“In 2009 meth use shot upward and it’s been steadily climbing,” said one city official. While many areas of the United States are battling the opioid epidemic, parts of rural Minnesota are facing a different battle: meth. According to the Mankato Free Press, a new study by the Center for Rural Policy and Development has… Continue reading Meth Remains Greater Issue Than Opioids In Rural Minnesota
Tag: opioids
Should You Breastfeed Your Baby If You're on Methadone?
My daughter was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome but I was not allowed to nurse or have her in the room with me; the hospital staff said the methadone in my breast milk could be dangerous. They were wrong. Earlier this summer several news outlets reported on the death of an 11-week-old infant in Philadelphia… Continue reading Should You Breastfeed Your Baby If You're on Methadone?
Can Ketamine Use Trigger Opioid-Like Dependency?
Researchers investigated whether ketamine works on depression by acting like an opioid in the brain. Though ketamine has gained the support of some mental health professionals as a possible therapy for depression, a new study suggests that the drug’s anti-depressive qualities may also have a hidden and potentially dangerous side effect: ketamine may offer relief from depressive symptoms by… Continue reading Can Ketamine Use Trigger Opioid-Like Dependency?
Stop Illegally Selling Opioids Online, FDA Warns
Over the summer, the FDA has issued similar warnings to 70 websites. The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning this week to the operators of 21 websites that the administration says sell mislabeled and illegal opioids to Americans. The websites, which are run by four companies, have been “illegally marketing potentially dangerous, unapproved, and… Continue reading Stop Illegally Selling Opioids Online, FDA Warns
Fentanyl Present In 90% Of Drugs, Massachusetts Officials Warn
The synthetic opioid is found more in combination with cocaine and benzodiazepines than heroin. Officials in Massachusetts are warning the public that the presence of the deadly synthetic opioid, fentanyl, is increasingly common in all types of illicit drugs in the state—not just in heroin or other opioids—raising the overdose risk for users of cocaine… Continue reading Fentanyl Present In 90% Of Drugs, Massachusetts Officials Warn
Inside Racial Disparities In Opioid Prescribing, Drug Testing
Black patients who tested positive for marijuana were twice as likely to have their pain pills discontinued than their white counterparts. Black patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain are more likely to be tested for illicit drug use than their white counterparts. Black patients are also more likely to have their pain medication… Continue reading Inside Racial Disparities In Opioid Prescribing, Drug Testing
Iceland May Be On The Verge Of Opioid Epidemic Similar To The US
In 2017, there was about one drug-related death per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to one per 4,500 in the US. During the first half of this year, Iceland has already seen 29 likely drug overdose deaths—nearly as many as the 32 total that the country had in 2017. The alarming increase, according to Reykjavík Grapevine… Continue reading Iceland May Be On The Verge Of Opioid Epidemic Similar To The US
Dopesick: An Interview with Beth Macy
It takes the average user eight years and five to six treatment attempts just to achieve one year of sobriety. And in an era of fentanyl and other even stronger synthetic opioids, many users don’t have eight years. As recently as a few years ago, the opioid crisis could be referred to as a “silent… Continue reading Dopesick: An Interview with Beth Macy
Prince’s Family Sues Doctor Who Reportedly Prescribed Him Pain Pills
The lawsuit alleges that the doctor had to treat Prince’s opioid addiction prior to do his death but “failed to do so.” The family of Prince (born Prince Rogers Nelson) is suing a doctor accused of playing a “substantial part” in the music icon’s death. According to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, the official cause… Continue reading Prince’s Family Sues Doctor Who Reportedly Prescribed Him Pain Pills
Woman Reportedly Caught With 1.5 Million Lethal Doses Of Fentanyl
A woman traveling from Los Angeles to New York City was reportedly caught with five pounds of fentanyl in a suitcase. Authorities in Kansas City arrested a woman at a bus station who was traveling across the country, from Los Angeles to New York, carrying five pounds of fentanyl—reportedly enough of the drug to cause… Continue reading Woman Reportedly Caught With 1.5 Million Lethal Doses Of Fentanyl