Tag Archives: prescription painkillers

Advances in Harm Reduction: Fentanyl Test Strips Might Prevent Heroin Overdoses

written for Inspire Malibu

As the nation comes to recognize drug abuse and addiction as a public health issue rather than a moral failing or lack of character that far too many people are incarcerated for, harm reduction strategies have leapt to the forefront. These tactics are taking on new forms and making advances that save lives. read more

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Opioid Crisis: Rx’s are down but use hasn’t declined

written for Inspire Malibu

August 2, 2017

There’s good news and bad news. The number of prescriptions for opioid painkillers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is in decline. Since 2010, the peak of opioid prescriptions, the agency tracked a 41 percent decrease. However, the analysis also revealed the prescribing rate is still three times higher than in 1999, near the beginning of America’s opioid crisis. read more

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Will California’s AB 186 Create Safe Spaces to use Heroin and other Opioids?

written for Inspire Malibu

April 25, 2017

LOS ANGELES – Like other states in the U.S., California has seen a spike in overdoses as a result of heroin and prescription painkillers. While the news cycle appears to have moved away from the country’s opioid epidemic, the problem persists. In 2015, an estimated 33,000 people fatally overdosed on heroin or opioid medication, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. read more

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,