STATISTICS & TRENDS

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Expert Testimony, Opioid Drugs, and a 21st Century Epidemic

Within the opioid addiction epidemic in this country, several types of drugs play a role. But opiates take the lead for causing the most harm, for taking the most lives, and for creating the largest public health burden.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Patterns Shift with China Still a Major Player

Keeping drugs out of our country requires monitoring the shifts in production and trafficking patterns. Recently, the way fentanyl has been coming into the U.S. has made one of those shifts.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Retired Navy Admiral Is Working to Prevent Drug Overdoses

The media is so often filled with unhappy circumstances, lousy news, hardships, and unpleasant events. That’s what sells. So when USA Today featured an interview with a retired U.S. Navy admiral about a non-profit that he and his wife started to counter...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Why Does the U.S. Prescribe More Drugs than Other Countries?

A striking report from U.S. News revealed that American surgical patients are nine times more likely to receive a prescription for opioid pain relievers than Swedish patients. Even bringing the focus closer to home and comparing U.S. prescribing rates...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

“Sober Curious” and “Straightedge”—Dreaming of a Youth Culture Which Supports Abstinence

Last week I saw an article in U.S. News titled, “The Rise of the Sober Curious.” The subheading read, “Alcohol-free events, bars, and drinks are increasing as people explore ways to lower their alcohol intake – and improve health.” Seeing this...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Why Doesn’t the U.S. Treat Overdose Deaths Like Other Preventable Causes of Death?

Though it might be a morbid prospect to do so, one of the reasons why it is so essential to study and analyze causes of death is because doing so sets the stage for creating better health conditions in America.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

How Hard Was It to Detect the Opioid Epidemic as It Grew?

How did we get into the situation of opioid addiction like the one the U.S. struggles with now? To figure out how it happened, let’s take a look at how company executives may make decisions for the good of their company but that create serious problems...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Why Fentanyl Is Still the Most Threatening Illicit Drug

The ravages created by fentanyl may not be obvious to you as you walk down the main street of your town. But factually, in some strata of life in America, fentanyl is creating unprecedented devastation. This drug (actually a family of drugs) is taking...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Campus Safety—Higher Learning without Substance Abuse

When we think of college, we think of institutions of higher learning. We think of places that our young adult sons and daughters go to expand their knowledge, to flourish, to grow intellectually, and to develop their life goals and ambitions.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Drug Deaths, Suicide, and a Three-Year Drop in Life Expectancy - What Does It Mean?

One of the most telling indicators of the overall health of a nation’s population is its life expectancy. When a population’s life expectancy improves, this is a sign of overall improvement for that country. When a country’s life expectancy falls,...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Most Opioid Pill Addicts Still Receive Opioid Prescriptions Following an Overdose

Addiction is the health crisis of the century for millions of Americans and their families. A cursory examination of the addiction epidemic timeline reveals that pharmaceutical opioids played a huge role in the creation of the epidemic.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

What if Car Crashes Increased at the Same Rate as Drug Overdoses? What Would Public Reaction Be Then?

While drug overdose deaths climbed from 16,800 to more than 70,000 over a 20 year period, was America’s response appropriately strong and determined? If not, why not?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Suboxone Maker to Pay $1.4 BILLION to Settle Illegal Marketing Claims

In July 2019, Pharmaceutical company Reckitt Benckiser Group settled a federal lawsuit that they fraudulently marketed their addiction treatment drug Suboxone. They’ll pay a huge fine but why doesn’t this settlement actually result in justice?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Drinking and Marijuana Use Results in Increased Tobacco Consumption in Some Individuals

A healthy lifestyle is always preferred over an unhealthy one. As we go through life, we try to be as healthy as we can. Those intentions are, of course, strongly affected by a wide variety of factors. These include socioeconomic condition, genetic endowment,...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

One Year of Overdose Death Decreases: How Good is This News?

For the first time in decades, the number of Americans lost to drug overdoses has begun to decline. Is this cause for celebration? Not yet. Not when you know the reason for the decline. Did you hear about this? For the last year, the number of overdose...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Have We Simply Become Numb to All the Drug-Related Deaths?

There’s a problem with the readily-available information on statistics related to America’s drug abuse and drug overdose situation. And this problem could be skewing the way many of us perceive this situation and reducing our sense of urgency in seeking...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

How Does Alcohol Marketing Affect Alcohol Use in Young Adults?

Advertising is a growing industry and has been for some time. We see ads pop up everywhere. TV and radio stations have advertised the products and services of sponsors for decades now. Billboards, vinyl wraps on public transportation, newspapers, signs...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

The Financial Cost of Addiction

The headlines in U.S. News last week read, “Americans Spent $146 Billion on Illegal Drugs in 2016.” That’s a shocking figure. It’s a figure that drives home just how enormous our country’s drug problem is. But at the same time, a figure like...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Tide Turns On Pharmaceutical Industry As Leading Advocate Changes Mind On Pain Medication

An article in the New York Times from April 29th, 2019 shone a light on the opioid addiction crisis and highlighted a phenomenon we are very glad to see. Medical doctors, usually pain pill advocates, are turning their backs on pharmaceutical opioids and...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Substance Abuse, Native Youth, and Reversing a Harsh Trend

Drug addiction and alcohol misuse are human problems. By that I mean, this crippling crisis can befall anyone. No one is immune to the threat of addiction. No amount of money or social status can protect someone from the risk of addiction.