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Historically redlined neighborhoods report higher opioid overdose death rates

A new study from researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC), the largest essential hospital in New England, found that Massachusetts neighborhoods given the lowest grades on historic redlining maps had 86% higher annual opioid-related overdose death rates than those given the highest grades.

3 Nov 2026

Reducing opioid medication during pregnancy may not ease neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome

Pregnant patients receiving medication to treat opioid use disorder should not reduce their medication dose out of fear that it will worsen withdrawal symptoms in their newborns, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM).

30 Oct 2026

Hemoadsorption may improve outcomes in severe poisoning cases

The WHO estimated over 800,000 suicide deaths in 2012, with poisoning a major concern. Three‑quarters of suicides occur in low‑ and middle‑income countries, with an estimated 30% related to pesticides.

30 Oct 2026

Young mothers see rapid increase in substance-related emergency department visits

Emergency department (ED) visits for use of substances, especially opioids, amphetamines, and cannabis, by mothers with dependent children increased almost 5% a year, in contrast to an increase of almost 2% a year among females without children, according to a large study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.260078.

26 Oct 2026

Declining benzodiazepine use reflects more cautious medical prescribing practices

The number of benzodiazepine prescriptions like Xanax and Valium dispensed in the United States decreased over the past 10 years, potentially suggesting that doctors have become more cautious when prescribing these sedatives, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

30 Sep 2026

Experimental mRNA therapy protects the liver after acetaminophen overdose

When a patient arrives at the hospital with an acetaminophen overdose, it's often a race against the clock. The only FDA-approved antidote for overdose-related liver injury, N‑acetylcysteine, must be administered within hours to be effective.

28 Sep 2026

Vulnerable adolescents face sharp drop in mental health service access

Some of the most vulnerable children and young people are failing to get access to mental health support despite much higher levels of need, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.

16 Sep 2026

UC Riverside receives grant to evaluate California’s traditional health care practices benefit

A $1.25 million grant to UC Riverside from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will support a statewide evaluation of California's traditional health care practices (THCP) benefit.

4 Sep 2026

Understanding opioid risks can help prevent accidental overdoses

According to numbers calculated from the CDC, approximately 80,000 people died last year from a drug overdose, which represents about 21 deaths per 100,000 residents in the U.S. alone. Overdose deaths are preventable, and in most of the cases we see, they are completely accidental.

24 Aug 2026

OIST startup aims to develop effective pain relief without severe side effects

For severe and chronic pain management, opioids are often the only option. This class of drugs comes with well-documented risks, including addiction, respiratory problems and overdose.

18 Aug 2026

Neuroscience-informed therapy provides massive cost-savings for opioid addiction treatment

A new economic evaluation from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has revealed that Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) - an innovative, evidence-based, neuroscience-informed therapy for opioid misuse and chronic pain - provides $12 in cost savings for every dollar spent, between two and six times more cost effective than other addiction treatments such as residential or intensive outpatient treatment.

5 Aug 2026

Permanent supportive housing improves health outcomes

The study reveals that permanent supportive housing fosters long-term health improvements, addressing chronic illness and mental health in homeless populations.

28 Jul 2026

Researchers uncover brain target to counter fentanyl-induced slow breathing

Fentanyl causes symptoms that can lead to death from overdose. One of these symptoms is slow breathing, which deprives drug users of oxygen.

20 Jul 2026

Study links severe floods to higher opioid overdose deaths in rural Appalachia

Severe flooding may contribute to higher mortality rates from opioid use in rural Appalachia, according to a study by researchers at Penn State.

20 Jul 2026

Researchers identify opioids with highest risk of respiratory depression

University of Manchester researchers have identified which opioids are most likely to be associated with respiratory depression, in a major new study.

9 Jul 2026

Injectable opioid treatment sees rapid growth across the United States

There was a substantial increase in recent years in the use of a form of the primary medication to treat opioid use disorder, according to a Rutgers Health study.

7 Jul 2026

Opioid prescribing after pediatric surgery varies widely across hospitals

Whether children receive an opioid prescription after surgery varies substantially by procedure type and hospital, according to a new national analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

1 Jul 2026

NIH funding supports development of AI tools to prevent HIV, hepatitis C and overdose

Natasha Martin, DPhil, professor and vice chief of Global Public Health in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine, has been awarded a five-year, $5.6 million Avant-Garde Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), one of the most prestigious and competitive NIH research awards.

23 Jun 2026

Reductions in syringe service program funding could increase overdose deaths

A new study published today in JAMA Network Open projects that reductions in federal funding for syringe service programs (SSPs) could lead to substantial increases in mortality among people who inject drugs in the United States.

18 Jun 2026

Naloxone provides life-saving tool to reverse opioid overdoses

Anyone can save a life during an opioid overdose with naloxone, a front-line defense in the nation's overdose crisis.

16 Jun 2026