In the News

Some Energy Drink Labels List Incorrect Caffeine Amount

soda can Many energy drinks incorrectly list the amount of caffeine in their product, or do not list the amount at all, according to Consumer Reports.

The magazine tested 27 popular energy drinks and shots, and calculated the amount of caffeine in one serving, based on the manufacturer's serving size, according to CBS News.

Of those products, 16 listed specific caffeine amounts. Five products—Arizona Energy, Clif Shot Turbo Energy Gel, Nestle Jamba, Sambazon Organic Amazon Energy and Venom Energy—had 20 percent more caffeine per serving than stated on the label.

Physician Addiction Treatment Programs Have Too Little Oversight

physician-addiction Programs designed to treat physicians' substance use disorders have too little oversight and no clear standards, according to two experts from Harvard Medical School.

They say the programs help a large majority of doctors to become abstinent and return to work, but they also have the potential for abuse.

"The physicians who are referred to these programs are often so compromised professionally by the time they get to them that, even if they feel that their treatment is not ethically sound, they're often not in a position to voice them," Dr. J. Wesley Boyd told The Boston Globe. He and Dr. John R. Knight published a review of the programs this month in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

FDA Investigates Possible Link Between Monster Energy Drinks and Five Deaths

Monsterenergy- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating reports that five people have died since 2009 after they consumed Monster energy drinks, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The investigation was announced after parents of 14-year-old Anais Fournier sued the company in connection with their daughter's death.

The FDA said it has not established a connection between the drinks and the deaths, the article notes. The FDA can regulate caffeine levels in soft drinks, according to the newspaper. The limit in a 12-ounce soda is about 71 milligrams. The caffeine levels in most energy drinks exceed that level, because they are labeled dietary supplements.

In a statement, the company said, "Monster does not believe that its products are in any way responsible for the death of Ms. Fournier and intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit."

More Than Two-Thirds of U.S. Residents Who First Started Using Drugs in the Past Year Began with Marijuana

22% Started with Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs

An estimated 3.1 million persons ages 12 or older—an average of approximately 8,400 per day—used a drug other than alcohol for the first time in the past year, according to data from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

More than two-thirds (68%) of these new users reported that marijuana was the first drug they tried.

Teens, Young Adults Driving Prescription Drug Abuse Increase, Study Finds

7637082 Teenagers and young adults are abusing prescription painkillers at a rate 40 percent higher than what would be expected for their age group, a new study finds.

The findings reinforce concerns by law enforcement and medical experts that the wide availability of painkillers is dangerous for adolescents, according to The Denver Post.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Denver evaluated data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and found Americans ages 15 to 27 are driving the prescription drug abuse epidemic, the article notes.

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