How the News Frames the Opioid Epidemic
US news coverage has primarily framed the opioid drug abuse epidemic as a criminal justice issue rather than a public health problem, according to new research published ahead of print in the Journal of Psychiatric Services. The mediaās framing of the epidemic may increase stigma against those who develop a dependency on prescription drugs and distract political attention from public-health oriented solutions, such as increased access to substance abuse recovery treatments.
Companies That Fueled the Opioid Epidemic Should Fund Efforts to End It
The quickest way to restore safe use of opioid prescription is to insist that the drug companies that promoted the overuse of opioids now create a pot of money to develop powerful TV, radio, and print ads, free continuing education offerings, and drug rehabilitation research.
Are Pharmaceutical Companies to Blame for the Opioid Epidemic?
FromĀ The Atlantic: As opioid abuse rises, some attorneys general and advocates are filing lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies for misleading doctors and the public about...
British Medical Association Takes On Prescription Drug Dependence
Last year the British Medical Association (BMA) released a report on dependence and withdrawal from prescription drugs including benzodiazepines, z-drugs, opioids, and antidepressants. Now,...
Experts Warn of an Emerging ‘Stimulant Epidemic’
FromĀ Medscape: While policymakers and members of the general public are justifiably focused on addressing the opioid epidemic, there is another epidemic that may be...
The Opioid Diaries
FromĀ TIME: Over the past year, photographer James Nachtwey set out to document the opioid crisis, the worst addiction epidemic in American history. Here, Nachtwey's...
Opioid Bill Includes Involuntary Commitment
FromĀ EDS and Chronic Pain News & Info: Recent legislation has proposed measures that permit people to be involuntarily committed on the basis of perceived...
The Drug Industry’s Triumph Over the DEA
In this piece forĀ The Washington Post, Scott Higham and Lenny Bernstein investigate howĀ a handful of members of Congress, allied with some of the nation's...
Powerful Opioid Suspected in 10-year-old Miami Boy’s Death
FromĀ STAT: A 10-year-old boy from Miami recently died from a fentanyl overdose, becoming one of the youngest victims of the opioid crisis.
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Polypharmacy is Compounding the Opioid Epidemic
FromĀ The Lown Institute:Ā TheĀ recent deaths of several beloved musicians, actors, and other public figures have brought to light the dangers of taking multiple, potentiallyĀ fatal drugs.
"In...
Seattle-caught Salmon Found to Contain Drugs
FromĀ My Science Academy: InĀ a recent study, up to 81 drugs and personal care products were detected in the flesh of salmon caught in Puget...
Xanax Nation
In this blog post, Andy White highlights the role Xanax plays in silencing political dissent and keeping the public complacent. Instead of expressing anger...
Doctors From Lower-Tier Medical Schools Prescribe More Opioids
FromĀ STAT: New research indicates that doctors who graduated from lower-tier medical schools prescribe about three times as many opioid painkillers per year as those...
The Poison We Pick
In this piece forĀ New York Magazine, Andrew Sullivan traces the history of the use of opiates in the U.S. and explores the social, economic,...
In Opioid Battle, Cherokee Want Their Day in Tribal Court
FromĀ The New York Times: The opioid epidemic is wreaking havoc on Cherokee families and putting Cherokee children at risk. Now, the Cherokee Nation has...
ā4 in 10 Know Someone Addicted to Prescription Pain Killerā
A new poll, published in the Washington Post, explores the publicās connection to prescription pain killer abuse.Ā āA surprising 56 percent of the public say...
āMost Who OD on Opioids are Able to Get New Prescriptionsā
Felice J. Freyer for the Boston Globe reports on a new study of chronic pain treatment. āMore than 90 percent of people who survived...
The Corruption of Evidence Based MedicineāāāKilling for Profit
FromĀ Medium: According to many prominent physicians, so-called "evidence based medicine" is no longer useful. Much of the evidence base has been corrupted by the...
There’s Little Evidence Abuse-Deterrent Opioids Work
FromĀ STAT: In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has proposed using abuse-deterrent opioids - those that make it more difficult to crush, snort, or inject...
Calling it “Brain Disease” Makes Addiction Harder to Treat
FromĀ The Boston Globe: Conceptualizing addiction as a biological brain diseaseĀ is often ineffective, as the biological model overlooks the important psychological and social factors that...
āJudge Orders Release of Secret OxyContin Records Sought by STATā
A Kentucky judge has ruled that Purdue Pharma will have to release secret documents about the marketing of OxyContin, a potent pain pill that...
Podcast: The Top 10 Quotes of 2017
In this podcast forĀ HealthNewsReview.org, Michael Joyce shares what he considers theĀ 10 most compelling quotes fromĀ last year's podcast episodes. The quotes include a wide variety...
To Treat Pain, PTSD and Other Ills, Veterans Try Tai Chi
FromĀ NPR: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a new program that offers wheelchair tai chi classes in order to help veterans manage...
The Long History of Discrimination in Pain Medicine
FromĀ The Atlantic: Throughout history, doctors have often stigmatized and discounted patients suffering from pain without visible injury. The rise of X-rays and other "objective"...
What We Must Learn From the US Opioid Epidemic
FromĀ The BMJ: There is no doubt that America's opioid epidemic is a national crisis that needs to be addressed. However, we must be careful...
