NARCONON BLOG

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...

DRUG REHABILITATION

Addiction Treatment Should Focus on Individuals, Not Drugs of Choice

A recent study found that 75% of people who come forward and seek addiction treatment are hooked on more than one drug at the time of entry into a treatment facility. Given that most addicts use more than one drug, an effective public health response may...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Pharmacies Ordered to Pay $650 Million for Role in Opioid Epidemic

A legal battle that has been ongoing for years concluded recently. Two Ohio counties that were inundated with far more opioid pills than residents needed will now receive $650 million from pharmacy corporations actively involved in doling out addictive...

ADDICTION

Young People at Potentially Highest Risk Ever for Drug Abuse Harm

Given the steady rates of drug use among young people and the increasingly toxic, potent nature of drugs, youth drug addiction and resulting overdose deaths will likely worsen in the coming years if this problem isn’t addressed.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

The Shocking Role of Methamphetamine in Rural Overdose Deaths

New research has chronicled the alarming rise in methamphetamine-related deaths over the last few years. In the findings, analysts were able to identify where in the U.S., meth-related deaths have been occurring the most. The overwhelming majority of them...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

After Years of Advocacy, U.S. Opioid Prescribing Is Declining

After years of cautionary advice from the CDC, addiction horror stories from patients, and undeniable statistics showing the connection between opioid prescribing and addiction, it seems opioid prescribing trends are finally declining in a measurable,...

DRUG INFORMATION

New Study Shows LSD Experimentation More than Quadrupled Among Young Adults from 2002 to 2019

LSD has surged in popularity among young people, putting them at risk for harmful side effects and exposure to other addictive drugs. Fast action must be taken to halt a reignited LSD experimentation wave.

DRUG INFORMATION

What Is Rainbow Fentanyl?

Illicit fentanyl has been a leading cause of fatal overdoses in the United States for some years. Adding to the concern, recent reports by the Drug Enforcement Administration suggest that new strains of “rainbow fentanyl” could be spreading through...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Dentists Can Curb Opioid Addiction and Still Help Patients with Post-Operation Pain

New research into a significant change in New York dental practice has found that dentists can stop prescribing opioids and shift to only recommending over-the-counter pain relievers for patients, all with little to no negative effects. The findings may...