| Washington Imposes New Rules on Prescribing Powerful Painkillers |
| The state of Washington plans to impose tough new rules on doctors who want to prescribe opiate painkillers to patients, including mandatory third-party evaluation of patients who request higher doses of the drug but don’t show signs of improvement. |
| Clergy a Common Resource for People Battling Addiction |
| About 15 percent of people seeking recovery from alcoholism turn to clergy members for support, a University of Michigan study finds. |
| Conn. Candidates Spar on Marijuana Use, Legalization |
| Republican candidates for Congress are slinging accusations of hypocrisy over marijuana use and policy, including the spectacle of a candidate who favors legalization defending a YouTube video focused on his opponent’s arrest a decade earlier for marijuana possession.
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| Smoking Alters Hundreds of Genes, Study Finds |
| Smoking causes dangerous changes in literally hundreds of genes in the body, including those related to tumor growth, inflammatory disease and immune-system suppression, according to researchers from the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research.
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| Doctors Not Reporting Impaired Colleagues, Survey Finds |
| A study from the Harvard Medical School found that 17 percent of doctors knew of drunk, addicted or otherwise incompetent colleagues, but one-third said they did nothing to report the behavior. |
| Police Challenged by Crashes Involving Prescription Drugs |
| Car crashes involving prescription drugs are often harder to detect and prosecute than those involving alcohol or illicit drugs. |
| U.S. Ban on Clove Cigarettes Draws International Scrutiny |
| U.S. lawmakers say they banned clove cigarettes because of their health risks and appeal to young smokers, but the World Trade Organization (WTO) is investigating whether the ban violated international free-trade agreements. |
| Proposed FDA Plan on Prescription Drugs Rejected |
| A lack of mandated training for physicians has helped sink a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposal intended to curb misuse of prescription drugs. |
| Veterans Dept. Allows Use of Medical Marijuana |
| Veterans in states with medical-marijuana laws will be allowed to use the drug without losing their access to pain medication under a new policy announced by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). |
| More Americans Making Moonshine |
| Recession penny-pinching and the homemade food fad are driving more Americans -- from hobbyists to trendy hipster kids -- to make homemade liquor, or moonshine. |
| Virginia Governor Leads Drive for Privatization of Liquor Distribution |
| Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell has spent months quietly trying to build consensus around a plan to shutter state liquor stores established after Prohibition and return the distribution of alcohol to private wholesalers and retailers. |
| Snuff Sales, Price Hikes Bolster Tobacco Profits |
| Higher snuff sales, cost-cutting and price increases led the nation's biggest tobacco company, Altria Group Inc., to a 3.2-percent increase in second-quarter profits. |
| Oakland OKs Plan for Four Big Marijuana Farms to Supply Medical Users |
| Seeking greater control over who supplies marijuana to legal medical users, the city of Oakland has approved a plan that would license four large marijuana farms and sets hefty regulatory fees on the operations. |
| Few Colleges Follow NIAAA Advice to Prevent Student Drinking |
| The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) gave colleges detailed advice on how to prevent student drinking in 2002, but the recommendations have not been widely adopted, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota. |
| Parents Who Use Drugs to Quell Children Called Abusive |
| Sedating children with over-the-counter or prescription medications may be an under-recognized form of abuse. |
| Skepticism Greets Industry Claims on Menthol Safety |
| U.S. tobacco companies have ramped up a campaign to keep menthol cigarettes on the market, but U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials are skeptical of claims that menthols are no more harmful than regular cigarettes and want to see more data from the industry. |
| Heroin Addicts in Africa Engage in Dangerous Blood-Sharing |
| 'Flashblooding,' the act of injecting one heroin addict's blood into another to share a high or ward off withdrawal, is becoming increasingly common in some African cities. |
| Tobacco Ads in Stores Lure Teens, Should Be Banned: Researchers |
| Teens who regularly visit stores that display point-of-sale ads for tobacco products were twice as likely to try smoking -- a finding researchers said argues for a complete ban on such advertising. |
| Stroke Risk Jumps in Hour After Drinking Alcohol |
| Risk of stroke more than doubles in the hour immediately after consuming alcohol. |
| N.M. Faces Medical Marijuana Shortage |
| Strict licensing and regulation of New Mexico’s medical-marijuana distribution has led to chronic shortages in supply of the drug. |
| SAMHSA Document on Confidentiality Regulations Raises Further Questions |
| With national health reform moving the field toward coordination of all aspects of an individual’s medical care, longstanding federal requirements that govern information about clients in addiction treatment have come under scrutiny over their potential effect on integrated care. |
| Binge Drinking May Be a Bone Breaker for Teens |
| Teenagers who engage in binge drinking could be upping their risk of developing osteoporosis later in life, a new animal study suggests. |
| Kansas Volume Pricing Law on Alcohol Delayed |
| Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson ordered the state’s alcohol regulation agency to delay enforcing a decades old -- but largely ignored -- law that requires bars to price drinks according to alcohol content. |
| Alcohol Tax Repeal Will Be First Question on Mass. Ballot |
| The first thing Massachusetts voters will see on November's ballot is a question calling for repeal of the state's alcohol tax. |
| Treatment Programs Report Surge in Prescription Drug Admissions |
| About one in 10 people admitted to addiction treatment programs misuse prescription drugs, quadruple the rate reported in 1998. |
| Group Drug Therapy Can Be Counterproductive for Teens |
| Group addiction treatment can actually lead to more drug use by teens if they are casual users placed in sessions with more experienced addicts. |
| The Anti-Bars: Token Clubs |
| People in recovery often face a social dilemma: where to hang out when bars and clubs must remain off-limits. For many, so-called Token Clubs provide an answer -- and a safe haven. |
| Patented Pot? Not So Fast, Say Feds |
| The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has removed a trademark category for medical marijuana after receiving a flood of applications from producers seeking to claim various products and brand names for the drug. |
| Dangers on Homefront Exceed Battlefield for Some Soldiers |
| Soldiers of the First Armored Division’s Fourth Brigade are statistically at higher risk of death upon returning to their home base of Fort Bliss, Texas, than they were while deployed in Iraq. |
| At-Home Alcohol Consumption Rises |
| Sales of alcohol for consumption at home has grown 21 percent since 2004, according to market research firm Mintel. |
| New Recipe Feeds Growth of Okla. Meth Labs |
| Restrictions on precursor chemicals helped drive methamphetamine labs out of Oklahoma in the mid-2000s, but a new “one-pot” recipe for the drug has labs proliferating in the state again. |
| Kombucha Disappears Amid Regulation Worries |
| Retailers and distributors have pulled back on the production and sale of kombucha, a popular tea, as the government tests the drink to see if it meets alcohol regulation standards. |
| Violent Drinkers May Benefit from Mix of Counseling and Antidepressants |
| A small research study suggests that violent men with drinking problems can be successfully be treated with a combination of addiction counseling, behavioral therapy, and antidepressants. |
| 'MicroRNA' Could Someday Be Used to Battle Cocaine Addiction |
| A new animal study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) finds that small molecules called microRNA seem to play a role in regulating cocaine use, a discovery that eventually could lead to the development of novel new addiction treatments. |
| Cigarette Vending Machines, Nearly Extinct, Set to Evolve |
| Old-school cigarette vending machines have nearly disappeared from New York City bars, but a new generation of modern machines may soon take their place. |
| Tech and Drugs and Rock and Roll |
| Websites are marketing music that developers claim can produce a drug-like high. |
| Mass. Delays Antismoking Campaign Pending Outcome of NYC Case |
| The Massachusetts Department of Public Health won’t proceed with requiring retailers to post graphic warning signs about smoking until an industry lawsuit against a similar campaign in New York City is resolved. |
| Mixed Results for H.S. Drug Testing |
| High-school students who face mandatory drug testing may be less likely to use drugs in the short term, but the protective effect doesn’t last, according to a new U.S. Department of Education study. |
| Hospitals Vie to Become Medical-Marijuana Dispensaries in N.J. |
| Teaching hospitals in New Jersey say they should hold a monopoly over marijuana distribution as the state plans to implement its medical-marijuana law. |
| Legalization Could Cut Marijuana Prices 80 Percent, RAND Estimates |
| A study on the expected impact of marijuana legalization in California predicts that the price of the drug would drop steeply. |
| Addiction, Mental Illness Lead to Millions of ER Visits |
| Patients with addiction or mental-health related problems accounted for 12.5 percent of all hospital emergency-room visits by adults in 2007, according to a report from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. |
| San Francisco Regulates Marijuana Foods |
| The San Francisco Department of Public Health has issued the nation’s first regulations on the labeling and sale of marijuana-infused edibles. |
| $21 Million Awarded to Fla. Smoker with COPD |
| Philip Morris USA was ordered by a Florida jury to pay $21 million in damages to a smoker with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. |
| Schumer Calls for FTC to Investigate Alcoholic Energy Drink Marketing |
| Certain brands of alcoholic energy drinks are marketed with the intent of appealing to underage drinkers, charged Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) in calling for an investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). |
| Coalition Seeks Calif. NAACP Leader's Ouster for Supporting Legalization |
| The California State Conference of the NAACP's president, Alice Huffman, has aroused the ire of some African-American religious and community leaders for endorsing a statewide marijuana-legalization ballot item. |
| More Californians Oppose Marijuana Legalization |
| A slight majority of California residents now opposes a ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana in the state. |
| Progress Against Teen Smoking Has Slowed, CDC Reports |
| Major declines in adolescent smoking achieved in the late 1990s and early 2000s slowed to a crawl between 2003 and 2009, the U.S. Centers on Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its biennial report on high-school smoking. |
