The Latest News from Our Field

The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed a rule that would ban smoking electronic cigarettes on all domestic and international commercial flights.

Policies that ban smoking on college campuses can reduce students’ smoking and change their attitudes toward smoking regulations, a new study suggests.

Cocaine, long thought of as the drug of choice in South Florida, is waning in popularity, the Miami Herald reports.

A mental health clinic in Louisville, KY, has stopped writing prescriptions for the anti-anxiety drug Xanax because of concerns about abuse and overdoses. Experts say benzodiazepines, including Xanax, are often overlooked as a source of prescription drug abuse.

Amphetamine-type stimulants such as Ecstasy and methamphetamines are second only to marijuana as the top drugs of abuse worldwide, according to a United Nations report.

Counseling alone is not enough to help most pregnant women quit smoking, a review of eight studies concludes.

The Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse has said it supports a ban on 190-proof grain alcohol in the state, following the death of a 22-year-old resident who drowned in his family’s swimming pool after drinking punch that included 190-proof grain alcohol.

Synthetic drugs such as “K2,” “Spice” and “Vanilla Sky” are part of an emerging class of abused drugs causing concern among health professionals, researchers and legislators, according to a doctor studying these drugs.

A new study examining how Alcoholics Anonymous helps its members stay sober finds two crucial factors are needed: spending more time with people who support abstinence, and having greater confidence in one’s ability to maintain sobriety in social situations.

A new national poll finds few parents believe their own teenagers have used alcohol or marijuana in the past year. The findings stand in stark contrast to another national poll that found a much higher percentage of self-reported substance use among teens.

Alcohol has become an important cause of death in people with Type I diabetes, according to a new study.

A technical college in Missouri is requiring all its students to undergo drug testing. KSPR reports the school is the only public college, and perhaps the only college in the nation, with a drug-testing requirement.

Elderly patients, who tend to take many medications prescribed by more than one doctor, are at risk for prescription drug abuse, the Miami Herald reports. Health experts are concerned about the increase in the number of patients over age 50 who require intervention and treatment for addiction to medication and other substances.

Teens whose parents drink are more likely to drive under the influence (DUI) when they are adults compared with children with non-drinking parents, a new study suggests. The study found the risk of DUI was increased even if parents’ drinking was moderate.

An underground website called Silk Road is selling synthetic drugs, thwarting authorities’ attempts to stop the illegal trafficking of these substances.

Rates of obesity are about one-third lower in people who smoke marijuana at least three times a week compared with people who are not marijuana smokers, French researchers have found.

David K. Mineta, ONDCP Deputy Director for Demand Reduction, shares how we can succeed in helping students avoid drugs and social pressures that run counter to their health and safety.

Limiting the number of liquor stores in neighborhoods could reduce the rate of youth homicides in those areas, a new study suggests. A second study found higher rates of violent crimes in neighborhoods where liquor stores allot more than 10 percent of cooler space to single-serve alcohol containers.

In light of findings from a new national survey on drug use released this week, Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy, said the days of treating drug use exclusively as a law enforcement issue are long gone. While the rate of overall drug use in America has fallen by roughly one-third since 1979, the survey found 8.7 percent of Americans say they regularly use illegal drugs recreationally.

A bill introduced by a New York state senator would tighten controls on the opioid hydrocodone. The drug, a key ingredient in Vicodin and other painkillers, has been in the spotlight in the state since a Long Island man was accused of killing four people at a pharmacy in June in order to steal thousands of hydrocodone pills.

Machines that allow people to roll their own cigarettes are gaining in popularity as a less expensive alternative to buying cigarette packs, because they can avoid paying tax.

Results from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released today, have found marijuana use is on the rise, while methamphetamine use is on the decline.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Wednesday announced it is temporarily banning three synthetic stimulants that are sold as “bath salts.” The DEA said the action is necessary to protect the public from the imminent hazard posed by these dangerous chemicals.

Cutting down on drinking alcohol and smoking, in addition to improving diets and increasing physical activity, could help prevent up to 2.8 million cases of cancer worldwide each year, according to the World Cancer Research Fund.

A lawsuit filed this week challenges Florida’s new law that requires welfare recipients to pass a drug test.