The Latest News from Our Field

Major League Baseball wants to suspend about 20 players accused of using performance-enhancing drugs, ESPN reports. The players include the New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez and the Milwaukee Brewers’ Ryan Braun.

A bill designed to increase the security of the prescription drug supply chain, to prevent stolen or counterfeit drugs, passed the U.S. House this week.

The boards of the Betty Ford Center and the Hazelden Foundation, two of the nation’s biggest addiction treatment providers, are considering a formal alliance, the Pioneer Press reports.

Almost two-thirds of wealthy British women consume more than three small glasses of wine daily, which is greater than the recommended health limit, a new survey suggests.

Although they make up only a small percentage of 12-step program membership, teens and young adults can benefit greatly from attending meetings for groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), according to an expert from Harvard University.

The smoking cessation drug varenicline (Chantix) shows promise in treating alcohol dependence, a new study suggests.

Employers pay almost $6,000 more annually for workers who smoke, compared with their nonsmoking colleagues, a new study finds.

A new study concludes black Americans were almost four times as likely as whites to be arrested for marijuana possession in 2010, according to The New York Times. Blacks and whites use marijuana at similar rates, the study notes.

President Obama on Monday said it is time to bring mental illness “out of the shadows.” At the National Conference on Mental Health, sponsored by the White House, Obama spoke about the stigma associated with mental illness.

A growing number of children and teenagers are being accidentally poisoned by opioids and medications for adult chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, according to a new study.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced alcohol manufacturers can place nutrition labels on beer, wine and spirits. The labels are voluntary, according to the Associated Press.

European governments should ban flavored tobacco products and require plain packaging, the European Society of Cardiology announced Friday, designated as World No Tobacco Day.

The American Cancer Society is urging New York to become the first state to ban the sale of sweet-flavored little cigars, chewing tobacco and loose tobacco in convenience stores. The group says these products are aimed at children.

A drug used to treat liver toxicity in Tylenol overdoses may be helpful in treating teens dependent on marijuana, when it is combined with behavioral therapy, according to an expert speaking at the recent American Psychiatric Association annual meeting.

Nicotine replacement therapy and antidepressants are safe and effective in helping people quit smoking, a review of studies concludes.

Smoking will no longer be allowed within 25 feet of Starbucks storefronts in the United States or Canada starting June 1, NBC Los Angeles reports.

Health groups including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Legacy and the American Heart Association are asking several attorneys general to investigate a new ad campaign for Camel Crush cigarettes. The groups say the ads target young people.

Marijuana compounds may help control blood sugar and lower the risk of diabetes, a new study suggests. The compounds also might help users control their weight, according to Time.com.

Some college students are experimenting with inhaling alcohol by pouring it over dry ice and “smoking” the vapors, according to an expert who says the practice is dangerous.

Taking medication to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood does not affect the risk of substance abuse later in life, according to a new study. Earlier research indicated children who took ADHD drugs had a reduced risk of substance abuse, The New York Times reports.

A poll of doctors finds 76 percent say they would approve of the use of medical marijuana to treat pain in an older woman with advanced breast cancer.

Last year 73 new synthetic drugs were detected in Europe, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Of these drugs, 30 were variations of synthetic marijuana.

Thank you for supporting our effort to have products that promote prescription drug abuse removed from Urban Outfitters (UO) stores and website. UO has yet to respond to our demands, so we invite you to join us for a phone campaign to Urban Outfitters CEO & Chairman to request that the merchandise be removed immediately.

Strong connections with parents who advise against drug use reduce teens’ risk of abusing prescription drugs, a new study finds.

A Kentucky law allows parents to petition the court to order involuntary drug treatment for their adult children, USA Today reports. Other concerned people may also file a petition under Casey’s Law.