In The News
To Combat the Opioid Epidemic, Focus on the Forgotten Addict
In an attempt to combat one of the worst public health crises in the nation’s history, U.S. Senate committees are now debating a varied and wide range of legislation to fight the opioid epidemic. This follows the approval by the House of dozens of such...
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Reducing Mortality After Overdose: Is Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Effective?
According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, adults who received pharmacologic treatment for opioid use disorder following a non-fatal overdose may have reduced risk for opioid-related and all-cause mortality in the subsequent 12...
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Fentanyl Taking Over As Scariest Opioid In Ongoing Drug Epidemic, Kane Experts Say
A series of programs on the opioid crisis in Kane County is called “Heroin Highway,” but the most dangerous drug on the streets today is fentanyl, which is 100 times stronger than heroin or other opioids, a Kane County sheriff’s deputy said. “I don’t even...
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The Year After Childbirth is the Deadliest for Addicted Women
Katie Raftery was in a Massachusetts prison for drug-related crimes when she found out she was pregnant with her second child. A longtime heroin user, she was released to a residential drug treatment program where she stayed for seven months, until her...
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It doesn’t matter if you think addiction is not a disease
Calling addiction a disease does not eliminate responsibility for the actions of those who are struggling. It allows them to admit their shortcomings and seek treatment without fear of being stigmatized and bullied. Addiction is defined as a disease by...
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2017 was the worst year ever for drug overdose deaths in America
Nearly 200 people a day died of drug overdoses in 2017, based on preliminary federal data. 2016 was the worst year for drug overdose deaths in America — at least, until 2017 came along. According to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and...
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Local Chef in Recovery Serves Up Message of Hope
Greg Shaffer of Washington Courthouse said his road to addiction began in his early 20s when he enrolled in culinary school and began working in restaurants. He’d been married, become a father and gotten divorced by the age of 22, so he was ready to party...
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Addressing Addiction
Teachers across the Rio Grande Valley are preparing their classrooms to receive students for the new school year. But as the excitement builds, experts warn that also means the availability of illegal drugs. Mendoza has seen that drug abuse amongst kids...
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Treating addiction in the ER: One doctor’s success against the heroin epidemic
Buffalo, N.Y. (WHAM) - People addicted to opioids - upwards of ten every day - crowd into the Erie County Medical Center. As an emergency room doctor, Josh Lynch is on the front lines. "It was happening over and over again," Dr. Lynch said. We were seeing...
read moreSMURF1 provides targeted approach to preventing cocaine addiction relapse
A class of proteins that has generated significant interest for its potential to treat diseases, has for the first time, been shown to be effective in reducing relapse, or drug-seeking behaviors, in a preclinical study. Published online in July in Biological...
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Benzodiazepines
WHAT ARE BENZODIAZEPINES? Benzodiazepines are depressants that produce sedation and hypnosis, relieve anxiety and muscle spasms, and reduce seizures. WHAT IS THEIR ORIGIN? Benzodiazepines are only legally available through prescription. Many users maintain...
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Barbiturates
WHAT ARE BARBITURATES? Barbiturates are depressants that produce a wide spectrum of central nervous system depression from mild sedation to coma. They also have been used as sedatives, hypnotics, anesthetics, and anticonvulsants. Barbiturates are...
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Depressants
WHAT ARE DEPRESSANTS? Depressants will put you to sleep, relieve anxiety and muscle spasms, and prevent seizures. Barbiturates are older drugs and include butalbital (Fiorina), phenobarbital, Pentothal, Seconal, and Nembutal. A person can rapidly develop...
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Methamphetamine
WHAT IS METHAMPHETAMINE? Methamphetamine (meth) is a stimulant. The FDAapproved brand-name medication is Desoxyn. WHAT IS ITS ORIGIN? Mexican drug trafficking organizations have become the primary manufacturers and distributors of methamphetamine to cities throughout...
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Khat
WHAT IS KHAT? Khat is a flowering evergreen shrub that is abused for its stimulant-like effect. Khat has two active ingredients, cathine and cathinone. WHAT IS ITS ORIGIN? Khat is native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, where the use of it is an...
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Cocaine Drug Information
Cocaine WHAT IS COCAINE? Cocaine is an intense, euphoria-producing stimulant drug with strong addictive potential. WHAT IS ITS ORIGIN? Cocaine is derived from coca leaves grown in Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia. The cocaine manufacturing process takes place...
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Amphetamine Drug Information
Amphetamines WHAT ARE AMPHETAMINES? Amphetamines are stimulants that speed up the body’s system. Many are legally prescribed and used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). WHAT IS THEIR ORIGIN? Amphetamine was first marketed in the...
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V. Stimulant Drug Information
V. Stimulants WHAT ARE STIMULANTS? • Stimulants speed up the body’s systems. This class of drugs includes: • Prescription drugs such as amphetamines [Adderall and dexedrine], methylphenidate [Concerta and Ritalin], diet aids [such as didrex, Bontril,...
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Oxycodone Drug Information
Oxycodone WHAT IS OXYCODONE? Oxycodone is a semi-synthetic narcotic analgesic and historically has been a popular drug of abuse among the narcotic abusing population. WHAT IS ITS ORIGIN? Oxycodone is synthesized from thebaine, a constituent of the poppy...
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Opium Drug Information
Opium WHAT IS OPIUM? Opium is a highly addictive non-synthetic narcotic that is extracted from the poppy plant, Papaver somniferum. The opium poppy is the key source for many narcotics, including morphine, codeine, and heroin. WHAT IS ITS ORIGIN? The poppy...
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