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.
Two senators on the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday they are drafting legislation that would let states use federal foster care funds to help parents who are addicted to opioids raise their babies, Reuters reports.
Vermont, which has been battling a heroin epidemic in recent years, has become a model for other states in emphasizing treatment over jail, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
The mayor of Ithaca, New York says he wants his city to be the first in the United States to host a supervised injection facility for people who use heroin, the Associated Press reports.
Fatal overdoses from benzodiazepines—sedatives sold under brand names such as Xanax, Valium and Ativan—are on the rise, a new study finds.
Officials from state and local health departments around the country are urging the Food and Drug Administration to add “black box” warnings to opioid painkillers and sedatives known as benzodiazepines, to alert people that taking them together increases the risk of fatal overdoses.
The National Governors Associations this weekend announced treatment guidelines are needed to address the nation’s opioid epidemic, according to The New York Times. The group said it will devise protocols aimed at reducing the use of the painkillers.
Americans are increasingly conducting online searches related to electronic nicotine delivery systems, a new study finds. Most of the searches are about how and where to get vaping products, not their health effects.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has created a documentary that illustrates the toll of opiate addiction, The Kansas City Star reports. The film, called “Chasing the Dragon,” will be distributed to school districts nationwide and can be downloaded for free. High school students are a principal target audience of the film.
Researchers have developed a vaccine that blocks the high produced by the drug fentanyl in mice, according to Popular Science.
A new study suggests marijuana smokers may be significantly more likely to develop an addiction to other drugs and alcohol than people who don’t use marijuana.
Americans in their 20s and 30s account for almost half of the wine consumed in the United States, according to a report from the industry nonprofit Wine Market Council.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, February 12- Thursday, February 18, 2016.
Tennessee and New Jersey are the latest states to enact legislation prohibiting sales of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines containing dextromethorphan to minors. The laws are designed to decrease the abuse rate of these medicines by teens, while maintaining access for legitimate consumers of these products, explains Jenni Roberson of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.
Nonmedical use of Adderall, a medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, rose 67 percent among young adults between 2006 and 2011, a new study finds. The number of emergency room visits involving misuse of the drug among 18- to 25-year-olds also rose during this period, NPR reports.
Areas surrounding outpatient drug treatment centers are less likely to experience violent crimes than areas near liquor and corner stores, according to new research.
Several new companies have started to help marijuana businesses deal with their cash, according to The New York Times. Most banks will not open accounts for marijuana businesses, and Visa and MasterCard will not process transactions for dispensaries.
Dental schools in Massachusetts have agreed to begin training their students in opioid abuse prevention and management, WBUR reports. The state already has reached similar agreements with the heads of the state’s medical schools.
Both Republican and Democratic legislators are supporting proposals to address the heroin crisis, USA Today reports.
Almost 500 people in Vermont are on waiting lists to receive medication to treat their opioid dependence, Stateline reports. More than half will wait almost a full year.
New rules proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services would ease consent requirements for providers releasing patients’ substance abuse diagnosis and treatment records, according to MedPage Today.
A bill introduced last week by three U.S. senators would make it easier for college students with drug convictions to receive financial aid, by dropping questions about drug convictions on financial aid forms.
Ignition interlock systems in cars have prevented 1.77 million attempts at drunk driving since 1999, according to a new report by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
A measure that effectively lifts the ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs, passed by Congress last month, could give a financial boost to the programs, WBUR reports. Federal funds still cannot be used for syringes, but they can pay for staff, vehicles, counseling and outreach.
Walgreens announced this week it will install kiosks in more than 500 stores by the end of the year to allow customers to safely dispose of unneeded or expired prescription drugs. The pharmacy chain will also make the opioid overdose antidote naloxone available without a prescription in 35 states and Washington, D.C.
A drug-smuggling scam has ensnared dozens of older American citizens, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
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