STATISTICS & TRENDS

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Marijuana and Hallucinogen Use Reach All-Time High Among Young Adults

Monitoring substance abuse trends among young people provides a clear view of developing drug problems nationwide. Recent studies in this area suggest that certain types of drug use are now the highest they’ve ever been for young people, painting a dire...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

How Did West Virginia Become the State Hardest Hit by the Opioid Epidemic?

Every state in the nation has felt the hardship of the opioid addiction crisis. But no state has been hit harder than West Virginia, where several factors came together to create the worst drug problem the nation has seen in decades.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Alcohol Addiction and Mortality Rates Have Soared Since Pandemic

Alcohol addiction and alcohol-related deaths have increased dramatically in recent years. Today, alcohol consumption is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. Yet, unlike the opioid epidemic, alcohol misuse receives little...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Study Finds Adolescents Have a 3X Risk for Developing Cannabis Addiction

A recent study of 274 people found that adolescent cannabis users were three times more likely to develop severe cannabis addiction than other age groups. While cannabis poses an addiction risk for all people who experiment with it, younger users may be...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Smokescreen: What the Marijuana Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know by Kevin Sabet

Who is Kevin Sabet and why is he qualified to reveal the secrets of the marijuana industry? For starters, here are his credentials.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Simple Rule Change Could Expand Efficacy of Opioid Prescribing Guidelines

In the wake of the destruction caused by the opioid epidemic, public health researchers are doing everything they can to find ways to reduce drug overdoses and addiction-related harm. One group of researchers at the Child Health Evaluation and Research...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

U.S. Overdose Rates Rise Again in 2021, But at a Slower Pace

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps a close eye on public health and safety threats, as is their mandate. One of the most prominent threats to American health in the last two decades has been drug overdoses. In fact, the drug fentanyl...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Seizures of Counterfeit Pills in the U.S. Soar in Recent Months

Drug trends across America are always changing, hence the importance of monitoring such trends. The most recent drug trend to take America by storm is the sinister distribution of fake prescription drugs, labeled as coveted painkillers but containing lethal...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Hallucinogens Show Potentially Deadly Rise in Use

Hallucinogens can disrupt a person’s ability to think and communicate rationally, or even to recognize reality, sometimes resulting in bizarre or dangerous behavior. This effect is quite different from other drugs that produce feel-good sensations.