The potent synthetic opioid has been showing up more on its own, rather than mixed with other drugs. The use of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid said to be 50 times as potent as heroin, is growing on both a local and national level, according to new research. A new analysis, conducted by Indiana University-Purdue University… Continue reading Fentanyl Use Rising Across The US
Tag: opioids
Overdoses Increasingly Lead To Criminal Charges
Family members and the public aren’t convinced that prosecuting friends—who are often on drugs themselves—is the best use of resources. When someone dies from an overdose it is undeniably a tragedy, but is there someone to blame? Increasingly, the answer—legally speaking—is yes. It’s becoming more common for authorities to charge family members, friends and dealers… Continue reading Overdoses Increasingly Lead To Criminal Charges
Searching For The Next Naloxone
Experts are concerned that naloxone may not be strong enough for synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil. Naloxone is—at times—a seemingly miraculous drug. Within minutes of naloxone being administered, someone who was unresponsive because of an opioid overdose can start breathing on their own and regain consciousness. However, despite its strengths, there are issues… Continue reading Searching For The Next Naloxone
Colleges Create Opioid Response Plans Amid National Crisis
Even though overdose deaths on college campuses are relatively rare, many schools are still choosing to put a plan in place. Colleges across the country are focused on responding to the opioid epidemic, even as opioid abuse and overdose deaths remain very rare on campus. According to the American College Health Association, about 7 to… Continue reading Colleges Create Opioid Response Plans Amid National Crisis
Link Between Heroin Addiction And Narcolepsy Examined
Could opiates be the key to treating the chronic sleep disorder? Heroin could be the next big breakthrough in treating narcolepsy. That’s one possibility raised in a paper published recently in the journal Science Translational Medicine, detailing new work probing the connection between addiction and the chronic sleep disorder.a When narcoleptics nod off or lose… Continue reading Link Between Heroin Addiction And Narcolepsy Examined
Tech Companies Dispute Playing Major Role In Opioid Crisis
“The opioid epidemic is, in a majority of cases, primarily an offline problem,” said a representative of the Internet Association. A summit on Wednesday, June 27, hosted by the Food and Drug Administration, was predicted to draw representatives from Facebook, Google and Twitter, among other relevant tech companies, as well as academics, lobbyists and government… Continue reading Tech Companies Dispute Playing Major Role In Opioid Crisis
Medication-Assisted Treatment Options Limited For Medicare Recipients
“Medicare beneficiaries have among the fastest growing rate of opioid use disorder, but they don’t currently have coverage for the most effective treatment,” says one official. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction and dependence is now seen as the gold standard of care by many addiction treatment professionals, but barriers to treatment make it difficult… Continue reading Medication-Assisted Treatment Options Limited For Medicare Recipients
Support Group Helps Mothers Affected By Opioid Crisis
“Families that are battling this disease, we suffer in silence. The fact that we can have love and kindness from somebody makes a world of difference.” For families affected by opioid use disorder, support groups can be their only outlet. More have cropped up amid the national epidemic of chronic opioid use and death, allowing… Continue reading Support Group Helps Mothers Affected By Opioid Crisis
"Recovery Boys" Doc Candidly Explores Addiction, Trauma & Rehabilitation
The documentary follows 4 young men who find support and relief through delving deep into their emotions in a rehabilitation setting. The documentary Recovery Boys, which is screening on Netflix as well as in select theaters, focuses on four young men seeking recovery from opioid dependency at a rehabilitation facility in West Virginia. Directed by… Continue reading "Recovery Boys" Doc Candidly Explores Addiction, Trauma & Rehabilitation
Can Combining Opioids And Benzos Increase Overdose Risk?
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that more than 30% of all overdose deaths that involve opioids also involve benzodiazepines. When used in combination with opioids, benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Valium can make an individual five times more likely to overdose, a new study published in JAMA Network Open has determined. The study found that benzodiazepines,… Continue reading Can Combining Opioids And Benzos Increase Overdose Risk?