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Drug Dependence News
Related terms: Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Opiate Addiction
'Huffing' Deodorant Cost One Teen His Life
Posted 3 days ago by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Nov. 15, 2018 – Aerosol products are found in every household but can be potential killers, doctors warn. Highlighting the dangers posed by "huffing," Dutch physicians outline the tragic case of a 19-year-old who died after inhaling spray deodorant to get high. The teenager, who'd been in a residential drug rehabilitation program, died of cardiac arrest soon after, according to a new ...
Many Drugstores Won't Dispense Opioid Antidote Naloxone as Required
Posted 5 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Nov. 13, 2018 – People who overdose on opioids have one lifeline, the drug naloxone, but two new studies find that many pharmacies won't offer this lifesaving antidote without a doctor's blessing. Though many states have passed laws mandating that naloxone be made available without a prescription, researchers from California found that fewer than 25 percent of pharmacies in that state ...
U.S. OD Death Rate Worst Among Wealthier Nations
Posted 6 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Nov. 12, 2018 – With the rate of drug overdose deaths more than doubling since the turn of the century, the United States now leads the world in these preventable tragedies. New research from investigators at the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) indicates that drug-related death rates in the United States are now more than double what they are in many other developed nations. For the ...
Major Injuries Take a Toll on Mental Health
Posted 6 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Nov. 12, 2018 – People who've suffered major traumatic injuries are at much greater risk for mental health problems and suicide, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed data from more than 19,000 people in the Canadian province of Ontario who suffered serious injuries. Most of the injuries (89 percent) were accidental rather than intentional (for example, car crashes and falls). "Major ...
Only a Quarter of Opioid Painkillers Taken After Most Surgeries
Posted 11 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 7, 2018 – Surgery patients typically use only one-quarter of the opioids they're prescribed for post-operative pain, a new study finds. And those leftover pills pose a risk of misuse, addiction and overdose, researchers at the University of Michigan said. "It's striking to see the major discrepancy between prescribed amount and the amount patients actually take," said study ...
Opioid Use May Sometimes Trigger A-Fib
Posted 13 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Nov. 5, 2018 – Opioid users may be putting themselves at increased risk for atrial fibrillation ("A-fib"), an abnormal heart rhythm that can lead to a stroke, a new study suggests. The preliminary finding stems from an analysis of medical records of more than 850,000 military veterans. It found that opioid use increases the likelihood of A-fib by 34 percent. "We all know that the opioid ...
FDA Approves Powerful New Opioid Dsuvia (sufentanil), Despite Criticisms
Posted 16 days ago by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Nov. 2, 2018 – Ruling against the recommendation of one of its chief experts, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved an extremely potent new opioid painkiller, Dsuvia. The drug is a 30-microgram pill that packs the same punch as 5 milligrams of intravenous morphine, according to the Washington Post. The tiny pill comes packaged in a syringe-like applicator and would be ...
Workers' Comp Often a Gateway to Opioid Abuse: Study
Posted 29 Oct 2018 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Oct. 29, 2018 – Many injured workers turn to opioid painkillers for relief, and nearly 30 percent may still be taking them three months after their injury – increasing the odds of addiction, a new study suggests. "The increased likelihood of persistent opioid use among strain and sprain injuries is potentially concerning, particularly given the limited evidence to support opioid therapy ...
Firsthand 9/11 Exposure Fueling Alcohol- and Drug-Related Deaths: Study
Posted 29 Oct 2018 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Oct. 29, 2018 – People directly exposed to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks appear at increased risk of drug- and alcohol-related death, a new study finds. "Following a major disaster, alcohol- and drug-related mortality may be increased," said Dr. Jim Cone and colleagues of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. For the study, the researchers analyzed data on ...
In Massachusetts, Almost 1 in 20 Adults and Older Kids Abuse Opioids
Posted 26 Oct 2018 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018 – In another distressing snapshot of the opioid epidemic gripping America, a new study reports that nearly 5 percent of older children and adults in Massachusetts have an opioid use disorder. The study found that 4.6 percent of people over the age of 11, or more than 275,000 in the state, abuse opioids. That's nearly four times higher than previous estimates based on ...
N. Carolina Sees Alarming Spike in Heart Infections Among Opioid Users
Posted 17 Oct 2018 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17, 2018 – Adding to growing alarm about America's opioid crisis, cases of a potentially deadly heart infection have jumped 10-fold among North Carolina's injection drug users, new research shows. The infection is endocarditis, which strikes one or more of the heart's four valves. Usually a byproduct of aging, it can also develop when bacteria is introduced into the body through ...
Push-Button Pain Meds Curb Need for Opioids After C-Section: Study
Posted 15 Oct 2018 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Oct. 15, 2018 – Letting women who've had a cesarean section dispense and control pain medication through a catheter reduces their use of addictive oral opioid painkillers, researchers report. Their study included 576 women who had planned C-sections. In such cases, it's common to inject a local anesthetic and a small dose of morphine into the spinal fluid. The morphine provides about 18 ...
Despite Opioid Crisis, Most Patients Want the Drugs for Post-Op Pain
Posted 15 Oct 2018 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Oct. 15, 2018 – Despite a flood of news reports on the opioid crisis, many people still want the potentially addictive painkillers after surgery, a new survey suggests. The survey, of more than 500 patients scheduled for surgery, found that more than three-quarters expected to get opioids afterward. Most also thought opioids were the most effective treatment for post-surgery pain. But ...
Many Young Drug Abusers Not Tested for Hepatitis C, Study Finds
Posted 5 Oct 2018 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Oct. 5, 2018 – Too few teens and young adults with an opioid addiction are tested for hepatitis C, even though they're at high risk for the liver infection, researchers say. In 2016, hepatitis C killed more than 18,000 Americans, making it the most common cause of death from a reportable infectious disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're missing ...
Don't Blame Obamacare for the Opioid Crisis: Study
Posted 4 Oct 2018 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Oct. 4, 2018 – A look at past expansions to Medicaid appears to challenge claims that expansion under Obamacare helped fuel the current opioid crisis in the United States. University of Pennsylvania researchers report that Medicaid expansions actually had the opposite effect, and led to reductions in drug overdose deaths. "These findings suggest that Medicaid expansions were unlikely ...
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Opiate Dependence, Toxic Reactions Incl Drug and Substance Abuse
