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The Latest News from Our Field

We curate a digest of the latest news in our field for advocates, policymakers, community coalitions and all who work toward shaping policies and practices to effectively prevent substance use and treat addiction.

Energy Drinks Linked to Risky Alcohol Consumption

College students who consumed energy drinks weekly or daily had an increased risk of alcohol dependence, a recent study finds.

Study: Gruesome Cigarette Warnings Likely to Work

Graphic pictorial warnings on cigarette packaging may be effective in getting smokers to quit, a new study finds.

Beyond Four Loko: Tackling Alcohol Ads for Young Drinkers

alcohol industry and our youth While removing alcoholic energy drinks such as Four Loko from the market may have been necessary, it doesn’t solve underage drinking and binge drinking -- or the advertising by the alcohol industry that, at least in part, fuels them.

FDA Recommends Pulling Propoxyphene Products, Darvon and Darvocet

One of the makers of pain medications Darvon and Darvocet will stop marketing the drugs after new studies showed they can create abnormal heart rhythms even at normal doses.

CDC: Indoor Secondhand Smoke Still a Problem at Seven Busy U.S. Airports

Some of the country’s busiest airports still allow indoor smoking and expose travelers and workers to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found.

More States Selling Liquor on Sundays

More states and local communities are allowing sales of hard liquor and alcohol on Sundays -- or shifting starting times as early as 6 a.m.

Worldwide Public Health Conference Recommends Regulating Additives in Tobacco

Representatives from over 171 countries have agreed to new guidelines recommending that tobacco companies reveal the ingredients in their products and restricting or banning tobacco additives.

Environmental Prevention Strategies Significantly Reduce College Drinking

A multi-year experimental study performed at 14 universities in Calif. and funded the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) suggests that community-based, well-publicized environmental interventions can significantly reduce drinking and intoxication at off-campus locations.

Ala. Officials: Drugged Driving Increasing, But Time-Consuming to Prove

More drivers are hitting the roads in Alabama under the influence of prescription drugs, but it takes police officers a lot of time to perform a sobriety test that the courts will accept.

NIH Director Outlines Reorganization Plan for ’Substance Use, Abuse, and Addiction’ Research

The director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has outlined a planning process to reorganize the federal government’s substance abuse research agencies -- including the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) -- into a single entity.

Partnership at Drugfree.org Releases New Prevention Ad Campaign for Hispanic Parents

The Partnership at Drugfree.org has launched a multi-media prevention campaign in Latino communities, urging parents to talk with their children about alcohol and drugs.

Male Veterans More Prone to Substance Abuse

Women serving in the U.S. military smoke, binge drink, and use illicit drugs less frequently than male servicemen, according to the U.S. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality.

Effective Screening: It’s How You Ask

The key to successful substance abuse screening may be changing the way healthcare providers approach patients about it.

Advocates Urge State and Local Action on Alcoholic Energy Drinks

After three federal agencies acted together on Nov. 17 to shut down caffeinated alcoholic beverages, public health advocates are now looking to state and local governmental authorities to enforce the rulings and pressure retailers and distributors to quickly get the drinks off the market.

Teens Who Text Too Much: More Likely to Smoke, Drink, Have Sex

A study conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that teens who engage in excessive texting or social networking on school days are more likely to engage in risky behaviors than their peers.

Study: Younger Users of Marijuana at Higher Risk of Brain Damage

A small study performed by researchers at McLean Hospital in Boston suggests that children who start using marijuana before age 16 are at higher risk of long-term brain damage than those who start later.

FDA, FTC Target Alcoholic Energy Drinks

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) simultaneously notified makers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages that such products are unsafe, unapproved, and misleadingly marketed.

Nicotine Increases SIDS Risk

A multi-study review found nicotine might be behind the increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in babies whose mothers smoke.

MADD Wants ’DADSS’ to Stop Drunk Driving

MADD wants to stop drunk drivingMothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) wants Congress to authorize $60 million over five years to pay for the development of a device -- called the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety or DADSS -- that would lock the ignition for drivers with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.

2011 'Free The Bowl From Beer Ads'

Marin Institute launches its third annual anti-alcohol-advertising contest at FreeTheBowl.com. This year’s theme, 'Free the Bowl from Beer Ads,' seeks original, 'performance art' counter-beer-ads from youth and young adults ages 10-20.

Ariz. Legalizes Medical Marijuana After All

A measure to legalize medical marijuana in Arizona passed after trailing in the polls throughout almost two weeks of vote-counting.

'Why to Quit' Smoking Ads Most Effective

Smokers report that they find ads that focus on 'why to quit' -- using graphic images or testimonials that evoke emotional response -- more effective than others, according to a new study.

Rural Teens More Likely to Abuse Prescription Drugs

Teens in rural areas abuse prescription drugs at significantly higher rates than their urban and suburban counterparts, a study of national data suggests.

States Slash Tobacco Prevention Funding

Anti-tobacco advocates fear that smoking rates have stopped falling because many states, facing large deficits, have cut funding for tobacco prevention.

Slippery Slope: Assessing Costs of Risky Behavior

Putting a price tag on social ills is a common way to garner media attention, and if the numbers are scary enough, they can have a real impact on public opinion -- and by extension, on public policy.

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