DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION
Drugged Driving in America
An examination of recent data regarding drugged driving in the US shows the problem has worsened. And unlike drunk driving, public health officials and law enforcement have yet to establish effective protocols for preventing drugged driving.
How One Police Chief Is Changing the Conversation Around Addiction
A 30-year law enforcement veteran from Newtown, Ohio, Police Chief Tom Synan has stepped up and launched the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition, a partnership between law enforcement and behavioral health programs. The coalition’s goal is to shift the addiction response off of law enforcement departments and instead utilize law enforcement officers’ first interaction with drug users to connect those individuals with treatment services via community engagement. Law enforcement officers contribute by connecting addicts with community agencies that can place the addicts in treatment facilities.
Talking to Loved Ones About Drugs Saves Lives
With numerous factors like the spread of fentanyl into the drug supply, soaring overdose deaths, increasing normalization of drug use, and greater access to drugs, it seems as though drug abuse is becoming more likely and more dangerous. In this landscape, prevention efforts are more important than ever. To ensure the addiction crisis is brought to an end, Americans must know how to talk to their loved ones about drugs.
Utilizing Comprehensive Drug Education to Prevent Youth Substance Abuse
How does the vicious cycle of drug abuse and alcohol misuse end? Every time a new generation comes of age, a certain percentage of those individuals experiment with drugs and alcohol. It seems inevitable, but it certainly does not have to be. If young people receive a good, open, supportive, communicative, and fact-based education with ongoing, revisited conversations with parents and teachers about drugs, they are far less likely to experiment with substances.
Why Locking Up Drugs and Alcohol Could Save a Loved One’s Life
To prevent your home from becoming a source of addictive substances for a young person or susceptible family member, it’s important to know all the types of drugs that should be locked away and where someone might be looking for them.
Talking to Young People About Marijuana
Recent studies suggest that teenagers who use marijuana are more likely to use other drugs later on in life. These findings make it all the more important for parents to have conversations with their kids about cannabis.
Childhood Exposure to Opiates – A Potentially Lethal Crisis for Parents
The opiate epidemic has rocked America and brought on one of the worst national public health emergencies of our time. This crisis has also brought with it a range of unpleasant consequences. New study findings suggest that young people are being taken to emergency rooms because of accidental overdoses on opioid painkillers…
Drug Addiction on a Global Scale
Almost universally across the world, drug use is going up. Why is this? Why are more people using drugs? Are people naturally inclined to use drugs? Certainly not. National and international communities work very hard to crack down on drug production, trafficking, distribution, etc.
Will the Next Generation of Doctors Be Better Equipped to Treat Pain?
We look to our doctors for help in improving our physical condition, and that covers a broad range of areas.
Prevention Is The One Thing We Can Agree On—It's Still Not Happening
In my ongoing research, I came across Dr. Nora Volkow’s June 27, 2019 blog post at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Volkow is the director of NIDA, which itself is a part of the National Institutes of Health.