From Metro Philly, by Brandon Dorfman, September 1, 2021 In the new short film “OPIOIDS: A Breakdown of the Invisible Overdose Crisis in the Black Community,” artist and filmmaker Richard Patterson, Jr. recalls Philadelphia’s transition from crack cocaine to Percocets and the language barriers that separated the Black community. Everyone talked about percs, Patterson said […]
Overdose
Methamphetamine Deaths Soar, Hitting Black And Native Americans Especially Hard
From NPR, by Brian Mann, 09/22/21 When Winnie White Tail convened a new session of inpatient substance use treatment last month for members of the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes, she found that roughly half her clients were struggling with methamphetamine addiction. “It’s readily available, it’s easy to get,” White Tail says. She’s a Cheyenne tribal […]
Opioid prescriptions fell over past decade while drug overdose deaths climbed: AMA report
From The Hill, by Justine Coleman, 09/21/21 Physicians have prescribed 44 percent less opioids over the past decade, yet fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses have continued to climb, according to a new report from the American Medical Association (AMA). The association called on lawmakers to “act now” over the overdose statistic. AMA’s report documented a […]
Overdose Deaths In State Prisons Have Jumped Dramatically Since 2001
From NPR, by Beth Schwartzapfel and Jimmy Jenkins, July 15, 2021 Prisons and jails in the United States have been increasingly deadly places in recent years, according to new federal data. But one cause of death has climbed most dramatically: overdoses. From 2001 to 2018, the number of people who have died of drug or […]
Prescription Drug Take Back Day
DEA Community Strategy for DC, MD, VA
From Southern Maryland News Net Launch of New DEA Community Strategy Targeting Overdose Issue Across D.C., Maryland and Virginia The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has launched a new comprehensive law enforcement and prevention initiative through the DEA Washington Division, aimed at reducing drug use, abuse, and overdose deaths. “Operation Engage” allows participating field […]
Record overdose deaths-82,230
From the Washington Post. 81,230 overdoses set record for such deaths in a 12-month period, CDC says by Linda Searing A surge in the number of U.S. residents who have died of a drug overdose — 81,230 in the 12 months ending last May — set a record for the most such deaths in a […]
Collaborative Series
Construction Industry Hit Hard by Opioid Epidemic
From the Wall Street Journal Opioid Use Hits Construction Industry as Overdoses Soar by Vipal Monga Mark St. Cyr, a construction superintendent in the Pittsburgh area, often sees telltale signs of opioid use among workers at sites where he works. “If I’m supervising 10 guys, two or three will be using almost every day,” said […]
Overdose deaths increase due to synthetic opioids
Official CDC Health Advisory Increase in Fatal Drug Overdoses Across the United States Driven by Synthetic Opioids Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network December 17, 2020, 8:00 AM ET CDCHAN-00438 Summary The purpose of this Health Alert Network (HAN) Advisory is to alert public health departments, healthcare professionals, […]