News
This Devastating Opioid Overdose Map Shows America Is Fighting 4 Distinct Epidemics – Fast Company – December 10, 2019
Turns out that a single opioid crisis doesn’t actually exist. This year over 70,000 Americans have died in four distinct opioid epidemics, each bringing death through different drugs and regions. Read More.
The ‘Opioid Workforce Act’ Hopes to Increase Ranks in Fighting the Opioid Epidemic – Forbes – December 9, 2019
UMN Research Indicates Women Receive More Opioids Than Needed After Giving Birth – Minnesota Daily – December 8, 2019
A University of Minnesota study found that women bring home more prescribed opioids than they need after giving birth. The study, which was published last month, analyzed medical records from six hospitals across the country to show that physicians generally send 75 percent of women home with a surplus of pills. Read More.
This Was the Decade Drug Overdoses Killed Nearly Half a Million Americans – BuzzFeed News – December 6, 2019
It was also the decade we finally started treating drug addiction like a disease, spurred by an overdose epidemic that ravaged white, rural America. Read More.
What’s Behind the Spike in Death Rates Among Young Adults in Minnesota? – MinnPost – December 3, 2019
Mortality rates are rising in Minnesota, caused by a combination of an aging population and a rise in so-called “deaths of despair.” Read More.
Opioid Crisis Harming Aging Community – National Council on Aging – December 2, 2019
Seventy percent of local organizations ramp up response to opioid-related issues among older adults. Read More.
Drugs Used to Replace Opioids Linked With Increase in Suicide Attempts Across U.S. – Newsweek – December 2, 2019
As opioid prescriptions have fallen amid an epidemic of overuse and overdose, suicide attempts liked to some non-opioid medications replacing them have risen, research has revealed. Read More.
How Minnesota Schools Are Doubling Down on Anti-Vaping Efforts – MinnPost – December 2, 2019
As teen vaping rates continue to rise, Minnesota educators are monitoring their classrooms and hallways for well-disguised vaping devices. Read More.
Stigma, Lack of Treatment Options Help Fuel Opioid Crisis – Mainline Media News – December 2, 2019
“We have good treatments and treatments that work but we’re currently dong a far less than adequate job in bringing the treatments to the patients…” Read More.
First-of-its-Kind Study Concludes That 1996 Release of OxyContin Played Major Role in the Opioid Crisis – Washington Examiner – December 2, 2019
Purdue Pharma’s 1996 release of OxyContin led to increased opioid overdose deaths in the past two decades and was a primary cause of the opioid epidemic plaguing the country, according to a new study. Read More.