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 34% of young adults report misusing their prescriptions for psychoactive drugs, including opioids, stimulants, tranquilizers and sedatives, CNN reports.
People who smoke are one of the priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination, USA Today reports. Evidence is mounting that people who smoke are at increased risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes, health experts say.
Drunk man sleeping with almost empty bottle of alcohol
People with anxiety and depression are more likely than people without mental health issues to report increased alcohol use during the pandemic, according to a new study.
The Biden administration intends to stop a plan by the Department of Health and Human Services to allow more doctors to prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction, The Washington Post reports.
Mexican drug cartels have adapted to changes in drug distribution caused by the pandemic, according to the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. They are processing fentanyl into pill form for easier transport, the agency said.
A coalition of medical societies and advocacy organizations is calling on local governments to use funds from settlements with opioid makers to prevent and treat addiction, STAT reports.
A new study finds patients who receive small “just in case” prescriptions of opioids after surgery report less pain than those who receive the usual amount of post-surgical opioids.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced new guidelines that allow doctors more flexibility in prescribing buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction, NPR reports.
A new study finds alcohol consumption accounts for almost 5% of cancer cases and 3% of cancer deaths in the United States. Alcohol-related cancer cases and deaths are higher in New England and Western states.
The density of licensed marijuana retailers is associated with more use and a greater intensity of use among young adults, according to a study in Los Angeles County.
Young adults with substance use disorder and a co-occurring psychiatric disorder should receive integrated mental health and addiction care across treatment settings, according to new principles of care released by a group of pediatric addiction medicine experts.
Young man holding and vaping an electronic cigarette, e-cig, ecigarette.
The incoming Biden-Harris administration can end the tobacco industry’s longstanding hold on serious tobacco control efforts, which has largely been tolerated by past administrations.
Fentanyl overdoses played a large role in the sharp increase in the deaths of homeless people in Los Angeles County last year, according to a new report.
More than 81,000 Americans died from a drug overdose during the 12 months ending in May, the highest number ever recorded during a 12-month period, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Changes in federal rules that made it easier to prescribe the opioid addiction medicine buprenorphine during the early days of the pandemic led to an increase in the number of patients receiving the medication in Texas, HealthDay reports.
Almost two-thirds of people who smoke four or fewer cigarettes a day are addicted to nicotine, a new study finds. The results indicate that lighter smoking is still risky, the researchers say.
Closeup of pharmaceutical medicine tablet pill production in the rails
Two members of the Sackler family, which owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, were scheduled to testify Thursday before a House panel investigating the opioid epidemic, according to Reuters.
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