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.
A new study suggests opioids may blunt natural parenting instincts. The findings may help explain why some parents who are addicted to opioids put their children at risk, The New York Times reports.
Some high schools are teaching teens about the dangers of heroin and prescription opioids. One school in West Virginia has a drug-free club, which meets to learn about drug use and addiction.
A new Gallup poll finds 60 percent of American adults believe marijuana should be legal. Last week a study released by the Pew Research Center found 57 percent of U.S. adults say they support legalizing marijuana.
Researchers looking at the relationship between bullying and substance use in teens are coming up with some surprising findings. This is especially true in the area of bullying victimization and substance use, according to Amanda Nickerson, PhD, Professor and Director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention, Graduate School of Education at the University of Buffalo in New York.
The Drug Enforcement Administration said this week it will reverse its decision to temporarily make kratom a Schedule I drug, NPR reports. The reversal comes in the wake of protests by advocates, scientists and kratom vendors.
Drug cartels are selling lethal doses of fentanyl disguised as street heroin and counterfeit OxyContin pills, two U.S. government agencies are warning.
A new study by the Pew Research Center finds 57 percent of U.S. adults say they support legalizing marijuana. A decade ago, only 32 percent of adults said they favored legalization.
Two human rights groups are calling for decriminalizing the possession and personal use of all illicit drugs, according to the Associated Press.
Scientists are working with three compounds that show promise in treating pain, without the side effects of opioids, CNBC reports.
The Drug Enforcement Administration this week announced it is requiring significant cuts in the production of prescription opioids, HealthDay reports. By 2017 the amount of prescription opioids permitted to be manufactured in the U.S. will decrease by at least 25 percent.
A new study finds the risk of prescription opioid addiction rose 37 percent among young adults between 2002 and 2014. Past-year heroin use also rose among 18- to 25-year-olds, from 2 percent to 7 percent.
The Food and Drug Administration will determine whether naloxone devices distributed in communities should contain a standard dose of the opioid overdose antidote, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The increasing number of drug overdose deaths has led to a rise in the number of organ donations, according to The New York Times.
Doctors at the University of Washington Region Burn Center in Seattle report a growing number of patients who are being harmed by exploding e-cigarettes. The center has treated 22 people for burns and other injuries caused by exploding e-cigarettes since October 2015.
A bill introduced in the U.S. House this week would allow federal prosecutors to seek capital punishment or life imprisonment for dealers of fentanyl-laced heroin, The Huffington Post reports.
Some health professionals say telemedicine could help fight the opioid epidemic, according to The Washington Post. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has directed $1.4 million to five pilot projects that will use video chat to connect patients with physicians who are trained in treating addiction.
Attorneys general from 35 states and the District of Columbia are suing a British drug company, alleging it tried to keep less expensive generic versions of the opioid addiction treatment Suboxone off the market.
Public health officials are urging doctors to consider prescribing medications to treat alcohol addiction, NPR reports. The drugs can be used alongside or in place of peer-support programs.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, September 23- Thursday, September 29, 2016.
By researching the most consistent, accurate and scientifically informed information, the Treatment Research Institute sorted through the most widely available resources so parents and caring loved ones don’t have to.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a warning to the public and law enforcement about the risks of the synthetic opioid carfentanil, ABC News reports. Carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl.
Giving children stimulant medication meant to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has no significant effect on homework completion or accuracy, a new small study suggests.
Within five days of having wisdom teeth removed, most patients experience relatively little pain, but most still have well over half of their opioid painkiller prescription left, a new study finds.
American 10th graders have a higher rate of illicit drug use than their European peers, researchers at the University of Michigan have found. American teens have lower rates of drinking and smoking.
The price of naloxone is increasing at a time when the need for the opioid overdose antidote is growing, CNBC reports.
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