Excessive alcohol use is responsible for more than 95,000 deaths in the United States each year, or 261 deaths per day.
Many public health experts believed that, partially because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was going to be the worst year yet for drug overdoses. They were right, and final numbers for the death toll exceeded even the most gloomy predictions.
Even though Americans are aware that alcohol abuse is a problem in the U.S., the treatment gap is wider than ever. Reporting suggests that the gap recently went from 10% of alcohol addicts receiving treatment down to just 6%. What must be done to address...
Not drinking may seem like a simple solution to someone on the outside but, it is much more complicated than that to someone with an alcohol problem. So what makes it so difficult to quit drinking? Several factors can make it a challenge for someone to...
Polydrug users may encounter the greatest risks of all drug users as they mix and match their drugs to suit their desires. What they may have lost sight of is how dangerous and even deadly this practice is.
When you see dramatic emotional changes or fluctuations in someone you care about, if these changes make no sense, consider the possibility that short or long-term drug or alcohol abuse may be the cause.
Carfentanil has made the news from time to time over the past few years, but not usually in a way that sparks mass concern from authorities and communities. Sadly, the most recent headline on carfentanil suggests that traffickers are appropriating this...
How can the effects of addiction be so obvious, yet so little is done to address the crisis?
Every parent wants a safe and rewarding college experience for their children. But when alcohol misuse and drug abuse are ongoing problems on college campuses which are further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, how can parents ensure their children’s...
While the American family is best positioned for helping an addicted family member get help with a drug problem, one could safely say that it’s the local communities that are best positioned for preventing drug addiction from becoming a problem in the...
If you have a loved one who is beginning to consider the idea of getting sober, here are some practical things that you can do to help.
While America has been preoccupied with other situations, our drug overdose losses have kept mounting. Using statistics published by the CDC we can calculate the date on which America passed a horrific milestone: 100,000 overdoses losses in one twelve-month...
A South Carolina prosecutor is using a federal grant to send drug addicts who’ve committed nonviolent crimes into treatment programs, not incarceration. It is becoming more and more common for people addicted to drugs to be directed towards treatment,...
Do you know how to identify when a friend or loved one is struggling with addiction? If someone you know is relying on drugs or alcohol to get through their life, you can help them by spotting the real source of their problems.
Heroin is not a new drug. It’s been a life-threatening substance plaguing the streets of America for decades. But a fatal overdose is not the only risk of using heroin. New data shows that users who smoke heroin are at risk of serious brain damage.
The litigation of Purdue Pharma/the Sacklers is now over. One of the key aspects of the case that deserves full scrutiny is that Purdue’s owners threatened to withdraw settlement funds if they did not achieve personal immunity. In the end, they won.
Words and terms like “epidemic,” “pandemic,” and “national health emergency” have become commonplace in American society. These terms often make one think of the dangerous spread of communicable diseases and illnesses. Yet with almost 200,000...
In recent years, a movement has grown in both the U.S. and Canada to recognize the alleged “benefits” of hallucinogenic drugs. The language surrounding this movement is dangerous because it serves to normalize drugs that have known harms and long-term...
Building a solid foundation is much harder if you lack the right tools for the job.
Some teens are choosing to vape marijuana products because they are nearly undetectable. But both parents and teens alike should know the damage that’s occurring to the lungs as a result of vaping marijuana, tobacco or simply flavored oils. This damage...