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May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives and to celebrate
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and More
What is alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS)? Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is the name for the symptoms that occur when a heavy drinker suddenly stops or
Tracking the Trail of Opioids and Benzodiazepines
The following is a summary of “Mandatory prescription drug monitoring programs and overlapping prescriptions of opioids and benzodiazepines: Evidence from Kentucky,” published in the February
Complex Persistent Benzodiazepine Dependence When Benzodiazepine Deprescribing Goes Awry
Benzodiazepines were discovered serendipitously in the 1950s and later marketed as safer alternatives to barbiturates, leading to increased popularity over subsequent decades. Though touted as
Dependence on Xanax, similar sedatives lead OHSU physicians to coin new diagnosis
The sedatives — benzodiazepines — are considered an underrecognized contributor to public health crisis of drug overdoses. Millions of Americans suffering from anxiety and insomnia
April is Alcohol Awareness Month
This Alcohol Awareness Month is a great opportunity to update your knowledge about alcohol, alcohol use disorder, and their impacts on health and society. Alcohol-related
Drinking any amount of alcohol causes damage to the brain, study finds
London CNN — There is no such thing as a “safe” level of drinking, with increased consumption of alcohol associated with poorer brain health, according
DEA Issues Alert on Rise of Fentanyl Mixed With Xylazine
In a public safety alert issued this week, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said it observed a sharp increase in the trafficking of fentanyl
46.3 Million in US Met Criteria for SUD Diagnosis in 2021
In 2021, 46.3 million people aged 12 or older in the US—about 16.5% of the nation’s population—met the applicable DSM-5 criteria for having a substance
Nitazenes: The opioid 40X stronger than fentanyl
Dr. Joe Schwarcz, a chemistry professor and McGill University office for science and society director, weighs in on the rise in nitazine-related overdoses. Share Follow
The addiction crisis is causing a spike in endocarditis cases
Increased injection drug use has led to a spike in cases of the life-threatening heart condition endocarditis, with cases rapidly accelerating since the onset of
Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, is a new threat in the opioid epidemic: What we know
A new threat has emerged in the United States’ illicit drug supply: an animal tranquilizer called xylazine. The drug is showing up in synthetic opioids, particularly