Home > Educate > Resources > JTO Resource Feed

06 Oct 2008 Three of Four U.S. Voters Say Drug War is Failing
Three out of four likely U.S. voters think the war on drugs is failing, and 27 percent think legalizing some drugs is the best alternative, according to a new nationwide poll.

06 Oct 2008 Medical Marijuana Bill Vetoed by California Governor
A bill that would have protected employees from being fired for testing positive for medical marijuana use has been vetoed by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

06 Oct 2008 Mexican President Wants Some Drug Possession Legalized
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has submitted a proposal to the Mexican Congress to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs.

03 Oct 2008 Congress, Bush Approve Addiction and Mental Health Parity Legislation
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 263-171 to approve the Wall Street bailout bill, which includes a provision that mandates parity coverage for addiction and mental-health care, and President Bush swiftly signed the measure into law.

03 Oct 2008 Report: Marijuana Less Harmful than Alcohol or Tobacco
A report issued by a British research foundation concludes that alcohol and tobacco use present much greater risks than the use of marijuana.

03 Oct 2008 Survey Finds Public Has Faith in Addiction Recovery
Most U.S. adults believe that recovery from addiction is possible, according to a recent national survey.

03 Oct 2008 Healthcare Providers Loathe to Discuss Substance Use with Prenatal Patients
A new study from Indiana University concludes that obstetricians and midwives are reluctant to confront patients in prenatal care about substance-abuse issues.

03 Oct 2008 Building on 'Intervention,' A&E Launches 'The Recovery Project'
The A&E Network, home of the critically acclaimed but controversial program Intervention, has announced a new initiative to raise awareness about addiction and recovery that will kick off with a rally on the Brooklyn Bridge on Sept. 27.

03 Oct 2008 Calif. Removes Barrier to Brief Intervention
A law that allowed insurers to deny coverage to hospital patients if they were under the influence of alcohol at the time of their injury has been repealed by the state of California.

03 Oct 2008 Senate Bailout Bill Includes Parity Amendment
The Wall Street bailout bill passed by the U.S. Senate on Oct. 1 was amended to include addiction and mental health parity legislation. The bill passed by a 74-25 margin and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

02 Oct 2008 Study Links Adolescent Insomnia to Alcohol, Other Drug Use
New research out of the University of North Texas shows an association between adolescent insomnia and the use of alcohol, cannabis and other drugs, researchers said.

02 Oct 2008 California Targets Top Abusers of State Prescription-Drug System
The California attorney general's office has announced a crackdown on prescription drug fraud that will start by targeting 50 individuals with the most extensive track record of visiting multiple doctors and pharmacies to get drugs.

01 Oct 2008 Breath-Alcohol Tests Now Mandatory for Ohio Repeat Offenders
Ohio drivers with a record of previous DUI offenses will now be required to take a breath-alcohol test when stopped for suspicion of driving while drunk.

01 Oct 2008 Wrigley-Area Bars Asked to Curtail Alcohol Sales on Cubs Game Days
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has called on Wrigleyville bars to cut off alcohol sales after the 7th inning of Cubs home games, and some bar owners are going along with his directive, if reluctantly.

30 Sep 2008 Early Initial Alcohol Exposure Tied to Adult Risky Drinking
Researchers have found that youths who take their first drink of alcohol before their 15th birthday are at greater risk of developing alcohol-use disorders as adults.

30 Sep 2008 Signs of Success in Prison Education Programs
Prison education programs designed to combat recidivism and help prepare inmates for life after prison are growing and showing signs of success across the U.S.

29 Sep 2008 Mich. Voters Lean Toward Legalization of Medical Marijuana
A new poll finds that a majority of Michigan voters are in favor of relaxing restrictions on medical marijuana.

29 Sep 2008 Psychotropic Drugs Prescribed More Often to U.S. Youth
Doctors in the U.S. are more likely to prescribe stimulants, antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs to youth than doctors in the Netherlands and Germany.

29 Sep 2008 Calif. Gov. Considers Beer Giveaway Bill
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has until Tuesday night to take action on a bill that has small brewers and anti-alcohol advocates up in arms.

29 Sep 2008 Early Morning Drunk Driving on the Rise in the U.K.
Later pub closing times have led to an increase in early morning drunk-driving accidents in the U.K.

29 Sep 2008 Study: Casual Smokers More Likely to Binge, Abuse Alcohol
Researchers say that young adults who smoke cigarettes casually are more likely to be binge drinkers and have higher rates of alcohol abuse than nonsmokers or daily smokers.

26 Sep 2008 Hawaii Uses Newspaper Insert to Address Underage Drinking
Most Hawaiian daily newspapers included this week a state-sponsored 12-page insert addressing underage drinking.

26 Sep 2008 Poll: 60 Percent of Public Against Mandatory Minimums
Sixty percent of Americans now oppose laws mandating minimum prison terms for nonviolent crimes such as drug possession.

26 Sep 2008 Pubs Woo Customers with Electronic Cigarettes
English pubs are using electronic cigarettes to get around the country's smoking ban.

26 Sep 2008 Drinking Influenced by Mothers' Expectations
Researchers found that a child's future alcohol use may be directly influenced by the mother's positive or negative expectations.

25 Sep 2008 Teen Substance Use Down in 'Drug Free Communities'
The Office of National Drug Control Policy says that alcohol, tobacco and other drug use rates were lower in cities and towns with coalitions funded by the Drug Free Communities (DFC) program.

