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.
An app that alerts people carrying the opioid overdose antidote naloxone to someone nearby who has overdosed is the winner of a competition created by the Food and Drug Administration.
All patients on long-term opioid treatment should be co-prescribed the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, even if they are not considered to be at high risk of an opioid overdose, according to the director of the University of New Mexico Pain Center.
American teens’ use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco has declined to the lowest rate since the 1990s, according to an annual nationwide study.
Overdose deaths associated with prescription and illicit opioids increased to 33,091 last year, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That number marks an increase of almost 5,000 deaths from the previous year, The Washington Post reports.
President Obama this week signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes $1 billion in new funding to prevent and treat opioid addiction. The Senate approved the measure last week.
Many teens who smoke also use alcohol, marijuana and other tobacco products, a new study finds. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego studied 176 teen smokers and found 96 percent said they used at least two other substances besides cigarettes, HealthDay reports.
President-Elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to solve the nation’s opioid crisis, faces significant hurdles in achieving that campaign promise, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes $1 billion in new funding to prevent and treat opioid addiction. The House approved the measure last week.
With the holiday season upon us, many of us look forward to get-togethers with friends and family, and work celebrations with colleagues. For someone in early recovery, it can be an especially stressful time, explains Erin Goodhart, Director of Women’s Services at Caron Treatment Centers.
The Drug Enforcement Administration this week warned the nation’s opioid epidemic has been exacerbated by the reemergence of the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Thursday called for reducing e-cigarette use among young people, Reuters reports. He said young people are more vulnerable than adults to the negative consequences of nicotine exposure.
The government should call on manufacturers of the opioid overdose antidote naloxone to reduce the cost of the life-saving drug, experts write in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has received more than 22,000 comments about its plan to temporarily ban the drug kratom, according to The Washington Post.
Prescribers have a vital role to play in reducing Americans’ misuse of prescription medications, especially opioids, which is why the resources provided via “Search and Rescue” are such an important part of a comprehensive solution.
The U.S. House on Wednesday approved the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes $1 billion in new funding for the prevention and treatment of opioid addiction.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has added another fentanyl-related drug, known as furanyl fentanyl, to its list of banned substances, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced this week that smoking will be banned in public housing. Local housing agencies will have 18 months to implement the ban, HealthDay reports.
The multibillion-dollar marijuana industry is concerned about Donald Trump’s choice for Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions, according to NPR. Sessions has made comments indicating he is not in favor of marijuana legalization.
The world’s biggest brewing companies are expanding their line of nonalcoholic products. The Wall Street Journal reports the companies are responding to stricter alcohol regulations and a desire by consumers for healthier beverages.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a report Thursday that calls for increasing access to addiction treatment. According to Reuters, the report calls drug and alcohol addiction a public health crisis.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has temporarily banned the synthetic drug Pink under federal law, according to NBC News. The agency has received reports of at least 46 confirmed deaths associated with the drug.
Many schools around the country are trying to prevent opioid use through education campaigns. The Wall Street Journal reports that last year, CVS pharmacists made almost 3,000 presentations to school children about the dangers of misusing prescription painkillers.
A new injectable treatment for opioid addiction showed promise in a late-stage study, according to The Wall Street Journal. The study involved weekly and monthly injections of buprenorphine for the treatment of moderate to severe opioid use disorder.
Some people addicted to heroin are asking judges to lock them up so they can get access to treatment for opioid addiction, NPR reports.
Recreational marijuana initiatives passed in California, Massachusetts and Nevada on Tuesday night, The Washington Post reports. Voters in Florida, Arkansas and North Dakota approved medical marijuana initiatives.
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