Fatal ODs Involving Fentanyl Plus Coke, Meth Rose 50-Fold Over a Decade

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• September 14, 2023
• Full Page

The "fourth wave" of the U.S. overdose crisis involves the use of illicit fentanyl mixed with stimulants such as cocaine or methamphetamine, and it's killing people in droves.

The proportion of U.S. overdose deaths involving both fentanyl and stimulants jumped by mo...

Cases of Deadly Heart Infection Tied to Opioid Abuse Rose Sharply During Pandemic

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• December 13, 2022
• Full Page

Researchers already knew that injecting drugs can lead to the dangerous and deadly heart infection called endocarditis.

Now they know that also becoming infected with COVID-19 appears to increase risk for this already vulnerable group.

"A lot of people talk about l...

Marijuana, Meth, Cocaine Use Can Help Trigger Dangerous A-Fib

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• October 20, 2022
• Full Page

Using marijuana increases the risk of developing the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation (a-fib), a new study suggests.

It's been known that drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine an...

Opioids, Cocaine, Meth Are Hitting America's Black Communities Hardest

• February 10, 2022
• Full Page

Combined use of opioids and stimulant drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine can be deadly, and in the United States Black communities have been hit especially hard by this lethal combo, new research indicates.

Over a 12-year period, Black Americans have had much larger ...

Rising U.S. Deaths After Users Mix Coke, Meth With an Opioid

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• April 2, 2021
• Full Page

Overdose deaths resulting from a dangerous combination of cocaine and opioids are outpacing fatalities linked to cocaine abuse alone, a new U.S. government report warns.

"Much of the increase in the rate of drug overdose deaths involving cocaine in recent years is due to...

Lockdowns Tied to Temporary Drops in Illicit Drug Seizures

• Robert Preidt
• March 5, 2021
• Full Page

Seizures of illegal drugs fell sharply in the United States during early COVID-19 lockdowns, but spiked once stay-at-home orders eased.

Researchers studied seizures of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl in five locations between March 2019 (a year b...

CBD Won't Help Addicts Kick the Coke Habit: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 2, 2021
• Full Page

Cannabidiol (CBD) products are seemingly everywhere these days, but they won't help cure a cocaine addiction, a Canadian study finds.

CBD, a chemical in the cannabis plant, has long been touted as a treatment for cocaine addiction. But researchers at the University of Mo...

Opioid Deaths in Young Americans Often Involve Other Drugs

• November 27, 2020
• Full Page

Opioid overdose deaths involving more than one substance are more common among American teens and young adults than deaths caused by opioids alone, researchers report.

They also found that stimulants such as cocaine and crystal methamphetamine are the non-opioid substanc...

Reduced Drinking May Improve Veterans' Chronic Pain

• Robert Preidt
• October 9, 2020
• Full Page

Cutting back on booze may reduce chronic pain and use of other substances among U.S. veterans who are heavy drinkers, according to a new report.

The study included about 1,500 veterans who completed annual surveys between 2003 and 2015, and reported heavy drinking in...

Overdose Deaths From Cocaine Rising Dramatically

• Steven Reinberg
• October 7, 2020
• Full Page

While opioids were grabbing the headlines, cocaine overdose deaths in the United States have marched upward, nearly tripling over five years, a new government report shows.

After a period of stability, cocaine-induced deaths rose by about 27% per year, on averag...

Construction Workers at Very High Odds for Opioid and Drug Abuse

• Dennis Thompson
• October 30, 2019
• Full Page

Hard-hat jobs are tough and demanding, often entailing intense physical labor performed in dangerous situations.

But a new study finds construction work also comes with another danger: An increased risk of drug abuse.

Construction workers and miners are muc...

Lethal Deception: Deaths From Cocaine Laced With Fentanyl on the Rise

• E.J. Mundell
• August 8, 2019
• Full Page

Across the United States and Canada, people are buying cocaine only to discover too late that it contains potentially deadly fentanyl, a new report warns.

In one cluster of cases occurring in Fresno, Calif., in January of this year, four people were brought to local ...

Fentanyl Becoming a Deadly Accomplice in Cocaine, Meth Abuse

• Robert Preidt
• May 6, 2019
• Full Page

As if using cocaine or methamphetamines isn't risky enough, new research shows a sharp spike in urine drug tests that are positive for those drugs and the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

The findings could provide insight into steeply rising rates of cocai...