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

Unraveling the mystery of declining overdose deaths

The reasons for declining overdose deaths in recent years are not completely known, but having a better understanding of them can help inform ongoing policy.

Secret-shopper study: Mental health access barriers persist

A new secret-shopper study found that ghost networks and access barriers to mental health care persist in commercial coverage.

Key health measures on ballots

Several states will have health-related measures on the ballot next week, including related to Medicaid and legalization of marijuana and other substances.

Telehealth platforms marketing off-label GLP-1s for addiction

Some addiction treatment telehealth providers are marketing off-label prescriptions for GLP-1s amid promising studies but before FDA approval.

Bloomberg boosts overdose prevention funding

Bloomberg Philanthropies' Overdose Prevention Initiative received a new $150 million investment to continue its efforts to expand harm reduction and treatment services in select states.

Research News Roundup: October 29, 2026

View our curated digest of the latest research news, including an analysis of national survey data from 186,823 U.S. adults that found cannabis use disorder became more common between 2021 and 2024, including moderate and severe cases. The proportion of adults with moderate-to-severe cannabis use disorder increased from 3.1% to 4.1% among men and from 1.7% to 2.5% among women, while moderate-to-severe alcohol use disorder remained largely stable. Increases in moderate-to-severe cannabis use disorder occurred among men aged 35 and older and women aged 21 and older, highlighting growing treatment needs across adulthood. Young adults also faced a substantial burden: in 2024, more than half of men and women aged 18–20 and men aged 21–34 who had cannabis use disorder met criteria for moderate or severe disorder. These findings strengthen the case for clear public education about cannabis’s addictive potential, routine screening, and timely access to treatment.

SAMHSA report on prevention workforce

SAMHSA released a report assessing the substance use prevention workforce, finding opportunities to expand the workforce and better support prevention professionals.

CVS settles federal opioid lawsuit

CVS agreed to pay $315 million to resolve allegations that it illegally filled opioid prescriptions and sought federal health care payment.

CDC report reveals urban/rural differences in youth tobacco use

A CDC report outlines high school students’ substance use behaviors and differences by demographic characteristics and urban/rural classification.

Research News Roundup: October 22, 2026

View our curated digest of the latest research news, including a study of Semaglutide and related GLP-1 medications that show early promise as potential treatments for alcohol use disorder, according to a review of clinical studies and research into their biological effects. Randomized trials reviewed by the authors found that once-weekly semaglutide reduced alcohol craving and the number of drinks consumed on drinking days, while observational studies linked its use with fewer hospitalizations related to alcohol use disorder. Preliminary research suggests that these medications may influence brain reward pathways, reducing alcohol’s reinforcing effects. Together, these findings point toward a potentially important addition to alcohol treatment options.

DEA updates scheduling for kratom-related substances

DEA announced updated scheduling for kratom-related products, including scheduling 7-OH and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl above certain thresholds.

Study: 2025 teen nicotine product use

2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey data found that nearly all middle and high school students who used e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches used flavored products.

Urgent call to continue tobacco control efforts

In Health Affairs Forefront, Partnership to End Addiction's Linda Richter outlines why maintaining tobacco control efforts is important in light of a changing nicotine environment for young people, renormalization of smoking, and weakened guardrails.

Research News Roundup: October 15, 2026

View our curated digest of the latest research news, including a nationwide study of 229,847 Medicaid-enrolled young people aged 13–25 with opioid use disorder that found substantial gaps in receiving and continuing evidence-based treatment. Using data from 2016–2023, researchers found that approximately half began treatment within 14 days of diagnosis, and only one-third engaged in follow-up care. Just 15.2% of the full study population received medication for opioid use disorder and only 3.1% continued medication for at least 180 days. Among those who engaged in treatment, only 6.6% of participants younger than 18 received medication, compared with 51.2% of those aged 18 and older. Younger adolescents and racially minoritized youths consistently experienced poorer progression through care.

Study: Low retention in youth addiction treatment

A new study found that few young people with opioid use disorder receive medication treatment, and far fewer stay retained in treatment for more than six months.

Kratom regulation debate intensifies

While there is broad agreement that some guardrails around kratom/7-OH are needed, there is disagreement about what those regulations should be.

FDA to revisit tobacco product regulations

FDA announced that it intends to issue new rules to replace the current Premarket Tobacco Product Application framework for considering new tobacco products for market authorization.

Research News Roundup: October 8, 2026

View our curated digest of the latest research news, including a finding that sustained high use of alcohol, cannabis, and/or nicotine during young adulthood (ages 18–24) was associated with substantially higher odds of drug-related problems at ages 35–55. In propensity-score-weighted analyses, participants whose trajectories involved high use of at least one substance had 3.61 times the odds of later non-prescribed opioid use and 15.9 times the odds of other drug use disorder symptoms compared with those reporting no cannabis or nicotine use and low-to-moderate alcohol use. The findings suggest that substance use patterns in young adulthood may help identify vulnerability to harms decades later, strengthening the case for early prevention, harm reduction, and cessation efforts that address multiple substances rather than opioids alone.

2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey results

The 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that substance use largely decreased among high school students 2023-2025.

Medicaid’s crucial role in SUD treatment

An Urban Institute analysis highlighted the importance of Medicaid for access to addiction treatment. Medicaid pays for more than half of all opioid use disorder medications nationwide.

Addiction clinics see surge in kratom cases

While a lot of the data remains anecdotal, addiction clinics across the country are reporting a growing number of cases related to kratom and increased severity.

New data on CDC workforce lost

A new website shows that CDC has lost nearly a third of its workforce since the start of last year, diminishing its capacity to do critical work.

Research News Roundup: October 1, 2026

View our curated digest of the latest research news, including a randomized controlled trial of N-acetylcysteine for alcohol use disorder in adolescents and young adults that found the medication did not reduce alcohol consumption overall compared with placebo. An exploratory analysis suggested it may reduce how much, though not how often, participants with moderate-to-severe alcohol use disorder drink; no benefit was seen among those with mild disorder.

Senate hearings on HHS nominees

The Senate HELP Committee held a confirmation hearing for three HHS nominees — Chris Klomp to be deputy secretary at HHS, Nicole Saphier to be surgeon general, and Timothy Westlake to lead SAMHSA.

SAMHSA funding for Treatment First and faith-based approaches

SAMHSA announced block grant funding to support its "treatment first" approach and funding to select states for faith-based prevention efforts.
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