|
|
|
|
 |
|
Read All About It - Misery and Miracles - Read All About It
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
New Interactive Tobacco Policy Map Launched
A new interactive map from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will give policy-makers and advocates a nationwide picture of continuing state efforts on key tobacco control policies.
Cocaine Sentencing Disparity Bill Clears Senate Committee
A bill that makes penalties for possession of crack and powdered cocaine somewhat more equitable was easily approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and is headed for a vote in the full Senate.
Judge Rules R.J. Reynolds Misrepresented Health Risks of Eclipse Cigarettes
Tobacco firm R.J. Reynolds violated Vermont's consumer-protection laws by claiming that its so-called 'reduced risk' Eclipse cigarettes "could present less risk of cancer" than other cigarettes, a state judge has ruled.
Inhalants are Drug of Choice in Early Adolescence, Report Says
A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) says that inhalants trail only alcohol among the substances used by 12-year-olds to get high.
Indoor Smoking Ban Signed into Law in Kansas
A bill banning smoking in indoor public spaces in Kansas has been signed into law by Gov. Mark Parkinson.
Smart Recovery Founder Voices Praise and Condemnation for AA
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is "an absolutely remarkable program" that has helped millions of people overcome their addictions, said Joe Gerstein, founder of the Smart Recovery program. But Gerstein also called AA "ethically wrong, medically wrong and psychologically wrong."
In Some, Genes Elevate Cancer Risk Even with Modest Exposure to Cigarette Smoke
Individuals with a certain genetic predisposition to lung cancer should avoid cigarette smoke altogether or risk developing the disease, researchers say.
Long-Term Smoking Protects Against Parkinson's, Study Confirms
The latest study to find a link between smoking and lowered risk of Parkinson's disease says that the protective effect appears to be related to the number of years of smoking, not how many cigarettes a smoker consumes daily.
Drug Czar Warns on Drugged Driving
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske told an international conference that driving under the influence of prescription and illicit drugs is a growing problem.
Nicotine Load Builds to Peak in Cigarette Smokers: Study
Smokers slowly build up nicotine levels to a peak, rather than receiving a burst of the drug in their brain with each drag, according to researchers at the Duke University Medical Center.
Cocaine Deaths Higher on Hotter Days
More people die of cocaine overdoses on hot days, possibly because the drug raises body temperatures.
Cigarette Company Sues Over Display Ban
Seeking to prevent impulse purchases, the government of Norway has prohibited retailers from publicly displaying cigarettes in stores, but tobacco company Philip Morris is going to court in an attempt to overturn the ban.
America Honors Recovery Awards: Call for Nominations
Sponsored by Faces & Voices of Recovery and Hazelden's Center for Public Advocacy, the America Honors Recovery awards recognize 2010's most influential recovery community leaders and organizations. Nominations for individuals and organizations will be accepted until April 9.
No Constitutional Right to Smoke, Kansas Court Rules
Smoking is not a fundamental right, the Kansas Supreme Court said in upholding the state's indoor-smoking ban.
Middle-Aged Women Who Drink Moderately Gain Less Weight
A new study associates moderate drinking with less weight gain among middle-aged women.
Indiana Smoking Prevention Agency in Peril
The Indiana Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Board could be dismantled and its functions folded into the State Department of Health.
Stop Smoking Message Was British Man's Final Request
A British man who died from emphysema had a sign stating, 'Smoking Killed Me' placed on his hearse and at his grave site in hopes of encouraging others to quit their addiction.
U.N. Paints Bleak Picture of Indigent Addicts' Life
Poor drug addicts around the world face a host of problems from stigma and imprisonment to lack of treatment, according to the head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Analysis Confirms Link Between Smoking and Prostate Cancer
A meta-analysis of 24 previous studies concluded that there is "good evidence that prostate cancer is likely a smoking-related tumor," according to researcher Michael Huncharek.
Colleges Confront Misuse of Prescription Drugs
Misuse of prescription drugs is a growing problem on college campuses, where the drugs are used recreationally as well as to aid in studying.
Charlie Sheen's Latest Treatment Stay Termed 'Prehab'
Many people with addictions can't access rehabilitation services, but if you're a celebrity like Charlie Sheen you can get treatment even if you don't currently have a drinking or drug problem.
Traumatic Flashbacks More Likely Among Moderate Drinkers
Moderate alcohol consumption prior to a traumatic event like a car crash or sexual assault has been linked to higher rates of flashbacks among victims.
Lawsuit Filed Over L.A. Medical Marijuana Ordinance
A new law regulating medical-marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles is being challenged by activists who say the rules are too onerous.
