The Latest News from Our Field

Sixty percent of the 50 largest U.S. cities are smoke free, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, almost half of Americans are protected by state or local smoke-free laws.

Shipping companies FedEx and UPS say they are targets of a federal investigation related to their dealings with online pharmacies, ABC News reports. The probe is part of an international effort to reduce prescription drug abuse.

In response to the newly approved recreational marijuana law approved by Washington state voters last week, the Seattle Police Department has produced a flippant guide that explains the new law, according to NBC News.

The Alcohol Policy Information System has updated its list of state alcohol policies to reflect substantive changes that occurred last year. The list is available online.

Officials in Colorado and Washington are concerned about an increase in car crashes related to marijuana, now that recreational use of the drug by adults has been approved in both states.

The Food and Drug Administration has received reports of 13 deaths over the last four years that may have involved the highly caffeinated drink 5-Hour Energy, The New York Times reports.

A new study suggests even moderate drinking in pregnancy can result in lower IQ levels in children.

Alcohol accounts for a large number of calories consumed by many American adults, a new government study concludes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found 19 percent of men and 6 percent of women take in more than 300 calories daily from alcoholic drinks.

Cigarette labels that display graphic images of the consequences of smoking have a greater impact on smokers who are less educated about health issues, compared with text-only labels, a new study suggests.

Texas Governor Rick Perry this week called for drug tests for residents seeking welfare or unemployment benefits, the Associated Press reports.

A report by a nonprofit group concludes communities across Massachusetts are struggling with an epidemic of substance abuse. The report notes the Boston area has had a particularly high number of emergency department visits involving illicit drugs.

Several entrepreneurs in New Mexico have created products with a methamphetamine theme, to cash in on the popularity of the TV hit “Breaking Bad,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

Laws prohibiting bars and restaurants from serving intoxicated people can be an effective way to reduce alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes and violence, but the provisions in most states are poorly drafted and rarely enforced, according to two experts on alcohol policy.

A new study finds a majority of parents who smoke expose their children to tobacco smoke in their cars. Many of these parents have smoke-free policies at home, CBS News reports.

Experts say the federal government is unlikely to target individual marijuana users, as it responds to new laws in Colorado and Washington state that legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

Kentucky has increased funding to treat prisoners with addictions, to $7 million, up from $1.1 million six years ago. While 30 percent of the state’s inmates with substance abuse problems return to jail, that number drops to 20 percent among those who receive treatment for their addiction, The Courier-Journal reports.

Painkiller abuse is the biggest emerging substance abuse threat in Iowa, according to a report by the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy.

Officials at universities in Colorado and Washington state say they do not expect to change their marijuana policies, in light of voters’ approval of laws that legalize recreational marijuana in those two states.

A small number of doctors are linked to a large percentage of prescription drug-related deaths in Southern California, according to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times.

College women who act impulsively when they are in distress are at higher risk for alcohol dependence, a new study suggests.

The World Health Organization announced Monday that global health officials agreed to a deal to combat tobacco smuggling. Member governments will have to license manufacturers, and tobacco packages will be marked so products can be tracked, according to Reuters.

Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana are seeing an increase in heroin use as pain clinics known as “pill mills” have begun to shut down, making prescription opiates more difficult to obtain. Ann Barnum, Senior Program Officer, Substance Use Disorders at The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, says several communities in the Ohio River Valley are taking steps to fight opiate abuse.

The smoking rate of American adults, which declined slightly between 2005 and 2011, held steady at 19 percent between 2010 and 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week.

College students who drink alcohol before going out to a bar, club or sporting event are more likely than their peers who don’t “pre-drink” to experience blackouts, hangovers, alcohol poisoning or absence from work or school, a new study finds.

A new study suggests drinking too much alcohol can interfere with men’s feelings of empathy and understanding of irony. Chronic heavy drinking may damage parts of the brain involved in deciphering emotions and processing humor, the researchers say.