The Latest News from Our Field

The Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the first pure hydrocodone drug concerns law enforcement agencies and addiction experts, who predict overdose deaths will increase, Newsday reports.

Use of marijuana and inhalants is more common in teens in the child welfare system compared with other teens, a new study finds.

Combining acetaminophen and even a small amount of alcohol can more than double a person’s risk of developing kidney disease, according to a study presented at the American Public Health Association annual meeting.

The National Institutes of Health announced the appointment of George Koob of the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego as the new director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The agency has operated under an acting director for several years.

The Recovery Research Institute, a new initiative at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Addiction Medicine and Harvard Medical School, seeks to disentangle the myths from the facts, conduct needed research and serve as a resource to locate the evidence-based truths about recovery.

A team of six runners from an Italian drug rehabilitation center will participate in the New York City Marathon on Sunday, The New York Times reports.

The Defense Department’s healthcare plan will cover the opioid addiction medications buprenorphine and methadone starting next month, according to the Air Force Times.

A new study finds 30 percent of U.S. veterans prescribed psychiatric medications do not have a diagnosed mental health problem.

Other cities and states are closely watching New York City’s vote this week to raise the legal age for buying tobacco from 18 to 21, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Ten percent of 14- to 20-year-olds treated in the emergency room for any reason say they have misused prescription drugs at least once in the last year, a new study finds.

Employers are conflicted about whether to ban e-cigarettes at work, according to Workforce. As more workplaces become smoke-free, many employers are hesitant to endorse anything associated with cigarettes.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder this week signed a law that denies unemployment benefits to some people seeking jobs who fail drug tests.

New York City lawmakers passed a measure Wednesday that raises the legal age for purchasing tobacco to 21, from 18. The law covers cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos, The New York Times reports.

A number of states are making their own decisions about regulating e-cigarettes, as they await the Food and Drug Administration’s rules about the devices. Four states have included e-cigarettes in indoor smoking bans, and more are considering following suit.

The drug topiramate, used to treat epilepsy and migraine headaches, may be an effective treatment for cocaine dependence, a new study suggests.

Boston mayoral candidate Martin J. Walsh, a recovering alcoholic, has the backing of many people who have dealt with substance use issues themselves, according to The New York Times.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided to drop a bill that would have required stores to keep cigarettes out of sight, according to The New York Times. Bloomberg still hopes to raise the legal smoking age to 21.

Health care professionals who are dealing with substance use disorders face particular challenges, according to the executive director of an organization dedicated to serving this population. These professionals must learn to cope with the emotional challenges of having ready access to medications, says Maureen Sullivan Dinnan, J.D. of HAVEN.

Despite widespread publicity about “date rape” drugs such as roofies, liquid ecstasy and Special K, alcohol remains the most common substance associated with sexual assault, according to law enforcement officials.

Doctors are trying a new approach to pain management after surgery, in an attempt to reduce patients’ reliance on narcotic painkillers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A little more than a year after President Obama signed legislation banning the sale of 26 designer drugs, more than 250 types of these synthetic drugs are still sold in the United States, Roll Call reports.

Monday is the most popular day for conducting Google searches about quitting smoking, a new study finds.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first pure hydrocodone drug in the United States. The drug, Zohydro ER (extended release), was approved for patients with pain that requires daily, around-the-clock, long-term treatment that cannot be treated with other drugs.

Business and patient groups waged a costly lobbying campaign against tighter prescribing regulations for hydrocodone products for many years, according to The New York Times. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration recommended tighter restrictions for products containing hydrocodone and other painkillers such as acetaminophen or aspirin.

Court papers unsealed Friday revealed that federal agents seized a total of $35 million in profits from Silk Road, the online drug marketplace shut down earlier this month.