakes involved a child receiving the prescribed dose twice.

Teenagers who harm themselves are more likely to develop substance use problems later in life, compared with their peers who do not engage in self-harm, according to a new study.

Dietary supplements containing banned drugs often remain on sale long after they have been recalled by the Food and Drug Administration, doctors at Harvard Medical School have found.

A new study finds it is unlikely that a person exposed to secondhand marijuana smoke will test positive for marijuana themselves.

A new government report finds emergency rooms visits related to synthetic marijuana more than doubled between 2010 and 2011, HealthDay reports.

Buprenorphine maintenance therapy is more effective than detoxification for patients being treated for prescription opioid dependence, a new study finds. The researchers, from Yale University, said primary care doctors do not have evidence-based guidelines to decide between the two treatments.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved new labeling for the opioid painkiller Embeda that states the drug has abuse-deterrent features, the Associated Press reports.

CVS, which stopped selling tobacco products in September, is taking steps to pressure other pharmacies to do the same, according to The Washington Post.

Psychedelic drugs including Ecstasy, LSD and “magic mushrooms” have potential for treating a variety of ailments including addiction and anxiety, according to scientists who met this past weekend to talk about the latest research.

The risks of heavy consumption of energy drinks among young people could soon become a significant public health problem, according to a new report. Adverse health effects from consuming energy drinks with alcohol are a special concern, Time reports.

Pipe smoking is becoming increasingly popular among young adults, ABC News reports.

More than 55 universities and colleges have joined a program designed to help schools prevent the two leading causes of death in young adults—accidents, including those caused by prescription drug overdoses or alcohol poisoning, and suicide.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, October 10 to Thursday, October 16.

Prescription painkiller deaths are on the decline, while deaths from heroin are increasing, according to a new government report. The findings suggest some people may have switched from prescription medications to illicit drugs in response to laws aimed at reducing prescription drug abuse, USA Today reports.

A survey of doctors in Oregon who are registered to use their state prescription drug monitoring database finds 95 percent say they consult it when they suspect a patient is abusing or diverting medication. The survey found 54 percent of doctors registered to use the database report they have made mental health or substance abuse referrals after consulting it.

A new study finds children are 30 percent more likely to take drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder during the school year than in the summer.

Sales of recreational marijuana in Colorado continued to climb this summer, according to data from the state’s Department of Revenue. Sales reached $34.1 million in August, up from $29.3 million in July.

Several medical groups are calling for verbal drug screening for pregnant women, followed by a urine test if necessary, USA Today reports. The recommendation is meant to reduce the growing number of babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Employers in areas with high rates of opioid abuse say employees’ use of prescription painkillers and heroin is taking a financial toll on their companies. Problems range from lower productivity to higher turnover, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The national trend toward legalizing marijuana is impeding the fight against prescription drug abuse, according to the Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

U.S. adults have had about 14 million major medical conditions caused by smoking, a new government study concludes. This includes about 7.5 million adults who suffer from smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Marijuana retailers in Colorado are responding to reports of tourists who have had bad experiences after consuming large amounts of THC by offering products with lower amounts, the Associated Press reports.

Schools should play a larger role in helping children with mental health problems, according to a new report. In wealthy nations including the United States, only one-fourth of children with mental health problems are diagnosed and treated, HealthDay reports.

A campaign to warn young people about the dangers of marijuana, which likens those who use the drug to laboratory animals, is getting mixed reviews, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A new task force based in Los Angeles will fight the spread of methamphetamine, California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced this week. Authorities say 70 percent of meth enters the United States through San Diego.