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.
The maker of OxyContin has announced it will study the safety of the painkiller in children, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Methadone causes 30 percent of prescription painkiller overdose deaths, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some doctors are now prescribing methadone to treat chronic problems such as back pain, which is making the drug more widely available.
Teenagers are more likely to start smoking cigarettes or marijuana in June or July than in any other month, according to a new government study.
Three-quarters of teenage patients in substance abuse treatment programs in Denver, Colorado said they used someone else’s medical marijuana, according to a new study.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act is extremely uplifting for the substance abuse field, according to A. Thomas McLellan, PhD, CEO of the Treatment Research Institute and former Deputy Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Three current members of the U.S. House, joined by two former members, argued this week that health insurers are trying to take advantage of customers by decreasing coverage of mental health and addiction treatment.
The U.S. Senate passed a bill outlawing synthetic drugs this week, and awaits President Obama’s signature, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
A federal judge ruled Thursday that the New York Police Department policy of administering a breathalyzer test to any officer whose use of a weapon results in injury or death is constitutional.
The Supreme Court on Thursday largely upheld the constitutionality of the Obama Administration’s health care law. The mandate was upheld as a tax, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The manufacturer of the painkiller OxyContin is trying to extend its exclusive rights to the drug, which is set to go off patent in 2013, The Wall Street Journal reports. Purdue Pharma LP says a reformulated version of the drug may substantially decrease abuse of the opioid.
A new vaccine successfully blocks nicotine addiction in mice, CBS News reports.
West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw announced the state is suing 14 drug wholesalers, in an effort to block distribution routes for “pill mills.”
Drug abuse kills about 200,000 people worldwide each year, according to a new United Nations (UN) report. Global treatment for drug abuse would cost $250 billion per year if everyone who needed help received proper care, according to the UN.
Lung cancer deaths are rising among women born after 1950 in the South and Midwest, according to a new study. Cigarette advertising aimed at women in the 1960s and 1970s may have contributed to the increase, the researchers say.
A new study finds a link between DNA changes in the sperm of male smokers and genetic changes in their newborn children. The research suggests that these changes may increase children’s risk of developing genetic diseases.
A physician accused of prescribing drugs to three young men who died of overdoses was ordered to stand trial for second-degree murder, the Associated Press reports.
Recent findings indicate that students who smoke marijuana during college may be risking longer-term health says Amelia Arria, PhD, scientific director of the Parents Translational Research Center.
Only about one in 10 people who need treatment for addiction to drugs or alcohol receive it, according to a new report. Many who do receive treatment do not receive evidence-based care, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.
A new study finds prescription painkiller abuse jumped 75 percent between 2002 and 2010. Men and adults ages 26 to 49 were most likely to abuse prescription painkillers.
A popular form of weight-loss surgery may increase the risk of alcohol abuse, The New York Times reports.
Adults who are exposed to secondhand smoke have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, compared with nonsmokers, a new study suggests.
A measure to raise the cigarette tax by $1 per pack in California failed by less than one percentage point after the vote was deemed too close to call for more than two weeks, the Associated Press reports.
Pregnant women who are being treated for heroin dependence with methadone can be persuaded to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke through monetary incentives, a new study suggests.
The U.S. Coast Guard launched “Operation Dry Water” this weekend, a nationwide annual campaign to call attention to the dangers of boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
A decreased interest in food is associated with a greater interest in novelty-seeking behavior and cocaine use, a mouse study suggests.
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