Access to medication-assisted treatment is a major issue for young adults with opioid addiction. Opioid use among minors has drastically increased since the 1990s—parallel to adult use—yet young people with opioid addiction are largely without access to proper treatment. Yale University published a study revealing that nearly 9,000 minors (20 years old and under) in… Continue reading Young People With Opioid Addiction Face Barriers To Treatment
Tag: opioids
Charging Heroin Dealers With Homicide A Common Practice In Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania leads the nation with more than 500 drug-induced homicide charges filed. In Lancaster County, deep in the heart of Amish country, authorities have gone after more drug-induced homicide charges than any other place in the nation, according to figures from Mission LISA, a data aggregation project. Last year alone, prosecutors in the southeast Pennsylvania… Continue reading Charging Heroin Dealers With Homicide A Common Practice In Pennsylvania
Connecticut Judge Dismisses Opioid Lawsuits Against Purdue Pharma, Others
The Connecticut lawsuits are part of a nationwide effort to make pharmaceutical companies pay for a portion of the damage caused by this crisis. Judge Thomas Moukawsher in Connecticut ruled against 37 cities and towns within the state that brought lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies accused of fueling the opioid crisis in the U.S. According to… Continue reading Connecticut Judge Dismisses Opioid Lawsuits Against Purdue Pharma, Others
Death Certificate Project Goes Too Far, Addiction Specialist Says
“Scaring providers into not prescribing opioids, I think that is not the ethically appropriate way to go forward,” said one addiction expert. Dr. Ako Jacintho, a family practitioner in San Francisco, says that he saw the opioid epidemic coming. His patients were asking for stronger medications and more pills. Instead of filling their requests, Jacintho… Continue reading Death Certificate Project Goes Too Far, Addiction Specialist Says
FDA Has "Cozy Relationship" With Pharmaceutical Companies, Says Adviser
“The FDA has a lack of transparency. They use the advisory committees as cover,” said the head of the FDA’s opioid advisory council. A Food and Drug Administration adviser says that the agency is putting the needs of pharmaceutical companies above the public by continuing to approve dangerous pain medications. Speaking with The Guardian, Dr.… Continue reading FDA Has "Cozy Relationship" With Pharmaceutical Companies, Says Adviser
Opioid Use May Be Tied To Intestinal Disorder In Newborns
A new report explores the connection between opioid use and the intestinal birth defect. Infants whose mothers use opioids during pregnancy are at risk for a host of issues from small head size to dependency on the drugs. Now, a new report suggests an additional health concern for babies exposed to opioids: a possible increased… Continue reading Opioid Use May Be Tied To Intestinal Disorder In Newborns
How Big Pharma's Payments To Doctors Affected Overdose Deaths
A new study examined the link between large payments and gifts to doctors from pharma companies and overdose deaths. In counties and states where opioid manufacturers offered large payments or gifts to doctors to promote their product, a new study has suggested that both opioid prescriptions and opioid-related overdose deaths were higher than in other… Continue reading How Big Pharma's Payments To Doctors Affected Overdose Deaths
Inside The Push For Over-The-Counter Naloxone
The FDA has recently taken an unprecedented step to kickstart the development of over-the-counter naloxone products. Last week the FDA took an unprecedented step to make the anti-overdose drug naloxone directly available to opioid users. Currently, naloxone requires a prescription. But in an effort to make approval for non-prescription versions of the drug easier for… Continue reading Inside The Push For Over-The-Counter Naloxone
Death by Fentanyl: Should the Powerful Opioid Be Used in Lethal Injections?
When it comes to executing people by lethal injection, “Fentanyl is just an obvious choice. You have unfortunately an inexhaustible supply of this drug in state custody – why can’t it be used?” As the end drew near, Carey Dean Moore’s face turned red, and then purple. He breathed heavily, according to the witnesses who… Continue reading Death by Fentanyl: Should the Powerful Opioid Be Used in Lethal Injections?
How Opioids Hijack The Brain
Addiction experts and people who use opioids discuss how opioids impact their brains. Last year thousands of Americans died from opioid overdoses. Yet, despite the fact that the dangers of these drugs are well-publicized, new users continue to get hooked on opioids and succumb to their addictions. To try to understand why, The New York… Continue reading How Opioids Hijack The Brain