Join Together
Join Together, a collaboration of the Boston University School of Public Health and The Partnership at Drugfree.org, delivers substance abuse and addiction news that impacts your work, life and community. Learn more.
Teens’ Use of Smokeless Tobacco Holds Steady, Study Finds
Teens’ use of smokeless tobacco products has held steady since 2000, at about 5 percent, a new study finds.
Study Links PTSD and Brain Receptors Activated by Marijuana
A new study finds a connection between post-traumatic stress disorder and the number of cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These receptors are activated when a person uses marijuana.
Heroin Making a Comeback in Florida as “Pill Mills” Shut Down
Florida officials say heroin is making a comeback, now that the state has had success in shutting down “pill mills” selling prescription painkillers.
Commentary: Your Baby’s Life Shouldn’t Begin with Detox
When Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi took office in 2011, Florida was in the midst of a public safety crisis of epic proportions – prescription drug abuse. This epidemic wasn't just affecting adults. It was affecting increasing numbers of pregnant women throughout the state, which fueled an explosion in cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome, babies being born exposed to prescription drugs.
Doctors Should Ask and Counsel Adult Patients About Drinking, Report Advises
Primary care physicians should ask their adult patients about their drinking habits, and counsel those whose alcohol use is risky, according to a new report.
Parents Should Talk With Children About Alcohol Early, Government Says
Parents should start talking with their children about the dangers of drinking as early as age 9, according to a new government campaign.
Study Finds Partial Smoking Bans in Hotels Not Very Effective
In hotels that allow smoking in some rooms, nicotine residue ends up in all rooms, even those labeled “non-smoking,” a new study finds.
First Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to Open in Washington, D.C.
The first medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington, D.C., are expected to open later this month, ABC News reports. One will be located eight blocks from the U.S. Capitol.
FDA Denies Request from Opana ER Maker to Block Generic Forms of the Drug
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday denied a request from the maker of the painkiller Opana ER to block generic forms of the drug. The decision came as a surprise, Reuters reports.
Anti-Cocaine Vaccine Blocks Drug From Reaching Brain in Animal Testing
An experimental anti-cocaine vaccine blocks the drug from reaching the brain, according to a study of non-human primates. Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York say human trials of the vaccine may begin within a year.
