The Latest News from Our Field

Efforts to educate members of the U.S. military about the dangers of synthetic drugs, coupled with improved drug testing, are starting to have an effect, the Navy Times reports. The Navy and Marine Corps report a drop in members using Spice and bath salts.

Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can reduce the high created by marijuana, a new study in mice suggests. The research could have implications for studying marijuana as a treatment for people with Alzheimer’s disease, the Los Angeles Times reports.

A new health campaign in Los Angeles aims to reduce smoking among gays, lesbians and bisexuals. Smoking rates are 50 percent higher in this community, compared with heterosexuals.

Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration have found an amphetamine-like compound in nine dietary supplements, USA Today reports. The compound, beta-methylphenethylamine, appears to have never been tested for safety on humans.

Teens who participate in sports are more likely than their non-athlete peers to abuse alcohol, but less likely to use illicit drugs other than marijuana, according to an analysis of studies.

The American Medical Association’s House of Delegates voted this week to reaffirm its opposition to marijuana legalization, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Quitting smoking may yield health benefits for some people sooner than previously thought, according to new research presented this week at the American Heart Association scientific meeting.

People who lost their job or home in the recession of 2008-2009 had higher rates of problem drinking, a new study concludes. Those at highest risk were in their 30s and 40s. Men were more likely than women to be affected.

The U.S. Senate this week passed a measure that will establish a system to track prescription drugs from the time they are manufactured until they are sold at a drugstore, The News & Observer reports. The bill awaits President Obama’s signature.

Poison control experts are warning parents about single-dose detergent capsules that look like candy. These products were involved in about 10,000 cases of exposure involving young children, The Wall Street Journal reports.

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.