The Latest News from Our Field

Using Facebook and other social networking sites can negatively affect teenagers’ treatment for substance use disorders, a new study suggests.

Ohio Governor John Kasich has announced new guidelines to fight prescription drug abuse, which aim to restrict painkiller prescriptions written in hospital emergency rooms.

A Massachusetts law passed in 2006 that expanded insurance coverage did not lead to an increase in the number of state residents who received inpatient treatment for drug and alcohol abuse at state-contracted facilities, according to a new study.

Women physicians with substance abuse problems differ in some significant ways from their male counterparts, according to the medical director of Virginia’s Health Practitioners’ Monitoring Program. Yet little research has been done about the best ways to treat these women, she says.

A new type of “bath salts” called “Amped” is being used in Virginia, poison control officials there report. The drug, sold as a ladybug attractant, is likely also being used in other parts of the country, according to ABC News.

Minors are often able to buy alcohol online, because many Internet alcohol sellers and shipping companies do not verify the buyer’s age, a new study suggests.

A new study finds 13 percent of high school seniors have used prescription opioids for non-medical reasons. Overall, nearly one in every four high school seniors in the United States has had some exposure to prescription painkillers, either for medical or non-medical reasons.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the state’s largest health insurer, is instituting a policy to reduce prescription drug abuse, by limiting the amount of pain medicine most patients can get without prior approval from the company.

Acupuncture and hypnosis can be effective in helping some smokers quit, according to a review of 14 studies. These approaches may be useful for smokers who can’t quit using standard approaches such as nicotine replacement therapy, medications and behavioral counseling, Reuters reports.

Marijuana cultivators are taking advantage of depressed real estate markets to buy or rent homes, and turn them into “grow houses.” The Drug Enforcement Administration says an increasing number of these houses are in high-end neighborhoods.

Dozens of suspects across the country have been arrested and charged with stealing prescription drugs from tractor trailers and warehouses. Two brothers are accused of stealing more than $70 million of prescription drugs from a warehouse in Connecticut.

Most states do not address youth exposure to alcohol marketing, according to a new report. Researchers at the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore say this represents a missed opportunity to improve public health.

Research shows that teens with substance abuse problems are more likely to break the law, behave violently or drop out of school. In fact, 4 out of 5 young people in the juvenile justice system commit crimes while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, says Susan Richardson of Reclaiming Futures.

Americans turned in 276 tons of unwanted or expired medications during the fourth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced.

The smoking cessation drug varenicline (Chantix) can significantly reduce alcohol use in smokers who drink heavily, a new study suggests.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi criticized the Obama Administration’s stance against medical marijuana suppliers in California this week. She said the government is putting patients in danger, and undermining its policy of deferring to states on the issue, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Researchers at Duke University are using virtual gaming technology to treat substance abuse in veterans. Through a computer-generated environment, they are testing former soldiers with temptations, including alcohol and drugs.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is requiring 14 major alcoholic beverage producers to provide information about their online marketing. The FTC will use the information for a study that will guide recommendations on how the alcohol industry should regulate itself, both online and offline.

About 15 percent of health care providers in New York City wrote more than 80 percent of all opioid painkiller prescriptions in 2010, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The Colorado Senate has passed a measure that would make it easier to convict someone of driving while under the influence of marijuana. The measure will now move to the House, according to The Denver Post.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has signed into law a bill that aims to curb prescription drug abuse. The measure was opposed by the Kentucky Medical Association, which now says it will educate its members about the new law.

Nearly one in 10 teenagers are smoking marijuana at least 20 or more times a month, a new survey finds. The Associated Press reports that the survey, released Wednesday by The Partnership at Drugfree.org, found past-month use of marijuana rose from 19 percent in 2008, to 27 percent last year.

Many emergency room physicians say they see many patients who come in asking for painkillers for dental pain. These doctors must decide whether the patients are truly suffering from dental problems, or are simply seeking an easy way to collect painkillers, The New York Times reports.

Many American children with asthma are exposed to secondhand smoke, and experience health problems as a result, according to a new study.

Teenagers who are familiar with TV ads for alcohol are more likely to drink, according to new research presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ Annual Meeting in Boston.