The Latest News from Our Field

Prescription drug overdoses claimed the lives of 16,650 Floridians from 2003 to 2009 -- an average of eight deaths a day. It’s been a devastating problem, spread by the silence and misunderstanding over addiction and by the underworld “pill mill” economy, explains Karen H. Perry, Executive Director of NOPE Task Force.

An Alabama lawmaker says he will introduce a bill that would require drug testing for welfare recipients who have a felony or drug conviction.

A synthetic drug manufacturer has already created a product that skirts a new Pennsylvania law banning “bath salts,” synthetic marijuana and salvia.

The Minnesota Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case involving the accuracy of a device that measures blood-alcohol levels in people who have been accused of driving under the influence.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse plans to match up teenagers and scientific experts to discuss facts about drug abuse in events across the country during National Drug Facts Week, October 31 through November 6.

Federal regulators have been putting off the decision about whether to put tighter controls on the painkiller hydrocodone for many years, according to the Associated Press.

Men are more likely than women to develop substance use disorders, while women are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression, a new study finds.

Trying to convince college students not to drink by emphasizing the downside of excessive drinking is ineffective, say researchers who recently presented their findings at the American Psychological Association Annual Meeting.

A new smartphone application estimates a person’s blood-alcohol concentration. The app is designed to help a person decide if they should avoid driving because they’ve had too much to drink.

As we prepare to send kids back to classrooms for another school year, it’s important to equip parents and caregivers with the tools for talking with kids about alcohol.

A growing number of companies are linking employees’ eligibility for lower-cost health plans to tobacco screening test results. Hospitals are at the forefront of the trend, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

A new study suggests that people with alcohol use disorders who show signs of being impulsive are more likely to die within the next 15 years than those who act less rash.

California is facing budget cuts that threaten to hamper efforts to fight prescription drug abuse at a time when more people in the state are illegally obtaining prescriptions.

An appeals court in Los Angeles has upheld $13.8 million in punitive damages against tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris. The damages were awarded for the addiction and death of a woman who smoked for 45 years.

Conducting drug tests in high schools appears to have only a small effect in reducing substance use, a new study suggests. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found the tests had no influence on male students, and only a slight impact on females—but only in some schools.

Hundreds of New Yorkers who have been found with small amounts of marijuana, or who have simply admitted to using the drug, have been accused of child neglect, even though they did not face criminal charges.

Countering the myth that alcohol can help a person sleep better, a small study indicates drinking interferes with the restorative functions of sleep.

Many soldiers are unaware that the Army’s restrictions on smoking include smokeless tobacco products. Both soldiers and civilians using smokeless tobacco or cigarettes in a federal facility can be held in violation of Army regulations, the Leesville Daily Leader reports.

Five tobacco companies are suing the federal government over graphic cigarette warning labels that are scheduled to be on all packages by the fall of 2012. The manufacturers claim the labels violate First Amendment protections for commercial speech.

A new study finds asking patients to use a cell phone to snap a picture of medication for methamphetamine dependence treatment before they take it, and emailing it to their doctor, may be a simple and effective way of monitoring treatment compliance.

Smoking cigarettes is a significant risk factor for developing bladder cancer, according to a study that found almost half of these cancers are caused by smoking.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is seeking feedback on its working definition of recovery. The definition aims to portray the essential, common experiences of people recovering from substance use and mental disorders, and includes 10 guiding principles of recovery.

A pilot Army program allows soldiers at high risk for developing alcohol problems to enroll in a confidential treatment program that will not adversely impact their careers. The program, which started at three Army installations, is now at six posts.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine has released a new definition of addiction, calling it a chronic brain disorder, not just a behavior problem.

U.S. adults say drug abuse and obesity are the biggest concerns about children’s health in their communities, a new survey finds.