Addiction - Articles - Page 2

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Injured workers more likely to die from suicide or opioid overdose

Katie M. Applebaum ScD Andrew Busey BS Leslie I. Boden PhD Paul K. O'Leary PhD Yorghos Tripodis PhD

August 14, 2019

In the study, “Suicide and drug‐related mortality following occupational injury,” published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, researchers found that workplace injury significantly raises a person’s risk of suicide or overdose death. Earlier studies have shown that injured workers have elevated rates opioid use and depression.

The e-cigarette wars: Youthful users at heart of battles

July 29, 2019

Dueling ads currently playing out on the nation’s TV screens show both sides in an escalating conflict involving manufacturers, health experts and federal regulators. PSAs produced by the FDA warn American children about the dangers of e-cigarette use, or vaping. Meanwhile, e-cigarettes – whose makers have so far managed to evade the ban on tobacco advertising, despite the fact that the devices contain tobacco – are portrayed as health aids which can assist smokers in quitting the use of conventional cigarettes.

From the FairWarning Warning Wire:

New report reveals extent of opioid distribution where you live

July 24, 2019

The numbers are staggering: 76 billion pain pills distributed between 2006 and 2012 by the largest drugs companies in the U.S. Enough to supply every child and adult in the country with 36 pills each year. In the hardest hit rural communities, the pill-per-capita count reached into the hundreds.

When you pick up your prescription…

You may get extra counseling

July 17, 2019

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is developing new guidance intended to help make people fully aware of the abuse or addiction possibilities of the prescriptions they’re taking. Drug Abuse and Dependence Section of Labeling for Human Prescription Drug and Biological Products - Content and Format doesn’t just deal with prescription medications that are scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Medications not scheduled under the CSA that have dependence potential are also addressed.

Prescribing fewer opioids not enough to combat epidemic

June 19, 2019

Solving the opioid epidemic requires a “whole person” approach that includes nonpharmacological treatment for pain, as well as ensuring that people have the employment, education and housing supports they need for long-term recovery, the chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association (APA) told a congressional panel.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder

Susan Afunah MA Casey Chosewood MD, MPH Tamekia Evans Lauren Cimineri PharmD, MP Dr. John Howard

May 29, 2019

The opioid overdose epidemic continues to claim lives across the country with a record 47,600 overdose deaths in 2017[i]. The crisis is taking an especially devastating toll on certain parts of the U.S. workforce. High rates of opioid overdose deaths have occurred in industries with high injury rates and physically demanding working conditions such as construction, mining, or fishing[ii],[iii].

Opioid epidemic is increasing rates of some infectious diseases

April 4, 2019

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is warning of a “converging public health crisis,” as the nation’s opioid epidemic fuels growing rates of certain infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, heart infections, and skin and soft tissue infections. Infectious disease and substance use disorder professionals must work together to stem the mounting public health threat, according to a new commentary in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Travelers cuts opioid use among injured construction workers

April 4, 2019

The Travelers Companies, Inc. reports that it has reduced opioid use by nearly 40 percent among the injured construction workers it has helped, thanks in part to the Early Severity Predictor® model, which helps predict which injured employees are at higher risk of experiencing chronic pain. Additionally, the insurance giant implemented a comprehensive pharmacy management program that monitors drug interactions, excessive dosing and abuse patterns to reduce the risk of opioid dependency.

Experimental drug may curb opioid cravings

"Every region of the U.S." is affected by opioid epidemic

March 26, 2019

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has begun testing an experimental drug that could help opioid addicts deal with the cravings that cause them to continue using the dangerous substance. In Phase I of the clinical trial currently underway at the NIH Clinical Center – researchers will study how the compound ANS-6637 is processed in the body when given with another drug that is processed by the same liver enzyme pathway.

Prescription fentanyl behind many overdose deaths

November 16, 2018

Although numerous reports attribute fentanyl overdose deaths to illegally manufactured versions of the drug, new research shows that pharmaceutical fentanyl may be playing a significant role in the opioid crisis. The study, presented this week at the American Public Health Association’s 2018 Annual Meeting and Expo found that 44 percent of people who died from fentanyl overdose had previously been prescribed fentanyl by a medical professional.