Prescription Drugs

April 24, 2023 | Alcohol, Controlled Substances, Fentanyl, Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Public Health, Reports & Studies, Stimulants, Substance Misuse, Synthetic Drugs

The purpose of this report was to assess immediate and sustained changes in overall illicit substance ingestion rates among children younger than six before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine changes by substance type, including amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, ethanol, and, opioids. Researchers concluded that there was a sustained increase in illicit substance ingestion during the pandemic and that additional studies are needed to contextualize these findings in the setting of pandemic-related stress....

February 22, 2023 | Controlled Substances, Harm Reduction, Innovative Initiatives, Naloxone, Opioid Antagonists, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Public Health, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Treatments

In the beginning of 2022, the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute, the West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network, and Marshall University, a public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, launched an overdose prevention initiative on every public and private college campus in West Virginia. The program, entitled, “Be The One” focuses on opioid overdose prevention from a bystander’s perspective, encouraging students, staff, and faculty to “be the one” to save a life....

January 6, 2023 | Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Fentanyl, Kratom, Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Novel Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Stimulants, Substance Misuse, Synthetic Drugs

Millions of people throughout the world use social media platforms (or “apps”) providing an easy avenue to reach a large number of people. Legitimate businesses are not the only ones to use social media apps as a marketing tool. In recent years, drug dealers have turned to such apps to solicit buyers and arrange sales. This fact sheet examines the growing use of social media, by drug suppliers, to surreptitiously advertise to a wide audience, by using apps that offer encrypted or disappearing messages....

December 16, 2022 | Controlled Substances, Harm Reduction, Innovative Initiatives, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Public Health, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Treatments

In October 2022, Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services (DHS), in conjunction with the state’s department of justice (DOJ) and the Office of Governor Tony Ever announced the launch of the Real Talks campaign to help address the rise in substance use in the state. In recent years, much like the rest of the country, Wisconsin has seen a sizable increase in opioid-related deaths. In fact, between 2018 and 2020, the number of opioid-related deaths increased by 46.7 percent. In addition, alcohol misuse continues to be a problem. Data from DHS indicates that adults in the state rank third in the United States for alcohol use. Real Talks Wisconsin is part of a series of DHS programs aimed at preventing and reducing substance use or abuse within the state. Real Talks discusses community prevention programs and encourages harm reduction programs, such as free access to emergency opioid antagonists....

July 14, 2022 | Alcohol, Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Harm Reduction, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Public Health, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Treatments

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....

June 22, 2022 | Controlled Substances, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Public Health, Recovery, Reports & Studies, Substance Misuse, Treatments

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....

May 19, 2022 | Controlled Substances, Harm Reduction, Innovative Initiatives, Law Enforcement, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Public Health, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Treatments

The restaurant industry has been particularly impacted by the opioid epidemic with, for example, ten percent of food service workers dying from opioid overdoses in the State of Delaware.[1] This sobering statistic prompted the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) to launch the Restaurant Accolade Program (the Program), which trains all restaurant staff and owners in the state on how to identify, respond to, and reverse an opioid overdose and helps food establishments draft policies that support employees and patrons with substance use disorders (SUDs). The Office of Health Crisis Response (OCHR) within DPH conducts the training and education....