From The Hill, by Justine Coleman, 09/21/21 Physicians have prescribed 44 percent less opioids over the past decade, yet fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses have continued to climb, according to a new report from the American Medical Association (AMA). The association called on lawmakers to “act now” over the overdose statistic. AMA’s report documented a […]
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Uncontrollable vomiting due to marijuana use on rise, study finds
From CNN, by Sandee LaMotte, 09/17/21 An unusual illness is on the rise in the United States, especially in states that have legalized marijuana. Habitual users of cannabis, including teenagers, are showing up in emergency rooms complaining of severe intestinal distress. “They are writhing, holding their stomach, complaining of really bad abdominal pain and nausea,” […]
Overdose Deaths In State Prisons Have Jumped Dramatically Since 2001
From NPR, by Beth Schwartzapfel and Jimmy Jenkins, July 15, 2021 Prisons and jails in the United States have been increasingly deadly places in recent years, according to new federal data. But one cause of death has climbed most dramatically: overdoses. From 2001 to 2018, the number of people who have died of drug or […]
Vaping linked to increased eating disorder risk among US college students
From Fox News, by Kayla Rivas, 09/14/21 Recent vaping or e-cigarette use was associated with an increased risk of an eating disorder and a higher likelihood of a self-reported eating disorder diagnosis, according to a recent study. While vaping is common among young adults and eating disorder onset typically occurs before age 25, the association […]
Record overdose deaths-82,230
From the Washington Post. 81,230 overdoses set record for such deaths in a 12-month period, CDC says by Linda Searing A surge in the number of U.S. residents who have died of a drug overdose — 81,230 in the 12 months ending last May — set a record for the most such deaths in a […]
Construction Industry Hit Hard by Opioid Epidemic
From the Wall Street Journal Opioid Use Hits Construction Industry as Overdoses Soar by Vipal Monga Mark St. Cyr, a construction superintendent in the Pittsburgh area, often sees telltale signs of opioid use among workers at sites where he works. “If I’m supervising 10 guys, two or three will be using almost every day,” said […]
Overdose deaths increase due to synthetic opioids
Official CDC Health Advisory Increase in Fatal Drug Overdoses Across the United States Driven by Synthetic Opioids Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network December 17, 2020, 8:00 AM ET CDCHAN-00438 Summary The purpose of this Health Alert Network (HAN) Advisory is to alert public health departments, healthcare professionals, […]
Online support groups – what was lost/gained
From the Washington Post What was lost when covid forced addiction support groups online — and what was gained by Allyson Chiu In the roughly eight years since she left treatment for alcohol-use disorder, Amy Durham has been to countless recovery group meetings. At first, she went every day, before gradually scaling back to two […]
Mental Health First Responders
From ABCNews How sending mental health responders instead of police could save Black lives “One-quarter of fatal police shootings involve people with mental illness.” by Dr. Divya Chhabra New York City Mayor Mayor Bill de Blasio and first lady Chirlane McCray announced a pilot project this week that experts say could save lives by using […]
AAAP awarded 2-yr, $32M opioid grant
The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) has been awarded a 2-year grant of $32 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to address opioid use disorders and stimulant use disorders. The Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) network is part of the grant’s coalition of 40 national professional organizations. The Opioid […]