Marlboro Snus to Be Marketed Nationally
Marlboro Snus, a version of smokeless tobacco developed by Philip Morris USA parent Altria Group, Inc., will soon be sold nationally.
Washington Bill Makes Medical Marijuana More Available
Physicians' assistants, nurse practitioners and naturopathic physicians would join doctors in being able to prescribe marijuana for medical use under a bill that's close to becoming law in Washington state.
Impairment in 'Cocaine Babies' More Likely Driven by Environment, Study Says
Children exposed in-utero to cocaine often have lower IQs and do poorly in school and with language, but a new research review concludes that these impairments can usually be traced to the troubled environment the children of cocaine users live in and not directly to the effects of the drug itself.
Poll: Maryland Residents Support Alcohol Tax Increase to Support Treatment
A poll commissioned by the Maryland chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence found that 72 percent of state residents back a proposed 10-cent-per-drink tax if the revenues were used to pay for addiction treatment, services for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled, and healthcare for uninsured residents.
$1 Per Pack Tobacco Tax Hike Approved by Utah House
The Utah House of Representatives has voted 39-35 in favor of a measure that would raise the state tax on cigarettes by $1 per pack, from the current 69.5 cents to about $1.70.
Secondhand Smoke Can Damage Teens' Arteries, Study Finds
Teens exposed to secondhand smoke have measurably thicker arteries than adolescents who are not exposed, suggesting that for children "even a little exposure to tobacco smoke may be harmful for blood vessels," according to researcher Katariina Kallio of the University of Turku in Finland.
Father Joseph C. Martin Award for Professional Excellence
Nominations are now being accepted for the Father Joseph C. Martin Award for Professional Excellence, which honors professionals in the addiction treatment field who embody Father Martin's philosophy and life's work.
Few Drug Users Get HIV Prevention Help, Global Report Says
Only a fraction of the world's injection-drug users receive education or other assistance in preventing contraction or spreading of the virus that causes AIDS, according to a new study that says government health officials often overlook a key vector for the disease.
'Hackademy Awards' Announced: 'Nine' Called Smokiest Movie of Year
The star-powered (but ill-fated) musical 'Nine' got a thumbs-down as the year's smokiest movie as part of the annual Hackademy Awards.
Ohio Judge Says Smokers, Not Bars, Responsible for Smoking-Ban Violations
Ohio's smokefree law calls for fines of up to $1,000 on businesses that violate the statute, but a state judge recently ruled that patrons should be penalized for lighting up, not property owners.
Marijuana Cases Continue in Denver Despite Voter Directive
Marijuana arrests and prosecutions continued virtually unabated in Denver despite passage of a voter initiative calling for police to make such cases their lowest priority.
Psychosis More Common Among Teen Marijuana Users: Study
Smoking marijuana as a teenager could raise the risk of developing schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms as a young adult, according to a new study that compared the prevalence of mental illness among marijuana users and non-users.
FDA Tobacco Products Advisory Committee Named
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the names of the nine voting members of its new Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee.
Walgreens Drug Store Wants to Sell Alcohol in Indiana
Liquor stores are suing and neighbors are complaining as the Walgreens pharmacy chain seeks permits to sell alcohol at its stores in Indiana.
Updates from ACTION Campaign II
NIATx announces opportunities to learn about treatment improvement strategies, participate in free webinars, and share your story for a chance to win a free trip to their upcoming conference.
New Survey Again Raises Alarm About Teen Drug Use, Attitudes
A new report finds that more kids say they are using alcohol and other drugs, but many parents are unable or unwilling to deal with the issue -- a bad combination when declining support for prevention and cultural apathy about the issue leave parents as the last and sometimes only line of defense against adolescent drug use.
U.S. and Mexico Pledge to Cut Drug Demand
The governments of Mexico and the United States have signed a pledge to cut demand for illicit drugs by stepped up treatment and prevention efforts.
Big Tobacco Remains a Threat to Global Health, WHO Says
"If Big Tobacco is in retreat in some parts of the world, it is on the march in others," says Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Sexually Suggestive French Antismoking Ads Protested
A French youth antismoking campaign that equates smoking to submissively giving oral sex is being criticized for its explicit theme and questionable effectiveness.
Docs: Obama Should Quit Smoking, Moderate Drinking OK
President Obama should continue to use alcohol in moderation but should keep trying to quit smoking, according to doctors who conducted his routine medical exam.
Guilt-Based Anti-Alcohol Ads Can Backfire, Study Finds
Using shame or guilt to try to prevent overconsumption of alcohol can actually cause people to drink more, researchers say.
