TOPEKA | In a landmark move, the Kansas House passed a statewide public smoking ban Thursday and sent it to Gov. Mark Parkinson.
Psychosis More Common Among Teen Marijuana Users: Study
March 3, 2010
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.
Colleges Step Up Parental Notification of Alcohol Incidents
February 26, 2010
A growing number of colleges are alerting parents whenever their children under age 21 are involved in alcohol-related incidents at school
DEA Raids Colo. Medical Marijuana Operation Shown on TV
February 17, 2010
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, the Denver Post reported Feb. 13.
Ban on 'Synthetic Marijuana' Approved in Kansas
February 4, 2010
The Kansas state House and Senate have voted in favor of a measure that would criminalize possession of a product called K2 or Spice, which some have characterized as a form of synthetic marijuana.
Ecstasy Especially Deadly for Young Users, Study Finds
February 3, 2010
Ecstasy is a stimulant like various classes of amphetamines, but the popular club drug is more likely to kill young and otherwise healthy users, Reuters reported Jan. 29.
Smoking Laws Credited as NYC Life Expectancy Hits Historic High
February 3, 2010
New York City residents now live longer than ever, and experts say that the city's tough laws on smoking deserve some of the credit, the New York Daily News reported Jan. 26.
Teen Drinkers Suffer Nerve Damage in Brain, Study Finds
January 28, 2010
California researchers who compared the brains of teen drinkers to non-drinkers found that young alcohol users suffered damage to nerve tissues that could cause attention deficits among boys and faulty visual information processing among girls.
Parkinson Urges Tax Increase; 2 JoCo Republicans Propose Liquor Hike;
business unhappy with tax talk
January 26, 2010
Topeka — In the face of a wall of opposition from business interests, Gov. Mark Parkinson said that legislators should not fear voting for a tax increase to balance the budget.
Continuing to Smoke Quickens Progression of Lung Cancer
January 20, 2010
Lung-cancer tumors may grow larger and more quickly in patients who continue to smoke after being diagnosed with the disease, according to researchers who conducted animal studies at the University of California at San Diego's School of Medicine.
FDA Orders Tobacco Companies to Disclose Cigarette Ingredients
January 20, 2010
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has directed cigarette companies to provide detailed information on their products by June, when the agency for the first time will begin studying the composition of cigarettes in detail, the Associated Press reported Jan. 18.
E-Cigarettes Not Subject to FDA Regulation, Federal Judge Rules
January 15, 2010
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cannot block the importation of electronic cigarettes into the U.S. because they are not tobacco products -- and thus not under the FDA's jurisdiction -- a federal judge has ruled.
Tobacco Firms Ordered to Pay Family of Calif. Smoking Victim
January 14, 2010
Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds must pay $2.85 million in damages to the family of a California woman who died of lung cancer at age 40 after smoking for 26 years, the state's high court has ruled
Participate in the Super Bowl Survey 2010
January 14, 2010
The Super Bowl is known for its commercials almost as much as it is for the game itself. Yet the type of products being advertised and the audience viewing those advertisements are of great concern. Results from the Drug-Free Action Alliance Super Bowl Survey 2009 revealed that two of the top three "most memorable" commercials, according to middle and high school students, were beer commercials. This falls in line with the studies that suggest alcohol companies are targeting youth in their advertising. Through research, we know that the more youth are exposed to alcohol in advertising, the more likely they are to consume alcohol underage.
Research Grants to Study Relationship Between Drinking and Adolescent Thinking and Brain Development
January 7, 2010
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) will award research grants under the R01 program to support studies on Alcohol, Decision-Making, and Adolescent Brain Development.
Daily Marijuana Use Could Cause Permanent Brain Damage, Researcher Says
January 7, 2010
Animal studies show that daily marijuana use could permanently alter serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain, raising the risk of depression and anxiety, according to researcher Gabriella Gobbi of McGill University.
Federal Judge Upholds Most of FDA Tobacco Law
January 6, 2010
In one of the first challenges to the tobacco-regulation law passed by Congress last year, a federal judge in Kentucky has upheld most of the legislation but said that banning tobacco companies from using color ads and graphics in ads was an infringement on free speech, Dow Jones reported Jan. 5.
