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.
Older People Who Smoke Heavily Advised to Consider CT Lung Screening
The American Cancer Society is recommending that older people with a significant smoking history should consider getting a low-dose CT scan to screen for lung cancer.
Justice Department Case Highlights Federal-State Dispute Over Marijuana
A case involving the Justice Department indictment of a California medical marijuana entrepreneur highlights the dispute between federal and state authorities over the drug, according to The New York Times.
New Ice Cubes Change Color to Track Alcohol Use
A graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has invented ice cubes that can warn drinkers when they’ve consumed too much alcohol, ABC News reports.
New Tools Identify Substance Use Treatment Needs in Criminal Justice System
People in prisons and jails are four times more likely to have a substance use disorder than the general public, yet services for this population are sorely lacking, according to experts at George Mason University.
Injected Opana Linked to Rare Blood-Clotting Disorder
Health officials in Tennessee are reporting cases of a rare blood-clotting disorder in people who injected the painkiller Opana ER (extended release), after crushing the pills.
Public Hospital ERs in New York City to Restrict Some Painkillers
New York City public hospitals will restrict prescriptions of some powerful painkillers in their emergency rooms, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday. The new policy is designed to cut down on prescription drug abuse.
North Carolina Teens Are Not Big Fans of Tobacco, Survey Finds
More than three-quarters of middle school and high school students surveyed in North Carolina say smoking should not be allowed at home, indoors at work, or in cars, HealthDay reports. The tobacco-growing state has one of the nation’s lowest cigarette taxes, and only recently banned smoking in most restaurants, bars and hotels.
Baseball to Conduct In-Season Blood Testing for Human Growth Hormone
Major League Baseball and its players union announced they have reached an agreement to conduct in-season blood testing of players for human growth hormone. Players also will be tested for synthetic testosterone, which is increasingly popular because it washes out of the body fairly quickly after being used.
FDA to Consider Tighter Regulations for Hydrocodone
The Food and Drug Administration will soon consider whether prescription painkillers containing hydrocodone should be more tightly regulated, as the Drug Enforcement Administration has urged, USA Today reports.
Choosing Substance Abuse Treatment Over Prison Could Save Billions: Study
Sending substance-abusing state prisoners to community-based treatment programs instead of prisons could reduce crime and save billions of dollars, a new study concludes.