25 Sep 2008 Body May Process Malt Liquor Differently than Other Alcoholic Drinks
New research suggests that the alcohol present in malt liquor is processed by the body in different ways than that in other alcoholic beverages, although this may not explain the beverage's popularity.

24 Sep 2008 Researcher Calls for Stronger Warnings on Caffeinated Energy Drinks
A Johns Hopkins researcher says that young people can overdose on caffeinated energy drinks and is calling for mandatory health warnings for such drinks similar to those required for caffeine pills.

24 Sep 2008 Insite Anniversary Marred by Fear of Closure
The fifth anniversary of Vancouver's Insite supervised drug-injection site was commemorated cautiously this week amid an ongoing federal threat of closure.

24 Sep 2008 Parity Bill Passes Both Houses of Congress, But Final Approval Remains in Doubt
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives both passed consensus versions of the addiction and mental-health parity bill on Sept. 23, a historic vote that brings the goal of equal coverage for behavioral-health problems closer to reality than ever before.

24 Sep 2008 NASCAR Announces Random Drug Testing Policy
Professional racing circuit NASCAR has announced new random drug-testing rules as part of its substance-abuse policy.

24 Sep 2008 Moderate Alcohol Consumption Reduces Men's Chance of Heart Failure
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have found that consuming low to moderate amounts of alcohol reduces the chance of heart failure in men with high blood pressure.

24 Sep 2008 MillerCoors Puts Sparks Red on Hold
MillerCoors will delay the launch of its Sparks Red caffeinated alcohol drink after 25 state attorneys general asked the company to ditch the product.

23 Sep 2008 'Safe Neighborhoods Act' Backer Faces 340 Years in Prison
California's anti-crime "Safe Neighborhoods Act" may have to find a new financial backer after the proposition's key investor was indicted on 21 federal drug and fraud charges.

23 Sep 2008 Cultural Attitudes Influence Excessive Drinking
Cultural influences are a dominant factor in youth attitudes about drinking and drunkenness, according to new research.

23 Sep 2008 Alabama GOP Stops Prison Voter Registration
Prison inmates have the right to vote under Alabama law, but the right to distribute absentee ballots on prison property is being challenged by state GOP officials.

22 Sep 2008 Mass. DAs Opposed Marijuana Initiative Illegally, Group Claims
Eleven Massachusetts district attorneys are being accused of misusing campaign finances and a state-run website to oppose a ballot question calling for marijuana decriminalization.

22 Sep 2008 Oxycodone More Addictive for Adolescents than Adults, Researchers Say
Scientists at Rockefeller University say that adolescents are more likely to become dependent on the opioid painkiller medication oxycodone than adults.

22 Sep 2008 California Issues New Medical-Marijuana Guidelines
New guidelines from the California Attorney General's office aim to clear up some of the confusion that has long plagued the state's 1996 medical-marijuana law.

19 Sep 2008 CDC Finds Alcohol Taking Deadly Toll on Native Americans
A study of death certificates recorded between 2001 and 2005 found that about 12 percent of all deaths among Native Americans were related to alcohol.

19 Sep 2008 Venezuela Won't Cooperate with U.S. on Drugs
Venezuela says it is making good progress in fighting drugs and doesn't need a cooperation agreement with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

19 Sep 2008 With the Clock Ticking, Congress Set to Vote on Parity Bill
As Congress prepares to adjourn for the year, advocates for federal addiction and mental-health parity legislation are feverishly mobilizing grassroots pressure in anticipation of floor votes in the House and Senate today or tomorrow.

19 Sep 2008 New York Panel Proposes Social-Host Law
New York's Advisory Council on Underage Alcohol Consumption wants to set first-offense fines at $250 for adults hosting an underage-drinking party.

19 Sep 2008 Push is On for Parity Passage as Congress Winds Down
Key leaders in Congress reached agreement on competing versions of addiction and mental-health parity legislation over the summer, and now advocates are pressing lawmakers to close the deal by voting on the measure before Congress adjourns.

19 Sep 2008 'Wizard Stick' Parties a Binge Drinking Concern
A drinking game that encourages young men to drink enough beer to make a stack of cans exceeding their own height has some experts concerned that it's contributing to rising binge drinking rates.

19 Sep 2008 Survey: Illicit Drug Use Down Since 2002; Prescription Drugs Popular with New Users
Illicit-drug use rates remained essentially unchanged last year, although there are some positive trends over the past five years, according to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

19 Sep 2008 The Return of Cheech and Chong
Stoner movies have come full circle, from the 1970s antics of Cheech and Chong in "Up in Smoke" to latter-day tales like "Harold and Kumar" and "Pineapple Express" to the recent return of ... Cheech and Chong.

19 Sep 2008 Critics Poke at McCain, Obama Healthcare Plans
John McCain's healthcare reform proposal could discourage employers from offering coverage, while Barack Obama's plan would mean big new costs to taxpayers, according to analysts who critiqued the health plans offered by the two candidates.

18 Sep 2008 States Call for MillerCoors to Drop High-Alcohol Energy Drink
The nation's leading maker of alcoholic energy drinks wants to up the ante with a new high-alcohol product called Sparks Red, but attorneys general from 25 states are calling on brewer MillerCoors to drop the drink.

18 Sep 2008 Director of NIAAA to Step Down
Ting-Kai Li, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), will retire from federal service on Oct. 31.