We curate a digest of the latest news in our field for advocates, policymakers, community coalitions and all who work toward shaping policies and practices to effectively prevent substance use and treat addiction.
New England states saw a decrease in opioid overdose deaths in 2017, The Wall Street Journal reports. State officials say efforts including widespread distribution of naloxone and expanded access to treatment contributed to the decline.
Almost one-third of high school seniors report using some kind of vaping device in the past year, according to the latest Monitoring the Future survey.
Law enforcement officials report an increase in cases of people are stealing items from major retailers, returning them for gift cards, and cashing in the cards to pay for opioids, CNBC reports.
The Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to the marketers and distributors of a snortable chocolate powder called “Coco Loko,” for selling unapproved new drugs and misbranded drugs.
A new study finds that people who live with someone with a prescription for opioid painkillers are more likely to get their own prescription for opioids.
A new study released earlier this week confirms that deaths in opioid-related hospital stays in the U.S. have quadrupled between 1993 and 2014, PBS NewsHour reports.
Prescription form lying on table with stethoscope. Medicine or pharmacy concept. Empty medical form ready to be used.
NPR reports that a group of surgeons at the University of Michigan has devised an approach that could lead to significant changes in how opioids are prescribed and help curb the nation’s opioid epidemic – prescribing fewer opioids after surgery.
3D illustration of "DRUG COURT" title on legal document
A new study published in the December issue of Health Affairs, found that just 5 percent of people referred for opioid addiction treatment by the U.S. criminal justice system receive the best treatment, according to HealthDay.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first ever buprenorphine injection for the treatment of moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder in adult patients.
The number of people that police in St. Louis have been able to save using the heroin overdose antidote naloxone, or Narcan, has declined by approximately 30 percent this year, compared to last year, according to the Associated Press.
A network of health centers in New York state is using safety planning – which has most often been associated with reducing risk of suicide – in an attempt to reduce opioid overdoses.
The Drug Enforcement Administration will classify illicit versions of fentanyl at the same level as heroin, Reuters reports. The action will make it easier for federal prosecutors and agents to prosecute traffickers of all forms of fentanyl-related substances, the agency said.
The Food and Drug Administration advised consumers to avoid using the herb kratom, citing 36 known deaths associated with products containing the substance.
The opioid epidemic has taken an especially heavy toll on U.S. veterans, Reuters reports. Veterans are twice as likely as non-veterans to die from accidental overdoses of opioid painkillers.
The chair of President Trump’s Opioid Commission warned about the dangers of marijuana, in a letter accompanying the release of the commission’s final report. Some experts are questioning the commission’s view that marijuana could further fuel the opioid crisis.
Hospitals are struggling to deal with an overwhelming number of patients with diseases that result from intravenous opioid use, including hepatitis C, endocarditis and the antibiotic-resistant infection MRSA.
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