Addiction Archives - Page 3 of 4 - The Addiction Reporter

Medicaid Recipients Have Better Access to Treatment Than Others

Post author:Melissa
Post published:04/16/2018
Post category:News
Reading time:2 mins read

Poor adults seeking help for their opioid use disorder can get more help using Medicaid than other people, including those who may have no insurance or private insurance, according to a report by the Kaiser Foundation.

Medicaid has been instrumental to combatting the opioid epidemic, and in areas where the Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid, the most vulnerable populations are given a lifeline. Not only do they get help with any long-lasting medical effects of drug addiction, but they also are often able to attend an inpatient or outpatient treatment program.

Republicans have often spoken about retracting the expansions of Medicaid or forcing participants to participate in work programs to “earn” their health insurance. Although many people with substance abuse disorders experience extreme poverty as a barrier to treatment, no new funds have been made available on a federal level to increase access to drug treatment.

According to the …

Kratom Recall Due to Salmonella Expands Nationwide

Post author:Melissa
Post published:03/20/2018
Post category:News
Reading time:3 mins read

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control notified the public that a salmonella outbreak caused by Kratom had prompted a recall of the product. Kratom products sold under brand names including Botany Bay, Enhance Your Life and Divinity by Divinity Products Distribution are all part of the voluntary recall. Kratom is often touted as an opioid substitute that can help people with a variety of issues, from addiction and chronic pain to anxiety and inflammation. The supplement, which is currently legal, is a plant native to southeast Asia that has become more popular in recent years due to its easy availability on the internet.

The Oregon Health Authority asked people to stop using kratom last week when testing found salmonella bacteria in several product samples. Four people in Oregon have already gotten sick from the bad batches they consumed.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a “voluntary destruction and recall” for …

Office of National Drug Control Policy Needs New Drug Czar

Post author:Melissa
Post published:01/25/2018
Post category:News
Reading time:3 mins read

The Trump Administration recently employed 24-year-old Taylor Weyeneth to be the deputy chief of staff (also known as the drug czar) of the Office of National Drug Control Policy or ONDCP. While many addiction advocates were hoping the Administration would be filled by an experienced professional, the appointment of Mr. Weyeneth proved to be profoundly flawed.

Before Mr. Weyeneth’s work for the Trump administration, there were only two jobs from which he gleaned experience the only position he’d held since graduating from college in 2016. One of these tasks was working on President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, the Washington Post reported earlier this month. Aside from his young age, and lack of experience in the field of mental health or addiction, this young man’s lack of knowledge also spilled into the jobs he listed on his resume. Included in the resume was a post he held at a law firm, …

Using Marijuana for Morning Sickness is Dangerous

Post author:Melissa
Post published:12/27/2017
Post category:Uncategorized
Reading time:4 mins read

A new study shows that more women than ever are turning to marijuana for morning sickness, although there is no medical evidence to show that this is safe. In fact, experts are warning that using marijuana while with child is dangerous for the unborn.

The study, which followed trends in pregnant women in California, is a cause for alarm for many reasons. For one thing, the marijuana use referenced in the study was self-reported, which means that study participants likely under-reported their use of cannabis. An earlier study by the same organization also found marijuana use among pregnant women rose from 2.37% in 2002 to 3.85% in 2014.

The numbers may sound small, but the worries of medical providers are not. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, published an editorial explaining the many dangers. Few things are known about the effects of marijuana use on …

Fake Street Pills Made With Deadly Opiates Now Common

Post author:Melissa
Post published:11/08/2017
Post category:News
Reading time:3 mins read

People addicted to Oxycontin often resort to desperate measures, including buying their pills on the street. Unfortunately, addicted persons who buy these pills are discovering that they’re fake street pills. They are now being linked to carfentanil and cyclopropyl fentanyl overdoses in New Jersey and across the country. New Jersey is just one of many states that has experienced deadly incidents of street pills – typically sold as Oxycontin or Hydrocodone — giving their users more than they bargained for.

