The Latest News from Our Field

Methamphetamine may raise the risk of dying from a fungal lung infection called cryptococcus, a new study in mice suggests.

Young adults who grew up in poverty are more likely to smoke than their peers who grew up in more economically secure homes, but they are less likely to binge drink, a new study suggests.

Capital City Care, the first medical marijuana dispensary in Washington, D.C., opened this week. It is located about one mile north of the U.S. Capitol, according to The Huffington Post.

The impact of menthol cigarettes on young smokers is alarming, particularly when one considers the health consequences of a lifetime of smoking, says David Dobbins of the American Legacy Foundation.

A video ad promoting the legalization of marijuana was pulled from a screen outside a NASCAR event at the Indiana Motor Speedway Friday, several hours after it began running, USA Today reports.

Medical marijuana trade associations, dispensary owners and advocacy groups are concerned that full legalization of the drug will negatively impact their industry, according to Politico.

A government health panel on Monday recommended heavy smokers ages 55 to 80 receive annual screenings for lung cancer with low-dose CT scans, The New York Times reports.

In recent years, a growing number of states have passed laws protecting retailers from being liable for harms caused by customers served alcohol illegally, according to a new study.

The percentage of pregnant women in substance abuse treatment programs who were being treated for alcohol abuse decreased between 2000 and 2010, according to a new government report. During the same decade, the percentage of pregnant women in these programs being treated for drug abuse rose.

The dramatic decrease in cocaine use in America is due to a number of factors, ranging from changing trends to new drug control strategies implemented by Colombia, according to NPR.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association will implement a new policy on August 1 that lowers the threshold for what determines a positive marijuana test, The Baltimore Sun reports.

Pediatricians can help parents quit smoking, a new study suggests.

Sleep problems and substance use disorders often go together, according to a specialist who says many people continue to have insomnia even after they are able to successfully stop abusing drugs and alcohol.

A group that advocates for the legalization of marijuana will run a video ad outside a NASCAR race in Indianapolis this weekend, USA Today reports. It will be the first time such an ad will appear so close to the entrance of a major sporting event.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear announced this week that the number of doses of opioid painkillers that were prescribed in the state have dropped in the last year, since he signed a new law designed to cut down on prescription drug abuse.

Services offered by a quit-smoking hotline will be drastically reduced for uninsured smokers in Washington state starting on August 1.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed a law aimed at reducing the number of people who operate a boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

An analysis of studies suggests children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more likely to have conduct problems later in life, such as getting into fights or having attention difficulties, compared with children of nonsmoking mothers.

The national association representing pharmacy benefits managers, which administer prescription drug plans for more than 210 million Americans, has released recommendations aimed at reducing prescription drug abuse and fraud in Medicare.

The results of a study of compulsive drinking habits in rats could one day lead to a treatment for similar behavior in humans, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. The treatment would only be effective if a person wanted to stop drinking, they say.

Pope Francis spoke out against legalizing drugs in Latin America, and called drug cartels “merchants of death,” Wednesday during his visit to Brazil.

The Food and Drug Administration says menthol-flavored cigarettes raise critical public health questions, and likely pose a greater risk to the health of smokers than non-menthol cigarettes, The Wall Street Journal reports.

A new survey finds 82 percent of American adults say they support a ban on smoking in cars that are carrying children younger than 13.

The Indiana Poison Center reports major decreases in the number of reported overdoses from synthetic drugs such as bath salts and Spice, according to the Associated Press.

Arkansas is focusing on reducing prescription drug overdoses, which account for about one death daily in the state. State officials are working with health providers, law enforcement and educators to reduce abuse rates, according to the Associated Press.