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. Sign up here to receive weekly updates straight to your inbox.

Election 2010 Results: Alcohol Initiatives Mixed, Marijuana Measures Fail

Election night is over, and most of the results are in: it’s a mixed bag for the alcohol and other drug initiatives on state ballots. California’s efforts to legalize marijuana -- a.k.a. Proposition 19 -- fell short with 56 percent of voters rejecting the measure. Initiatives related to medical marijuana in South Dakota and Oregon also failed, while Arizona narrowly approved a medical-marijuana measure.

Massachusetts voted to repealed a 6.25 percent alcohol tax, and Washington chose to block at least one measure seeking to privatize liquor distribution. Meanwhile, California approved Prop. 26, possibly negating efforts to require the alcohol industry, among others, to pay for the harm caused by their products.

Defeat of Calif. Legalization Initiative Highlights Poor Results for Marijuana Advocates

The much-watched California ballot initiative that would have legalized recreational use of marijuana and allowed local governments to regulate sales of the drug went down to defeat on Election Day, punctuating a day that also saw rejection of marijuana-related ballot items in a handful of other states.

Tobacco, Nicotine Good for Something After All: Pesticide

Turns out that researchers looking to help tobacco farmers have found a new use for tobacco and nicotine -- as a pesticide.

Mich. Toughens Penalties for Most Severely Impaired Drivers

As of Oct. 31, first-time drunk-driving offenders in Michigan who register blood alcohol levels of at least 0.17 percent will face penalties similar to what second-time offenders have traditionally received in the state.

Texas Rangers: A Class Act

The S.F. Giants have won the World Series, but the Texas Rangers have won our respect.

Alcohol Ranked Most Harmful Drug

A group of British scientific experts has concluded that when combining its effects on the individual and on society, alcohol far outpaces other substances as the most harmful drug.

N.Y. to Prescribe Suboxone for Ex-Prisoners

The state of New York plans to give some state prisoners the opiate-treatment drug Suboxone to help them stay off heroin upon release.

CDC: States Drag on Medicaid Coverage for Quitting Tobacco

Smoking-related health costs account for 11 percent of all Medicaid costs, but states offer only patchy support for tobacco cessation therapies.

Study: Heavy Alcohol and Pot Use May Damage Teen Brains

A small study found adolescents who abused marijuana and alcohol scored lower on a battery of intellectual aptitude tests than their drug-free peers.

Anxious Smokers Have a Tougher Time Quitting

A recent study found people with anxiety disorders are not only more likely to smoke, but they also find it more difficult to quit.

Flood of Florida Lawsuits Fail to Flatten Big Tobacco

Tobacco companies face about 8,000 lawsuits in Florida after a 2006 decision by the Fla. Supreme Court opened the floodgates. But, even though plaintiffs have won 19 of the last 26 cases, tobacco companies have won the most recent five.

Teens and Parents Underreport Illicit Drug Use, Study

A new study indicates that teens and their parents don't tell the truth when asked about their use of cocaine and opiates, even if they are told they will be drug-tested and their responses kept confidential.

Are S.D. Voters For or Against Smoking Ban? Yes.

When advocates recently debated a South Dakota voter measure that would ban smoking in bars, restaurants and casinos, both sides claimed to have public support.

UK Charity Calls for Ban on Primetime Alcohol Ads

A United Kingdom charity group has asked the government to ban alcohol ads from television prior to 9 p.m. and to remove them entirely from the internet.

More Iraqi Security Personnel Using Drugs, Alcohol on Duty

Increasing numbers of Iraqi military and police personnel are using drugs and alcohol while on duty, raising questions about their ability to maintain order once American troops leave in 2011.

New Trend on Campus? ’Drunkorexia’

What the heck is ’drunkorexia?’ That’s when you cut down on food calories and replace them with alcohol, a practice that some college students are engaging in.

Marijuana Addiction? Depends Who You Ask

As election day looms across the country and in California, where voters will decide on Proposition 19 -- a measure that would legalize sale and possession of marijuana in the state (at least for those inclined to ignore federal law) -- one of the questions being debated is whether or not pot is addictive.

Doctors Say Alcoholic Energy Drinks Dangerous

Some doctors say drinks that combine alcohol with caffeine should be banned because they're dangerous.

Low Alcohol Tolerance Linked to Gene

Researchers say they've identified a gene that makes some people more sensitive to the effects of alcohol.

Legalization, Medical Marijuana, and Alcohol Taxes Go Before State Voters Nov. 2

A marijuana-legalization question on the California ballot has better than a puncherâ€™s chance of passage on Nov. 2, and voters also will go to the polls in Arizona and South Dakota to decide whether to allow medical use of the drug. The alcohol industry, meanwhile, is trying to strangle new impact and mitigation fees in California and roll back an alcohol tax passed in Massachusetts just last year.