The Latest News from Our Field

Huffing helium is not safe, and adults must stop encouraging children to do it, according to the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, a group that promotes awareness and recognition of inhalant use.

A new study finds a high rate of childhood trauma in adult alcoholic inpatients.

Male fruit flies spurned by females are more likely to turn to food soaked in alcohol than their male counterparts who successfully mate, according to a study that may provide clues about human alcohol dependence.

Florida is making significant gains in its war against “pill mill” clinics that sell oxycodone and other widely abused painkillers, state officials said this week.

The federal government has unveiled a nationwide anti-smoking campaign, with a series of ads that feature former smokers who discuss the negative health consequences of smoking.

Tobacco control efforts, such as increases in cigarette taxes and bans on smoking in public places, prevented almost 800,000 deaths from lung cancer in the United States between 1975 and 2000, according to a new study.

An appeals court ruled Wednesday that CVS can continue to sell controlled drugs at two pharmacies in Florida. The ruling blocks an order by the Drug Enforcement Administration to suspend shipments of the drugs.

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.