Category: Addiction
Methamphetamine Use, Overdose Deaths, and Arrests Soared From 2015 to 2019
From 2015 to 2019, arrests for meth possession increased 59%; the number of people in the U.S. with a methamphetamine-related substance use disorder jumped 37% and overdose deaths involving meth more than doubled.
INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY: TAKING ACTION TO SAVE LIVES
This year, King County is working with community partners to expand the use of naloxone (also known as Narcan) – a powerful and very safe tool that can save the life of someone experiencing an opioid overdose – and educate the community about available treatments for opioid use disorder.
What is fentanyl and why is it behind the deadly surge in US drug overdoses? A medical toxicologist explains
Buying drugs on the street is a game of Russian roulette. From Xanax to cocaine, drugs or counterfeit pills purchased in nonmedical settings may contain life-threatening amounts of fentanyl.
Seizures of fentanyl-containing pills rise dramatically
The number of individual pills seized by law enforcement increased nearly 50-fold from the first quarter of 2018 to the last quarter of 2021 and the proportion of pills to total seizures more than doubled, with pills representing over a quarter of illicit fentanyl seizures by the end of 2021.
Trying to cut back on alcohol? Here’s what works
Most people successfully quit or cut back their alcohol consumption on their own. But people who drink more frequently are much more likely to have symptoms of dependence and might find it more difficult
States Likely to Resist CDC Proposal Easing Opioid Access
For the eased guidelines to have their intended effect, states would need to amend or repeal existing statutes that limit opioid prescriptions to three to seven days and set ceilings on the daily dose doctors can prescribe.
Thinking about a Dry January? Tips from a UW doc
As New Year’s Day approaches, health-based resolutions are hardly novel. The trend of “Dry January” has gained momentum during the pandemic, with 15% of U.S. adults attempting temporary alcohol abstinence last year.
Fentanyl overdose deaths hitting older and younger drug users in Washington state, UW study finds
ortality rates of people under 30 are typically much lower than for people 30 and older.
How the pandemic helped spread fentanyl across the US and drive opioid overdose deaths to a grim new high
The soaring death toll has been fueled by a much more dangerous black market opioid supply. Illicitly synthesized fentanyl – a potent and inexpensive opioid that has driven the rise in overdoses since it emerged in 2014 – is increasingly replacing heroin. Fentanyl and fentanyl analogs were responsible for almost two-thirds of the overdose deaths recorded in the 12 months period ending in April 2021.
Washington state overdose rates on pace to break another record, health officials say.
Health officials urge people to carry naloxone and know overdose signs
Opioid-addiction medication underused in WA, UW study shows
Opioid users may need multiple care episodes with buprenorphine before their recovery trajectory is established.
Opioid Deaths Spark Push to Ease Buprenorphine Rules
Doctors say requirement to take an 8-hour course and submit to Drug Enforcement Administration oversight has stymied the drug’s availability.
Fatal overdoses spike in King County
These last two weeks mark a sharp increase—double the average number of weekly fatal overdoses throughout much of 2020.
COVID-19 Eased Drug Treatment Rules—And That Saved Lives
“Telehealth sessions have been a lifeline for those walking the long road to recovery during a stressful, isolating time.”
Perspective: Why opioids cannot fix chronic pain
Emotional pain and chronic pain are related, and painkillers, ultimately, make things worse