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Biden Administration Urges Schools to Carry Naloxone, the Opioid Overdose Treatment

The Biden administration is encouraging schools throughout the United States to carry naloxone to help prevent fatal drug overdoses in students.

The medication (Narcan) was approved earlier this year as an over-the-counter (OTC) nasal spray.

Faculty and students sho...

Talking to a Loved One Battling Substance Abuse: Staying Positive Is Key

A conversation with a family member or loved one struggling with addiction can be the catalyst for getting help.

But it's important to choose your words carefully when discussing possible addiction to controlled substances with your loved one, said Dr. Aleksandra Zgierska, a profess...

Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Oxycontin Maker's Bankruptcy Deal

A bankruptcy deal that would have shielded the family behind the company that makes Oxycontin from civil lawsuits was temporarily blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday.

President Joe Biden had asked for a delay in approval of the nationwide settlement, which had been...

Rehab Care for Opioid Addiction Often Tough to Find: Study

The United States is in the middle of an opioid crisis, yet new research shows that only about 7% of Americans on Medicaid who have opioid use disorder receive residential treatment.

This means that many people who could potentially benefit from what is more commonly known as "rehab" aren't getting the care they need to help them with their addiction.

“We know residential care is...

Million-Person Study Finds Genes Common to Many Addiction Disorders

Breakthrough research shows genetic markers for substance abuse and could lead to more effective ways to prevent and treat drug and alcohol use disorders.

These findings could help people who face addiction to varied substances, including those who have more than one addiction at a time.

The findings al...

Wider Supply of Opioid Antidote Naloxone Won't Encourage Heroin Use: Study

Contrary to concerns, wider availability of naloxone treatment is not increasing heroin use among U.S. teens, new research finds.

Naloxone (Narcan) quickly reverses an overdose from opioids like heroin, fentanyl, morphine and oxycodone (OxyContin). There had been some worry that expanding access to naloxone might inadvertently promote high-risk substance use among young people. However, t...

Hit Hard by Opioid Crisis, Canadian Province Decriminalizes Small Amounts of Hard Drugs

To fight an urgent opioid overdose crisis, a Canadian province took an unusual step on Tuesday.

British Columbia decriminalized small amounts of several hard drugs.

This includes up to 2.5 grams of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, the province's Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said in a statement

Methadone ODs Didn't Rise in Pandemic, Supporting Use as At-Home Treatment

Giving more patients at-home access to the opioid addiction treatment drug methadone during the COVID pandemic did not lead to more overdose deaths, a nationwide study shows.

The research, which covered the period from January 2019 to August 2021, found that the push to let more patients take home doses rather than visit a clinic daily did not increase harm among users.

"Treatment ...

Too Few People Treated for Opioid Use Get Anti-Overdose Med

A potentially lifesaving drug that reduces overdose risk is prescribed to less than half of Americans treated for opioid addiction, a new study finds.

This underuse of buprenorphine is "equivalent to giving those with advanced cancer a less aggressive ...

Opioid Addiction Treatment in Jail Could Change Lives

No magic bullet exists for ending the U.S. opioid crisis, but there's hopeful news for one high-risk population: Providing addiction medication in jails reduces the odds of addicts being re-arrested after their release, new research shows.

"Studies like this provide much-needed evidence and momentum for jails and prisons to better enable the treatment, education and support systems that i...

ERs Can Boost Efforts to Stamp Out Opioid Addiction

A program meant to encourage the use of a drug that can help people overcome opioid addiction led to dramatic increases in its use in emergency rooms, researchers report.

Buprenorphine is a medication that stabilizes opioid withdrawal and soothes cravi...

NYC's Overdose Prevention Centers Already Saving Lives

At least 59 overdoses were prevented in the first three weeks that two overdose prevention centers have been open in New York City, the city's health department said Tuesday.

During that time, there were more than 2,000 visits to the centers that are operated by OnPoint NYC and are the first publicly recognized overdose prevention sites to open in the United States. The city first

Wearable Device Spots, Reverses Opioid Overdoses

A wearable device that could inject a lifesaving antidote for an opioid overdose might be on the horizon.

A new study shows that the device, worn on the stomach like an insulin pump, can detect when someone stops breathing from an overdose and inject the drug naloxone to restore breathing.

"Fatal drug overdoses in the United States are at an all-time high, and opioid overdoses accou...

Over 100,000 Americans Died From Drug Overdoses in One Year: Report

New government data confirms what many have suspected: The pandemic has prompted a record number of drug overdose deaths, with more than 100,000 Americans succumbing to addiction as COVID-19 raged across the country.

That figure is almost 30% higher than the previous year, when 78,000 overdose deaths were reported, according to provisional figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control...

Oklahoma Supreme Courts Overturns $465 Million J & J Opioid Ruling

A previous court ruling that ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay Oklahoma $465 million for the company's role in the opioid epidemic was tossed out by the state's highest court on Tuesday.

