New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has made a renewed appeal for prescription drug drop-off sites to be established across the state. These sites will be dumping stations where the public can safely dispose of unused prescription medications. Leftover Medications may be used in Pharm Parties This measure was put in place to combat the practice […]
NJ Governor Renews Fight Against Prescription Drug Abuse Read More »
Deaths caused by drunk driving used to be the biggest cause of accidental deaths in our country. However, in recent years, accidental overdoses have climbed to the top, and so has car crashes where one or both of the drivers were under the influence of drugs. The Governor’s Highway Safety Association is working with other
Drugged Driving Deaths Outnumber those Caused by Alcohol Alone Read More »
Among the rise of opioid-related overdose deaths throughout the U.S. in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of synthetic compounds as well, often being added to heroin and making it more potent. New York State’s Erie County is one of many locales that has seen a number of fatal heroin
One of the most under-utilized ways to monitor narcotic painkillers and the people who take them are prescription monitoring programs. These tools, often run by individual states with varying levels of participation, monitor who has been given prescriptions for different kinds of drugs, why they were prescribed and when. They help track potential misuse of
Monitoring Tools Prove Effective in Cutting Opioid Prescriptions Read More »
In the constant effort to create effective and safe treatments for people addicted to opiates such as heroin and prescription painkillers, researchers may have found a new way to prevent against further abuse. While medications geared towards reducing heroin abuse have proven successful in many circumstances, a group of researchers recently uncovered a new path
New Research into Opiate Addiction Seeks Non-Opioid Medications Read More »
In an ongoing effort to learn more about addiction and to protect veterans, a research team from the University of Michigan and Department of Veterans Affairs has conducted a study to determine what sort of indicators can increase the likelihood of suicides among veterans. Their ultimate goal is to help prevent these factors and decrease
Study Examines Suicide Rates Among Veterans with Substance Abuse Problems Read More »
The opioid crisis is a serious matter in the United States, which has seen considerable coverage in the press recently. The epidemic is being approached from many different angles, including prescription drug monitoring programs for doctors and pharmacists. However, people addicted to drugs are often resourceful in finding other ways to obtain them, and according
Addicts Found Using Pets to Obtain Drugs from Veterinarians Read More »
Emergency departments and doctors’ offices are traditionally where many people get their prescription painkillers. Because of this, policy makers and healthcare officials have taken a closer look at physicians when it comes to the prescription narcotic problem in the United States. For instance, many hospitals have instituted policies where doctors do not give more than
Varying Painkiller Prescribing Practices in Hospitals Examined Read More »
One of the most challenging barriers to overcome when it comes to handling an addiction is the stigma and misunderstandings attached to being an addict. People who have substance use disorders are often viewed as poor, uneducated, minority males who are also criminals. However, this is simply not true. In fact, according to JAMA Psychiatry,
Viewing Opioid Addiction as a Public Health Problem Read More »
With opioid abuse having become a national epidemic, employee benefits plans are using their resources to take on this issue, according to a survey conducted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Its results found that more than 22 percent of employers have carried out a prescription claims analysis to look for possible abuse.
Employers Tackling Issue of Prescription Drug Abuse Head-on Read More »
The results of a new study have identified how drug abuse and addiction can increase the rate of aging, as well as age-related illnesses. These include inflammation, cellular aging and decline in brain volume and function. The list of age-related ailments also includes early onset of brain, liver, kidney and heart diseases. The study, which
The results of a new study reveal that high school students are not using opioids like prescription pain medications and heroin as much as adults. The rate of opioid use and overdose deaths has reached epidemic proportions, but has continued to decline among high school students recently. Over the past five years, the rate of
