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.
Computer programs and applications for cell phones and other mobile devices are increasingly popular as tools for prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.
The costs to society from excessive drinking add up to $2 per drink, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The costs include lost work productivity, medical expenses and property damage from car crashes.
Medicare will now cover screening and counseling for alcohol misuse, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced.
A new study finds African-American women are more likely than men to stay with a type of substance abuse counseling called Motivational Enhancement Therapy. However, the women’s substance abuse issues continued, UPI reports.
Doctors and law enforcement officials in Florida and Louisiana say state bans on “bath salts” are leading to a decline in the drugs’ use.
The football players union has said it is not ready to test players for Human Growth Hormone, despite urging from two members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America is looking for 25,000 people to sign an online petition on the White House’s “We the People” website to raise the profile of effective drug prevention. If the goal is reached by November 4, the Obama Administration will discuss the issue.
Doctors and pharmacists can begin using Florida’s new drug monitoring database on Monday. The database is designed to reduce prescription drug abuse by preventing people from “doctor shopping” for painkillers.
The California Medical Association has called for the legalization of marijuana, although it acknowledges the drug does have some health risks.
Joseph Lee, MD, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Hazelden's Center for Youth and Families, speaks with Join Together about synthetic drug abuse among teens and what can be done to curb use.
The White House and Mothers Against Drunk Driving have joined forces to create a new campaign against drugged driving. The campaign calls on parents to become more aware of the consequences of teenagers driving under the influence of drugs.
A new tool created by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the American Academy of Pediatrics is designed to help pediatricians talk to teenagers about alcohol use.
Almost all smokers who are hospitalized in the United States receive advice on quitting, according to a new study.
Rising unemployment is associated with an increase in drinking, a new study suggests.
The growing popularity of synthetic drugs such as “bath salts” is spurring an increase in makeshift drug labs in towns across the country.
An estimated 56 percent of parents in a Massachusetts survey say their children have access to parents’ prescription drugs at home. One in seven parents say they have given their children pain medication that was not prescribed for their child.
Drivers in Florida have been arrested and convicted of driving under the influence based on defective alcohol breath test machines, according to the Herald-Tribune.
The Employee Assistance Research Foundation has issued a call for grant proposals, which will focus on workplace-related outcomes of employee assistance programs. The proposals are due by November 30.
If the world’s population continues to smoke at current levels, smoking could lead to an extra 18 million cases of tuberculosis, and 40 million excess deaths by 2050.
California Governor Jerry Brown signed two bills that increase access to sterile syringes. The bills are designed to reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among people who use drugs.
Almost 1,600 people applying for welfare benefits in Florida have declined to undergo drug testing, which is required by a new state law.
Kentucky is considering whether to require prescriptions for cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient in methamphetamine.
School counselors have the ability to see inconsistencies in performance or changes in behavior that may fly under the radar of a family member, says Stephanie LoBiondo, MS, of the American School Counselor Association.
A growing number of states are requiring drug testing for recipients of welfare, food stamps, unemployment and other benefits.
Parents and officials are protesting the appearance of candy shaped like marijuana leaves in stores around the country.
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