There are numerous American cities that stand out for certain characteristics. Madison, Wisconsin as a great place to bike. Cooperstown, N.Y., for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Asbury Park, N.J., as the town where Bruce Springsteen got his start. The list goes on and on. Recently, San Francisco and Philadelphia, on opposite…
Do the West Coast papers cover drug use in Silicon Valley to the extent that other publications do? Because it certainly seems to pop up in other media. Take microdosing, as an example. It’s a valid way to study the effect of a new medication on the body more safely than administering a full dose,…
The holiday season is a happy and fun time for some people, and an anxious and nerve-wracking time for others. Many people love this season—the decorations, the well-wishers, the parties, food—the list goes on and on. Of course, this time of year has it challenges, too, such as the unrealistic expectations, the fatigue that sets…
Dsuvia There’s a new opioid in town called Dsuvia. It’s been all over the news lately, and it’s controversial. An NBC News headline proclaimed “FDA approves powerful new opioid in ‘terrible’ decision.” The FDA was also accused of bypassing its own advisory process to approve the drug. This drug, which is 1,000 time stronger than…
The justice system has become a lot more just lately when it comes to people suffering from substance use disorders by offering diversion programs that allow people who abuse drugs and commit crimes to avoid jail time by attending treatment and engaging in long-term monitoring. Certain professionals such as police, doctors, and lawyers have their own…
With all the evidence available, there’s no denying some employees have used drugs while working, whether they shot up in a restroom, or popped a few pills at their desk, for example. An article in The New York Times holds that ”As the opioid epidemic continues to rage…, the fallout is increasingly manifesting itself at…
Addiction Treatment Centers Leave it to California to take the lead when it comes to a group of hospitals trying a new way of helping those addicted to opioids—having ERs administer buprenorphine (aka Suboxone) when someone enters in the throes of withdrawal. (Lest anyone forget, buprenorphine is weaker than other opioids. It activates “the same…
The number of people suffering from substance use disorder who likely think they won’t end up in jail is probably large—especially if they have good jobs. They never think it will happen to them. But it can. As a recent episode of the TV program Dopesick Nation showed, even formerly responsible citizens may find themselves…
Opiod Crisis By now you have likely heard of the new book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America by Beth Macy. Reviews are everywhere, and Macy appeared on radio station NPR and a PBS episode on TV this month. A reviewer at the Roanoke Times, where Macy once worked, says the…
Can the news from the Centers for Disease Control about 2017 drug overdoses BE any bleaker? The years 2016-2017 saw a record number of people dying from overdoses, which was more deaths than from guns, car crashes, or H.I.V. Someone has done an analysis. Drugs are deadlier now (often due to mixing them with other substances…
