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.
The Lorillard tobacco company -- which makes Newport cigarettes -- wants it known that there’s nothing wrong with menthol cigarettes -- well, nothing more than the death and disease associated with other cigarettes -- and says it has the website to prove it.
The company’s Understanding Menthol website -- amusingly unveiled on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the tobacco industry as the nation’s most deadly liars -- can be best viewed as an attempt to sway public opinion ahead of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel’s decision on if and how menthol should be regulated, restricted or banned like other cigarette flavorings.
Tobacco companies are liars, but shouldn’t have to pay for their sins: that’s the bottom-line message from the U.S. Supreme Court this week ... Few addiction treatment programs offer specialized services for gays and lesbians, a SAMHSA study finds ... Rolling the vice: Mass. lawmakers not only want to legalize gambling but exempt casinos from the state’s indoor-smoking ban, as well ... The federal government could spend $60 million on developing technology to prevent cars from starting if drivers have been drinking -- even though such devices already are in use in many states ...
Alcoholics Anonymous is the most effective addiction intervention in history -- in fact, it may well be the most successful self-help program ever. It doesn’t work for everyone, though, and even after more than seven decades and countless studies, researchers still don’t know why the 12 Steps are Gospel for some and nonsense for others.
A brief advocacy campaign by Umpqua Partners for a Drug-Free Future led to the Borders bookstore chain to move High Times and other marijuana-related publications away from a display of children’s and teen’s books like Twilight, the group said.
Umpqua Partners founding partner Marlene Petersen visited a Waldenbooks location -- owned by Borders -- and noticed that publications like High Times and Weed World were displayed right behind the counter and near small backpacks for children and Twilight books intended for teen readers.
Parents who are tough but compassionate towards their kids are best at preventing underage drinking ... Republican lawmakers are trying to block D.C.’s medical-marijuana law (again) ... Vermont candidates for governor debate decriminalization ... Mothers-to-be should be tested for tobacco use and exposure, U.K. health officials recommend ...
The longtime head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa, is stepping down in July, and the leading candidate to replace him reportedly is Yuri Fedotov, currently Russia’s ambassador to the U.K.
People in recovery need to deal with their stress to avoid relapse, a new study says ... Most evangelical leaders don’t drink, and those who do say they imbibe in moderation ... Colorado Springs, Colo., has collected more than $123,000 in taxes on medical marijuana in 2010 ... Pregnant women who smoke experience more pelvic pain, researchers say ...
The U.S. Senate has confirmed David K. Mineta as the Deputy Director of Demand Reduction atthe Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and Benjamin Tucker as the ONDCP?s Deputy Director of State, Local and Tribal Affairs. With the imminent departure of ONDCP deputy director Tom McLellan, Mineta will become the point person for addiction treatment and prevention within the White House agency.
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