Controlled Substances

There are a number of expert recommendations regarding how to identify, work with, and treat pregnant and postpartum individuals with SUD to ensure the best outcomes for both parent and child. There are also legal requirements regarding notification to state child welfare agencies of infants born affected by prenatal substance exposure or experiencing withdrawal and the creation of family care plans (also known as plans of safe care). This fact sheet provides readers with an overview of those recommendations and requirements.intervention....

Through the use of medications for addiction treatment (MAT), an individual’s substance use, withdrawal symptoms, and the physiological and psychological cravings can be controlled, enabling the person to begin treatment while in a correctional facility and be released as a person in, or on his or her way to, recovery. Research shows that that the use of MAT for Opioid Use Disorder in correctional settings is a cost-effective and life-saving intervention....

Kratom is an herb that is derived from a leafy Southeast Asian tree, known formally as Mitragyna speciosa. It contains two psychoactive compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, which can produce a pharmacological response that is similar to that produced by morphine. Federal regulators and kratom organizations are at odds about the potential dangers (or lack thereof) of kratom and how kratom should be regulated. In addition to federal regulatory battles, some state and local governments have implemented regulatory controls on kratom. ...

Recovery residences provide a sober, safe, and healthy living environment that promotes recovery from alcohol and other drug use and associated problems. These residences are commonly referred to by a number of names, including sober living houses, sober living environments, and recovery homes, and their primary purpose is to provide a home-like environment for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder to help sustain that recovery....

In this survey, the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) examines the state-level legislative response to drugged driving. In Section I, it presents the existing laws on driving under the influence of drugs in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Section II highlights a selection of additional resources for policymakers on drugged driving research and policy proposals in the United States. These resources include scientific studies, such as the latest research on the physiological effects of certain substances on drivers and the effectiveness of new testing methods and policy analysis, including recommendations from the U.S. Department of Justice on how to effectively detect and prosecute drugged driving. Together they illuminate the evolving landscape of drugged driving in the United States and the potential remedies that can keep Americans safe on the roads....

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented public health emergency throughout the world, prompting providers to turn to telehealth to provide necessary health care to patients at a distance. This paper analyzes the current state of telehealth services at the federal and state levels, as well as the benefits and limitations of telehealth technology use. It also offers public policy recommendations to improve telehealth services in the United States....