STATISTICS & TRENDS

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Should Opioid Addiction Treatment Drugs Be Sold Over the Counter?

Should opioid addiction treatment drugs be available over the counter at pharmacies? It might help some people but could it create far more harm than it helps?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

At Least Ten Percent of Cardiovascular-Related ICU Cases Connected to Drug Abuse

A European study found that at least one in ten patients receiving ICU treatment for heart complications were active drug users, showing the stark connection between cardiovascular health conditions and drug abuse.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Multiple States Stiffen Penalties on Drug Dealing. But Will This Solve America’s Addiction Epidemic?

Since January 2023, several states have significantly increased penalties on drug dealing, all to discourage drug dealers from setting up shop in their states. While the intention behind such actions is good, stiffer penalties for drug dealers won’t...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Despite a Decline in Deaths, More than 100,000 Americans Lost Their Lives to Drugs in 2022

Nationwide trends regarding drug overdoses should be examined. However, it is equally important to examine local data and state-to-state figures, as what is occurring on a local level today can paint a picture of the nationwide trends tomorrow.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Methamphetamine Deaths Increased by More Than 50-Fold Between 1999 and 2021—Fentanyl Largely to Blame

“I won’t overdose on that drug—it’s not an opioid.” For decades, people who have become addicted to mind-altering substances like methamphetamine and other non-opioid drugs have used this line to justify using their drug of choice.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Cocaine Deaths Surge as Autopsies Reveal Fentanyl in Most Cocaine Overdoses

One of the most critical developments of the last decade concerning drug abuse has been stories of traces of synthetic opioids creeping into local supplies of drugs, types of drugs previously thought to be “non-lethal” (or drugs that were thought to...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

The True Death Toll of Drug Abuse (It’s Not Just Overdoses)

While the news media routinely report the number of fatal drug overdoses, there are dozens of unseen ways that drugs and alcohol are claiming thousands of lives.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

What Is the Scope of Alcohol Addiction in America?

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recently updated their statistical data on the scope of alcohol-related harm in America, releasing new figures on alcohol addiction, alcohol-related death, youth drinking, alcohol-related emergencies,...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Pharma Executives Now Face Jail Time for their Role in the Opioid Epidemic

News reports and Justice Department press releases show two prominent pharmaceutical company executives are facing jail time for their role in causing the opioid epidemic.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Young Americans Drink Less. What Has Worked in Shifting Them Away from Alcohol?

For the first time in half a century, the United States has produced a generation of youths who are now coming of age and who are consuming less alcohol than the generations before them did when they were the same age. This article attempts to uncover...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Prescription Drug Take Back Days Are Successful. Is Mail-In Take Back the Next Logical Step?

A study found that leftover opioid medications were properly disposed of by 60% of study participants who had received a mail-in disposal kit, compared to just 43% of the study participants who had not received such a kit. Is a mail-in approach the next...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Without an Opioid Antidote, What Would Our Overdoses Losses Look Like?

Analysis of state and national statistics for fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses reveals a shocking threat to Americans, far in excess of what our overdose deaths statistics would indicate.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Marijuana Exposures Among Colorado Children on the Rise

The increase in child and adolescent cannabis exposure is a clear downside of cannabis legalization, yet the issue is rarely discussed. This article reports on the problem as it is currently developing in Colorado, while also touching on other health-related...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Children in ER After Drinking Cough Suppressant: Parents Must Act

In light of an increase in children misusing cough syrup, parents must do everything possible to make the home safe for their children. Parents must also talk to their children about drugs and help their sons and daughters understand why they should avoid...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

New Research Highlights Developments in Non-Opioid Pain Relief

Researchers are developing a pain relief method that targets adrenaline receptors rather than opioid receptors. The goal is to produce a pain reliever as effective as opioid painkillers but without harmful side effects and addiction risk.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Despite Big Pharma Claims, Less than One-Third of Drugs Offer Relief to Patients

A recent study found that despite billions of dollars spent annually on marketing and ad buys, most pharmaceutical drugs don’t work that well on patients who take them.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Get Clean for Them: At least 10 Percent of Children Live in Households with at Least One Addicted Parent

This article highlights the findings regarding youths being exposed to substance abuse at a very young age while also extrapolating what that means for young people to grow up in a home where substance abuse is normal and seen as a typical thing to do.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Prescription Drug Take Back Day Provides Opportunity to Make Homes Safer

One of the most common ways young people experiment with prescription drugs for the first time is by finding the drugs in the family medicine cabinet and consuming them. Parents might not think there’s any harm in keeping certain pharmaceuticals in the...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

One Simple Step Could Help Prevent Unnecessary Overprescribing and Keep Patients Alive

A new study has shown that when a doctor is told that a patient of theirs survived a near-fatal overdose on opioids, the rate at which that doctor prescribes opioid pain relievers to his patients falls in the following year. The study also found that if...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Why Do Drug Overdoses Spike During Winter? A Look at Cold Weather-Related Risk Factors

Research has shown a possible connection between cold weather and a heightened risk for overdose. Several factors may contribute to this, like cold weather making it more likely addicts will use drugs at home by themselves, therefore being less likely...