Attorney Struggled With Addiction

There is an interesting life story and profile of addiction in the New York Times regarding an attorney and family man who finally succumbed to chronic drug use. Peter was a high powered Silicon Valley attorney who was well respected and capable, but who hid a powerful addiction for years before dying of a systemic
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102 People Overdose in 3 Days on Synthetic Marijuana

Fox 8 news reported that 102 people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania overdosed on synthetic marijuana over a period of three days. The marijuana-like substance is commonly referred to as “K2“. None of the overdoses resulted in fatality. According to the Director of Lancaster Emergency Medical Services, Robert May, some of the emergency calls involved 2
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THC-Infused Gummy Bears

Eleven teenagers in Indiana were hospitalized after overdosing on THC gummy bears. 911 was called, and when they responded on the scene they found numerous teens hallucinating, experiencing blurry vision, rapid heart rate, and pain in their legs. They all had ingested a half of a gummy bear that had been infused with THC (the
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Pot Use Among College Students

A University of Michigan study funded by the National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that college students are presently 51% more likely to use marijuana than same age peers who are not enrolled in college. This trend has been increasing at about 10% per year for several years underscoring the need for increased prevention
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Governors Institute on Opioid Addiction

North Carolina has an informative website which addresses the rising opioid problem. The address is GovernorsInstitute.org and this site highlights the issue of opioid use and misuse in the United States. Mentioned there is that 998 North Carolinians died of opioid overdose in 2015. The Governors Institute offers guidelines on opioid prescribing and also focuses
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Doctors and Pharmacists Exercising Caution

There is an enlightening article and video segment by Ryan Haraar (Colorado 9NEWS) on the rising problem with opioid overdose in America. The piece highlights that the United States comprises 5% of the world’s population, but consumes 80% of the world’s prescription opioids. Presently, there is considerable discussion in the news about the origins of
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Catawba County Opium Poppy Plant Bust

A local Fox 8 news article just revealed that Catawba County law enforcement authorities have uncovered a large poppy plant operation. Poppy plants are used to create opium which in turn is used to make heroin. The poppy plants had an estimated value of $500 million. State Bureau of Investigation authorities and local deputies wore
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Street Drug Referred To As Gray Death

Authorities have identified a new drug hitting the streets that is a combination of heroin, fentanyl, another synthetic opioid called U-47700, and an elephant tranquilizer. Investigators are calling it a high-potency cocktail, and they are concerned about its potential to cause overdose death on first use. “Gray Death” is described as having the appearance and
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Substance Abuse Treatment in the Community

Joe McDonald is President and CEO of Catholic Health Services in Buffalo, NY. They are an outpatient substance abuse treatment facility who recently relocated, and are adding “medication-assisted treatment” to help local people struggling with opioid addiction. Joe wrote an opinion piece for The Buffalo News, and in it expressed his hope that the local
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New Hampshire Cracking Down on Drug Dealers

A Fox News report highlighted a recent story detailing New Hampshire’s targeting of drug dealers. The state has undergone severe losses with numerous drug overdose deaths, particularly from heroin and fentanyl (a powerful synthetic opioid). New Hampshire is now “treating overdoses as crime scenes”, and pursuing charges of manslaughter against those who sell drugs that
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