Watch out for “Rainbow Fentanyl” this Halloween
Sometime in late August this year, the Drug Enforcement Administration sent out a press release about an alarming new trend known as “rainbow” fentanyl. Read More
Category: Breaking News
CVS and Walmart Reach a Collective $147.5 million Opioid Settlement with West Virginia
CVS Health and Walmart have agreed to pay $147.5 million to settle West Virginia’s claims over their alleged roles in the state’s opioid crisis, state attorney general Patrick Morrisey said Tuesday. CVS agreed to pay $82.5 million and Walmart agreed to pay approximately $65 million, according to the state. Read More
Recovering Addicts Work to Help Others in “Project Recover”
According to ABC News in Chesterfield, Virginia, individuals in recovery can join a program with the local sheriff’s office to become peer recovery specialists to help officers responding to calls of individuals struggling with their sobriety. Joy Bogese approaches people struggling with drug addiction the way a teacher might approach a reluctant student — gently, calmly, and armed with experience in a subject that has stymied each of them. Read More
New Hampshire’s Multi-Million Settlement with Johnson & Johnson
In the storm of litigation from states to the big drug companies, another victory has been won for the states. This time New Hampshire is getting a piece of the pie, that being a $40.5 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson. What’s of note in this announcement, which came on September 1st of this year, is that this settlement was reached three days before the case was taken to trial. Read More
Meth Plays Big Role in Drug ODs in Rural America | HealthDay
Methamphetamine is driving an epidemic of drug overdoses in rural America, a new study concludes. Researchers attribute the surge to meth laced with fentanyl or combined with an opioid that contains fentanyl. “Methamphetamine is increasingly contaminated or adulterated with fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin,” said lead researcher Dr. Todd Korthuis, director of the Addiction Medicine Section at Oregon Health & Science University, in Portland. Read More
Senator Schumer Pushes for $3.2B from the Federal Government for Opioid Prevention, Treatment, & Recovery
At a time when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated Staten Island’s drug crisis, Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer wants to increase funding for opioid and substance misuse by $3.2 billion. Read More
Bruce’s Law
The use of the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, has grown into a national health crisis across the country. The dangers have gotten to a point that some experts on calling the large spike of use as the third wave of the opioid epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), deaths due to fentanyl have increased 55% from 2020 to 2021. Read More
Partnership to End Addiction launches RxAware – a Program to Curb Opioid Misuse and Educate Families
Partnership to End Addiction, a national nonprofit uniquely positioned to reach, engage and help families impacted by addiction, launched an innovative program that will help curb opioid misuse. The program, RxAware, aims to educate people on the wide array of non-opioid pain relievers available and offer ways to reduce the risks associated with opioid medications if prescribed. Read More
Opioid Settlement Updates
Ever since the landmark settlement of $26 Billion with Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, and Cardinal Health, states have been slowly getting funds distributed to help fight the opioid crisis. Read More
The 2022 National Drug Control Strategy to Address the Overdose Epidemic
As of April 2022, approximately 106,854 Americans throughout the country have lost their lives to a drug overdose. As a response, on April 21st, 2022, President Biden had sent his Administration’s inaugural National Drug Control Strategy, which would deliver on the call to action in the President’s Unity Agenda through a whole-of-government approach to overcome the overdose epidemic. Read More
HOPE: A New App for Those Struggling with Opioids
Last week I was talking to a co-worker about the opioid epidemic. In truth, I forget why it was mentioned, but what struck me about the conversation was when I said opioids were still a serious issue, and my coworker replied, “really? That’s still a problem?” Read More
Wisconsin Awarded $400 Million in Opioid Settlements
Announced earlier this afternoon, Wisconsin was awarded $400 million from two class action lawsuit settlements related to the opioid crisis. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) wrote in a statement that “Wisconsin will receive over $400 million from separate settlements with three opioid distributors (Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen) and Johnson & Johnson. Read More