The summer months are a time for rest and relaxation. For some teens though, they can also be a time for risk taking and substance abuse.

Opioid prescription drug abuse is being called an epidemic by the Obama administration. New education measures will be required at the expense of the drug manufacturers.

Kids that live in homes where their parents use methamphetamines are often abused and neglected. Foster care interventions can help place the child in a better environment.

Emergency rooms (ER) report all drug-related information to a special government public health watchdog. Reports of drug overdoses and adverse reactions are through the roof, compared to a few years ago.

Methadone can be prescribed safely for cancer-level pain and heroin addiction. When abused, it’s responsible for more prescription painkiller overdose deaths than any other opioid .

Among the treatments for dependence on opioids such as heroin or hydrocodone are methadone maintenance treatments, which block a person's cravings and relieve withdrawal symptoms.

Doctors may have found a drug to help people transition off opioids . Similar to the way methadone helps heroin addicts, Suboxone may work for opioid users.

New guidelines by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outline needed changes in policy for methadone, saying that the medication needs to be used only for heroin addiction, palliative care, and cancer-related pain.

When marijuana was made medically legal in certain states, researchers found teenager’s desire or ability to gain access was not impacted. It appears dispensaries aren’t weed candy stores for minors.