The Latest News from Our Field

Youth drug overdose deaths increased sharply in 35 states over the past decade, according to a new report. The overdose death rate more than quadrupled in Kansas, Montana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

A new poll finds that 56 percent of Americans say they or someone they know has abused, been addicted to or died from prescription painkillers. Almost half say they personally know someone who has taken a prescription painkiller that was not prescribed to them.

Adults ages 50 and older are the largest group seeking treatment for addiction to opioid painkillers and heroin in New York City, according to a new study. People ages 50 to 59 accounted for almost 36 percent of opioid treatment patients in 2012.

Mixing alcohol and diet soda can lead to increased breath alcohol concentration, suggests a new study.

An estimated 10 percent of Americans have had a drug use disorder at some time in their lives, but many have gone untreated, according to a new study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a nasal spray version of the opioid overdose antidote naloxone (Narcan). Until now, the only approved version of naloxone was injectable, The New York Times reports.

The American Medical Association this week called for an end to direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs and implantable medical devices, according to CBS News. The ads contribute to increasing costs, and lead to patient demand for inappropriate treatment, the group says.

E-cigarette sales have been declining in recent months, after five years of rapid growth, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, November 13- Thursday, November 19, 2015.

Unintentional poisonings from marijuana edibles, particularly in children, are an unintended consequence of recreational marijuana legalization in Colorado, two experts say.

A new study finds 15 percent of college women report having been raped while incapacitated from alcohol or other drugs during their freshman year, Newsweek reports.

Transplant centers around the country have different rules about how potential liver recipients’ use of cigarettes, drugs or alcohol affects their chances of receiving an organ. Transplant experts discussed the issue this week at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

The impending merger of the world’s two largest beer manufacturers represents a global health threat, experts warned this week. They said the merger could worsen the growing epidemic of alcohol-related harm in low- and middle-income countries.

People who use smokeless tobacco products have higher levels of nicotine concentrations in their systems, as well as more tobacco compounds linked to increased cancer risk, compared with cigarettes smokers, a new study finds.

The American Medical Association said Monday it is advocating for medical and recreational marijuana products to have warnings against use during pregnancy, the Associated Press reports. The group said its decision is based on research that suggests marijuana use may be linked with premature birth, low birth weight and behavior problems in young children.

A new study suggests an experimental drug can cure hepatitis C in patients who use intravenous drugs, according to Bloomberg Business.

Physicians and pharmacists should be the focus of efforts to reduce prescription opioid misuse, according to a new report by public health experts.

Many nurses who have used drugs or alcohol at work say they were too embarrassed to seek help, or they were concerned about losing their license, according to a new study.

Calls to poison control centers regarding synthetic marijuana have almost doubled since last year, NPR reports. The drug, which is made of various chemicals sprayed on plant material, is sending thousands of people to emergency rooms.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is announcing a proposed ban on smoking in public housing nationwide, according to The New York Times. The ban would affect almost one million households.

Marijuana entrepreneurs are using the Internet to allow customers legal online access to the drug, according to The New York Times. One company, HelloMD, connects customers with doctors who provide a “medical recommendation” for medical marijuana. Customers can then find a service that delivers marijuana from a dispensary.

Health insurance companies in Massachusetts are trying new ways to address the opioid crisis. Some are imposing restrictions on prescriptions for OxyContin, Vicodin and other painkillers, while others are calling and visiting members being treated for addiction.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, November 6- Thursday, November 12, 2015.

Parents truly play a vital role in their child’s behavior. Understanding such behavior is as important as learning how to talk to them appropriately about drug or alcohol use, Robert Meyers, PhD, creator of CRAFT, and Kimberly Kirby, PhD, of the Treatment Research Institute explain.

Federal regulators have warned some makers of kombucha tea that their drinks have alcohol levels above one-half of 1 percent, which makes them alcoholic drinks under the law. The fermented tea has become one of the country’s fastest-growing bottled drinks.