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 video game is being lauded in reviews for its refreshing approach and a diverse cast of heroes, and tobacco use is front and center in the form of a lit cigar in the mouth of one of those heroes, explains Robin Koval of Truth Initiative.
Many pharmacists are not using monitoring systems designed to reduce prescription drug abuse, a study of Maine pharmacists suggests. The study found only 56 percent of those surveyed used their state system.
A new study suggests wristband biosensors may be useful in tracking relapses in people in recovery from opioid addiction. The biosensors track how the body reacts to opioids.
Even teens who are not athletes are using performance-enhancing supplements in an attempt to enhance their appearance, the American Academy of Pediatrics warns in a new report.
Pediatricians should look for risk factors linked to teen suicide, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises. Risk factors include substance abuse, a history of physical or sexual abuse, mood disorders, being lesbian, gay or bisexual, and bullying, the group notes in new guidelines.
An estimated one million people used heroin in the United States in 2014, almost triple the 2003 rate, according to a new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Heroin-related deaths have increased five-fold since 2000, the World Drug Report 2016 found.
Routinely prescribing naloxone to certain patients who take opioid medications might reduce the number of overdose deaths, a new study suggests.
Medical examiners and coroners around the nation are struggling to deal with the large number of drug overdose deaths, the Associated Press reports.
Some doctors are finding it challenging to balance the mandate to reduce opioid prescriptions with a federal policy that links hospital payments to patient satisfaction surveys, Kaiser Health News reports.
Almost 10 million Americans say they misused opioid medications in 2012-2013, according to a new study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Nonmedical use of prescription opioids more than doubled over a 10-year period, the study found.
Almost one-third of Medicare beneficiaries—nearly 12 million Americans—received a prescription for commonly abused opioids in 2015, according to a new report. Spending for these drugs exceeded $4 billion, according to the Associated Press.
As the Obama Administration and public health officials push for a reduction in prescription opioids, they are facing some resistance from both patients and doctors, experts tell The New York Times.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has found that a vast drug-distribution network that originates in China is feeding the deadly opioid fentanyl to the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, June 17- Thursday, June 23, 2016.
The drug naloxone reverses overdoses, but it needs to be used as a tool -- not treatment – in saving lives, much like a defibrillator for the heart attack victim. We need more effective ways to save people from drug overdoses, explains Karen Perry, Executive Director of the NOPE Task Force.
Some dental schools are training their students to reduce the amount of opioid painkillers they prescribe for their surgical patients. Dentists are among the leading prescribers of opioids, especially for surgical tooth extractions, NBC News reports.
The American Medical Association is calling for a ban on powdered alcohol to protect young people, Medscape reports. The group notes alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among young people, leading to 4,300 underage deaths annually.
A new study suggests smokers who quit try to give up cigarettes an average of 30 times before they succeed. Previous studies indicated the number was much lower, Reuters reports.
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate by a bipartisan group of legislators would make it easier for researchers to study the medical effectiveness and safety of marijuana. The bill would not legalize recreational or medical marijuana, according to The Hill.
Patients suffering from chronic pain say they are finding it more difficult to get prescriptions for opioid painkillers, The Boston Globe reports. Federal and state regulations to reduce access to opioids have made doctors and pharmacists more reluctant to prescribe and dispense the drugs.
Wisconsin Congresswoman Gwen Moore is proposing that wealthy Americans get drug-tested before being able to take advantage of tax benefits, according to NPR.
The shortage of child psychiatrists, which has been a problem for many years, is becoming worse at a time when the United States is facing an increase in depression and suicides among young people, experts tell NBC News.
College students who have been impacted by a sibling’s addiction are invited to enter the second annual My Life as 3D Scholarship Essay Contest. The deadline is 8 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 1, 2016.
The opioid epidemic is increasing interest in college sober housing, PBS NewsHour reports. Sober dorms offer substance-free housing and activities for students in recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol.
The head of a Canadian clinic that provides legally prescribed heroin to people addicted to the drug told U.S. senators this week the strategy can reduce the risk of serious illness and premature death, while reducing drug-related crime.
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