Heroin

Kentucky lawmakers will soon consider a bill that would make the opioid overdose antidote drug naloxone more available, while stiffening penalties for high-level drug dealers. The bill also would expand anti-drug education, the Courier-Journal reports.

When kids come into treatment, their lives are just chaotic. Parents are desperate -- they don’t know what to do or where to turn. The most important thing is to bring stability into the situation, and the best way to do that is with medication, says Dr. John Knight.

Prescription drug abuse continues to be the nation’s fastest growing drug problem, according to a new report by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Americans are abusing prescription drugs at a higher prevalence rate than any illicit drug except marijuana.

The Sinaloa drug cartel of Mexico has fostered the re-emergence of heroin use in the Midwest, Bloomberg reports. The cartel has gained control of narcotics sales in the region.

The United States Supreme Court will hear cases involving a heroin overdose and a shooting that took place during a drug deal, Reuters reports.

Long-term use of heroin appears to change how genes are activated in the brain, a new study suggests. This leads to changes in brain function, HealthDay reports.

Addiction treatment experts urged New Jersey legislators last week to take steps to curb opioid abuse, including expanding what doctors are required to learn about addiction, and making participation in the state’s prescription drug monitoring program mandatory.

Deaths due to heroin increased in Maryland and Virginia between 2011 and 2012, according to NBC Washington. Health officials in those states also report an increase in the use of LSD and methadone, including among high school students.

Efforts to control the global illegal drug market through law enforcement are failing, a new study concludes. The price of marijuana, heroin and cocaine is dropping, while the drugs’ purity has increased, a team of U.S. and Canadian researchers found.

A judge in Ohio recently ordered an 18-year-old addicted to heroin, who was convicted of stealing, to undergo a series of injections of the opioid dependence medication Vivitrol. The move has sparked debate about whether this approach should be used more widely, and who would pay for it, according to USA Today.

A new national survey of drug use released last week finds heroin use is on the rise, while methamphetamine use is decreasing, Time.com reports.

A new government report finds a link between prescription drug abuse and an increased risk of heroin use. Americans ages 12 to 49 who illegally use prescription drugs are 19 times more likely than others in their age group to begin using heroin, the report found.

A growing number of law enforcement officials around the country are prosecuting drug dealers for causing heroin overdose deaths, the Associated Press reports.

Rural areas are seeing a surge in heroin use, The Wall Street Journal reports. The rise comes as Mexican heroin production has increased in recent years, and as people addicted to prescription painkillers switch to heroin, which is cheaper.

The death of “Glee” star Cory Monteith from an overdose that involved heroin highlights the growing use of the drug, ABC News reports.

Heroin use, which already has been a problem in northern and central Kentucky, has been spreading to the southern and eastern parts of the state, The Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

Smaller cities and towns throughout New England are seeing an alarming rise in heroin use and deaths, The New York Times reports.

Methamphetamine use is on the rise in Minneapolis/St. Paul, while heroin remains the most widely used illegal drug in the Twin Cities area, according to a new report.

A new study finds people who inject drugs can cut their risk of developing HIV in half by taking a daily antiretroviral medication, The New York Times reports.

Heroin use is on the rise in Washington state, particularly among young people, according to a new report. The increase can be traced to laws that have made it more difficult to obtain prescriptions for opioids such as oxycodone, the researchers say.

Florida officials say heroin is making a comeback, now that the state has had success in shutting down “pill mills” selling prescription painkillers.

New Jersey officials report a rise in heroin addiction, drug-related crime and deaths among young people in suburbs. Many became addicted to prescription painkillers, and switched to heroin because it is cheaper, potent and widely available.

Scientists have blocked heroin addiction relapse in rats using a vaccine, according to U.S. News & World Report. They hope the vaccine will be ready for human testing later this year.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Thursday signed into law a measure that encourages people to report drug overdoses. The law allows people to call 911 to report a drug overdose, without the fear of getting arrested for drug possession themselves.

The parents of two young adults who were addicted to heroin are advocating for families to have greater access to their children’s health records. They say parents’ input is needed because of the nature of addiction, and young adults’ limited decision-making capabilities.