Public Health

April 19, 2021 | Fact Sheets, Fentanyl, Opioids, Public Health, Public Safety, Synthetic Drugs

After domestic production of methamphetamine increased significantly in the 1990s, federal and state authorities took action to address the hazardous conditions left behind in meth labs. Congress passed legislation directing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish meth decontamination guidelines based on the best available scientific knowledge. Today, the synthetic opioid fentanyl and its analogues cause over twice as many overdose deaths in the United States yearly as meth. Its effects, though similar to morphine or heroin, are 50 to 100 times more powerful, making even small amounts dangerous to users and bystanders alike. Despite this, as of 2021, the scale of federal and state action on fentanyl cleanup is not comparable to that historically taken against meth labs. Fentanyl is a relative newcomer to the scene of illicit drugs in the United States, so scientific authorities and policymakers have had less time to address the issue of clean up. In the interim, the lack of authoritative guidance and policy creates risks, as outlined in this fact sheet....

March 21, 2021 | Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Public Health, Public Safety, Substance Misuse, Synthetic Drugs

New psychoactive substances (NPS) are “substances of abuse, either in pure form or a preparation, that are not controlled by [international drug conventions], but which may pose a public health threat.” The term “new” (or “novel” in some publications) does not denote a brand new, never-before-seen substance, but a substance that is newly available in the drug market. NPS is a catch-all phrase that includes substances like bath salts, synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic opioids, synthetic cathinones, and other drugs of abuse that are not currently scheduled or controlled. This fact sheet provides general information about new and emerging drugs of abuse....

February 24, 2021 | Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Public Health, Public Safety, Recovery, Substance Misuse

This fact sheet provides information about the Pay for Success Funding Initiatives, which involve, at a minimum, four parties: (1) the service provider/social program; (2) an investor or investors; (3) an independent evaluator; and (4) a traditional funder or “outcomes payor,” usually a branch of federal, state, or local government....

February 23, 2021 | Model Laws, Public Health, Public Safety, Substance Misuse, Treatments

The Model Recovery Residence Certification Act is designed to implement a voluntary certification process for recovery residences in a state. The purpose of certification is to allow for greater oversight of recovery residences and greater protection of recovery home residents. As currently drafted, the Model Act allows either a state agency designated by the state or an approved certifying organization under contract with the state agency to certify recovery residences under the program outlined in the Act. The Act also addresses the zoning issues that have arisen in local jurisdictions around the country....

February 11, 2021 | Controlled Substances, Health Data, Model Laws, Public Health, Public Safety

The Model Overdose Fatality Review Teams Act creates a legislative framework for establishing county-level, multidisciplinary overdose fatality review (OFR) teams in individual states. While overdose deaths occur nationally, OFRs established at the local level allow for the identification of and responses to specific local patterns related to drug overdoses. This model act addresses the duties, responsibilities, and composition of OFR teams in order for them to properly examine and understand the circumstances leading up to a fatal overdose....

January 13, 2021 | Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Pharmacy, Public Health, Public Safety, Substance Misuse

While no set definition for polypharmacy exists, it is generally defined as the concurrent use of several prescribed medicines. Medical studies vary in how many simultaneous prescriptions qualify as polypharmacy, but many researchers set the threshold at five or more different prescription medications per day. In some cases, polypharmacy can lead to duplicate prescriptions or contraindicated prescribed drug combinations which may result from poor communication between an individual’s health care provider(s) and pharmacy or the patient’s own lack of understanding and knowledge. As people age, they have an increased chance of developing chronic conditions and comorbidities. Not surprisingly, elderly  individuals in the United States are the likeliest cohort of adults to take multiple medications daily to treat or manage one or more medical conditions; this is referred to as “polypharmacy.” Research suggests that over half of elderly individuals report taking four or more prescription drugs, compared to only about one-third of adults aged 50-64, and one-in-ten of adults aged 18-49. This fact sheet provides information about Polypharmacy, which can have many serious adverse effects, particularly in the elderly population....

November 18, 2020 | Fact Sheets, Public Health, Public Safety, Recovery, Substance Misuse

The first recovery high schools were intended to provide post-treatment services immediately after an adolescent left a residential treatment or outpatient program and continue to evolve. In addition to providing students with an education, recovery high schools’ intense post-treatment services often include: (1) help with focusing on relapse prevention; (2) encouraging compliance with a wide range of social services to provide additional support; (3) teaching problem-solving skills so that students can learn to cope with anger, depression, and anxiety; and (4) providing a non-using social network. Recovery high schools, designed specifically for students recovering from a substance use disorder, also provide ancillary programs to encourage familial involvement in the teen’s recovery. ...

August 27, 2020 | Controlled Substances, Innovative Initiatives, Public Health, Public Safety, Recovery, Substance Misuse

The CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets) mobile crisis intervention program responds to non-police emergencies in the cities of Eugene and Springfield, Oregon. CAHOOTS teams are staffed by a medic and a mental health crisis worker, and receive over 500 hours of training, which includes education on de-escalation and crisis intervention. ...