Helpline
Call 1.855.378.4373 to schedule a call time with a specialist or visit scheduler.drugfree.org
Helpline
Helpline
Call 1.855.378.4373 to schedule a call time with a specialist

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.

Federal researchers say that marijuana is less risky and prone to misuse than other tightly controlled substances, and has potential medical benefits, according to a scientific review posted online last week. The researchers recommend that marijuana be removed from the most restrictive category of substances, known as Schedule I.
Sixty years after the U.S. surgeon general released a report on the dangers of smoking cigarettes, some public health experts are calling for a similar report on vaping, AP reports.
A new study finds marijuana use does not lead to use of illicit opioids, but also is not helpful in treating opioid use disorder.
Find more of our must-reads in policy news, including likely regulatory changes related to addiction happening this year.
View our curated digest of the latest research news, including the potential association between legal recreational cannabis and cannabis use during pregnancy.
A new study finds access to residential treatment centers caring for teens under 18 with substance use disorder is limited and costly in the United States.
An average of 22 U.S. teens die each week from overdoses, driven largely by fentanyl in counterfeit pills, according to a study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Congress must reauthorize and expand the SUPPORT Act, which establishes vital infrastructure for communities across the country for substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) writes this week in STAT.
Find more of our must-reads in policy news, including a recent study finding residential substance use disorder treatment for teens is limited and expensive.
View our curated digest of the latest research news, including the design of a text message library for tobacco risk prevention among adolescents.
McKinsey and Co. has agreed to pay $78 million to resolve claims by insurance companies and health care funds that the consulting company helped fuel the opioid addiction epidemic through its work with pharmaceutical companies including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, the Associated Press reports.
A new study finds an increasing number of patients with opioid use disorder are leaving the hospital before finishing treatment, against medical advice.
As a growing number of older Americans use marijuana to treat pain and insomnia, experts are urging caution, The Washington Post reports.
Find more of our must-reads in policy news, including potential changes to methadone access, harm reduction and telehealth policies in the coming year.
View our curated digest of the latest research news, including a study investigating the prevalence of recovery status among adolescents.
The rate of opioid prescriptions for patients who have had surgery is on the decline, according to a new study. The rate of decline slowed during the pandemic, researchers found.
The Food and Drug Administration this week was asked to review the psychoactive substance MDMA along with therapy as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If approved, it would be the first psychedelic-assisted therapy approved for PTSD.
Exposure to marijuana during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of low birth weight, according to a new study of more than 9,000 pregnant women.
Find more of our must-reads in policy news, including rates of adolescent substance use holding steady, according to the 2023 Monitoring the Future survey.
View our curated digest of the latest research news, including a study exploring barriers to treatment access among individuals with opioid use disorder experiencing houselessness.
A new study finds the increase in child suicides in the United States since 2010 was due in part to the nation’s opioid crisis, HealthDay reports.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced this week it is launching a Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force to combat the trafficking of illicit fentanyl, CNN reports.
Smoking rates decreased among American adults between 2011 and 2022 except for those 65 and older, Time reports.
Find more of our must-reads in policy news, including the Supreme Court hearing the Purdue settlement case.
View our curated digest of the latest research news, including a comprehensive literature review of digital health interventions in the treatment of substance use disorder with a special focus on mobile applications.