The Latest News from Our Field

Poison control centers are reporting an increase in the number of calls they are receiving for nicotine poisoning from e-cigarettes. This February, centers received 215 calls, compared with about one per month in 2010.

A new survey finds 75 percent of Americans think it is inevitable that recreational marijuana will become legal across the country, ABC News reports. The survey also found a growing number of Americans support ending mandatory minimum prison sentences for non-violent drug offenders.

Contrary to the advice of many medical groups, more emergency departments are giving headache patients prescriptions for powerful narcotic painkillers, according to a new study.

A bill designed to overhaul the mental health care system in the United States has spurred debate among advocates for the mentally ill, The New York Times reports. Some groups oppose the measure because it includes provisions for expanded use of involuntary outpatient treatment.

College students who consume energy drinks are more likely than their peers who don’t use them to abuse prescription drugs, a new study concludes. The more energy drinks a student consumes, the greater their risk.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, March 28- Thursday, April 3, 2014.

Parents do have an influence on teens’ decisions about drinking, according to a new survey by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Teens are much less likely to drink if their parents tell them underage drinking is completely unacceptable, the survey found.

Researchers in Singapore announced they have developed a new test that can detect the date-rape drug GHB in drinks, according to HealthDay.

The drug baclofen, used to prevent spasms in patients with spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders, may be able to help prevent relapses in people treated for cocaine addiction, a new study suggests.

The way a person smokes marijuana is more important than how potent the drug is, or how much of the active ingredient THC it contains, in predicting whether the person will become dependent on the drug, a new study suggests.

The pure hydrocodone drug Zohydro ER (extended release) will be banned in Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick has announced. He cited a public health emergency stemming from opioid abuse, Reuters reports.

A growing number of states are changing their approach to low-level drug users, emphasizing treatment instead of incarceration, according to The Washington Post. The change is a result of both reduced budgets and shifting views on drug use.

Frequent involvement in spiritual activities appears to help in the treatment of drug and alcohol abuse in young people, a new study suggests.

Smoke-free laws are linked with substantial decreases in preterm births and children’s hospital visits for asthma, according to an international group of scientists.

The manufacturer of the recently approved pure hydrocodone drug Zohydro ER (extended release) announced it will assemble an oversight board designed to spot misuse of the drug, the Associated Press reports.

A smartphone app may help people in recovery from alcohol abuse to cut down on “risky drinking”—having more than three or four alcoholic drinks in a two-hour period, a new study finds.

Employers and legislators must decide whether to include e-cigarettes in smoking bans, according to NPR. Some public health experts say the devices should be included in workplace smoking bans because the health effects are unknown.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have found no increase in crime in states that legalized medical marijuana. They analyzed rates of murder, rape, assault, robbery, burglary, larceny and auto theft.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, March 21- Thursday, March 27, 2014.

Unfortunately, too often, smokers are thought of as people who simply can't kick their "nasty habit." That's dead wrong -- smokers are not the enemy. Rather, they are the individuals that we need to help now, more than ever to quit because for most smokers, tobacco is an addiction that they desperately want to overcome, says David Dobbins of Legacy.

The maker of the flavored malt beverage Four Loko agreed this week to sharply limit its marketing to young people, Reuters reports.

A new study concludes the role of alcohol in traffic deaths in the United States may be significantly underreported on death certificates.

Young adults who occasionally use stimulants including cocaine, amphetamines or prescription drugs such as Adderall show brain changes on scans, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego.

A relatively small number of counties, most of them with big populations or near larger cities, account for much of the declining smoking rates in the United States, according to new research.

Emergency departments are prescribing more opioid painkillers than in previous years for problems such as headaches or low back pain, a new study concludes. Many of these patients could be treated with over-the-counter painkillers, experts say.