The Latest News from Our Field

Police in Louisville, Kentucky say they are seeing a rise in the use of heroin, as prescription painkillers become more difficult to obtain. People who formerly were addicted to painkillers are now turning to heroin, which is cheaper, easier to get, and very potent.

A new study shows 57 percent of fatal car crashes involve a driver who tested positive for alcohol or drugs. Alcohol was the most common substance detected, followed by marijuana and stimulants, Reuters reports.

Emergency room doctors are learning the signs of designer drug use in teens and young adults as the substances continue to grow in popularity, The Miami Herald reports.

The most popular students are more likely than their classmates to smoke cigarettes, according to a study of teenagers at seven predominantly Hispanic/Latino high schools in California.

Smokers who are long-term planners are more likely to quit than those who live more in the moment, a new study suggests.

A new study finds elevated rates of suicides and overdose deaths in the month after people have been released from the hospital for substance abuse treatment. Researchers found death rates were substantially higher for those who had been out of the hospital for less than one month, compared with those who had been out for at least one year.

Using nicotine patches or prescription medication helps smokers quit, a new international study concludes. Previous studies have produced conflicting evidence about the effectiveness of smoking cessation aids in real-life settings, according to Reuters.

A new study may help explain why children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk of obesity. Researchers found children whose mothers smoked while pregnant have structural changes in their brains that may increase preference for fatty food.

College freshman, relishing newfound freedom away from home, are at greatest risk of alcohol-related harm during their first few weeks of school, according to an expert at Penn State’s Prevention Research Center.

A national training program launched last year is seeking to address the scarcity of physicians trained in treating addiction. The program, sponsored by the American Board of Addiction Medicine, aims to attract more doctors to the field, The Washington Post reports.

A new survey finds an estimated 17 percent of American high school students say they drink, smoke or use drugs during the school day. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found 86 percent of teens say they know which of their peers are abusing substances at school.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is sponsoring the first National “Above the Influence” Day on October 18 to celebrate youth who avoid pressure to use drugs and alcohol.

Tobacco industry documents, available online, reveal that cigarettes contain a wide array of additives, some of them surprising. They include cocoa, licorice, urea, and prune juice, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In case you missed any of our thought-provoking columns this summer, from individuals such as Rep. Mary Bono Mack of California, Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Dr. Sharon Stanliff of the Harm Reduction Coalition and other industry experts, please find our top 10 features of the summer here.

An estimated 49 percent of men and 11 percent of women in low- and middle-income nations use tobacco, according to the largest international study on tobacco use ever conducted.

“Molly,” the powder or crystal form of MDMA, the chemical used in Ecstasy, has been a popular drug at music festivals this year, CNN reports.

High-potency marijuana, and the synthetic form of the drug, known as “K2” or “Spice,” can harm a developing embryo’s brain, a new study concludes.

The Naval Academy is using Breathalyzer tests to detect alcohol use in its students, known as midshipmen, the Marine Corps Times reports.

A new study shows people who are treated for both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse have improved PTSD symptoms, without an increase in severity of substance dependence.

The Affordable Care Act provides protections that benefit people with mental illness who have private insurance, according to The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati.

Prenatal alcohol exposure can affect a child’s growth up until age 9, a new study finds.

Federal officials are using a variety of strategies to try to lower smoking rates, including using social media, banning fruit-flavored cigarettes, and encouraging smoking bans in public housing. Experts are sharing ideas on the best ways to prevent smoking at a national conference this week in Kansas City.

Almost three-quarters of deaths in drunk driving crashes in 2010 involved drivers who had blood alcohol levels that were nearly twice the .08 legal limit, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday.

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske is urging Missouri, the only state without a prescription drug monitoring program, to adopt such a program to fight prescription drug abuse.