NARCONON BLOG

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Most Americans are Open to Non-Opioid Pain Relief Post-Surgery

A survey published by Orlando Health showed that 68% of Americans would be willing to try alternatives to opioids for post-surgery pain. Given that opioid prescriptions are one of the most common ways Americans become addicted to drugs, these findings...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Research Suggests a Link Between Pandemic Drinking and Alcohol-Related Deaths

A unique drug, alcohol is known to be an unhealthy substance that carries both short-term and long-term harm, yet the substance is socially accepted and normalized within American society. New research shows how alcohol-related deaths spiked 26% during...

DRUG INFORMATION

As the Holidays Approach, Learning the Signs of Addiction Could Save a Life

With the holidays around the corner, people should familiarize themselves with the signs of substance abuse. Most Americans will spend quality time with family members in the coming weeks, potentially with loved ones they don’t see often. Given those...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Alcohol Is the Cause of One in Five Young Adult Deaths

An alarming new study shows that not only do more Americans lose their lives from alcohol-related causes each year than drug-related causes, but an increasing number of those who die are young-to-middle-aged adults. These findings suggest that the American...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

New York Next in Line to Settle Opioid Case with Big Pharma

Over the past few years, dozens of lawsuits have culminated in major pharmaceutical companies being held at least somewhat accountable for creating America’s crippling opioid addiction epidemic. Most recently, New York State settled a $524 million lawsuit...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Health Experts Sound the Alarm Over Allergy Meds Found in Street Opioids

Newly published research has produced evidence of yet another drug risk, i.e., allergy medications being added to illicit street opioids. This development poses an increased risk to users, as antihistamines have a drowsiness effect, which, when coupled...

ADDICTION

Talking to Loved Ones About Drugs Saves Lives

With numerous factors like the spread of fentanyl into the drug supply, soaring overdose deaths, increasing normalization of drug use, and greater access to drugs, it seems as though drug abuse is becoming more likely and more dangerous. In this landscape,...

DRUG INFORMATION

Nitazenes, A New Drug with Fentanyl–Like Potency Hits the Streets

In Tennessee, four times as many fatalities were recorded for nitazene overdoses in 2021 than in 2020, with some experts saying nitazenes are as potent or more potent than fentanyl. Further, naloxone does not always work to counteract the effects of nitazene...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

New Study Shows Doctors Prescribing Lower Dosage Opioids

A study out of Canada shows that many doctors are now prescribing less potent doses of opioid pain relievers for post-surgery pain. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, advocates say doctors should also recommend nonopioid pain relief...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Recent Overdoses in New York Show How Drug Abuse can Harm People of All Backgrounds

When three New Yorkers of remarkably different backgrounds overdosed and died on the same day, many believed their deaths were coincidental. But investigators later began to see a pattern when they discovered that all three users had ordered drugs from...

DRUG INFORMATION

Cannabis Users at Greater Risk for Heart Rhythm Disorder

A new study showed that cannabis users experience a 35% increase in their risk for developing the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation. A-fib reduces quality of life and increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, heart attack, and...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Research Shows Cannabis Legalization Leads to a Spike in Use

The subject of marijuana legalization has been hotly debated for decades. New research has found that when states legalize marijuana, consumption rates go up. Since marijuana has harmful short-term and long-term effects, constituents, policymakers, and...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Small Group of Doctors are Responsible for a Majority of Opioid Prescriptions

Even as opioid prescribing rates decline, a few thousand doctors are still responsible for the significant overprescribing of opioids to the broader public. With that in mind, the American people will not overcome the opioid epidemic until all doctors...

DRUG INFORMATION

New Studies Show Another Reason Why Fentanyl Overdoses are Often Fatal

A new study has shown that fentanyl is so potent it can stop the user’s breathing and cause death while the user is still conscious. That is different from other opioid overdoses that typically involve the user going unconscious before experiencing halted...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

One-Third of Young People Admit to Misusing Prescribed Psychoactive Drugs

Psychoactive medications (mind-altering pills like prescription stimulants or sedatives) pose risks for unwanted side effects, addiction included. But that’s not a new story. What is new is that a recent study just found that when these drugs are prescribed...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Animal Tranquilizer Xylazine Linked to Overdose Deaths in Michigan

There have been 171 verified overdoses in Michigan that were traced back to a non-opioid animal tranquilizer called xylazine. That number is likely an undercount, but it is the most recent number Michigan toxicologists have published. Often without addicts...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Why Drug Prevention Is So Important

Decades of scientific efforts have sought to understand why some people become addicted to drugs and others do not. One research paper suggests the issue is far simpler than what many believed. According to the data, anyone and everyone are at risk for...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

It’s in the Water, Opioid Use so Widespread that Tests Now Detect Trace Opioids in Water Supply

From Appalachian wastewater to the Puget Sound, California groundwater to rivers and streams, scientists across the nation have begun detecting trace elements of opioids in water supplies. The presence of opioids in the water could harm individuals who...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Additional Challenges Faced by Addicted Veterans

Drug addiction affects everyone differently. While such a crisis is unique to the individual, certain demographics face challenges one might not find elsewhere. For example, military veterans who become addicted to drugs and alcohol often feel disinclined...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Drug Overdoses Contributed to the Latest Drop in American Life Expectancy

While many factors influence American life expectancy, some causes of death (and the ever-changing upticks and downward-trends surrounding such deaths) are considered more of an influence than others. For example, fatal accidental injuries spiked in the...