NYC's Overdose Prevention Centers Already Saving Lives

• Robert Preidt
• December 22, 2021
• Full Page

At least 59 overdoses were prevented in the first three weeks that two overdose prevention centers have been open in New York City, the city's health department said Tuesday.

During that time, there were more than 2,000 visits to the centers that are operated by OnPoint ...

Did Pandemic Lockdowns Worsen the Epidemic of Opioid Abuse?

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• December 14, 2021
• Full Page

Pandemic lockdowns may have led fewer Americans to seek pain treatment last year, but folks who did seek help had higher-than-usual odds of receiving dangerous opioid painkillers, a new study says.

And that could lead to a worsening of the opioid epidemic, researchers su...

Oklahoma Supreme Courts Overturns $465 Million J & J Opioid Ruling

• Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
• November 10, 2021
• Full Page

A previous court ruling that ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay Oklahoma $465 million for the company's role in the opioid epidemic was tossed out by the state's highest court on Tuesday.

In a 5-1 vote, the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected the state's argument that Johnson ...

California Judge Sides With Drug Companies in Opioid Lawsuit

• Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
• November 3, 2021
• Full Page

A California judge has ruled against local governments that sued drug companies for billions of dollars to recover their costs of dealing with the opioid epidemic.

In a tentative ruling issued Monday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Wilson rejected the plaintiff...

Scientists Develop Quick Test for Marijuana Use

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• October 22, 2021
• Full Page

Researchers may be one step closer to developing the equivalent of a Breathalyzer for detecting marijuana use.

In an early study, scientists found that their rapid test was able to reliably detect THC in people's saliva in under 5 minutes. THC, short for tetrahydrocannab...

CDC Reports Record High 12-Month Drug Overdose Death Toll

• Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
• October 14, 2021
• Full Page

Drug overdose deaths in the United States hit a new record for the 12-month period ending March 2021, new government data shows.

A record high 96,779 drug overdose deaths occurred between March 2020 and March 2021, representing a 29.6% rise, new statistics from the U.S....

U.S. Meth Overdose Deaths Tripled in Recent Years

• Steven Reinberg
• September 23, 2021
• Full Page

Deaths from methamphetamine overdoses in the United States nearly tripled between 2015 and 2019, health officials report in a new study.

While the number of methamphetamine users did not increase as steeply, researchers said frequent use of methamphetamine, and using oth...

Animal Sedative Is Driving Rise in Fatal Drug ODs

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• September 21, 2021
• Full Page

An animal tranquilizer, xylazine, is increasingly linked to drug overdose deaths across the United States, health officials say.

According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, xylazine has turned up in overdose deaths in 25 of 38 stat...

Fatal Opioid ODs Keep Rising in Black Americans

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• September 13, 2021
• Full Page

The decades-long U.S. opioid epidemic could be hitting Black people harder than white folks as the crisis enters a new phase.

Opioid overdose death rates among Black Americans jumped nearly 40% from 2018 to 2019 in four states hammered by the epidemic, researchers found....

Fatal ODs From Illicit Tranquilizers Jumped 6-Fold During Pandemic

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• August 26, 2021
• Full Page

Overdose deaths linked to illicit "designer" benzodiazepines have surged in the United States, as underground labs crank out new synthetic variations on prescription tranquilizers like Valium, Xanax and Ativan.

Overdose deaths involving illicit benzos increased more than...

Rising Number of U.S. Cardiac Arrests Tied to Opioid Abuse

• Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
• August 23, 2021
• Full Page

There's been a sharp rise in opioid-related cardiac arrests in the United States and they now equal those associated with other prime causes, a new study finds.

Of more than 1.4 million cardiac arrest hospitalizations nationwide between 2012 and 2018, more than 43,000 (3...

Hearts From Drug Abusers Can Be Used for Transplants

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• July 29, 2021
• Full Page

In a finding that could mean more patients desperate for a heart transplant get a new lease on life, two new studies show that hearts from donors who abused drugs can be safely donated.

In the past two decades, the U.S. opioid crisis has taken the lives of hundreds of th...

Loneliness Raises Opioid Dangers in Seniors: Study

• Robert Preidt
• July 29, 2021
• Full Page

Illustrating a heartbreaking cycle, new research finds that lonely seniors are much more likely to take opioid painkillers, sedatives, anti-anxiety drugs and other medications.

This puts them at increased risk for drug dependency, attention problems, falls, accidents and...

Could Heavy Marijuana Use Be Driving Rise in Schizophrenia Cases?

• Robert Preidt and Ernie Mundell
• July 27, 2021
• Full Page

There's been a sharp rise in schizophrenia cases linked with marijuana use since the mid-1990s, a new Danish study finds.

