How Addiction in America Exploded

The New Yorker has published a fascinating, in-depth article on how the Sackler family (owners of Perdue Pharmaceutical) made billions of dollars selling Oxycontin throughout America. While effective pain management was, and is, a very important medical consideration, scores of people were introduced to a drug that was heralded as relatively “safe”, but which opened
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The Case for Medication Assisted Recovery

Historically, abstinence-based recovery has sought to establish that recovering addicts abstain from all use of illicit substances including alcohol. This model of treatment was originally rooted in the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step Program which by design was intended to address alcohol addiction specifically. That program has been extremely popular and effective in helping alcohol dependent
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The Difference Between Methadone and Suboxone

An overview: Methadone and Suboxone are the two leading medications used in the treatment of opioid addiction. Methadone has been utilized in opioid treatment in the United States since the late 1960’s. Suboxone was introduced in 2002. Methadone and suboxone are in widespread use around the world due to their proven benefit in the treatment
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International Overdose Awareness Day

Celebrate Life By Coming Together is a free family event open to the public. This event will remember, celebrate, empower, and encourage the loved ones of those impacted by overdose; support those who are in recovery from substance use; and give hope to the community. This event will have food, bounce houses, games, resource tables,
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April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Know! April is Alcohol Awareness Month The media has done a good job bringing to light the prevalence and severity of the use of heroin, prescription drugs and marijuana among our nation’s youth. But what about alcohol? We don’t hear much about it in the news anymore. Is underage drinking still that widespread? And c’mon,
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CDC Point To Rapid Opioid Addiction

A Newsweek article addresses a finding by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) which indicates individuals receiving an opioid prescription can develop an opioid dependency “within a few days of initial use”. The associated study was conducted at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and was based on examination of patient records
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Behavioral Health Affects Overall Health

SAMHSA published an article on their website referencing data collected from 40 million Blue Cross Blue Shield subscribers. The article stated that Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders have a negative effect on Americans’ longevity, productivity, and general health. Specifically, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders were cited as having the greatest impact on health. Substance
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Shocking Overdose Situation in Kentucky

As we examine the opioid crisis in America, it is important to take note of trends in both the prevalence of opioid abuse as well as progress in providing education and treatment to address the problem. CNN reported that during a 32 hour span of time between Wednesday and Friday of last week, emergency personnel
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Heroin Overdoses Behind The Wheel Are Increasing

The News & Record published a recent story about an increase in heroin overdoses occurring while operating a motor vehicle. This has resulted in serious car crashes around the Piedmont Triad community. In some instances, small children were in the backseat of the car and in jeopardy of severe injury while the driver overdosed and
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Giving Up Tobacco

Tobacco has been one of the most prevalent, long-standing addictions in America. Fortunately, tobacco use has declined over the past 30 years with many public buildings, retail stores, and restaurants having banned smoking as a service to their patrons. Smoking cigarettes was once a rite of passage as teens aspired to look older and act
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