The Latest News from Our Field

Children ages 10 to 12 feel ambivalent about smoking and drinking, suggests a new study.

Treating long-term heroin users with medically prescribed heroin is more cost-effective than methadone, a new study suggests.

The Army has decided to postpone expansion of its confidential alcohol treatment program for almost three years, citing a high dropout rate in its pilot phase.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) acted appropriately in suspending the controlled-substances licenses of two CVS stores in Florida. The DEA charged the stores had failed to closely monitor sales of oxycodone.

Members of the Oklahoma House voted that legislators throughout the state should take the same drug test that would be required of welfare recipients.

Major policy changes are needed to resolve the tension between providing adequate pain relief and tackling the epidemic of prescription opioid overdoses, according to drug policy expert Keith Humphreys, PhD.

Older adults who take opioids after minor surgery are more likely to become long-term opioid users compared with those who don’t receive a painkiller prescription after a minor procedure, suggests a new study.

A growing number of patients are receiving “off-label” prescriptions for a class of drugs called atypical antipsychotics, according to The Washington Post. These drugs are increasingly being prescribed to treat anxiety, attention deficit, sleep problems, behavior problems in toddlers, and other conditions for which they are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Substance abuse is taking a major toll on employers in terms of costs and productivity, The Oklahoman reports. Drug abuse costs U.S. employers $276 billion a year.

The Maryland Senate is debating a bill that would ban smoking in vehicles with passengers who are younger than 8.

The Florida Senate has approved a bill that would allow random drug testing of state employees. The bill now moves to the desk of Governor Rick Scott, who is certain to sign it, the Associated Press reports.

A new analysis of studies originally conducted in the 1960s suggests LSD may help people with alcoholism quit or reduce their drinking.

A growing number of criminal defense lawyers are successfully questioning the results of blood alcohol tests in Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

A new study suggests teenagers with “pathologic” Internet use are more likely to admit to drug abuse.

Changes brought about by health care reform are making it easier to help people with severe mental illness to quit smoking. This population traditionally has not received much smoking cessation assistance, according to Adam O. Goldstein, MD, Director of the University of North Carolina Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation Program.

A new report by three public health groups charges tobacco companies have made convenience stores important partners in enticing minors to smoke, through marketing and fighting policies that reduce tobacco use.

Students who bully their classmates are more likely to use cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, compared with their peers who aren’t bullies, a new study suggests.

Laws regulating e-cigarettes are under consideration in a growing number of states, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The U.S. military services will expand their drug testing programs to include commonly abused prescription drugs beginning on May 1.

A new report by the U.S. Surgeon General says tobacco companies’ ads and promotional campaigns may influence teens and young adults to start smoking.

As Florida gains success with shutting down “pill mills,” demand for prescription painkillers is shifting to retail pharmacies, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Fetal exposure to cocaine, tobacco or marijuana is not associated with lower academic achievement in children, a new study suggests. However, fetal exposure to alcohol in children with no evidence of fetal alcohol syndrome does lead to lower scores in math reasoning and spelling at age 11.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter Tuesday to the maker of the inhalable caffeine product AeroShot Pure Energy, stating its labeling is false or misleading.

Adopted children whose biological parents abused drugs are twice as likely to do so themselves, compared with adopted children whose birth parents did not abuse drugs, a new study finds.

U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric disorders are more likely than veterans without mental health issues to receive prescription opioids for pain, according to a new study.