Benzodiazepines and “Z-Drugs” Increase Death Risk When Taken With Opioids
A new study by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers of more the 400,000 Medicare patients taking medications for insomnia found that the risk of death…
Opioids
Weeding Out the Truth: Cannabis May Be Linked to Development of Opioid Use Disorders
The idea that cannabis is a ‘gateway drug’ to more harmful substances such as opioids is controversial, yet has substantially impacted drug policy, education, and…
Vitamin D Deficiency Strongly Exaggerates the Craving for and Effects of Opioids – Supplements May Help Combat Addiction
Vitamin D deficiency strongly exaggerates the craving for and effects of opioids, potentially increasing the risk for dependence and addiction, according to a new study…
Can We Make Opioids Less Addictive? [Video]
Opioids are the most powerful painkillers we have, but they’re incredibly addictive. Tens of thousands of people in the U.S. die of an opioid overdose…
Access to Legal Cannabis Stores Linked to Reduction in Opioid Deaths
Findings may have implications for tackling opioid misuse. Access to legal cannabis stores is associated with a reduction in opioid related deaths in the United…
Contrary to Some Claims, Cannabis Use Appears to Encourage, Not Replace, Opioid Use
Contrary to some claims, people in the U.S may not be substituting cannabis for opioids, according to new research at Columbia University Mailman School of…
Shocking Research Shows That Antibiotic Use May Increase Risk for Opioid Abuse
When Sierra Simpson was in college, she was sick for a year with recurring fevers and vomiting. Her doctors couldn’t figure out what she had….
Opioid Crisis May Be Far Worse Than We Thought – Thousands More Lives Taken Each Year Than Reported
New research appearing in the journal Addiction shows that the number of deaths attributed to opioid-related overdoses could be 28 percent higher than reported due to…
New Study Shows How Cancer Survivors Develop Opioid Addictions
Opioids play an important role in how cancer patients manage pain, but the ongoing opioid epidemic has raised concerns about their potential for abuse. Pain…
Study Finds No Evidence to Suggest Cannabis Helps Patients Stop Using Opioids
Cannabis Found Not to Be a Substitute for Opioids There has been interest in cannabis being used as a replacement drug for people with opioid…
Study Examines Opioid & Cocaine Use by Profession – Most Likely to Use “Makes Sense”
Study points to need for programs to prevent drug-related harm among workers in risky industry. Construction workers are more likely to use drugs than workers…
Physicians More Likely to Prescribe Opioids If They Received Gifts From Pharma Companies
Physicians who received gifts from pharmaceutical companies related to opioid medications were more likely to prescribe opioids to their patients the following year, compared to…
Medical Marijuana Research Shows Promise in Lessening Opioid Use & Abuse
Preliminary research that needs to be confirmed by more studies. Medical marijuana shows early promise to lessen opioid use and potential abuse, suggests a systematic…
A Lethal Dose for $1 – Fentanyl’s Risk on the ‘Darknet’
U.S. overdose deaths attributed to synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have increased from under 3,000 in 2013 to nearly 20,000 in 2016, making up half…
Stemming the Opioid Crisis: New Addiction Treatments Hold Promise
Concerns over the opioid epidemic have sparked a strong scientific interest in why some people become addicted while others don’t. Now, researchers are proposing novel…
5 Critical Things to Know About Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy
Opioid use is increasing in pregnancy as well as the general population. A “Five things to know about …” practice article on opioid disuse in…
Young, White, Daily Opioid Users More Likely to Prefer Fentanyl
Study of people who use drugs in three cities will be used to target harm-reduction measures. A minority of people who use illicit opioids indicated…
Medications Can Help As Opioid Treatment for Teens
Teens who misuse prescription or illicit opioids might benefit from opioid treatment medications, according to a new study led by a Yale researcher. An estimated…