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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New England Journal of Medicine on Opioid Abuse

A February 4 article in The New England Journal of Medicine addresses the epidemic of opioid abuse that has become the #1 leading cause of injury-related death in the United States now even surpassing vehicle accidents. The Journal reports that approximately 100 million U.S. citizens suffer pain in the course of a year and that
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Medscape Article Highlights Drug Overdose In Death Statistics

A June 2015 article in Medscape points to continued public concerns with drug overdose in the United States. Megan Brooks of Medscape writes: “Drug overdose is now the leading cause of deaths from injury in the United States.” She addresses that 26 states have seen an increase in drug overdose deaths over the last 4 years. In 36
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Anthony Steele Attends NC Heroin Summit

Anthony Steele is the Director of Medical Services at Alcohol and Drug Services. In the video below, Dr. Steele addresses a variety of questions about Piedmont Triad community concerns regarding the local opioid addiction problem. A focus of the Heroin Summit was on the multi-level benefits of instituting harm reduction tools in the community to
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Life Saving Product, Evzio, Being Rolled Out

Evzio is a new medical product recently released and which was developed for the prevention of opioid overdose death. It is a convenient naloxone administration device that can be quickly and easily given to heroin & opiate overdose victims. The product has been covered by Huffington Post and Methadone.US. Shown below is a news video
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Three NC Deaths After Using Cocaine Laced With Fentanyl

On Sunday, it was reported by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office that three adults in the Siler City area died following ingestion of cocaine laced with Fentanyl (a powerful prescription painkiller). Six others became sickened and were treated on the scene by EMS or taken to local hospitals. One of these is presently hospitalized in
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Survival Is What Makes Recovery Possible

Since May of this year, the High Point Police Department has experienced a vast increase in heroin related overdoses. Emergency Responders have been able to reverse a majority of them upon arrival on scene but 11 of the 102 overdoses identified have resulted in deaths. This appears to be representative of a national trend that
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WFMY News2 Cover High Point Heroin Problem

Local media have been increasing their coverage of the growing problem with opioid addiction in the Piedmont Triad community. In the article referenced here, Beating The Heroin Addiction, WFMY provide a news piece addressing the fact that 11 people in High Point have died of a heroin overdose since March and an additional 94 individuals
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Greensboro Police To Receive Training in Treating Opioid Overdose

Les Quagliano Clinical Addiction Specialist
WXII 12 have posted a news item on the Greensboro Police Department’s decision to train 235 officers in the administration of naloxone (often known by the brand name, Narcan). Naloxone reverses the potentially deadly effects of opioid overdose and can restore breathing to overdose victims within minutes. This decision is in response to the rash
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