Trump signs bipartisan opioid bill aimed at curbing national crisis
President Trump signed a sweeping bipartisan bill into law on Wednesday aimed at making medical treatment for opioid addiction more widely available while also cracking down on illicit drugs being sent through the mail. The bill, which was passed by Congress earlier this month, will expand access to substance abuse treatment in Medicaid. The Senate voted 98-1 on the measure following the House’s 393-8 approval. More than 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, marking a 10 percent increase from 2016. Of those deaths, 48,000 involved opioids. While Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said on Tuesday [...]
Opioid crisis creates new concerns for funeral homes
CLEVELAND - The opioid crisis in Northeast Ohio is changing how those who provide afterlife care do their jobs. Not only are they seeing more overdose deaths, but each one brings its own unique challenges that could leave funeral home staff and their guests at risk. From accidental exposure to powerful drugs to fights breaking out during a service, it's the new reality for those who consider themselves the last responders to this deadly problem. Funeral homes are now forced to change with the times. The National Funeral Directors Association is recommending that its members across the country train their [...]
The Numbers Behind America’s Opioid Epidemic
Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50, who are now more likely to die from a drug overdose than from car accidents or firearms. The United States has the dubious distinction of having the highest percentage of drug-related deaths in the world. While opioid abuse is a nationwide problem, there are specific areas that are being hit harder by this epidemic. Using the location data above, from NORC at the University of Chicago, we can see clusters of counties that have an extremely high rate of overdose deaths. Between 2012 and 2016, West Virginia, [...]
How Fentanyl Is Contaminating America’s Cocaine Supply
The super-potent drug has been the leading killer of the opioid epidemic — now it’s finding its way into illegal stimulants, and the death toll is rising Right now, the United States is grappling with a deadly opioid epidemic, and at the center of the crisis is illegal fentanyl, a painkiller found in hospitals that is also manufactured for the black market in places like China and South America. Over the last few years, this illegal fentanyl has started to make its way into heroin and other opiate-based drugs, such as oxycodone. It’s a cheap alternative to those drugs, and since it offers a similar sedentary [...]
Drug deaths in Ohio increase to 4,854 in 2017: state report
Gov. John Kasich, during a Thursday afternoon press conference at the Ohio Statehouse, says the perception of the drug abuse problem raging out of control is "simply not true." (Laura Hancock, cleveland.com) COLUMBUS, Ohio - Over 13 people died a day on average in Ohio due to drug overdoses last year, a new high as the state battles the opioid epidemic. Gov. John Kasich, who will leave office in January, played defense during a Thursday afternoon news conference where the death tally was announced, emphasizing the work he's accomplished to make some progress in the battle against the drugs - such as [...]
Ohio county reports 18 fatal overdoses in 1 week
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The coroner for the county that includes Ohio’s capital city is warning of a spike in overdose deaths and encouraging friends and family members of addicts to obtain an overdose antidote. Dr. Anahi Ortiz of Franklin County on Wednesday reported five overdose deaths in 24 hours in greater Columbus, for a total of 18 deaths in a week. Ortiz notes that the antidote drug naloxone is available from pharmacies without a prescription. Hundreds die annually in Ohio from heroin, fentanyl and painkiller overdoses. On Aug. 29, authorities say a mixture of heroin and fentanyl at an Ohio [...]