Death Warnings May Actually Encourage Smokers
December 16, 2009
Warning smokers that cigarettes can kill them could backfire as a prevention strategy, according to researchers who said that other types of warning messages could be more effective for some smokers.
Smoke Signals: Marijuana Use Rises Among H.S. Students as Cigarette Use Declines, Study Finds
December 15, 2009
Proponents of a new approach to drug policy need look no further than the results of the annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, which reports increased youth use of marijuana and a flattening out of many other types of illicit drug use after a prolonged decline.
Welsh Smoking Ban Helped Lower Heart Attack Rates
December 14, 2009
The smoking ban in Wales that took effect in April 2007 has helped decrease the number of people having heart attacks, according to a recent report by the nation's chief medical officer, the BBC reported Dec. 9.
Drinking Coffee When Drunk Creates False Sense of Sobriety
December 10, 2009
Drinking coffee not only doesn't sober you up when you are drunk but can make you reckless by imparting a false sense of sobriety, according to animal researchers at Temple University.
Drinkers Can Track BAC with New iPhone App
December 10, 2009
A new iPhone application helps users keep track of their blood-alcohol content (BAC) and sends warning messages if data indicates the user is "buzzed" or legally intoxicated.
Annual Smoking Death Toll Tops 5 Million Worldwide
December 10, 2009
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that at least five million people die from smoking each year, along with another 600,000 who die from secondhand-smoke exposure, the Associated Press reported Dec. 9.
Two More Southern States Ban Smoking
December 4, 2009
Virginia and North Carolina are joining the growing list of states restricting smoking in restaurants, the Associated Press reported Nov. 30
Restaurants in Virginia that want to continue having a smoking section now have to seat smokers in rooms that use ventilation systems that are separate from those used in non-smoking areas.
Some Landlords Ban Smoking in Apartment Buildings
November 24, 2009
Related Companies, a national developer that owns 17 buildings in New York City, is banning smoking in some of its properties, saying the aim is to protect tenants from exposure to secondhand smoke, the New York Times reported Nov. 16.
Lawmakers in S.F. Want to Limit Tobacco-Sales Permits
November 24, 2009
San Francisco has required retailers to get a special permit to sell tobacco products since 2003, and now city officials want to use the process to limit the number of cigarette vendors, the San Francisco Examiner reported Nov. 18.
NFL Seeks Limits on Tailgating to Curb Drinking
November 23, 2009
The National Football League (NFL) would like teams to limit tailgating to 3-1/2 hours prior to kickoff, but so far only the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have adopted such a policy, USA Today reported Nov. 18.
Athletes Who Use Performance Drugs Likely to Abuse Other Substances
November 17, 2009
Rutgers University researchers have found that student athletes who use legal and illicit drugs to boost their sports performance also are more likely to drink heavily and use recreational drugs like marijuana and cocaine.
Residents Confront Local Drug Dealers Over Community Impact
November 13, 2009
Residents in Peoria, Ill., recently got the chance to confront alleged drug dealers about how they are negatively impacting the community, the Peoria Journal Star reported Nov. 4.
Combine Nicotine Patch, Lozenges to Quit Smoking, Researchers Say
November 6, 2009
A study comparing five pharmaceutical approaches to quitting smoking found that mixing nicotine patches and lozenges was the most effective, in part because it seemed to best duplicate the highs and lows of nicotine addiction faced by smokers, HealthDay News reported Nov. 2.
MADD Launches Program To Help Parents Influence Teen Alcohol Behavior
November 5, 2009
From: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
DALLAS and COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Nationwide Insurance have launched "The Power of Parents, It's Your Influence by MADD(™)" to give parents of high school students the communication tools they need to stop teen alcohol use. The program features resources at www.thepowerofparents.org.
Marijuana Legalized in Breckenridge, Colo.
November 5, 2009
In a largely symbolic move, voters in the Colorado ski town of Breckenridge voted overwhelmingly to approve the legalization of marijuana possession, the Associated Press reported Nov. 3.