In a 5-1 vote, the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected the state's argument that Johnson & Johnson violated "public nuisance" laws by overstating the benefits of its prescription opioid painkillers and minimiz...

California Judge Sides With Drug Companies in Opioid Lawsuit

A California judge has ruled against local governments that sued drug companies for billions of dollars to recover their costs of dealing with the opioid epidemic.

In a tentative ruling issued Monday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Wilson rejected the plaintiffs' claims the companies used deceptive marketing to increase unnecessary prescriptions of opioid painkillers, the As...

Many Addicts Turned to Telemedicine During Pandemic, But Does It Beat In-Person Care?

The coronavirus pandemic forced a significant shift to telemedicine treatment for addiction, but it's not clear whether that approach is better than in-person care, a new study finds.

Before the pandemic, addiction treatment services in the United States had many restrictions on telemedicine use, so only about 27% of addiction facilities offered telehealth services, while telehealth was u...

How the COVID Pandemic Made the Opioid Epidemic Worse, Even as Telehealth Helped

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the U.S. opioid crisis in ways bad and good, increasing the risk of use and overdose but also spurring innovative approaches to treatment.

The pandemic has definitely been linked to an increase in opioid use and overdose deaths, Tufts University's Thomas Stopka said during a HealthDay Now video interview.

"We've been seeing increases in o...

Opioid Use Disorder Is as Deadly as Heart Attack: Study

Hospitalized opioid addicts die at a rate similar to people who have a heart attack after leaving the hospital.

Nearly 8% of patients addicted to opioids died within 12 months of hospital discharge, according to researchers from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

"We need systems that can address comprehensive needs of people with substance use disorder and serious medical i...

High-Dose Withdrawal Drug in ER Can Help Battle Opioid Addiction

Giving high doses of buprenorphine in the emergency department is a safe and effective way of treating withdrawal symptoms in patients battling opioid addiction, according to a new study.

"Emergency departments are at the front lines of treating people with opioid use disorder and helping them overcome barriers to recovery such as withdrawal," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the U.S. Na...

Dr. Rahul Gupta to Be Nominated as Next U.S. Drug Czar

President Joe Biden plans to nominate Dr. Rahul Gupta as the head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Gupta led the Biden transition team for that office, was the former health commissioner of West Virginia, and is chief medical and health officer for the March of Dimes, CNN reported.

If confirmed as the so-called drug czar, Gupta would be the first p...

During Pandemic, Fewer Using Drug That Fights Opioid Overdose

Use of the opioid overdose reversing medication naloxone has declined in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers found.

The study authors said their findings suggest that people with opioid misuse disorders may be facing a dangerous decrease in access to naloxone.

"In March of 2020, we saw a sharp reduction in the average number of individuals filling naloxone pr...

Many Americans Live Too Far From Opioid Addiction Treatment

In areas of the United States where opioid treatment centers are rare, addicted people can find it nearly impossible to get help, a new study finds.

"The study identified clear opioid treatment deserts that undoubtedly stand in the way of access to needed care and that likely exist throughout the state and the nation. These are areas where treatment providers should be setting up shop --...

1 in 5 U.S. Pharmacies Blocks Access to Key Opioid Addiction Treatment

The Biden administration has eased guidelines for prescribing a crucial addiction treatment drug, just as a new study reveals one in five U.S. pharmacies refuses to dispense the medication, called buprenorphine.

"Buprenorphine is a vital, lifesaving medication for people with opioid use disorder, but improving access has been a problem for a variety of reasons," said the study's senior au...

Pandemic Has Blocked Access to Treatment for Many Americans Hooked on Opioids

The COVID-19 pandemic may have kept some Americans from getting vital medication to treat opioid addiction -- possibly contributing to the national surge in overdose deaths, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that in the early months of U.S. pandemic restrictions, the number of Americans newly receiving prescriptions for buprenorphine dropped by nearly one-quarter.

Buprenorphin...

Rising U.S. Deaths After Users Mix Coke, Meth With an Opioid

Overdose deaths resulting from a dangerous combination of cocaine and opioids are outpacing fatalities linked to cocaine abuse alone, a new U.S. government report warns.

"Much of the increase in the rate of drug overdose deaths involving cocaine in recent years is due to the co-occurrence of opioids," said study author Dr. Holly Hedegaard.

A similar trend has started taking hold bec...

Opioid Addiction Relapse May Be Different for Men, Women

Who is more likely to relapse after opioid addiction treatment -- women or men?

A new study that followed 1,100 recovering opioid users reveals that their risks are different.

The researchers followed the men and women for one year after treatment at more than 100 substance-use treatment facilities across the United States. During that time, 55% of the women and 51.5% of the men use...

CBD Won't Help Addicts Kick the Coke Habit: Study

Cannabidiol (CBD) products are seemingly everywhere these days, but they won't help cure a cocaine addiction, a Canadian study finds.

