The Latest News from Our Field

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.

Naloxone Remains Chemically Stable Months After Expiration Date

The naloxone brands Narcan and Evzio remain chemically stable after their expiration date, according to a new study.

Crack Cocaine Increasingly Laced With Fentanyl

A Philadelphia hospital is reporting a spike in the number of patients who are being treated in the emergency room for overdoses from crack cocaine laced with fentanyl. Experts say fentanyl is being mixed with a number of drugs, including heroin, cocaine and ketamine.

Some Emergency Rooms Have Begun to Offer Addiction Treatment

Some emergency rooms in Maryland have begun to offer addiction treatment, The Washington Post reports.

Altria Will No Longer Sell Pod-Style E-Cigarette Devices

The tobacco company Altria announced it is pulling its MarkTen and Green Smoke pod-style e-cigarette devices from the market, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Methamphetamine “Back With a Vengeance”: DEA Agent

Methamphetamine use is at an all-time high across the country, according to a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

Teens Who Stop Smoking Marijuana for a Month Improve Their Ability to Learn

A new study finds teens who stop smoking marijuana for a month improve their ability to learn, HealthDay reports.

Trump Signs Law Aimed At Preventing and Treating Opioid Addiction

President Trump on Wednesday signed legislation aimed at preventing and treating opioid addiction, NPR reports.

Number of Opioid Deaths Begin to Level Off

The number of Americans dying from opioid overdoses is beginning to plateau, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said this week.

Traffic Accidents Rising in States With Legalized Recreational Marijuana

A new study finds traffic accidents are increasing in states that have legalized recreational marijuana, Bloomberg reports.

Opioid Far More Potent Than Fentanyl Nears FDA Approval

A new opioid, Dsuvia, that is far more potent than fentanyl and 500 times stronger than morphine is nearing approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to MarketWatch.

Many Teens Who Use Juul Fail to Recognize Its Addictive Potential

Teens who use Juul brand e-cigarettes often don’t realize their addictive potential, according to a new study by Stanford University researchers.

FDA Investigates Whether E-Cigarette Companies are Illegally Marketing Products

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether e-cigarette companies are marketing their products illegally, according to The Washington Post.

Rural Americans Say Drug Addiction is Most Urgent Health Problem

Rural Americans say drug or opioid addiction is the most urgent health problem, according to a new poll. They are as concerned about opioid addiction in their communities as they are about local jobs and the economy.

Sales of Recreational Marijuana Begin in Canada

Sales of recreational marijuana began this week in Canada, NPR reports. Anyone over the age of 18 is allowed to possess less than 30 grams (just over an ounce) of the drug.

Five Doctors Charged With Writing 8.5 Million Unnecessary Opioid Prescriptions

Five doctors in New York have been indicted by federal authorities for writing more than 8.5 million allegedly unnecessary oxycodone prescriptions, NBC News reports.

Deadly Heart Infection Jumped 10-Fold in People Injecting Drugs in North Carolina

Cases of a potentially fatal heart infection have increased 10-fold among people injecting drugs in North Carolina, HealthDay reports.

Addiction Experts: Increasing Buprenorphine Availability Outweighs Diversion Risk

Making the opioid addiction medication buprenorphine more widely available outweighs the risk the drug will be diverted, addiction experts tell NPR. President Trump is expected to sign a bill that would increase access to the medication.

Americans Are Divided on Harms and Benefits of E-Cigarettes

A new poll finds Americans are divided about the risks and benefits of e-cigarettes.

Insurers Aren’t Promoting Alternatives to Opioids Enough for Back Pain: Study

Private and public insurers aren’t doing enough to promote alternatives to opioids for back pain, according to a new study.

Fatal Doses of Fentanyl Increasingly Found in Counterfeit Medications

Counterfeit drugs sold online are increasingly being laced with fatal doses of fentanyl, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Blue Cross of Massachusetts Pilot Program Provides Naloxone Training

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announced a pilot program that will train people to use the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, The Boston Globe reports.

Addiction Experts Call for More Oversight and Tougher Standards for Treatment Centers

Addiction treatment centers need tougher standards, better screening and more oversight in the wake of recent patient deaths, experts tell USA Today.

Senate Passes Final Version of Opioid Bill

The Senate on Wednesday passed the final version of a package of bills designed to address the opioid crisis, The Washington Post reports.

FDA Seize Documents from Juul Labs in Surprise Inspection

The Food and Drug Administration seized more than a thousand documents from e-cigarette maker Juul Labs last week in a surprise inspection, according to The New York Times. The agency said the documents were related to Juul’s sales and marketing practices.

More Than One in Five Tenth Graders Have Consumed Edible Marijuana: Study

A new study finds more than one in five tenth graders have consumed edible marijuana, and more than one in 10 have vaped it.

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