The Latest News from Our Field

A new study calls into question the results of a study published last year that concluded heavy marijuana use can permanently lower IQ by several points in teens. The new research suggests that the IQ drop may have been caused by factors related to economic class and home life, NBC News reports.

With the patent for the original version of OxyContin set to expire in April, experts in Kentucky and around the country are concerned that cheaper generic versions of the drug will become available, which will be easier to abuse.

The American Cancer Society is recommending that older people with a significant smoking history should consider getting a low-dose CT scan to screen for lung cancer.

A case involving the Justice Department indictment of a California medical marijuana entrepreneur highlights the dispute between federal and state authorities over the drug, according to The New York Times.

A graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has invented ice cubes that can warn drinkers when they’ve consumed too much alcohol, ABC News reports.

People in prisons and jails are four times more likely to have a substance use disorder than the general public, yet services for this population are sorely lacking, according to experts at George Mason University.

Health officials in Tennessee are reporting cases of a rare blood-clotting disorder in people who injected the painkiller Opana ER (extended release), after crushing the pills.

New York City public hospitals will restrict prescriptions of some powerful painkillers in their emergency rooms, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday. The new policy is designed to cut down on prescription drug abuse.

More than three-quarters of middle school and high school students surveyed in North Carolina say smoking should not be allowed at home, indoors at work, or in cars, HealthDay reports. The tobacco-growing state has one of the nation’s lowest cigarette taxes, and only recently banned smoking in most restaurants, bars and hotels.

Major League Baseball and its players union announced they have reached an agreement to conduct in-season blood testing of players for human growth hormone. Players also will be tested for synthetic testosterone, which is increasingly popular because it washes out of the body fairly quickly after being used.

The Food and Drug Administration will soon consider whether prescription painkillers containing hydrocodone should be more tightly regulated, as the Drug Enforcement Administration has urged, USA Today reports.

Sending substance-abusing state prisoners to community-based treatment programs instead of prisons could reduce crime and save billions of dollars, a new study concludes.

A group opposing marijuana legalization, called Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), is launching Thursday, according to the Associated Press. Former U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy, who has struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, chairs the organization.

Teens who live in a caring community may be less likely to abuse alcohol than their peers who report fewer positive experiences in their community, a new study suggests. Spending time with antisocial peers can increase the risk of alcohol abuse, researchers from Penn State report.

One in five high school girls binge drink, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report finds almost 14 million women in the United States binge drink about three times a month.

A new government report shows prescription drug abuse decreased in 10 states from 2010 to 2011, and did not increase in any state.

Employers in the oil and gas industry are having a difficult time finding enough workers who can pass drug tests, The Wall Street Journal reports. Prescription drug abuse is largely to blame.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case Wednesday on the question of whether police must obtain a warrant before forcing suspected drunk drivers to submit to a blood alcohol test.

A recent article drew attention to the fact that some substance abuse counselors believe moderate drinking is an option for individuals with substance use disorders. Phyllis Abel Gardner, PhD, President of IC&RC reacts to this news.

Smokers can lower their anxiety levels by quitting, a new study suggests. The decrease is particularly noticeable among people who used smoking to cope, instead of for pleasure.

Black and Hispanic patients who enter publicly funded alcohol and drug treatment programs are less likely to complete treatment, compared with white patients, a new study finds.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin announced Monday the state will set up DUI courts to reduce the number of repeat drunk drivers. The courts will operate much like the three drug courts in the state, according to the Associated Press.

A federal judge has ruled that a medical marijuana dispensary in northern California can remain open, despite efforts by federal prosecutors to close it.

Tobacco manufacturers are moving into the manufacture and sale of electronic cigarettes, according to CNBC. The business, which brought in $400 million to $500 million in sales in 2012, is expected to at least double this year, one expert predicts.

Advocates for two competing medical marijuana measures in Los Angeles have gathered enough signatures to have the initiatives appear on the May ballot. Both measures aim to manage growth of medical marijuana shops, according to NBC News.