In the face of a growing opioid epidemic in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released new guidelines for prescribing opioids. The opioid abuse problem is multifaceted and complex. One piece of the problem is physicians overprescribing potent opioid painkillers for a range of conditions. The new CDC guidelines are…
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Rates of heroin overdose have more than quadrupled since 1999, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This sharp uptick in the heroin abuse problem in the United States has caused public health officials to take notice. Suddenly, local and federal level government officials from are looking for ways to tackle the heroin addiction…
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Senate Passes Bipartisan Opioid Addiction and Recovery Bill LOS ANGELES, March 16, 2016 – The Senate passed bipartisan legislation on March 10, 2016, designed to combat the opioid epidemic in the United States. The landmark bill is known as the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). It represents the largest legislative action to date,…
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Opiate Epidemic Latest Victim Rates of opioid addiction in the United States have reached epidemic proportions, with an estimated 4.3 million Americans using prescription opioids for non-medical purposes and more than 400,000 more using heroin, reports the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Officials at every level of government, from local treatment providers…
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Opioids have been used for centuries for their analgesic and sedative properties. Some opioid compounds are found in nature, such as the opioid alkaloids found in poppy plants. In the past decades, however, pharmaceutical companies developed numerous types of synthetic opioids. Laboratory-derived opioids represent the bulk of prescriptions for opioid painkillers. Now, more and more…
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It has been nearly 45 years since President Nixon declared the War on Drugs, but recent statistics suggest that the United States is losing battle after battle. Rates of opioid addiction are higher than ever, with the number of prescription medications being dispensed quadrupling since 1999. Deaths from heroin overdose are also on the rise.…
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The Rising Rates of Opiate Overdose Rates of opiate overdose have skyrocketed in the United States over the past few decades. Prescription painkillers are the leading cause of opioid misuse and overdose. In fact, emergency departments treat more than 7,000 people every single day because of misuse of prescription medications, reports the Centers for Disease…
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The Naloxone and Buprenorphine Implant If you are reading this, and you or a family member is suffering with opiate abuse, know that you are certainly not alone. There are 1.9 million Americans living with an addiction to opioids and prescription drugs, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and other estimates put this…
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More than 2.1 million Americans suffer from addiction to prescription opioid painkillers, drugs such as Tramadol, Vicodin, and even Suboxone which like Methadone is used to treat opiate addiction. Additionally, another 500,000 more suffer from heroin addiction. Only a fraction of people get professional treatment for their condition. Among those individuals who do try to…
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During his last State of the Union address, President Obama mentioned the nation’s growing opiate addiction problem as an area of concern. Now, an estimated 2.5 million Americans struggle with addiction to prescription opioids or heroin, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. One of the most prominent and strongly promoted treatments is the…
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