The Latest News from Our Field

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a bill this week that raises the minimum age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21. The law will take effect in May 2014.

People who are trying to fight the abuse of synthetic drugs need a centralized, national source that collects information about the latest substances, analyzes it and quickly disseminates early alerts, according to a group of experts trying to stay one step ahead of these ever-changing products.

Buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, is increasingly being abused, The New York Times reports. Some for-profit buprenorphine clinics are run by doctors with troubled records, according to the newspaper.

Prescription drug abuse continues to be the nation’s fastest growing drug problem, according to a new report by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Americans are abusing prescription drugs at a higher prevalence rate than any illicit drug except marijuana.

Alcohol affects people more in middle age due to physical and lifestyle changes, according to The Wall Street Journal. As people start to take more medication in their 40s and 50s, the risk of alcohol and drug interactions also increases.

The attorneys general of 24 states are urging the Food and Drug Administration to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes, CSPnet.com reports.

Positive workplace tests for marijuana and cocaine have dropped sharply since 1988, while tests revealing prescription drug abuse are increasing, according to a study by the medical-testing company Quest Diagnostics Inc.

The newly approved pure hydrocodone product, Zohydro ER (extended release), will be made by the same company that manufactures Vivitrol, a drug used to treat patients addicted to opioids or alcohol, The New York Times reports.

PCP-related emergency room visits jumped 400 percent between 2005 and 2011, according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. PCP (phencyclidine), also known as “angel dust,” can cause hallucinations when taken at high doses.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has made three synthetic drugs, known as NBOMe compounds, illegal for the next two years. The compounds, also known as “N-Bomb,” have been responsible for the deaths of at least 19 people in the United States in the past year.

In "Keep it Moving: A Guide to Breaking Habits," two fictional characters have to resolve their own ambivalence about whether to make an effort to reduce or quit their alcohol and drug use. They model how to deal with stressors, temptations, obstacles and personal triggers that influence their habits, explains Dr. Adam Brooks of the Treatment Research Institute.

A new Pew Research Center survey finds only 16 percent of Americans think the nation is making progress on prescription drug abuse, and 19 percent see progress in dealing with mental illness.

A review of medical groups’ guidelines on prescribing opioids for chronic pain finds most of the organizations are in are agreement, Reuters reports.

An increasing number of students in middle school and high school are smoking e-cigarettes, hookahs and cigars, a new government report concludes.

A licensed smell investigator in Denver is using a device called a “Nasal Ranger” to sniff out marijuana. Ben Siller is using the device to help enforce an ordinance designed to protect the purity of the city’s air.

Deaths due to drug poisoning have tripled in the last three decades, a new study concludes. The study included poisonings from both illegal and prescription drugs, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Most teens who misuse prescription opioids are seeking pain relief, a new study concludes. University of Michigan researchers found four out of five teens who misused opioids said they did so to relieve pain.

A new poll finds 64 percent of Americans say it is unacceptable for a company to fire employees for using marijuana during their free time in states where the drug has been legalized.

The Sinaloa drug cartel of Mexico has fostered the re-emergence of heroin use in the Midwest, Bloomberg reports. The cartel has gained control of narcotics sales in the region.

There are no easy answers to solving the opioid addiction epidemic, according to experts at the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence annual meeting this week. Thomas McLellan, CEO of the Treatment Research Institute, told NBC Philadelphia a multi-faceted approach is needed.

The United States Supreme Court will hear cases involving a heroin overdose and a shooting that took place during a drug deal, Reuters reports.

Smokers trying to quit may be helped by a noninvasive technique that involves magnetic brain stimulation, according to Israeli researchers.

Owners of stores that sell drug paraphernalia, known as head shops, say their business is growing as more states legalize the medical and recreational use of marijuana. These stores stay out of trouble with the law by saying their products are for tobacco use only, USA Today reports.

Many are learning the hard way that, despite appearances, "Molly" is often not what it seems, and this version of MDMA is no more pure, safe, or innocent than its previous incarnation, say experts from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Long-term use of heroin appears to change how genes are activated in the brain, a new study suggests. This leads to changes in brain function, HealthDay reports.