More long term studies are being published on the effects of opioids in the United States. As researchers are able to obtain a broader scope of the damage, the data is revealing more about what could help combat the opioid crisis. For instance, a new report shows that women are being admitted into emergency rooms …
Women More Likely to be Hospitalized for Opioids than Ever Before Read More »
Now that marijuana possession has been decriminalized in a number of US states, there are fewer instances where people are being sent to marijuana treatment programs by the legal system. Even though the number of instances of court-ordered treatment is dropping, survey results are showing that numbers are up for those seeking help voluntarily. Court-Mandated …
Number of People Seeking Marijuana Addiction Treatment Rising Read More »
The results of a new study have found that teens who come from an upper-middle class background are at higher risk for drug or alcohol addiction than the national average. The researchers found that in their mid-twenties, young adults from a well-to-do background were two-to-three times more likely to be diagnosed with an addiction. The …
Rich Kids at Higher Risk for Addiction, According to New Study Read More »
In the past, scientists have found that alcohol consumption is linked to a variety of diseases, including throat, liver and esophageal cancer. And now a new report released by the American Institute for Cancer Research states that even small amounts of alcohol consumed regularly can increase the chances of developing breast cancer in women. In …
Small Amounts of Alcohol Consumption Linked To Breast Cancer Read More »
Despite the general understanding that combining opioids and benzodiazepines can be deadly, doctors throughout the country are still prescribing the two drugs together to patients, and addicts are still abusing them simultaneously as well. In fact, the trend seems to be rising, as more people are winding up in the emergency room or worse. In …
Research Warns of Dangerous Opioid and Benzodiazepine Combinations Read More »
Researchers at UCLA School of Medicine recently compiled a study monitoring the mortality rate among more than 2,500 patients with opioid use disorder in a general healthcare setting, such as a primary care physician or hospital. What they found was that the patients were seemingly slipping through the system either undetected or inadequately treated. Nearly …
High Mortality Rate for Opioid Use Indicates Gaps in Healthcare System Read More »
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 »
In an effort to deal with the issue of increased heroin and opioid overdoses in the state, a groundswell of support seems to be growing for a measure that would make it legal to force people with substance abuse issues into treatment in the state of Pennsylvania. The highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate has introduced …
Pennsylvania Considers Proposals to Force Addicts into Treatment 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 »
Let’s face it. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) as we know it will be going away. As with other political arguments, this inevitability is met with scorn by some people and is praised by others. Right now, the only thing that is certain is that there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this change, including …
What Does a Repeal of the ACA Mean for Addiction Treatment? 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 …