In the video shown below, CBS News aired a short piece on America’s opioid addiction crisis highlighting how people begin with prescription opiates and then transition to heroin. The segment addresses the well-publicized opioid overdose concerns making headlines, and raised questions for which there are yet no clear answers. Also of interest is the recent

In recognition of the 27th Annual National Recovery Month, Alcohol & Drug Services, Inc. and Caring Services, Inc. will sponsor CELEBRATE RECOVERY on Sunday—September 25, 2016 at Oak Hollow Festival Park (1841 Eastchester Drive, High Point, NC) from 2pm-5pm. The purpose of this event is to honor and support individuals and families who are in

The Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, took an unprecedented step this month sending out a cautionary letter to 2.3 million U.S. healthcare providers. In the letter, he shared his concern regarding the prescription opioid crisis which has led to a staggering number of opioid overdose deaths across the country. Dr. Murthy

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

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

A March 2016 Medscape article profiles the rising problem that U.S hospitals are facing as larger numbers of opioid addicted people seek emergency room help. Hospital professionals are witnessing that many who present for help are just not ready to stop opioid misuse. In regard to injecting water-soluble drugs, Dr. Theisen-Toupal of the VA Medical

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.

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

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

A National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) article highlights findings recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The study determined that new opioid prescription policies which more carefully regulate the prescribing of opioids have not directly led to a rise in heroin use over the last few years. Researchers found that an individual’s