The Latest News from Our Field

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.

E-cigarette companies are using celebrities in ads and flavorings in their products to appeal to new customers, USA Today reports. Unlike regular cigarettes, the marketing of e-cigarettes is not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

A new animal study suggests male offspring of fathers who use cocaine are more resistant to the drug’s rewarding effects, compared with those whose fathers have not used cocaine.

School officials, counselors and nurses in Colorado say they are seeing an increase in the number of students bringing marijuana to school, according to The Denver Post. The rise has taken place since the state regulated medical marijuana in 2010 and legalized recreational marijuana last year.

Many of the more than two million veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from both pain and post-traumatic stress disorder. Often they are treated with opioid painkillers, which can be a dangerous mix with mental illness because of the risk of addiction, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Addiction and mental health treatment experts say they are hopeful new rules issued by the federal government that require parity between treatment for mental and physical illness will greatly expand access to care. They say a critical component of the rules’ success will be the criteria insurers use to include patients for addiction and mental health coverage.

Changes made by makers of cold and cough medicines in 2007 have resulted in a significant decrease in visits by infants and toddlers to hospital emergency rooms due to these medicines, according to a new study.

The maker of the dietary supplement OxyElite Pro is recalling some of its products, which have been linked to an outbreak of liver illnesses, the Food and Drug Administration said Saturday.

The United States did a dreadful job in recognizing and addressing the alcohol and drug problems of Vietnam era veterans. In shameful fact, a significant percent of the nation’s homeless men are Vietnam—and now Gulf War—veterans who never got the help they needed when they got home. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, we cannot allow this to happen again, says Dr. David Rosenbloom of the Boston University School of Public Health.

Rules that will require health insurers to provide coverage for addiction and mental health that is equal to benefits for general medical coverage will be issued Friday by the Obama administration, The New York Times reports.

Americans turned in 647,211 pounds, or 324 tons, of expired and unwanted medications for safe and proper disposal during the most recent National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 26. The event was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

An online training program designed to reduce prescription drug abuse shows promise in early results, HealthCanal reports.

Employers are reconsidering smoking bans in light of the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, Bloomberg reports.

A new online marketplace that sells illegal drugs opened Wednesday, Reuters reports. It is called Silk Road, the same name as the Internet marketplace for illegal drugs that was shut down last month by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A new study adds to evidence that e-cigarettes may help some smokers quit. The study followed e-cigarette users for one year, and found they cut back or quit regular cigarettes in large numbers, according to Reuters.

As a growing number of young adults receive mental health care under the Affordable Care Act, costs are likely to rise, according to a new analysis. Under the law, mental health issues will now be treated the same as physical ailments, USA Today reports.