NEWS
Pain Is a Legitimate Concern, but Patients Need Better Solutions Than Addictive Opioids
Millions of Americans suffer from acute and chronic pain conditions that severely reduce their quality of life. Unfortunately, the methods of treatment often prioritized for such individuals involve them taking addictive drugs like opioid pain reliever pills.
Addiction Treatment in the United States Rates Flatline While Overdoses Rise
According to preliminary data from CDC researchers, fatal overdoses were slightly higher in 2022 than in 2021, suggesting overdoses did not decline post-pandemic, as many public health experts thought they would. Meanwhile, treatment rates across the U.S.
Law Enforcement Shifts Tactics as Dark Web Becomes the New Marketplace for Drug Trafficking
In May 2023, a multinational effort by U.S. and European law enforcement officials led to nearly 300 drug traffickers being arrested in several countries and $53 million in contraband being seized.
Xylazine: The New Krokodil? The Dangerous Rise of a Flesh-Eating Drug
Xylazine, a veterinary sedative used for large and small animals, is being found in illicit drugs across America. In addition to inducing zombie-like conditions, the drug has the ability to cause large, open wounds that do not heal.
The Terrifying Escalation of Drug Dangers in America
The drugs of today are a far cry from the drugs today’s parents and grandparents used. They are more potent and have more dangerous and deadly effects. Staying safe means staying informed about these dangers.
Drug Addiction Is a Serious Problem for Teens and Senior Citizens Too
People often think of drug addiction as primarily a problem for adults, especially adults in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. However, three recently published studies highlight how the addiction epidemic is expanding to include age demographics that previously did not struggle with drug addiction as much, particularly teens and seniors. This article shows how all Americans are at risk for drug addiction, regardless of age.
Fentanyl Vaccine Won’t Address Underlying Reasons Why Addicts Use Drugs
Researchers have reported they’ve created a vaccine to help fight the opioid epidemic that claims tens of thousands of lives every year. While the medication is being hailed as a breakthrough (and it indeed will help save lives), the only way to truly reduce the addiction crisis is to help the millions of Americans addicted to drugs enter qualified, residential drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs.
How One Police Chief Is Changing the Conversation Around Addiction
A 30-year law enforcement veteran from Newtown, Ohio, Police Chief Tom Synan has stepped up and launched the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition, a partnership between law enforcement and behavioral health programs. The coalition’s goal is to shift the addiction response off of law enforcement departments and instead utilize law enforcement officers’ first interaction with drug users to connect those individuals with treatment services via community engagement. Law enforcement officers contribute by connecting addicts with community agencies that can place the addicts in treatment facilities.
Study Finds Alarming Surge in Negative Alcohol Experiences During College
While it is no mystery that drinking alcohol during one’s young adult and college years carries harm, it isn’t always understood the extent of that harm, the frequency of it, and the long-term unwanted effects that result from it. A recent study that followed 1,700 students through four years of college showed with distinct clarity just how harmful college drinking is.
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 with the depressant nature of opioids, is believed to make addicts go unconscious more easily. The result? Experts are publishing evidence that suggests addicts are at higher risk of an overdose when they use opioids that have been mixed with antihistamines. Unfortunately, most addicts have no way of knowing if their drugs are antihistamine-tainted.