The Latest News from Our Field

A group of former top health officials is urging tobacco companies to stop marketing and selling menthol cigarettes. The group includes all of the former U.S. Secretaries of Health, Surgeons General, and Directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A new survey of affluent women treated for alcohol and drug addiction finds prescription medication and heroin are their leading drugs of choice.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is joining with libertarian Republicans, including Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, in opposing mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, February 28- Thursday, March 6, 2014.

We have witnessed substance abuse problems spread from community to community, seemingly unabated. The National Rx Drug Abuse Summit is helping to meet challenges head-on through an unprecedented collaboration, says Dan Smoot of Operation Unite.

A growing number of teens are starting to use devices that are similar to e-cigarettes, with names such as “hookah pens,” “e-hookahs” or “vape pens.” The devices are being marketed to avoid the stigma associated with smoking any kind of cigarette, The New York Times reports.

Law enforcement officials are concerned about a potentially addictive drug called kratom, which is sold as a tea in head shops, according to USA Today.

A new study concludes the Affordable Care Act could give an estimated 4 million people who have spent time in U.S. jails better access to health care, including coverage for treating substance abuse and mental illness.

Some TV stations in New Jersey aired the first medical marijuana ad this week.

People who frequently abuse opioid painkillers are more likely to get the drugs from a doctor’s prescription or a dealer, rather than for free from family or friends, a new study finds.

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died from taking a combination of drugs, including heroin and cocaine, according to the New York City Medical Examiner. Experts say tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually in the United States are due to a similar mix of drugs.

A new government report finds 42.5 million American adults, or 18.2 percent of the adult population, suffers from some form of mental illness. About 4 percent suffers serious mental illness that impedes day-to-day activities.

A study of moderate drinkers ages 55 to 65 found those who drink large amounts less often have higher death rates, compared with those who drink small amounts more regularly. The researchers say most studies that examine the potential effects of moderate drinking generally focus on average levels of drinking, instead of overall drinking patterns.

Both supporters and critics of marijuana legalization see 2014 as a key year, which could either slow or hasten their efforts, The New York Times reports.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is cracking down in California on a potent marijuana product called “wax,” according to ABC News. Wax is legal—and popular—in Colorado.

A new study links teen indoor tanning with other risky health behaviors including use of illegal drugs, binge drinking and smoking.

“Study drugs” such as Vyvanse and Adderall are gaining popularity among Florida college students, even though area colleges have a zero-tolerance policy against students using medicines not prescribed for them.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act are tremendous steps toward ensuring that all individuals can access substance abuse treatment. But the laws are not silver bullets that will close the treatment gap or help every individual who needs treatment.

More than 40 addiction treatment, health care and consumer groups are urging the Food and Drug Administration to reverse its decision to approve the prescription painkiller Zohydro ER (extended release), CNN reports.

A survey of high school seniors suggests marijuana legalization will lead to increased use of the drug among teens. The survey found 10 percent of seniors who said they don’t currently use marijuana said they would try it if the drug were legal.

The Drug Enforcement Administration in Atlanta is encouraging the public to text or call them to report suspicious activity that may indicate prescription drug abuse, according to CNN.

The arrest on Saturday of the head of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel, Joaquín (El Chapo) Guzmán Loera, will likely be only a minor setback for the operation, experts tell The New York Times.

At least six states are considering joining the 17 states that have passed “Good Samaritan” laws, designed to prevent drug overdose deaths. The laws grant limited immunity to people who seek help for someone who has overdosed, USA Today reports.

The Department of Defense needs to do more to prevent prescription drug abuse among members of the military, according to a new government report. Some branches of the military are doing a better job than others in medication management policies, the report concluded.