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Overdose Deaths Reach a Record High in Delaware

From Courier Express by Rob Petree A record number of people died in Delaware from suspected overdoses in August, according to reports from the Delaware Division of Forensic Science. The monthly total of 39 deaths was the highest since the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) began tracking deaths from suspected overdoses in late […]


2018 Annual Surveillance Report of Drug-Related Risks and Outcomes

From the CDC. This report brings together the latest data available on the drug overdose epidemic in America, including opioid prescribing patterns, and various health behaviors and outcomes such as drug use and nonfatal overdoses and deaths. Prescription drug misuse, illicit drug use, substance use disorder, and overdose remain critical issues in the United States, […]


Researchers identify key brain circuits for reward-seeking and avoidance behavior

From NIH. Previously unrecognized pathways in mice have relevance for mental health and addiction research. Researchers have identified connections between neurons in brain systems associated with reward, stress, and emotion. Conducted in mice, the new study may help untangle multiple psychiatric conditions, including alcohol use disorder, anxiety disorders, insomnia, and depression in humans. “Understanding these […]


Notification of patient overdose deaths reduces clinician opioid prescriptions

From NIH. NIH-funded study shows clinicians reduced prescriptions following behavioral “nudge.” Clinicians were more likely to reduce the number and dose of opioid drugs they prescribed after learning that one of their patients had died from an overdose from a controlled substance than those not notified, according to a recent study appearing in the August […]


Tech Takes on Cigarette Smoking

From ScienceDaily Researchers develop system that senses smoking movements, sends motivational text messages, videos to help users quit smoking   Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are using wearable sensor technology to develop an automatic alert system to help people quit smoking. The smart-phone app, initially limited to android-based operating systems, automatically texts 20- to […]


PA Law to Require Notification on Drug-Exposed Babies

From the Chronicle of Social Change. New Pennsylvania Law Requires Notifications on All Drug-Exposed Babies by Marisol Zarate The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services will hear about every child born in the state that is exposed to drugs at birth, thanks to a bill signed into law this month by Gov. Tom Wolf (D). According to […]


Effective Treatments for Opioid Use Disorder Are Underutilized

From NIH. NIH research confirms effective treatments for opioid use disorder are underutilized A National Institutes of Health-funded study found that treatment of opioid use disorder with either methadone or buprenorphine following a nonfatal opioid overdose is associated with significant reductions in opioid related mortality. The research, published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, was […]


Attorney General Jeff Sessions announces Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge to combat crisis

From Healthcare Finance. Operation S.O.S. was inspired by prosecution efforts in Manatee County, Florida, which realized a 77 percent drop in overdose deaths. By Susan Moore Attorney General Jeff Sessions chose Maine as one of his stops to promote the newly-announced operation Synthetic Opioid Surge or S.O.S., because the state is among 10 areas of […]


Overdose Deaths with Carfentanil and Other Fentanyl Analogs Detected — 10 States

From CDC MMWR. O’Donnell J, Gladden RM, Mattson CL, Kariisa M. Notes from the Field: Overdose Deaths with Carfentanil and Other Fentanyl Analogs Detected — 10 States, July 2016–June 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2018;67:767–768. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6727a4. Notes from the Field: Overdose Deaths with Carfentanil and Other Fentanyl Analogs Detected — 10 States, July 2016–June 2017 Fentanyl and […]


Promising therapy’ for alcohol abuse

From Science Daily. Alcohol abuse is among the leading causes of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 88,000 people a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That total is higher than the combined death tolls of HIV/AIDS, gun violence and car crashes. Despite this, current medications are not highly effective […]