CBD, a chemical in the cannabis plant, has long been touted as a treatment for cocaine addiction. But researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center found that it doesn't lessen addicts' craving for cocaine or reduce their risk of relaps...

Meth Overdose Deaths Are Surging in America, With Minorities Most at Risk

Deaths from overdoses of methamphetamine are rising across the United States, especially among Blacks and American Indians/Alaska Natives, a new study warns.

"While much attention is focused on the opioid crisis, a methamphetamine crisis has been quietly, but actively, gaining steam -- particularly among American Indians and Alaska Natives, who are disproportionately affected by a number ...

U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Reach Record Highs

The number of U.S. drug overdose deaths reached a record high as the coronavirus pandemic held the country in its grip last spring, new government data shows.

For the 12 months ending in May, more than 81,000 people died from an overdose. That is the highest number ever recorded during a 12-month period, scientists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

"The ...

'Diseases of Despair' Skyrocket in America

Even before the coronavirus pandemic began, Americans were already suffering: A new study reports that alcohol and drug misuse were up dramatically, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors were up 170% between 2009 and 2018.

Researchers call these conditions "diseases of despair."

"The origin of these conditions isn't strictly medical. Rather, they seem to follow conditions of despair i...

PTSD Therapy Doesn't Trigger Drug Relapse in Addiction Patients: Study

Talk therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) doesn't appear to increase addiction treatment patients' risk of relapse, a small new study says.

Roughly a quarter of people with drug or alcohol use disorders also have PTSD, typically caused by a traumatic or stressful life event such as combat or rape.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the leading PTSD treatment, but s...

Marijuana Withdrawal Is Real, Study Shows

It's widely believed that marijuana is not addictive, but a major new evidence review suggests that's not true.

Not only can people suffer withdrawal symptoms when they quit pot, but nearly half of those who regularly or heavily use marijuana will go through withdrawal when they stop, according to the study published online April 9 in JAMA Network Open.

About 47% ...

5 Tips for Fighting Addiction

Overcoming addiction can be difficult, with powerful cravings often causing relapse. But a psychiatrist offers some tips for success.

Know your triggers, said Dr. Nahla Mahgoub, of Gracie Square Hospital in New York City.

People in recovery are vulnerable to various environmental and emotional triggers, said Mahgoub.

That helps explain why an estimated 40% to ...

Opioid Addiction Med Under-Used in Younger People, Study Finds

Treatment with the opioid addiction drug buprenorphine is on the rise among most age groups in the United States, but falling among 15- to 24-year-olds, a new study finds.

"While it's encouraging to see an overall increase in prescription rates for buprenorphine, the data suggest that the youngest group is having difficulty accessing this potentially lifesaving treatment," said study ...

For Rural Patients, Opioid Treatment Centers Often Too Far Away

Methadone is often used in the fight against opioid addiction, but long travel times in rural areas may be hampering efforts to get more people treated, a new study finds.

If methadone for opioid addiction was available in primary care clinics, more people would have better access to treatment, researchers suggest.

In the United States, methadone is only available at clinic...

Is Your County an Opioid Overdose 'Hotspot'?

America's opioid epidemic has claimed thousands of lives, but certain counties in the South and Midwest are paying the highest price more often, researchers say.

For the study, researchers looked at more than 3,000 counties nationwide and found the risk of dying from an opioid overdose was twice as high in 412 counties. These places also had fewer doctors who could provide medications...

Dispensing Opioid Antidote Without a Prescription Might Save Lives

Opioid overdose deaths would decline dramatically if U.S. pharmacists could dispense the antidote naloxone without a doctor's prescription, a new study says.

In states that have adopted such laws, opioid deaths fell an average of 27% in the year after passage and 34% in following years, according to a RAND Corp. analysis of 2005 to 2016 data.

"This is strong evidence...

Many Addiction Centers Lack Anti-Opioid Meds: Study

Although the U.S. opioid epidemic dates back more than a decade, only 6 percent of treatment centers in 2016 offered the three medications approved to treat opioid addiction, new research reveals.

And only about a third offered even one of the three recommended drugs, the study found.

"The country is dealing with an opioid overdose death epidemic," said study lead author Dr....

1-800-662-HELP: Too Few Opioid Users Aware of Lifesaving Helpline

Millions of Americans are living with drug addiction, but a free, national hotline that offers help is underused because most don't know about it, new research finds.

After the popular singer Demi Lovato was hospitalized in July, researchers found that although her suspected heroin overdose was widely written about, little mention was made of the drug abuse helpline. It is funded by t...

Postpartum Opioid Rx May Lead to Persistent Use: Study

New mothers who take opioid painkillers after either vaginal birth or cesarean section may be at increased risk of becoming persistent users, a new study finds.

Researchers from Vanderbilt University in Nashville examined data from more than 102,000 new mothers in Tennessee. None had used opioids in the 180 days before delivery.

After delivery, 89 percent who had a cesarean ...