The Latest News from Our Field

About one in 20 teenagers have used steroids to increase their muscle mass, a new study suggests. In addition, more than one-third of boys and one-fifth of girls said they had used protein shakes or powders to increase their muscles, while between five and 10 percent used non-steroid substances to bulk up.

A survey of California drivers finds they are almost twice as likely to test positive for drugs that may impair driving, compared with alcohol.

The National Institutes of Health has announced it will not pursue the proposed creation of a single institute devoted to substance use, abuse and addictions. The proposal would have dissolved the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and replaced it with a single body.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday released reports of injuries that cited the possible involvement of the nation’s top-selling energy drink, Red Bull. The reports follow the release of similar reports for other energy drinks, The New York Times reports.

Although voters in Washington have approved a new law allowing the recreational use of marijuana among adults, employers in the state are unlikely to change their drug use policies, according to The Seattle Times.

American teenagers are smoking less, according to a new government report. The report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found current cigarette smoking among teenagers declined significantly between 2002 and 2010 in 41 states. Nationwide, teen cigarette use fell from 12.6 percent to 8.7 percent.

Raising alcohol excise taxes can help deter young people from drinking, according to a leading expert on preventing drinking in youth.

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.