The Latest News from Our Field

Alcohol policy expert James F. Mosher, JD, discusses his new study, “Joe Camel in a Bottle: Diageo, the Smirnoff Brand, and the Transformation of the Youth Alcohol Market.” He explores why underage drinkers have made a dramatic shift in the last decade from beer to distilled spirits.

The pipeline of prescription painkillers from Florida to Kentucky has started to close off, the attorneys general of both states announced this week. They attributed the slowdown in illegal pill trafficking to new rules and programs in Florida, coupled with increased enforcement in both states.

The 23 marijuana dispensaries located near schools in Colorado that received warning letters last week telling them they must shut down should take the warning seriously, according to Colorado U.S. Attorney John Walsh.

Heavy drinkers who were formerly homeless, and are provided with housing, cut down on their drinking if they are allowed access to alcohol, a new study has found.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie this week called for mandatory treatment for all low-level drug offenders.

Many states received failing grades on the latest American Lung Association report card rating tobacco control efforts.

U.S. Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to close loopholes in a synthetic drug law that allows makers of the drugs to slightly alter their ingredients to avoid federal and state bans.

A new government report finds that rates of substance abuse are far higher in people with mental illness. The report found that one in five adults in the United States—nearly 50 million people—experienced mental illness in the past year.

Two Florida health care organizations have announced a new plan to treat patients coming to the emergency room seeking pain relief. They say the plan aims to reduce prescription drug abuse.

An advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is meeting this week to discuss the risks and benefits of dissolvable tobacco. Critics of the products say they look like candy and are designed to appeal to teens.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can help bring relief to some patients with chronic pain, a new study suggests. The findings are potentially significant in light of the increasing incidence of painkiller overdoses and addiction, according to Fox News.

Many hospital patients are comfortable with having nurses deliver screening and brief intervention for alcohol, a new study suggests. According to the researchers, the findings indicate that nurses can be important partners in helping to screen for hazardous drinking.

A family history of alcoholism may affect teenagers’ decision-making, researchers at Oregon Health and Sciences University have found. They discovered these adolescents have a weaker brain response during risky decision-making compared with teens without such a family history.

At least 50 to 75 percent of Americans seeking treatment for a substance abuse problem also have a co-occurring mental health disorder, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). However, training of professionals for treating dual diagnoses in the field is not as frequent as its prevalence among Americans.

One person dies every 19 minutes from prescription drug abuse in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A new study suggests the most significant alcohol-related damage to fetuses occurs during the seventh through twelfth weeks of pregnancy. However, the researchers emphasized their findings do not indicate it is safe to drink earlier or later in pregnancy.

The U.S. military is spreading awareness of the dangers of “Spice,” “bath salts” and other synthetic drugs, the Air Force Times reports.

The Association of Surfing Professionals has announced it will begin a new anti-doping policy for top surfers, according to The Orange County Register.

Prescription drug abuse has no socio-economic barriers. But it does come with a huge human cost, says Karen Kelly of Kentucky's Operation UNITE.

A new study provides clues about the brain mechanisms that drive people to abuse alcohol. The study found a link between how good people feel after they drink, and the amount of endorphins—proteins with opiate-like effects—released in their brain.

Princess Cruise Lines will ban smoking in its staterooms and balconies starting Monday. While more cruise lines are banning cigarettes, policies on e-cigarettes vary among the cruise lines, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Smoking cessation resources have been diminishing over the past few years in Ohio, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

The New Jersey legislature this week approved a bill that would allow adults to buy syringes without a prescription. The bill was revised when Governor Chris Christie issued a conditional veto stating said he would not approve the measure unless buyers were required to show a photo ID, or otherwise prove to pharmacists they are at least 18.

Doctors are more effective in promoting smoking cessation by offering help to all smokers, rather than simply advising smokers to quit and only offering assistance to those who express interest in doing so, according to a new study.

A new study shows a program that provides a system of incentives for good behavior helps parolees reduce marijuana use. The system was not found to be successful among those who use stimulants or opiates, Medical News Today reports.