We curate a digest of the latest news in our field for advocates, policymakers, community coalitions and all who work toward shaping policies and practices to effectively prevent substance use and treat addiction. Sign up here to receive weekly updates straight to your inbox.
Michael Botticelli brings insights from the Massachusetts Department of Health to his new job as Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
The soon-to-be-released update of psychiatry’s diagnostic manual, DSM-5, combines problem drinking and alcoholism into a single condition known as “alcohol use disorder.” A new study suggests these changes may not improve the diagnosis of alcoholism, Time.com reports.
A top Drug Enforcement Administration official said this week the high rates of abuse of hydrocodone combination pills demonstrate physicians aren’t taking the risks of these medications seriously.
Emergency room visits involving attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs more than doubled from 2005 to 2010, according to a new government report. The number of visits involving ADHD medications that were used non-medically almost tripled during this period.
This fall, seven of the eight Ivy League universities introduced new alcohol policies in an effort to combat high-risk drinking, the Yale Daily News reports.
Smokers lose at least 10 years of life expectancy, compared with those who have never smoked, according to a study published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine.
High school programs that teach teens to better manage their personality traits can help reduce and postpone problem drinking, a new study suggests.
The U.S. Navy will begin conducting random blood-alcohol tests on sailors in the United States in February, the Associated Press reports.
Missouri’s drug courts have more than 12,000 graduates who have successfully completed treatment court programs, according to the state’s top judge. "Missouri has become a national leader in drug courts," Chief Justice Richard Teitleman said in an address to the state legislature this week.
A U.S. Appeals Court this week refused to overrule the Drug Enforcement Administration’s classification of marijuana as a dangerous drug with no accepted medical uses, the Los Angeles Times reports.
A proposal by the Drug Enforcement Administration to more tightly control prescriptions of drugs containing hydrocodone is prompting debate among doctors, according to NPR.
Almost half of Americans surveyed say they would support government regulation of nicotine levels in cigarettes, HealthDay reports.
Drinking alcohol may help a person fall asleep, and increase deep sleep during the first half of the night, but can disrupt sleep during the second half, a new study finds.
Prescription drug abuse is growing out-of-control, draining limited resources and devastating families. Karen Kelly of Operation Unite explains why the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit aims to “Make An Impact” in the fight against this national epidemic.
Having a parent or sibling who has been deployed in the military increases the risk of drug and alcohol use among middle and high school students, a new study finds.
British researchers say there appears to be a link between smoke-free laws and a drop in the number of children hospitalized for asthma attacks. Their study found a 12.3 percent decrease in hospital admissions for childhood asthma attacks in the first year after smoke-free laws were enacted in Britain.
Law enforcement officials in the Boston areas report spotting new synthetic drugs, whose makers are figuring out ways to get around a federal ban on the substances.
A new phone app shows the effect of drinking alcohol on a person’s facial appearance. The “Drinking Mirror” is designed to make people aware of the physical toll of heavy alcohol consumption.
Once the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented in 2014, access to effective health care services for addiction will improve dramatically, according to Faces & Voices of Recovery. In an issue brief, the advocacy group describes how the new legislation will make it possible for many in or seeking recovery to be included in the health care system for the first time.
Legalizing marijuana sends the wrong message to young people, R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said this week. “We are certainly not sending a very good message when we call it medicine and legalize it,” he told The Oregonian.
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania say MRI scans may be able to predict which patients will succeed with certain addiction treatments, and which ones will relapse, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.
A new study suggests substance abuse impairs sexual performance in men, even after they stop using drugs or alcohol. Earlier studies suggested men spontaneously recover their normal sexual performance several weeks after they end substance abuse.
Three federal legislators have sent letters to 14 marketers of energy drinks, asking for information about the products’ ingredients and for studies showing their risks and benefits to youth, The New York Times reports.
The number of emergency room visits involving energy drinks doubled from 2007 to 2011, reaching more than 20,000, according to a new government report.
People who smoke more have a greater chance of developing more aggressive and deadly bladder cancer, compared with those who smoke less or who are nonsmokers, a new study suggests.
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