Moral Judgment Still Plays a Role in Prescribing Pain Meds
Few doctors still believe that pain is God's will and that treating it could be a sin, but morality and legality still play a major role in prescribing pain medication.
Fla. Judge Cuts Jury Award to Former Smoker
Philip Morris will have to pay $38.9 million to a former smoker with emphysema instead of the $300 million ordered by a jury, a Florida judge has ruled.
U.N. Report Slams Drug Decriminalization in Latin America
Recent moves to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana and other drugs in Latin American nations could "undermine national and international efforts to combat the abuse of and illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs," according to the annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
Colleges Step Up Parental Notification of Alcohol Incidents
A growing number of colleges are alerting parents whenever their children under age 21 are involved in alcohol-related incidents at school.
Ban on Tobacco Lozenges Killed in Idaho
A flip-flop by an Idaho state lawmaker who is married to a tobacco-industry lobbyist is being blamed for the defeat of a bill that would have banned the sale of dissolvable tobacco products.
Ohio Weighs Cost Benefit of Smoking Ban
Ohio's 2007 law that bans indoor smoking has cost the state a net of about $2 million to enforce.
Study: Friends, Relatives Biggest Source of Opiate Painkillers
A startling 97 percent of individuals who misused painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin said that they got the drug from a friend or relative with a prescription.
Study: Blacks Drink Less, But More Likely to Use Illicit Drugs
African-Americans are less likely to drink alcohol than other adults -- and have lower rates of binge drinking -- but their rate of illicit-drug use is higher, according to a new report.
Drug Reformers Look to Baby Boomers for Support
Growing numbers of older Americans are using illicit drugs, and groups seeking to reform U.S. drug policies see aging Baby Boomers as potent allies.
N.M. House Votes to Allow Judges to Send Offenders to Treatment, Not Jail
A sentencing-reform bill aimed at drug offenders has passed the New Mexico House of Representatives after initially being rejected.
PLoS Journal to Reject Research Funded by Tobacco Industry
Researchers who accept money from the tobacco industry will no longer be able to get their work published in PLoS Medicine, a journal produced by the Public Library of Science (PLoS).
Colo. Sentencing Reform Bill Has Bipartisan Support
A bill that would cut sentences for drug offenses and put more money into addiction treatment programs has support from both sides of the aisle in the Colorado statehouse.
Student Death Prompts Underage-Drinking Reporting Reform in Utah
Youths who call for help when underage drinkers get sick from drinking will get leniency -- but not a free pass -- from the courts under legislation approved by a Utah Senate panel.
FDA Blessing Sought for 'Modified Risk' Tobacco Product
Niche tobacco company Star Scientific is seeking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval to sell its wintergreen-flavored, dissolvable tobacco lozenges as 'modified risk' products.
Methadone Contributes to Bone and Dental Disease: Fact or Fiction?
Patients receiving or considering methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for opioid dependence often express concern that methadone causes bone disease and dental decay.
Age 19 Drinking Bill Killed in South Dakota Legislature
The South Dakota House Commerce Committee rejected a bill that would have lowered the state's legal drinking age from 21 to 19.
Tobacco Companies Change Cigarette Packaging -- Barely -- to Comply with Law
The packaging is almost exactly the same, but Philip Morris' Marlboro Lights brand is no more: with terms like "light" and "mild" now banned by law from tobacco marketing, the cigarettes are now being called "Marlboro Gold."
Study Hints at More Drunk Driving Among Young Women
The rate of alcohol-related fatal car crashes has risen among some populations of female drivers, a worrying trend that runs counter to the decline in such crashes among young men.
Welfare Applicants, Lawmakers Face Drug Tests Under Mo. Bill
Individuals seeking public assistance or seeking to serve the public would be required to submit to drug tests under a measure approved by the Missouri House of Representatives.
Alcohol Policy 15: Policies for Reducing Problems Associated With Alcohol Availability
Community-based practitioners, public officials, and researchers are invited to the 15th in a series of conferences on the avoidance of alcohol-related problems using public policy strategies on December 5-7, 2010, in Washington, DC.
Binge Drinking Confounds Any Health Benefits of Drinking, Study Says
Alcohol consumption may improve coronary health, some studies say, but new research suggests that even the occasional binge-drinking episode can foil any such health benefits.
Obama Administration Seeks $300 Billion from Tobacco Industry
Both sides are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in an ongoing court battle between the federal government and the tobacco industry over cigarette companies' long history of deceiving the public about the health risks of smoking.
