1) Barack Obama, who has struggled to quit smoking and was often seen chewing Nicorette gum on the campaign trail, pledges to abide by the White House’s smoking ban. 

2) Study finds that in 2006, more than 1.7 million emergency room visits were associated with some form of substance misuse or abuse.

3) Former Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.), a recovering alcoholic and recovery advocate who has devoted much of his career to fighting for greater access to addiction treatment and is rumored to be on Barack Obama’s shortlist for Drug Czar, is encountering resistance for his past opposition to needle-exchange programs and medical marijuana.

4) Shopping addict steals $100,000 from employer.

5) Check out this great New York Times piece by Jim Atkinson about being a recovering alcoholic and surviving the holidays.