Prior research has suggested that marijuana -- particularly very heavy use -- is associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia. Although s...

U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Jumped Nearly 30% During Pandemic

• Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
• July 14, 2021
• Full Page

As America went into lockdown and treatment centers closed their doors, drug overdose deaths in the United States jumped by nearly a third last year, new data show.

The estimated 93,331 drug overdose deaths recorded during 2020 are a sharp increase -- a 29.4% rise -- ov...

Dr. Rahul Gupta to Be Nominated as Next U.S. Drug Czar

• Robert Preidt and Ernie Mundell and Robin Foster
• July 14, 2021
• Full Page

President Joe Biden plans to nominate Dr. Rahul Gupta as the head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Gupta led the Biden transition team for that office, was the former health commissioner of West Virginia, and is chief medical and health officer ...

Autism & Drinking, Drug Abuse Can Be Dangerous Mix

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• July 8, 2021
• Full Page

Teens and adults with autism may be less likely than others to use drugs and alcohol, but new research finds those who do are nearly nine times more likely to use these substances to mask symptoms, including those related to autism.

This is known as camouflaging, and it ...

Pot Use May Change the Teenage Brain, MRIs Show

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 17, 2021
• Full Page

Smoking pot appears to affect teens' brain development, altering it in ways that could diminish their reasoning, decision-making and memory skills as they age, a new study reports.

Brain scans of about 800 teenagers found that those who started smoking pot tended to have...

Doctors May Be Overprescribing Opioids After Surgeries

• Robert Preidt
• June 14, 2021
• Full Page

Many patients who are prescribed opioids after surgery could get the same level of pain relief with non-opioid alternatives such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen without the risk of addiction, researchers say.

"Opioids have been a routine part of postsurgical pain care for ...

Death Rates Are Rising Across Rural America

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• June 8, 2021
• Full Page

In rural America, more people die from chronic health conditions and substance abuse than in suburbs and cities, and the gap is widening.

Researchers report in a new study that the difference in rural and urban death rates tripled over the past 20 years mostly due to dea...

Who Is Using Herbal Kratom?

• Robert Preidt
• April 29, 2021
• Full Page

Herbal kratom is used by less than 1% of the U.S. population, but the rate is much higher among those who misuse opioid painkillers, a new study finds.

Kratom is used to manage pain and opioid withdrawal. However, it carries the risk of addiction and harmful side effects...

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...

FDA Clamping Down on Abuse of an OTC  Decongestant

• Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
• March 25, 2021
• Full Page

Makers of inhalers that contain the nasal decongestant propylhexedrine should make design changes to prevent misuse, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.

Propylhexedrine is a nasal decongestant in over-the-counter inhalers, and right now is "only marketed under th...

Anabolic Steroids Could Do Long-Term Harm to Testicles: Study

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• March 10, 2021
• Full Page

Men who use anabolic steroids may be doing serious damage to their testicular function, new research warns.

And the damage may last long after they stop.

Illegal use of the drugs is not uncommon among athletes seeking to increase muscle size and strength and look m...

Pandemic Unemployment Has Taken Its Own Deadly Toll

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• March 1, 2021
• Full Page

With U.S. deaths from COVID-19 passing the grim milestone of a half-million, a new study suggests that another 30,000-plus Americans have died due to pandemic-related unemployment.

Using various data sources, researchers estimated that number of deaths between April 2020...

Child Bullies at Higher Odds for Substance Abuse as Adults: Study

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• February 17, 2021
• Full Page

Schoolyard bullies have been making life difficult for kids for eons, often causing lasting damage to their victims. Now, new research shows these bullies can also suffer lasting consequences as they age.

Bullies may be more likely to abuse drugs, alcohol and tobacc...

In Philadelphia, an Animal Tranquilizer Is Driving Deadly Rise in Opioid ODs

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• February 3, 2021
• Full Page

Philadelphia is seeing a surge in overdose fatalities involving heroin and/or fentanyl plus an animal tranquilizer not approved for human use, according to a new study.

The tranquilizer -- called xylazine -- is a non-opioid sedative and painkiller approved by the U.S. Fo...

U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Reach Record Highs

• Robin Foster
• December 17, 2020
• Full Page

The number of U.S. drug overdose deaths reached a record high as the coronavirus pandemic held the country in its grip last spring, new government data shows.

For the 12 months ending in May, more than 81,000 people died from an overdose. That is the highest number ever ...

Pandemic Is Driving U.S. Surge in Cardiac Arrests Tied to Overdose

• Ernie Mundell
• December 3, 2020
• Full Page

Blame it on the pandemic: For people struggling with drug addiction, 2020 has triggered a big rise in emergency room visits for cardiac arrest tied to drug overdoses, new research shows.