| Border Patrol Sees Surge in Teen Drug Smugglers |
| The number of minors caught smuggling drugs from Mexico to Arizona surged 83 percent in 2009. |
| Studies Find Children of Smokers at Risk for Chronic Conditions |
| Children of parents who smoke are more likely to have a higher body-mass index and greater prevalence of behavioral problems, according to a pair of new studies. |
| Nicotine Replacement Therapy Before Quitting May Help |
| Recent studies suggest that beginning nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) -– nicotine-infused gums, patches, etc. –- before quitting cigarettes may improve long-term cessation success. |
| Russia Puts 'Smoking Kills' Labels on Cigarette Packs |
| Russia has adopted new policies to regulate and reduce cigarette usage in the country, including 'smoking kills' and other health warnings on cigarette packs. |
| Radical and Dangerous: Possible Changes to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Alcohol |
| "In the absence of data from randomized trials and on the basis of practical public health considerations, the proposed change to the alcohol section of the Dietary Guidelines is a prescription for ill health and adverse social consequences," writes Dr. Tim Naimi. |
| Tailored Meth Treatment Lacking, Experts Say |
| Methamphetamine users have unique treatment needs but typically receive the same type of therapy as those addicted to other drugs. |
| Wine Being Sold from Vending Machines in Pa. |
| The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is testing out a pair of wine vending machines located inside supermarkets. |
| Calif. NAACP Backs Marijuana Legalization |
| The California chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has endorsed Proposition 19, a ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana use. |
| Study Hints at Link Between Youth Marijuana Use and Depression |
| A Dutch study has found that marijuana use before age 17 was associated with a 50-percent increase in the risk of later suffering an episode of depression, although researchers said that the association weakened when a history of conduct disorders was figured in. |
| Synthetic Marijuana Products Outlawed in Missouri |
| A blend of herbs sold under the brand name K2 and thought to produce psychoactive effects similar to marijuana has been banned in Missouri. |
| Price Controls Cut Binge Drinking, Canadian Province Reports |
| The Canadian province of Saskatchewan’s minimum-pricing policy on high-alcohol beverages has resulted in a decline in public intoxication as well as lower sales of potent products. |
| Report Cites Need to Address Smoking in Gay and Lesbian Community |
| Stigma and targeted marketing by the tobacco industry have contributed to a smoking rate among the gay and lesbian population that’s twice as high as for other Americans, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. |
| ACLU Sues Wal-Mart Over Medical-Marijuana Firing |
| The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing Wal-Mart in Michigan after the company terminated an employee for medical marijuana use. |
| S.F. Seeks Supplemental Alcohol Tax |
| The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has fast-tracked a proposal to add a $.076 per ounce tax on alcohol that would be charged at the wholesale level. |
| Ariz. Governor Says Most Illegal Immigrants are Drug Smugglers |
| Ariz. Gov. Jan Brewer said that most illegal immigrants are 'drug mules,' but Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) distanced himself from Brewer’s remarks on NBC's 'Meet The Press.' |
| Full Plate for FDA Tobacco Center |
| The FDA’s new Center for Tobacco Products has had a busy first year -- banning most tobacco flavorings and issuing regulations on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, among other steps -- and the coming year promises to be equally active. |
| Fate of Safe-Injection Program in Hands of Canadian Supreme Court |
| The Canadian Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether the federal government has the power to shut down a pioneering Vancouver program that provides drug addicts a safe place to inject their drugs.
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| Drug Law Reform Sees Dealers Going Free, Says N.Y. Prosecutor |
| New York’s repeal of mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders has led to a slew of serious dealers going free, New York City Special Prosecutor Bridget Brennan contends. |
| Britain Grapples with Drinking-Related Hypertension |
| Treatment for high blood pressure as a result of binge drinking has increased 74 percent in five years in the U.K. |
| Underage Drinkers Can Lose Driving Privileges, Illinois Court Rules |
| Illinois residents under age 21 who are caught drinking alcohol can lose their driver’s licenses even if they weren’t drinking and driving, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled. |
| Peru Tops in Coca Production |
| Peru is now the world’s top grower of coca leaf, the essential ingredient in cocaine production. |
| Kombucha Tea May Face Regulation as Alcoholic Beverage |
| The U.S. Treasury Department says that the kombucha variety of tea -- which can ferment in the bottle -- may be classified as an alcoholic beverage for regulatory purposes. |
| U.K. Approves Marijuana-Based Drug |
| The U.K'’s primary medical regulatory body has approved a cannabis-derived spray for treatment of spasticity in multiple-sclerosis patients. |
| Cigarettes Trash Texas Highways |
| Cigarette butts are the single biggest trash item found along highways in Texas, a study found, with hundreds of millions discarded on roadways in the state each year. |
