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A study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence  introduces two new validated tools designed to measure substance use disorder (SUD) knowledge across prevention, treatment, and recovery. In response to the lack of validated tools to measure general knowledge about SUD, the Addiction Policy Forum and researchers from the University of Delaware developed and tested two scales to assess knowledge about addiction, including risk factors, treatment options, and medications used

A new study published in JAMA Health Forum  found that adolescent cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of developing psychotic, bipolar, depressive, and anxiety disorders by young adulthood. The study included over 400,000 adolescents ages 13 to 17 who were universally screened for past-year cannabis use during routine pediatric visits between 2016 and 2023. Participants were followed through age 25, and researchers examined clinician-diagnosed psychiatric disor

The Addiction Policy Forum joined a national letter of support for continued funding of the Second Chance Act in the Fiscal Year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.  The national sign-on letter calls on Congress to maintain funding for these proven reentry initiatives, which help individuals successfully reintegrate by increasing access to housing, employment, behavioral health care, and other essential services. Ongoing support will ens

Despite growth in the use of medications used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) – including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone – most people with OUD in the United States still do not receive medication. National estimates show only 25% of individuals with OUD receive medications for OUD (MOUD), underscoring a persistent gap between need and access. Research published in   JAMA Health Forum  found methadone treatment among Medicaid enrollees increased substantially ove

Sleep disturbance is a common, yet often overlooked, part of substance use disorders (SUDs). During withdrawal, many people report difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, and sleep disturbance may persist during long-term recovery. The severity of sleep disturbances have also shown to be a predictor of relapse and later substance use (Gyawali & James, 2023 ). With alcohol use disorder (AUD) specifically, insomnia is frequently reported, and untreated insomnia has been i

On February 2, 2026, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the distribution of $794 million in federal block grant funding to support community-based mental health services and substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery programs nationwide. The funding includes $319 million through SAMHSA’s Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG), which supports services for adults with serious mental illness and children with seri