Medical experts across the country agree we are in the midst of an opioid epidemic responsible for the deaths of millions. In Oklahoma alone, more than two thousand people have died from opioids within just the past three years. Oklahoma is also one of the largest opioid prescribers in the nation and has consistently had…
ReadExperts are calling for public health efforts to combat the growing opioid epidemic and overdose deaths in America to better incorporate women’s health issues. In a commentary published in The Lancet this week, a group of experts emphasized the need for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to consider the unique ways in which women may encounter…
ReadSix more U.S. states have announced lawsuits against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, bringing the total number of state-level lawsuits to 22. The states are accusing the pharmaceutical company of contributing to the nation-wide opioid epidemic with misleading marketing. U.S. state attorneys general from Nevada, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Tennessee say the company…
ReadThe opioid epidemic sweeping across America has taken a heavy toll on the country, taking thousands of lives every year. But, the high level of lives being taken by prescription pills and street drugs isn’t the only way this crisis is affecting the country. A new report suggests opioids are also having a measurable impact…
ReadThe opioid epidemic is sweeping all the of the United States and the recent rise of fentanyl is making the crisis even more deadly. Oklahoma is no exception. Recent reports show that while Oklahoma is making some progress in its attempts to slow the increasing addiction and overdose rates, the state still has a long…
ReadThe latest figures show that opioid addiction and overdose rates are skyrocketing across the nation, and with that comes a new strain on our healthcare system. This was highlighted in a new report published this week stating that opioids caused over 1.27 million emergency room visits or inpatient stays in a single year. The new…
ReadWhen people refer to America’s widespread drug and addiction issues as an “epidemic”, it can seem like alarmist to those unaffected. But, the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show the phrase is far from an overstatement. According to the latest data, over 50,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in…
ReadIt’s just really become an all too familiar cycle. We lose another talented artist to the disease of addiction; we feel sad; we talk about what could’ve been done differently; then we pretty quickly move on looking for any “good” or “silver lining” to come from the tragedy. Earlier this week, it was announced via…
ReadThe small town of Bridgton, Maine, like so many towns and cities of various size, has been hit hard by the opiate epidemic. Instead of waiting for someone else to provide much needed substance abuse treatment, doctors in this town decided to begin treating it themselves. A mental health professional was among the first to…
ReadEven before I worked in the field of mental health and substance abuse, I often wondered why some people try a drug and get hooked right away, and others with an “I’ll try anything once” sort of attitude skate by without a problem. The outdated moral model’s take on addiction would apply a character defect…
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