The finding was based on data involving 80% of emergency medical services (EMS) "act...

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...

'Diseases of Despair' Skyrocket in America

• Serena Gordon
• November 10, 2020
• Full Page

Even before the coronavirus pandemic began, Americans were already suffering: A new study reports that alcohol and drug misuse were up dramatically, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors were up 170% between 2009 and 2018.

Researchers call these conditions "diseases of des...

Another Tragedy Tied to Opioids: Eye Disease

• Dennis Thompson
• November 5, 2020
• Full Page

America's ongoing opioid epidemic is costing increasing numbers of addicts their eyesight, a new study reports.

The number of drug addicts who developed vision-endangering eye infections quadrupled between 2003 and 2016, according to researchers.

"For whatever reas...

U.S. Drug Deaths Might Be Twice as High as Thought

• Robert Preidt
• January 15, 2020
• Full Page

Drugs may kill twice as many Americans as government records suggest, a new study claims.

In 2016, the reported rate of drug-related deaths among 15- to 64-year-olds was 9% -- compared with about 4% several years earlier -- with 63,000 deaths classified as dr...

As Manufacturing Jobs End, Opioid OD Deaths May Rise

• Steven Reinberg
• December 30, 2019
• Full Page

It's a connection that health officials might miss, but an alarming new study shows that when factories close, deaths from opioid overdoses soar.

"There's this sense of increasing despair among people -- especially people who are working-class who have seen in the ...

Heavy Drinking Plus Xanax, Valium: A Dangerous Mix

• Steven Reinberg
• December 26, 2019
• Full Page

People who regularly drink to excess are also likely to use benzodiazepines, a new study finds.

These drugs -- like Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Ativan (lorazepam), and Restoril (temazepam) -- are used to treat depression and anxiety...

Teen Opioid Users Face Same OD Risks as Adults

• Robert Preidt
• December 16, 2019
• Full Page

U.S. teens and young adults are as likely as older people to overdose on prescription opioid painkillers and have the same risk factors, researchers say.

They analyzed data on 2.8 million privately insured patients from 12 to 21 years of age who received opioid presc...

Frequent Male Pot Use Linked to Early Miscarriages

• Dennis Thompson
• October 15, 2019
• Full Page

Men who use marijuana at least once a week are twice as likely to see their partner's pregnancy end in miscarriage, compared to those who use no pot, new research suggests.

Miscarriages related to frequent male pot use tended to occur within eight weeks of conceptio...

Fatal Opioid ODs Rise as Temperatures Fall

• Robert Preidt
• June 19, 2019
• Full Page

Why do opioid overdose deaths spike after cold snaps?

That's the mystery Brown University researchers set out to solve in a study of more than 3,000 opioid-related deaths in Connecticut and Rhode Island between 2014 and 2017.

The new analysis uncovered a 25...

Caffeine, Nicotine Withdrawal Can Cause Problems in the ICU: Study

• Robert Preidt
• June 4, 2019
• Full Page

Sudden withdrawal from coffee and cigarettes can trigger symptoms that mimic serious disease, leading to unnecessary tests in hospital intensive care units, a new review concludes.

"Nicotine and caffeine are some of the most commonly used and highly addictive substan...

Less Pain, More Car Crashes: Legalized Marijuana a Mixed Bag

• Robert Preidt
• May 16, 2019
• Full Page

If Colorado is any indication, the legalization of marijuana does not come without health hazards.

New research shows that while it led to a decline in hospitalizations for chronic pain, there were increases in traffic crashes, alcohol abuse and drug overdoses in the...

Many Drug Abusers Use Family Members to 'Opioid Shop'

• Robert Preidt
• May 10, 2019
• Full Page

People who are thwarted in their attempts to "shop around" for prescription opioid painkillers at doctors' offices and pharmacies may try to get the drugs via relatives as a last resort, researchers report.

Some people who misuse opioids go to numerous prescribers an...

Hepatitis A Infections Soaring: CDC

• Steven Reinberg
• May 9, 2019
• Full Page

The number of Americans infected with hepatitis A has grown nearly 300% in just three years, health officials reported Thursday.

The staggering increase has come despite an effective vaccine and is seen mostly among drug abusers and the homeless, according to the...

Dispensing Opioid Antidote Without a Prescription Might Save Lives

• Robert Preidt
• May 6, 2019
• Full Page

Opioid overdose deaths would decline dramatically if U.S. pharmacists could dispense the antidote naloxone without a doctor's prescription, a new study says.

In states that have adopted such laws, opioid deaths fell an average of 27% in the year after passage and...

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...