The Latest News from Our Field

Florida Governor Rick Scott announced Monday that sales of oxycodone are down 17 percent in the first five months of this year, compared with the same period in 2010.

People who smoke menthol cigarettes may find it more difficult to quit smoking than those who smoke other types of cigarettes, a new study suggests. The findings were most striking among black and Puerto Rican smokers.

An online course that demonstrates the consequences of excessive drinking appears to significantly reduce the most common types of alcohol-related problems among freshman, including binge drinking and sexual assault.

Federal budget cutbacks have forced many states to severely reduce efforts to shut down methamphetamine labs and clean up the toxic waste left behind. Missouri has found a way around this problem by developing its own program for safe disposal of meth lab waste.

Young adults who work 50 or more hours a week are at significantly higher risk of developing alcohol-related problems, compared with young adults who don’t work, a new study suggests.

Health officials in Colorado have called for a hearing on new dissolvable tobacco products being tested in Denver. They are concerned the products are attractive to children and prevent smokers from quitting.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which has a long track record of battling high-risk drinking among students, is trying new tactics, including web-based programming and an initiative to engage parents of incoming students.

Children who are exposed to medication through family members’ transdermal patches are at risk of overdose, experts warn.

A finding about the role of a protein in the brain that influences behavior may hold clues to addiction-like behaviors, a study in mice suggests. The research could help scientists searching for more effective addiction treatments, according to Science Daily.

West Virginia, which has the nation’s highest rate of drug overdose deaths, cannot rely on arrests to solve the state’s problem with prescription drug abuse, officials said Thursday.

All of Maine’s public housing units are now smoke free, a coalition of health and clean-air groups announced this week. The Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine says a new survey has found that overall, almost half of renters in the state are living in smoke-free housing.

Female smokers are 25 percent more likely than male smokers to develop heart disease, say researchers at the University of Minnesota.

A new study suggests a majority of children who are removed from homes where drugs are produced are healthy and drug free.

Holding alcohol retailers liable for injuries or damage done by their customers who are intoxicated can reduce alcohol-related occurrences including motor vehicle deaths, homicides and injuries, according to a nationwide task force.

Lifting weights can help smokers quit without gaining weight, new research indicates. Men and women who participated in a three-month resistance training program were twice as likely to quit smoking, compared with smokers who did not lift weights.

A growing number of colleges are creating recovery programs for students, The Wall Street Journal reports. This summer, a group of colleges has formed the Association for Recovery in Higher Education to promote these initiatives.

New cigarette labels required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that will carry graphic images of the consequences of smoking should have the desired effect of reducing demand, a new study suggests.

California Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill that would have encouraged more districts to create veterans courts, citing a lack of funding.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has announced it will ban smoking in staterooms on all of its 11 ships starting in 2012.

Two new initiatives are bringing college leaders and experts together to tackle the seemingly intractable problem of college high-risk drinking.

People who start smoking soon after they wake up are more likely to develop lung, head and neck cancer, compared to those who wait awhile before they light up, new research suggests.

A survey to see how well alcohol use rules are being enforced among Marines could result in an increase in treatment for alcohol abuse, the Marine Corps Times reports.

Smoking and obesity play a large role in the early deaths of many women in Emporia, VA. Women there are likely to die nearly 10 years earlier than women in a wealthier county just a few hours north.

Police and hospitals across Maine report a sharp increase in the use of “bath salts.” The Northern New England Poison Control Center received 110 calls about bath salts—87 of them from Maine—between January and July, compared with just one call in 2010.

An increasing number of colleges are selling beer to legal-age drinkers to increase profits, according to The Des Moines Register.