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Tag: opiates

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Epi

Fentanyl Overdoses Are Falling — But Not for Everyone

A public health story about progress, gaps, and what emergency departments can do next At 2:30 a.m., an emergency department clinician administers naloxone to a young adult found unconscious in a parking lot. The patient survives. By morning, the ED is full again — overdoses, injuries, psychiatric crises, all colliding in the same space. For […]

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Mental health

Rural Opioid Crisis: New Evidence Shows a Deadlier Pattern

A paramedic in Northern Ontario trudges through deep snow toward a cabin where someone is reportedly unresponsive. The nearest emergency department is more than an hour away, and support is limited. After receiving repeated doses of naloxone, the individual finally begins to breathe. Scenes like this are increasingly common across rural and sparsely populated communities, […]

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Mental health

What Happens When Recovery Homes Run Out of Funding?

Every day, more than 200 people in the U.S. die from an opioid overdose. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)—like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone—save lives. But medication alone isn’t enough. People in recovery also need stable, supportive places to live. That’s where recovery homes come in. These homes, often run on shoestring budgets and sheer […]

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Society

New Study Reveals 3 Big Myths About Kratom Use

A tea made from leaves. An ancient plant used for energy and pain. A trendy herbal product marketed in wellness stores and gas stations alike. Kratom means different things to different people—but for public health professionals, it may be the next frontier of both hope and harm. With more than two million users in the […]

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Mental health

The Two Faces of Opioids: A Global Crisis of Access and Excess

In one part of the world, a mother watches her child suffer in agony from advanced cancer, unable to get the pain relief he desperately needs. In another, a man battles opioid addiction, his life unraveling due to a prescription he was given years ago. These are the two faces of the global opioid crisis—one […]

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Policy

Does Recreational Marijuana Reduce Opioid Deaths?

Imagine living in a world where one policy change could potentially save thousands from the grip of opioid addiction—a real modern-day dilemma facing public health officials today. As states across the U.S. grapple with the devastating opioid crisis, some are turning to an unconventional ally: recreational marijuana. But does it help, or is it just […]

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Mental health

Understanding Overdose Spikes

Imagine you’re a public health official in Massachusetts. After weeks of routine overdose data reporting, a sudden spike in deaths hits your desk: an alarming five extra fatalities in just one day. What caused this? A bad batch of fentanyl? A sudden lapse in services? These are not just hypothetical questions. They highlight the challenges […]

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Mental health

Can Telehealth Bridge the Gap in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment? For Medicaid Patients, the Answer is Complicated

Imagine this: A single mother in Illinois struggles to balance work, childcare, and her battle with opioid use disorder (OUD). The COVID-19 pandemic, which upended daily life for millions, seems like it could provide a silver lining: telehealth services, offering remote access to essential treatment. But for her and many others on Medicaid, the promise […]

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Mental health

What If We Could Predict the Perfect Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder?

Imagine a future where every person struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD) could be matched with the treatment most likely to work for them—saving lives, reducing relapses, and offering hope to thousands of families. Achieving this vision has long been a challenge for clinicians, but researchers behind a groundbreaking study at the U, Columbia, and […]

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Interview

A conversation with Jeff Hanley

Jeff Hanley, Executive Director of the Commonwealth Prevention Alliance (CPA), has dedicated his career to advancing substance misuse prevention across Pennsylvania. With a background in nonprofit work at the American Red Cross and over a decade of experience at the Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission, Jeff brings a wealth of knowledge to his role. In […]

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AI

Predicting Opioid Misuse: A New Hope for Early Intervention

Imagine a world where healthcare providers could predict opioid misuse before it even starts, potentially saving thousands of lives. In the United States alone, nearly 10 million people misuse opioids each year, leading to devastating consequences such as addiction and even death. Despite efforts to curb the opioid crisis, overdose rates have continued to climb, […]

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