Substance Abuse and Addiction News, Features & Updates

April 21, 2025 — Cannabis users who visited the emergency room or were hospitalized were up to four times as likely as people in the general population to be diagnosed with dementia within five years, a large new study shows.

Life care specialists, a new role in hospitals, are making significant strides in combating the opioid crisis by educating patients about addiction risks, offering alternative pain management strategies, and providing crucial support for recovery.

February 27, 2025 — The Comprehensive Addiction Risk Evaluation System, or CARES, uses your genetic information and details about your past – like childhood experiences, alcohol or substance use, and family history – to predict how likely you may be to have a substance use disorder.

February 25, 2025 — The FDA has approved a new treatment plan a long-acting injection called Sublocade, making it easier for people with moderate to severe opioid use disorder (OUD) to start and keep up with their treatment.

February 13, 2025 — A clinical trial shows that people who were considered by medical researchers to report signs of alcohol use disorder drank significantly less after taking semaglutide for two months, compared to people with similar alcohol habits who didn’t take the drug.

February 6, 2025 — People who get hospital-based care for cannabis use disorder have a 2.8-fold greater chance of dying within the next five years than people who were of the same age and otherwise had similar health factors.

January 28, 2025 — Cannabis use can significantly impact the part of the brain responsible for following instructions, responding during conversations, or remembering a question long enough to answer it. This type of cognitive function is a form of short-term memory called working memory.

January 14, 2025 — Gambling has always been risky, but we’re in a different world. Smartphones, sexy apps, and endless possibilities make wagering faster – and more addictive -- than ever.

October 10, 2024 — If you’re living with diabetes, learn why you may be at greater risk for opioid use (and misuse) and what to do about it.

October 7, 2024 — Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. declined substantially in the past year, posting the largest single-year drop in at least a decade.

September 26, 2024 — A new study suggests that semaglutide, a blockbuster anti-obesity GLP-1 drug, could help people cut down on addictive behavior and prevent opioid overdose.

June 12, 2024 — A new federal effort aims to crack down on illegal e-cigarettes, with the goal of reducing young people’s access to the addictive products. Illegal products include popular items like flavored, disposable vapes.

May 23, 2024 — More people in the U.S. now use marijuana nearly every day than the number of people who use alcohol daily or most days of the week.

May 17, 2024 — The U.S. Justice Department has formally proposed that marijuana be reclassified as a Schedule III drug instead of a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.

May 16, 2024 — Annual U.S. drug overdose deaths declined last year, new government data shows. The good news was double-edged, indicating that opioid deaths declined the most, but opioids remained the top killer.

May 1, 2024 — You shouldn’t draw major conclusions about the safety of marijuana amid the recent announcement that federal regulators may reclassify the drug, experts are cautioning.

February 5, 2024 — Studies conducted by the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California, San Diego, show people should wait about 4.5 hours after smoking one joint before they attempt to drive a car,

February 2, 2024 — A new CDC report says synthetic cannabis has been found in some “gas station heroin” products, which are often marketed as mood-boosting supplements that can help with alertness or energy.

January 4, 2024 — Reports of the use of fentanyl along with the animal tranquilizer xylazine makes preventing substance use disorder and associated overdose deaths even more complicated.

December 21, 2023 — The FDA has approved the first test that uses DNA to assess if people might have a higher risk of becoming addicted to opioids.

December 18, 2023 — What to know about the health risks of the drug ketamine following Friends star Matthew Perry's death.

November 28, 2023 — A small case study of people taking the popular weight loss drug semaglutide showed that they experienced a significant reduction in symptoms of a preexisting addiction to alcohol.

September 22, 2023 — A couple of drinks does not give you “beer goggles” that make other people look more desirable, a new study found. But being tipsy may make you more eager to approach an attractive stranger.

September 7, 2023 — Canada’s legalization of recreational marijuana in 2018 is linked to a dramatic increase in marijuana-related traffic injuries resulting in treatment at an emergency department, a new study shows.

September 6, 2023 — Delta-8 products have spread into vape shops, gas stations and other retailers, but are these products safe for use?

September 1, 2023 — Overdose deaths from counterfeit prescription pills more than doubled in recent years, the CDC reported.

August 30, 2023 — Three pharmacy chains will start selling Narcan, without a prescription starting next month, the companies say.

August 21, 2023 — How cutting-edge science is leading the charge against a rising public health crisis.

August 18, 2023 — Young adults reported the highest ever rates of marijuana use in 2022, and middle-age adults reported the highest ever rates of binge drinking, according to results from an annual study.

August 17, 2023 — Americans are more worried about drug use in the U.S. – specifically, fentanyl and other opioids, according to a new opinion poll.

August 15, 2023 — Results from a new survey show that drug and alcohol addiction is commonplace in U.S. families. Two-thirds of people said they or someone in their family has experienced addiction or overdose.

June 23, 2023 — There is no such thing as a "smart pill." In fact, nonmedical use of prescription stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin by people without a prescription can lead to unintended outcomes, including poorer grades and substance abuse.

It’s now possible to buy naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal nasal spray medication, without a prescription. Learn why doctors say it should be in your first aid kit.

June 13, 2023 — In addition to suppressing appetite, in some people, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists like semaglutide may curb cravings for alcohol or cigarettes, according to reports not yet backed up by research.

May 18, 2023 — The surge in drug overdose deaths in the U.S. during the first 2 years of the pandemic appears to have stabilized. Overdose deaths in 2022 totaled an estimated 109,680 people, which is 2% more than the 107,573 deaths in 2021.

May 17, 2023 — The federal government will, for the first time, bankroll a study on the effectiveness of overdose prevention sites, according to an announcement May 8.

May 5, 2023 — A new study says as many as 30% of schizophrenia cases among young men could have been prevented if they had avoided marijuana.

April 28, 2023 — Many Americans use vapes to quit smoking cigarettes. But because of nicotine levels of e-cigarettes, patients also may need help quitting the unauthorized cessation tools.

April 21, 2023 — Emergent said its goal is to make the OTC retail price “consistent” with the price the company charges public interest groups, which averages less than $50 per package. But the actual retail price will be set by individual retailers.

April 12, 2023 — The action comes on the heels of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration warning about a sharp uptick in trafficking and overdoses of fentanyl combined with what is more commonly known as “tranq” or “zombie drug.”

April 6, 2023 — They may have found a new way to help treat people with alcohol poisoning.

March 29, 2023 — The opioid overdose-reversal drug Narcan has been approved for over-the-counter use by the FDA, the agency announced Wednesday morning.

February 22, 2023 — Researchers have discovered that a medicine used to treat itchy skin can help control Alcohol Use Disorders, according to a new study.

February 15, 2023 — A medicine used to treat people with severe alcohol disorders could also be helpful for others against binge drinking, a study says.

February 15, 2023 — The strips are simple to use and effective. When dipped in water that contains dissolved drug residue, the strips indicate immediately whether trace elements are contained in a substance, such as heroin, cocaine, or ecstasy.

January 18, 2023 — Drinking “mocktails” and other non-alcoholic beverages might be a trigger for people who have moderate to severe alcohol use disorder and can’t stop or control their alcohol use, experts say.

What does it mean to “enable” someone’s addiction, and are you doing it? Learn the signs and how to stop it, for your loved one’s good.

New York City’s two sites have intervened in hundreds of overdoses, but significant challenges confront other locations hoping to provide the same services.

Harm reduction is a nonjudgmental approach to protecting people with addiction. These programs give people the tools and support they need to get better. And it can save their lives.