Alcohol, Drugs & Impairment

Atlanta – The overall prevalence of tobacco use among teens has remained steady for the fifth straight year, with electronic cigarettes being the most commonly used product among youth, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington – Medicine poisonings send the equivalent of four busloads of children to the emergency department every day, warns a recent report from Safe Kids Worldwide.

Alexandria, VA – Workers in states that have legalized marijuana should think twice before smoking the drug. A new survey from the Society for Human Resource Management indicates many employers have continued a zero-tolerance policy.

Washington – Drug overdoses are the top cause of injury death in the United States, and heroin and controlled prescription drugs are the “most significant drug threats” to the nation, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment.

Washington – Drugged driving is on the rise – nearly matching drunk driving in the number of fatal crashes – according to a recent study from the Governors Highway Safety Association and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.

Ann Arbor, MI – More than 10 percent of children have illegally used another individual’s prescription medication, and an increasing number are doing so at a younger age, according to a new study from the University of Michigan.

Columbus, OH – Children younger than 6 are increasingly exposed to marijuana, with some of those exposures sending children to the emergency department, according to research from Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Alexandria, VA – A disturbing trend indicates that many people are not aware of the extreme dangers of synthetic cannabinoids, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Washington – Despite a steady rate of health improvements during the past decade in the United States, significant problems remain, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Minneapolis – The risks of prescription opioids outweigh the benefits of their treatment for some chronic pain, the American Academy of Neurology said in a position statement released Sept. 30.