Controversial Proposal to Allow Heroin In Ithaca, New York

CNN has posted a story about the mayor of Ithaca, New York proposing that the city host a program which would allow addicts to legally inject heroin at a designated safe place. The approach is a harm reduction strategy that has been reportedly tried in Europe, Australia, and Canada. Ithaca’s mayor, Svante Myrick, is quoted
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Heroin Help Cards in High Point

The High Point Police Department has been a steadfast supporter of addiction treatment and in assisting people with addiction problems find the help that they need. Their most recent effort is the use of Heroin Help Cards. WFMY News2 aired a segment highlighting this new initiative in which High Point Police Officers will hand out
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CNN Special Show On Prescription Addiction

CNN aired an informative special program on 5/11/2016, Prescription Addiction: Doctors Must Lead Us Out. The one hour special was hosted by Anderson Cooper and neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta. It specifically addressed how the current opioid epidemic in America has been driven by the over prescribing of opioid medication. Various doctors, recovering addicts, and others
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W-18 Reported To Be Dangerous Street Drug

The CBS-affiliate station out of Connecticut, WTVR, reported this week that a new street drug is being sold in the United States and Canada. It is called W-18 and is a synthetic opioid first developed in a Canadian lab in 1981. Emergency medical personnel have stated that a small amount of the drug is powerful
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$30 Million Proposed For NC Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders

The NC Council of Community Programs just published its bi-monthly newsletter. In it, Governor McCrory proposed that $30 million dollars be allocated for Substance Use Disorders, Mental Health, and Developmental Disabilities. Included in the allocation is a standing order which allows naloxone to be dispensed to anyone who requests it. Approximately 2500 lives were saved
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Lethal Overdose Map of the United States

Using CDC statistics from 2002 – 2014, TIME has produced a coded map of fatal overdoses in the United States. In the graphic below, red areas are geographical locations with the highest concentration of fatal overdoses per capita. The study has a disclaimer however which states that small counties are not represented as accurately on
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The Need For Drug Treatment

It is commonly known that resources for drug treatment and prevention have gradually waned over the past 15 years. As this reduction in resources progressed, so did America’s drug problem. Many professionals in law enforcement now state that the country cannot arrest its way out of this growing dilemma. Many of those who are addicted
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PBS Frontline Highlights America’s Heroin Epidemic

ADS Board Member, Stacy Smith, recently notified ADS staff of a powerful documentary she viewed which just aired on PBS. The film is titled Chasing Heroin. It is an expertly produced piece on the resurgence of heroin addiction in America. Chasing Heroin profiles a number of individuals and families who are struggling with heroin/opioid addiction.
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The Stigma of Addiction

People who face addiction also deal with the social stigma attached to having an alcohol or drug problem. Addiction is a powerful disease that changes people and often leads to a life of repeated disappointments and failed restarts. These failures are frequently visible to friends, family, and employers. As family and others watch on, often
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CNN Article Cites Increase in Marijuana Use

A study published by the American Medical Association spanning a 10-year period (roughly 2002 to 2012) found that the number of Americans using marijuana has doubled. 4.1% of adults in 2001-2002 admitted using pot, but that number increased to 9.5% within the last year. The CNN article states that the study was based on in-person
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