Heroin News and Research

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Heroin is a very addictive chemical called diacetylmorphine. Heroin is a modified form of morphine, a highly abundant opium derived from the seedpods of the poppy plant.

Virtual clinical trial: Improving methadone dosage for drug users with TB to prevent withdrawal symptoms

Drug users on methadone programs who contract tuberculosis should receive effective treatment while maintaining the correct level of methadone in their bodies, following a virtual clinical trial by pharmacy researchers at Aston University in partnership with drugs charity Addaction.

21 May 2019

Opioid prescriptions drop sharply among state workers

The agency that manages health care for California's massive state workforce is reporting a major reduction in opioid prescriptions, reflecting a national trend of physicians cutting back on the addictive drugs.

21 May 2019

Robotic pets designed to care for older adults

It's no secret that pets bring joy to their owners' lives. Caring for animals keeps us active, gives us purpose, provides stress relief and builds a loving bond -- studies show pets can even increase people's lifespans.

14 May 2019

Could deep brain stimulation help resolve the opioid epidemic?

Researchers have developed an implant that has shown promise for reducing addiction rates. However, there are major ethical and financial concerns, which we have tried to cover in this news story.

9 May 2019

Addiction medicine mostly prescribed to whites, even as opioid deaths rose among blacks

White drug users addicted to heroin, fentanyl and other opioids have had near-exclusive access to buprenorphine, a drug that curbs the craving for opioids and reduces the chance of a fatal overdose.

8 May 2019

Meth vs. opioids: America has two drug epidemics, but focuses on one

Kim had been wine tasting with a friend in Sonoma, Calif. They got into an argument in the car that night and Kim thought someone was following them. She was utterly convinced. And she had to get away.

7 May 2019

Study shines light on geographic variation in pediatric deaths from opioid poisonings

A new study shines light on pediatric opioid deaths by U.S. region, the first time a study of this nature has been conducted. Findings from the study will be presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2019 Meeting, taking place on April 24 - May 1 in Baltimore.

27 Apr 2019

Drug overdoses among adolescents and young adults on the rise

In American adolescents and young adults, death rates from drug poisoning, particularly from opioids, have sharply increased over the last 10 years, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

25 Apr 2019

Amid opioid prescriber crackdown, health officials reach out to pain patients

A pharmacist in Celina, Tenn., was one of 60 people indicted on charges of opioid-related crimes last week, in a multistate sting. John Polston was charged with 21 counts of filling medically unnecessary narcotic prescriptions.

24 Apr 2019

FDA grants approval of first generic naloxone nasal spray to treat opioid overdose

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted final approval of the first generic naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, commonly known as Narcan, a life-saving medication that can stop or reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

22 Apr 2019

As syphilis invades rural America, a fraying health safety net is failing to stop it

When Karolyn Schrage first heard about the "dominoes gang" in the health clinic she runs in Joplin, Mo., she assumed it had to do with pizza.

19 Apr 2019

Penn State-led project focuses on opioid addiction treatment in teens

Substance use disorders continue to rise at alarming rates among adolescents, with opioid abuse contributing to this significant public health problem.

10 Apr 2019

Sleep disruption leads to negativity bias, study shows

A sleepless night not only leaves us fatigued and distracted, it also makes us interpret things more negatively and makes us more likely to lose our temper.

8 Apr 2019

People with treatment-resistant depression at higher risk of developing substance use syndrome

People suffering from treatment resistant depression are at a higher risk of developing substance use disorders than other patients with depression, reports a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the journal Addiction.

2 Apr 2019

New perspective on how acute care surgeons can help reduce heroin epidemic

With heroin abuse on the rise in the United States, related surgical complications are also increasing, including severe infections and complications related to heroin injection.

29 Mar 2019

Impact of legalizing cannabis on the opioid crisis

Legislators believe that the passage of cannabis access laws will play a significant role in addressing the ongoing opioid crisis.

26 Mar 2019

UTSA professor helps train first responders to detect prescription opioid overdoses

James Bray, professor and chair of the UTSA Department of Psychology, is working on a research project with agencies in Houston to train first responders in how to detect prescription opioid overdoses and provide life-saving outreach services.

20 Mar 2019

FDA warns marketer of unapproved products claiming to treat addiction, chronic pain

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today posted a warning letter to Nutra Pharma Corp. for illegally marketing unapproved products labeled as homeopathic with claims about their ability to treat addiction and chronic pain, including pain associated with cancer, diabetes, shingles, fibromyalgia and other serious conditions.

19 Mar 2019

US opioid prescriptions drop by a half but it’s not all good news

The number of opioid prescriptions issued each month in the US dropped to less than a half. However, experts remain concerned about the number of high-risk prescriptions.

15 Mar 2019

Intravenous drug use related to dramatic increase in dangerous heart infection

Hospital admissions for a dangerous heart infection related to intravenous drug use increased by 436 percent from 2012-2017 at a medical center in a region hit hard by the nation's opioid crisis, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session.

6 Mar 2019