Marijuana School Attracts Thousands of Students
California-based Oaksterdam University's classes on growing and marketing marijuana have attracted nearly 7,000 students and have a waiting list with hundreds of more potential enrollees.
Secondhand Smoking Lawsuit Against Real Estate Agent Fails
A Boston jury ruled against a woman who sued her real-estate agent after discovering that a downstairs neighbor was a smoker -- a fact she accused the agent of covering up.
Olympics Puts Spotlight on Vancouver's Liberal Drug Policies
The Olympic host city of Vancouver has adopted a series of liberal drug policies that are on full display to any visitors who venture into the Downtown Eastside neighborhood, less than a mile from the waterfront epicenter of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Sweet-Loving Kids More Likely to Have Family History of Alcoholism
Children with a family history of alcoholism also tend to have an extreme sweet tooth, according to researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.
Cigars, Pipes Damage Lungs Like Cigarettes
Smoking a pipe or cigar can damage your lungs even if you don't inhale, according to researchers who said that smokers are mistaken to believe that substituting one kind of tobacco use for another will protect their health.
Legislators Seek to Overturn Nebraska's Ban on Serving Beer Mixed with Liquor
A Prohibition-era law still on the books makes Nebraska the only U.S. state to ban bars from serving drinks that mix beer and liquor, and some lawmakers are trying to make the restriction history.
Panel Recommends Amending Federal Privacy Law to Help Integrate Addiction Treatment Records
A new proposal to amend a landmark federal privacy law is butting up against resistance from recovery advocates and others, as the addiction treatment and recovery community struggles to strike a balance between the need for integration with mainstream medicine and privacy concerns about the use of electronic medical records.
Miss. Now Requires Prescription for Drugs Containing Pseudoephedrine
In a move intended to hamper production of illicit methamphetamine, the governor of Mississippi has approved a law requiring a doctor's prescription to buy any drug containing pseudoephedrine.
Study Casts Doubt on Using Marijuana to Treat Alzheimer's
A new animal study suggests that marijuana may not be useful in improving memory among individuals with Alzheimer's disease or affecting progression of the disease.
WHO Advances Report Endorsing Tax Hikes on Alcohol
Alcohol prices should be increased via taxation and stricter controls clamped on advertising in order to control binge drinking and other harmful drinking, according to a draft global alcohol-control strategy recently endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) executive board.
Smoked Marijuana Can Be Effective in Treating Pain, Calif. Report Says
There is "reasonable evidence" that smoked marijuana can provide relief for certain pain-related ailments, according to a new report prepared for the California legislature by researchers at the University of California at San Diego.
DEA Raids Colo. Medical Marijuana Operation Shown on TV
A day after a Colorado resident appeared on local TV to talk about his medical-marijuana operation, his home was raided by federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents.
Calif. University Wants Exemption from Social Host Law
Stanford University is seeking an exemption from a local county's social-host law, saying it should not be held legally responsible for underage drinking by students living in university housing.
Study Details Stomach, Esophagus Cancer Risk of Smoking, Drinking
A large Dutch study finds that smoking can vastly increase the risk of two types of stomach cancer and two forms of esophageal cancer, while drinking alcohol can increase the risk of one type of the latter disease.
Smoking Residue Could Pose Cancer Risk
So-called "third-hand smoke" -- nicotine residue that accumulates on clothing, furniture, and other surfaces -- can combine with another indoor pollutant to form cancer-causing nitrosamines, according to researchers.
Nominations Sought for Leading Innovations in Behavioral Healthcare Services
Behavioral healthcare organizations who are leading the way with innovative approaches to management and process improvement have an opportunity to be recognized as leading innovators with the first ever iAward, sponsored by State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) and NIATx.
Study Says Cost a Big Barrier to Smoking Cessation Referrals
Participation in a referral program for smoking and obesity prevention program dropped off 97 percent when patients were asked to pay for their own care.
Most Smokers Don't Need Drugs to Quit, Study Says
Researchers who reviewed 511 previously published studies on smoking cessation found that two-thirds to three-quarters of individuals who quit did so aided only by their own willpower, not nicotine-replacement therapy or other drugs.
Army Needs to Double Staff of Alcohol Counselors, General Says
More soldiers are experiencing problems with alcohol and the Army needs to double its staff of addiction counselors to meet the demand, according to Army vice chief of staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli.
Parity Bill Approved by Wisconsin Senate
A bill that would require insurers to cover addiction and mental health services on par with other health conditions has been approved by the Wisconsin Senate.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|