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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.

A new study finds higher doses of buprenorphine may improve treatment outcomes for people with opioid use disorder, HealthDay reports.
Over the past six months, significantly less fentanyl is being sold in the U.S. and there have been fewer overdoses, experts tell NPR.
A new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine finds that the disconnect between federal and state governments has complicated efforts to develop cannabis policies that protect public health. The report calls for federal public health leadership on cannabis policy.
Find more of our must-reads in policy news, including a report finding opioid treatment gaps in high-need counties.
View our curated digest of the latest research news, including buprenorphine-precipitated withdrawal among hospitalized patients using fentanyl.
While overdose deaths are dropping sharply across the United States, experts say there is no single reason for the decrease, The New York Times reports.
Fewer than half of more than 900 jails surveyed across the U.S. offer any form of medication for opioid use disorder, and just 12.8% made these available to anyone with the disorder, according to a new study.
Many Medicare and Medicaid enrollees with opioid use disorder do not receive medication to treat the disorder through these government health programs, according to a new report by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Find more of our must-reads in policy news, including a 10% decrease in overdose deaths over the past year.
View our curated digest of the latest research news, including a pilot treatment development study for addressing co-occurring disorders in adolescents.
View our curated digest of the latest research news, including the exploration of the relationship between aspects of behavioral motivation traits and the likelihood of substance use initiation in adolescents.
Find more of our must-reads in policy news, including an investigation of how ghost networks in insurance leave patients unable to get care.
On Monday, the White House announced a final rule aimed at lowering costs and improving access to mental health and substance use care, CNN reports.
The Food and Drug Administration says almost 160 people became sick this summer from consuming mushroom-laced candy sold at vape and smoke shops across the United States. The report highlights the dangers of unregulated psychoactive products being sold, according to The New York Times.
A new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds teen e-cigarette use is on the decline, to the lowest level in a decade.
Find more of our must-reads in policy news, including the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey's finding that vaping among middle and high schoolers reached its lowest level in a decade.
View our curated digest of the latest research news, including the association of cannabis laws and dispensary openings with the dispensing of psychotropic medications used to treat mental health disorders in the U.S.
A new survey finds the use of cannabis and hallucinogens remained at historically high levels among younger and middle-age adults in the United States last year, CNN reports.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration won’t hold a hearing on whether to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous substance until after the November presidential election, AP reports.
A new rule from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will require retailers to verify with photo identification the age of anyone under the age of 30 who is trying to buy tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
Find more of our must-reads in policy news, including an investigation into barriers to insurance coverage for mental health.
View our curated digest of the latest research news, including findings from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health on the substance use disorder treatment gap among U.S. college students.
A new study finds people who live in racially and economically segregated communities may have a difficult time filling their prescription for an opioid use disorder medication.
Naloxone can help save the lives of some people who have cardiac arrest due to an opioid overdose, according to new research.
Smoking just one or two cigarettes a day before or during pregnancy can harm the health of newborns, according to new research.