On March 26, 2026, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing titled “Policies to Protect Our Communities from Illicit Drug Threats.” The hearing discussed 14 bills that aim to reduce overdoses and improve substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services and addiction research. In the hearing, members of Congress agreed on a bipartisan basis that addiction should be treated as a disease using community-based care. House members highlighted that communit

Alcohol Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness and increase understanding of how alcohol use impacts our health and communities. In the United States, alcohol contributes to more than 178,000 deaths each year, making it one of the leading preventable causes of death. In 2024 alone, nearly 28 million Americans ages 12 and older (1 in 10 people) met the criteria for an alcohol use disorder. Excessive alcohol use is also linked to seven different types of cancer and more t

Addiction Policy Forum joined 330 national, state, and local organizations in support of continued funding of the Second Chance Act in the Fiscal Year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The sign-on letter urges Congress to continue funding for Second Chance Act recidivism reduction and reentry programs. Second Chance Act programs provide individuals reentering the community with services, including housing, job training, education, sub

Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) continues to pose a growing public health challenge in the United States. Despite rising rates of use and overdose deaths, there are currently no FDA-approved medications for treating MUD. Prior studies have shown that naltrexone (used to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders) and bupropion (an antidepressant) have independently been effective in MUD treatment. In a 2021 landmark clinical trial (ADAPT-2), researchers found that combining t

On March 18, 2026, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that it has temporarily placed bromazolam, a synthetic benzodiazepine, into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act due to increasing reports of trafficking and misuse. According to the DEA, bromazolam is often used to manufacture counterfeit Xanax tablets and has become one of the most commonly identified benzodiazepines in illicit drug seizures. The agency determined the substance has a high potentia

A randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that weekly extended-release buprenorphine during pregnancy was associated with higher rates of abstinence from illicit opioids than daily sublingual buprenorphine among pregnant women with opioid use disorder. Overall maternal and infant outcomes were similar between groups. However, the extended-release buprenorphine group reported fewer serious adverse events, less use of pain medication after delivery,