The Latest News from Our Field

Almost one-fourth of suicide victims in the United States are legally intoxicated at the time of death, a new study has found.

Drunk drivers are a threat on the road during Memorial Day weekend, warns Fox Business. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 397 people died over the three-day weekend in 2010, the latest year for which data is available. Of those crashes, 40 percent were alcohol-related.

Medical marijuana laws are posing a challenge to colleges, NPR reports. Since marijuana is illegal under federal law, colleges that allow students to use medical marijuana on campus are at risk of losing federal funding.

Prescriptions for controlled substances in Tennessee jumped 23 percent from 2010 to 2011, the Associated Press reports. The increase occurred despite efforts to address the state’s prescription drug abuse epidemic.

Support for a proposed $1 per-pack tax increase on cigarettes is waning, a new poll finds. The Public Policy Institute of California poll found 53 percent of likely voters say they will vote in favor of the tax hike during the June 5 primary, while 42 percent are opposed to it.

The United States is looking to other nations for ideas on how to treat addiction as a disease, the U.S. Director of National Drug Control Policy said Tuesday.

Researchers at Stanford University, who conducted the largest study to date of African-Americans’ genetics and smoking behavior, have found a genetic marker that influences smoking habits.

A federal appeals court has ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act cannot be used to protect medical marijuana dispensaries from being shut down.

Teens and young adults who listen to high-volume digital music with ear buds, or who visit music venues such as clubs or concerts, are at greater risk of substance abuse than their peers who don’t engage in so-called risky music-listening behaviors, according to a new study.

What has many people interested in the Revel hotel and casino, which hosts its official opening Memorial Day weekend, is that it offers Atlantic City’s only smoke-free gaming floor, says William Furmanski of Legacy.

Not all treatments for alcoholism work for everyone who needs them, experts tell The New York Times. There are a few drugs that have shown promise in treating alcoholism when used with therapy. The challenge is to determine which treatments will benefit which patients.

Eleven health professional schools have been chosen by the National Institutes of Health Pain Consortium to be designated Centers of Excellence in Pain Education. These centers will enhance and improve how health professionals are taught about pain and its treatment.

Tobacco manufacturer Altria is introducing a tobacco-free nicotine lozenge called Verve, The Wall Street Journal reports. Verve is a chewable, mint-flavored disc, which provides nicotine that is extracted from tobacco.

7-Eleven has announced it will launch a new technology that will scan the code on the back of a customer’s driver license or identification card, in a move to prevent minors from purchasing alcohol, tobacco, potential inhalants and lottery tickets.

A new study concludes that throwing away unused prescription drugs in the trash may be the most environmentally friendly option.

A group of well-known addiction doctors is urging that the son of Michael Douglas receive treatment, instead of additional jail time, for his latest drug offense.

South Asian countries, including Iran and Pakistan, are quickly establishing themselves as a major force in the global methamphetamine market, the Associated Press reports.

New guidelines published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association recommend that older current or former heavy smokers receive yearly CT scans to detect lung cancer.

Teens who complete a five-minute computer screening program that includes six questions about alcohol and drug use, and who talk with their pediatrician briefly about the results, reduce their risk of drinking up to one year later, according to a new study.

A new study finds an extract of the Chinese herb kudzu may help curb binge drinking. The study found components found in the kudzu root can reduce alcohol consumption, without side effects.

A study of more than six thousand twins finds a link between substance abuse early in life, and a decreased likelihood of finishing college.

Tennessee’s new law requiring drug testing for welfare recipients, which Governor Bill Haslam said he will sign, faces constitutional questions, according to The Tennessean.

Intoxication is a key factor in many boating accidents, experts say, as boating season gets underway. In Texas, almost 100 people died in boating accidents over the last three years, and alcohol use was the leading contributor, the Houston Chronicle reports.

A new government report suggests that treating drug use as a public health issue could lead to reduced crime rates. The annual report by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy finds illegal drugs play a central role in criminal acts.

Medical marijuana was a key issue in this week’s Democratic primary race for Oregon Attorney General. A retired state judge who was supported by advocates of the issue defeated a former federal prosecutor who oversaw raids on medical marijuana growers.