Luckily, in Holmdel and Long Branch New Jersey, investigators were able to seize the pills before anyone got hurt – as far as they know, anyway. (It takes months for a state Bureau of investigation to tally the figures that include deaths from any illicit drugs.) The seizure was made last week, and the oxycodone pills were found to not contain oxycodone at all. In fact, they contained carfentanil, a …

Across the US, Diversion Programs Spread Hope

Post author:Melissa
Post published:10/02/2017
Post category:News
Reading time:3 mins read

As Americans become more aware that addiction is a disease and not a crisis of character, law enforcement and the judicial system have started to stand up and take notice. Rather than lock up the masses of people with a substance abuse disorder, many law enforcement agencies now offer diversion programs. Diversion programs are run in different ways, but they all focus on helping an addicted person improve their lives and hopefully break free from their disease.

One such example is a program that has been in place for 10 years, in Essex Massachusetts. Started by a DA personally affected by the opioid epidemic, a total of 117 people from 22 communities took part in the drug diversion program in 2016, with a success rate averages 40 to 50 percent. (In the world of substance abuse disorders, this is an excellent rate. Treating these issues can be incredibly challenging.)…

Washington State Debates Using Medications for Addiction Treatment

Post author:Michael
Post published:06/19/2017
Post category:Uncategorized
Reading time:4 mins read

There has been much talk recently in the state of Washington about the opioid epidemic. A two-day summit was recently held with two main focuses:

Reduction of legally purchased drugs
Medications in the treatment of opioid addiction

However equally important both topics are the questions surrounding the use of medications for treatment is gaining more attention.

A handful of people that work in law enforcement spoke about the importance of treating opioid addiction as a ‘medical condition’ and it was their general consensus that the drugs should be removed from the shadows of society. They agreed that using medications has proven to reduce deaths and help people lead functional lives.

Much Debate About Using Medications

The debate over using medications to help addicts recover has been very contentious over the last two decades. however, prescribing medications to opioid addicts is still the preferred method for treatment towards rehabilitation. Experts will …

Canada Struggling With Influx of Fentanyl

Post author:Michael
Post published:11/07/2016
Post category:Uncategorized
Reading time:2 mins read

Canada has been recently inundated with Fentanyl, which is an incredibly potent opiate painkiller that is very popular with those addicted to narcotics.

Recently, one article in particular seems to encapsulate how serious the problem is: A Killer High: How Canada Got Addicted to Fentanyl.

This article chronicles the pain suffered by the survivors of those who overdose, and also features excellent reporting about how easy it is to obtain the drug online.…

Using Science to Fight Addiction

Post author:Michael
Post published:10/22/2012
Post category:Uncategorized
Reading time:3 mins read

According to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 21 million Americans currently need treatment for a substance abuse disorder. Ninety percent of them will not receive treatment; many will end up incarcerated because of crimes related to their addiction.

Since that report was released, an increasing number of doctors and scientists are calling for more recognition of addiction as a brain disorder. The Los Angeles Times recently reported that Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of Drug Control Policy and the leading drug authority in the government, spoke out against current perceptions of addiction in a speech delivered at the Betty Ford Center. Kerlikowske characterized addiction as a “chronic disease of the brain” rather than a moral failing on the part of the individual.…

Psychiatrists Expand Definition of Addiction for DSM-5

Post author:Michael
Post published:05/15/2012
Post category:Uncategorized
Reading time:3 mins read

Psychiatrists and mental health specialists who are revising the manual used to diagnose mental disorders have just agreed to revise the definition of addiction. According to The New York Times, this decision could mean that millions more people will be diagnosed as addicted. The impact will affect health insurers, taxpayers and families of patients across the nation.

The manual, known as the DSM (for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), is currently undergoing its fifth revision and is scheduled to be finalized by the end of the year and released in May 2013. The manual is used to by insurance companies to determine coverage, by courts to determine the mental fitness of defendants and by a host of other government agencies and private organizations. The American Psychiatric Association is responsible for the content of the DSM-5.…