The Latest News from Our Field

The arrest of 37 people on drug charges at a Boeing aircraft plant last week puts the spotlight on the increasing problem of prescription drug abuse in the workplace, according to experts.

A drug that helps prevent intoxication has shown promise in a study of mice. When the animals took the drug and then were given a large amount of alcohol, they didn’t show signs of being drunk, the New York Daily News reports.

Maine is considering composting unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The Morning Sentinel reports the state hopes composting will be an inexpensive solution to disposing of medications.

Substance abuse treatment providers must start making changes now so they are ready when the Affordable Care Act is implemented in 2014, says Dr. Thomas Freese.

Almost one-third of workers in mining, construction, and the accommodation and food service industries smoke, compared with about 20 percent of the general U.S. adult population, according to a new survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How much the friends of a teenager’s boyfriend or girlfriend drink can have more influence on the teen’s drinking habits than their own friends or romantic partner, a new study suggests.

Tobacco companies were aware of the dangers of a radioactive substance in cigarettes as early as 1959, but hid this knowledge from the public, according to a new study.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has told all federally licensed firearms dealers that anyone who uses marijuana, including medical marijuana, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Local governments in southern states are starting to look to alcohol sales as a way to boost revenues.

Welfare applicants in Florida are less likely than Americans in general to use drugs. The state compiled the figures as part of a new state law that requires drug tests for welfare applicants.

Four Americans are receiving marijuana from the federal government, the result of a 1976 court settlement, according to the Associated Press.

Police and medical professionals in Maine say use of “bath salts” is becoming an epidemic. They have witnessed a growing number of people acting strangely—and dangerously—while under the influence of the synthetic drugs.

A review of studies looking at newer antipsychotic drugs prescribed “off-label” for conditions including substance use and eating disorders finds they are not effective in treating these conditions.

Naltrexone, approved by the Food and Drug Administration as treatment for alcohol dependence, may be especially effective in people of Asian descent, a new study suggests.

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are slowly becoming more popular with retailers, Convenience Store News reports. Many retailers continue to take a “wait and see” approach to the products, before deciding whether to assign them shelf space.

Sales of tobacco to minors in California have dropped to 5.6 percent, the lowest rate since the state started keeping track of the sales in 1995, the state’s Department of Public Health announced.

The 11th Tradition of AA and NA states, "Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films." So how does anonymity factor into recovery in the age of social networks asks Ken Pomerance, COO of InTheRooms.com.

Several restaurant chains that recently added alcohol to their menus have decided it causes more problems than it’s worth. Customers aren’t buying as many drinks as expected, and selling alcohol is causing many logistical problems.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced it is awarding 46 grants totaling $22.5 million for substance abuse prevention efforts.

A Michigan company is developing a device that uses an infrared sensor to determine a driver’s blood alcohol level. The company hopes to make the device small enough to fit on a car’s start button.

A new drug shows promise in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or smoker’s cough, researchers reported this week at the European Respiratory Society meeting. The company that makes the drug, Novartis, announced it has applied to start selling the drug in Europe.

Barry McCaffrey, the former head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, called Florida’s new law that requires drug testing for welfare applicants counterproductive.

Experts in the Chicago area say they are seeing more people facing drug addiction who are white, suburban and upper-middle class.

AMC Theaters, one of the nation’s largest movie chains, is considering adding restaurants that serve alcohol in its New York movie houses.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says he will propose a ban on chewing tobacco on the field in the new players’ contract. His pledge is part of a push by Major League Baseball to rid the sport of a habit that has long been part of the game’s culture.