Study Shows How Alcohol Can Spread Cancer
November 4, 2009
Researchers from Rush University Medical Center may have discovered how alcohol transforms regular cancer cells into a more aggressive form of the disease that can spread to other areas of the body.
U.K. Drug Czar Fired for Saying Illegal Drugs Less Harmful Than Alcohol, Cigarettes
November 4, 2009
U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has fired the nation's 'drug czar' after David Nutt said that LSD and ecstasy are less dangerous drugs than alcohol or tobacco, the Daily Mail reported Oct. 31.
Researchers Probe Smokeless Tobacco's Relative Safety
November 3, 2009
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and academic researchers are examining whether smokeless-tobacco products can potentially be viewed as a safer alternative to smoking, the Winston-Salem Journal reported Nov. 1.
Pharmacies Worry About Liability for Prescription-Drug Abuse
October 30, 2009
Pharmacies nationally are closely watching a Nevada case in which car-crash victims and their families are suing stores that sold painkillers to a driver who had been suspected of abusing prescription drugs, the Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 29.
More States Considering Prescription Laws to Battle Meth
October 28, 2009
The state of Oregon requires a prescription to purchase certain formerly over-the-counter medications that can be used to make methamphetamine, and now other states are considering similar laws, the Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 21.
APIS: New Resource on State Underage Drinking Policies
October 27, 2009
From: Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS)
The Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS), a project of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, announces its latest update of state-by-state alcohol policies.
Cold Beer Banned in Attempt to Prevent Public Drinking
October 27, 2009
A Chicago suburb has banned the sale of some cold beer in order to address a local problem with public drinking, NBC News reported Oct. 24.
Missouri Town Requires Prescriptions for Cold, Allergy Medications
October 22, 2009
Union, Mo., just became the second town in the U.S. to pass a law that requires a prescription to buy (formerly) over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines such as Sudafed, Aleve Cold & Sinus and Claritin D, which contain the methamphetamine ingredient pseudoephedrine, the Associated Press reported Oct. 14.
Secondhand Smoke a Killer, Institute of Medicine Report Says
October 20, 2009
There is compelling evidence that secondhand smoke can trigger heart attacks, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and people with heart conditions are urged to avoid exposure to tobacco smoke, the Associated Press reported Oct. 15.
October 19, 2009
A Kansas State University fraternity has been suspended by a judicial board for a September hazing incident in which a student was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning.
Oregon Partnership Launches Campaign Aimed at Old Navy Stores
October 15, 2009
Portland, Oregon -- Oregon Partnership, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating alcohol and drug abuse, has called for Old Navy stores to discontinue the sale of t-shirts with binge drinking messages such as "Beer Pressure – Worth Giving In To!" and "Sloshball Champions – Staggerin Falls, Hi."
Small Marijuana Producers Have Growing Market Influence
October 13, 2009
So many smalltime marijuana operations have sprung up in the U.S. that they are starting to make a serious dent in the profits of Mexico's violent drug cartels, the Washington Post reported Oct. 7.
Underage Facebook Members Exposed to Alcohol Ads, Promotions, Report Says
October 8, 2009
The Marin Institute is calling on Facebook to stop accepting paid ads for alcoholic beverages and to ban alcohol-related pages, applications and events, citing a study that found that alcohol-related content is reaching underage Facebook users despite company policies designed to prevent such marketing.
Tobacco Firms Begin Paying for FDA Regulation
October 6, 2009
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to collect $23 million in fees from the tobacco industry this year to pay for regulation of the industry, as authorized by Congress and signed into law in June.
Unemployed Americans Smoke the Most, Study Finds
October 2, 2009
More than 45 percent of unemployed Americans smoke cigarettes, compared to 28.4 percent of workers ages 18 to 64, according to new findings from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Camel Brand Back in Magazines
October 2, 2009
R.J. Reynolds' Camel brand is back in magazines such as Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, and Maxim -- this time not to advertise cigarettes but to introduce consumers to Camel Snus, the New York Times reported Sept. 22.
