The Latest News from Our Field

You can make more money as the manager of a fast food restaurant than as a licensed social worker with a master’s degree, according to a new survey. The 2011 Behavioral Health Salary Survey found that addiction treatment and mental health professionals are paid much lower salaries than their counterparts in other healthcare sectors.

A bill pending in the Colorado Senate would make drugs containing pseudoephedrine available only by prescription. The bill aims to further restrict the ability of methamphetamine labs to make the illegal drug.

Ohio Governor John R. Kasich has announced $36 million in new drug treatment and work readiness funds. The funds are designed to help people addicted to prescription drugs get treatment so they can go back to work.

With prom and graduation season nearing, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), in conjunction with other groups, is proclaiming April 21 “PowerTalk21 Day” to encourage parents and teens to talk about alcohol.

A free nationwide service has been launched to help primary care providers who are looking for help in identifying and advising substance-abusing patients.

As the problem of prescription drug abuse grows, an increasing number of babies are being born dependent on painkillers, The New York Times reports.

Florida’s prescription drug monitoring database, which has been opposed by the state’s governor, was given the go-ahead on Friday by the state’s Department of Health.

A young adult’s response to alcohol may predict drinking problems later in life, a new study suggests.

Congratulations to The Partnership at Drugfree.org on your collaboration with the Boston University School of Public Health to continue providing Join Together. Your work to spread knowledge and promote collaboration among the many fields and professions committed to reducing the toll of drug use and its consequences is vital.

Only 1.2 percent of the 7.4 million American adults whose alcohol abuse is untreated think they need help, a new report shows.

A new study finds 18 percent of smokers with lung cancer continue to smoke even after they have been diagnosed.

Many cases of cancer in Europe could be avoided by limiting alcohol consumption, according to a study that found that almost 10 percent of all cancers in men in Western Europe are caused by excess drinking. The study also found that 3 percent of cancers in women are caused by too much alcohol.

The more college students drink, the lower their GPA. That’s the finding of a new survey of almost 14,000 college students.

More comprehensive education is needed for opioid prescribers, two experts write this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). They also call for adoption of guidelines on opioid prescribing from the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

A new study shows smoking tobacco from a hookah is a popular pastime for college students.

People who use Ecstasy for long periods may be risking brain damage, a new study suggests.

Children and teens who breathe in secondhand smoke are more likely to develop symptoms of mental health problems including major depressive disorder and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, a new study finds.

Following a decade of steady declines, a new national study released today indicates that teen drug and alcohol use is headed in the wrong direction, with marked increases in teen use of marijuana and Ecstasy over the past three years.

Federal money is drying up for meth lab cleanups, making it more difficult for local law enforcement agencies to dispose of toxic leftovers from meth labs.

Synthetic drugs—substances that mimic the effects of marijuana, cocaine and other illegal drugs—are causing a sharp rise in serious health problems ranging from seizures and hallucinations to death.

A new study finds higher doses of opioids are associated with increased risk of death by accidental overdose from these powerful painkillers.

A new study identifies a gene that appears to be involved in regulating how much alcohol a person drinks. The findings could help scientists in their search for more effective treatments for alcoholism and binge drinking.

Communities have started to take advantage of a federal law signed by President Obama in October that makes it easier for communities to run programs allowing people to safely dispose of old medications.

Two new studies add to evidence that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at increased risk for abusing tobacco, alcohol and possibly other drugs when they are older.

A growing number of physicians are asking patients who take painkillers to sign a contract to discourage them from abusing the medications.