International per-person consumption of prescription opioids (2010–12). This period coincides with the peak of opioid prescribing in the USA and Canada. Credit: The Lancet (2022). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02252-2 As civilization ground…
Tag: Addiction
Recreational drugs detected in more than 1 in 10 cardiac intensive care patients
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Recreational drug use may be a factor in a significant proportion of admissions to cardiac intensive care, with various substances detected in 1 in 10 such…
Study supports government initiative to give free vapes to disadvantaged people who want to quit smoking
Credit: CC0 Public Domain A government scheme to give out free vapes to smokers appeals to most but not all, according to new research from the University of East Anglia…
Taking kratom claimed her son’s life. now she and others are warning of the dangers
J.D. Butler was planning a future with his girlfriend at his favorite New York City restaurant when that future came to a sudden, crushing halt. “They were planning on when…
E-cigarettes may be better than nicotine patches to help pregnant women stop smoking, reduce the risk of low birthweight
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Smoking in pregnancy can harm developing babies, especially their growth. Current guidelines recommend that pregnant smokers who find quitting difficult should be provided with nicotine replacements…
Oxycodone prescriptions after delivery not linked to longer-term opioid use compared to codeine
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Postpartum prescriptions for oxycodone were not associated with increased risk of longer-term opioid use compared to codeine prescriptions, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian…
Glutamate Receptor Activation: A Potential Cure for Opioid Addiction?
Summary: Scientists discovered a potential new weapon in the battle against opioid use disorder (OUD), a condition that affects over two million people in the U.S. alone. The drug, ADX106772,…
Myths about will power and moral weakness keep people with opioid use disorder from receiving effective medications like methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone
The most effective science-based treatment for opioid use disorder is medication. Methadone and buprenorphine prevent intense cravings and other symptoms of withdrawal, while naltrexone works by blocking the effects of…
Guidelines to help clinicians on safer opioid deprescribing
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Australian and international experts have released 11 recommendations on when, how, and in what situation it may be appropriate for clinicians to reduce opioid use, by…
the flesh-rotting drug adding to America’s opioid crisis
Opioid addict Martin has seen the deadly fentanyl replace heroin as the most prevalent drug in New York. Now he’s trying to avoid “tranq,” a flesh-eating drug increasingly causing concern…
