AMERICAN OPIOIDS EPIDEMIC
Tracing A Network of Crime: How Pharma Distributors Acted as the Middlemen in the Opioid Epidemic
In the now two-decade-long opioid epidemic in the U.S., pharmaceutical opioid manufacturers, pharmacies, and doctors have all come under fire for the role they played in the surge of opioid addiction and death. One group, previously unnoticed and only just now coming under investigation, bears mentioning. As reports have shown, pharmaceutical distributors had just as critical a role in the opioid epidemic as other bad actors.
A First-Hand Account of The Empire of Pain
For anyone touched by America’s opioid epidemic and anyone who has followed the development of this crisis, as I have, Patrick Radden Keefe’s new book adds to our knowledge of the steps that must be taken to heal from our crisis of drugs abuse and overdoses.
Federal Judge Overturns Sackler/Purdue Pharma Bid for Bankruptcy Protection
In an alarming development in the ongoing litigation between thousands of plaintiffs against Purdue Pharmaceuticals (and the Sackler family that owns it), a federal judge just overturned the Sackler bid for bankruptcy protection and immunity. What does this mean for America’s most important pharma lawsuit?
New Threat to Watch For: Unwashed Poppy Seed Consumption
Clinicians and families alike may not be aware of the risk posed by consumption of a readily available type of poppy seed. Despite this lack of awareness, this seed can result in addiction, overdose and death.
Over 100,000 Lives Lost to Drugs; CDC Finalizes Overdose Fatalities for 2020
The United States just passed a grim milestone, the first time in recorded history when over 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in one year. It’s a painful wake-up call, and a call to action that something must be done about the drug addiction epidemic.
How the Sackler Family Got Away with Denying Any Responsibility in the Opioid Epidemic
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.
Are Drug and Alcohol Addiction Fatalities the Next American Epidemic?
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 deaths in 2020 from drug-related causes and alcohol-related causes, is it time to look at addiction as America’s next National Epidemic?
Opioid Abuse Surged During the Pandemic – Treatment is the Answer for Those Now Addicted
There is compelling evidence that suggests opioid addiction and overdose rates soared during the Covid-19 pandemic. Was this a direct result of Covid-19? Or was it a continuation of America’s opioid addiction epidemic?
Fentanyl Today: An Update on this Deadly and Ever-Changing Phenomenon
The changes of the last several years must be tracked and understood if we are to reverse the terrible losses imposed on our country by those who make and traffic in fentanyl.
What Is the Average Age of Someone Who Dies from a Drug Overdose?
While there is no question that the United States is struggling with an addiction crisis of epic proportions, some of the more telling details of the crisis are not broadly discussed. For example, what could we learn by examining what age range of Americans is most likely to die from drug abuse?