Counterfeit Xanax laced with deadly fentanyl becoming popular party drug
LOS ANGELES, CA (FOX 11) - A FOX 11 investigation is taking you into the world of “xans” and “bars”, counterfeit Xanax pills taken by young adults which could be laced with the extremely deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. “Imagine three to five grains of table salt, that’s the potential fatal dose for an adult,” said Marlon Whitfield of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Los Angeles division. “If you take one of these pills, there’s a chance you may die. Xans have been glorified by hip hop artists in the music industry, they’ve appeared in numerous of their music videos, and they’re [...]
Methamphetamine’s prevalence increased last year in Cuyahoga County, medical examiner says
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The prevalence of methamphetamine increased last year in Cuyahoga County, but the medical examiner's office is not seeing an increase in deaths caused by the drug, officials said. Cuyahoga County is not immune to a recent resurgence of the powerful stimulant across the nation. Law enforcement officers are seizing the drug - which is found in forms like crystal meth and fake ecstasy tablets - more frequently, Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson said Wednesday in a news release. "We have not seen an increase in deaths from methamphetamine - our overarching problem there remains the opioids like [...]
Kernels for Life Training and Roundtable Discussion on PAX/Kernels for Life
Thu, March 1, 2018: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST Join us for a full Kernels for Life training and roundtable discussoin of PAX and Kernels for Life Implemenation. Research-based Kernels for Life is a community-based prevention program made up of research-based strategies or "kernels" for impoving behavior, performance and relationships with young people. Free Kernels Kits will be provided to attendees. During the roundtable discussion we will define ideas how to enage parents to learn and implement kernels for Life with their children. Presented by Staff from the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Union County. Co-sponsored by Communities [...]
Herbal supplement kratom contains opioids, regulators say
U.S. health authorities say an herbal supplement promoted as an alternative pain remedy contains the same chemicals found in opioids, the addictive family of drugs at the center of a national addiction crisis. The Food and Drug Administration analysis, published Tuesday, makes it more likely that the supplement, kratom, could be banned by the federal government. The FDA also said it has identified 44 reports of death involving kratom since 2011, up from 36 reported in November. Sold in various capsules and powders, kratom has gained popularity in the U.S. as a treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence. Proponents [...]
OxyContin maker says it will no longer market opioid to doctors
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com In a surprise reversal, the maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin said Saturday that it will stop promoting opioid drugs to doctors. Manufacturer Purdue bowed to a key demand of lawsuits that blame the Connecticut-based company for helping trigger the opioid epidemic. The company's statement said it eliminated more than half its sales staff this week and will no longer send sales representatives to doctors' offices to discuss opioid drugs. Its remaining sales staff of about 200 will focus on other medications. "The genie is already out of the bottle," said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, [...]
West Virginia calls in National Guard to tackle opioid crisis
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com People expect to see the Army National Guard during disasters. In Huntington, W.Va., the guard has been called in to help tackle the opioid crisis — which the governor has described as a disaster. “We have to stop this terrible drug epidemic,” West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said. “We have to. If we don't, it will cannibalize us." Huntington has been called the overdose capital of America, with double the national average of overdoses, due in part to the decline of the coal industry, a lack of jobs and the easy availability of the drugs. [...]