For the past 65 years, the American court and prison system is where the majority of people struggling with substance abuse and the addiction end up. Of the nation’s 2.3 million prison inmates, more than half – 65 percent or 1.5 million – meet the […]
It’s an eerie coincidence that so many talented musicians and artists lost their lives at the age of 27, a phenomenon dubbed The 27 Club. Set aside the various conspiracy theories about the unenviable club’s membership and the unfortunate realities, in some of the cases, […]
In the words of the late actress Katharine Hepburn, a fierce personality known for her spirited honesty, “Life is hard. After all, it kills you.” The reality of Ms. Hepburn’s opinion, though blunt, is undeniable. Recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction adds another degree […]
Wet Houses are residential housing facilities for homeless people suffering from chronic alcoholism. Unlike other shelters that require residents to attend addiction treatment, stay sober and adhere to strict curfews, tenants at these harm reduction shelters can drink as much alcohol as they want. In […]
Along with a new president, Americans in eight states voted for the passage of recreational or medicinal marijuana. Before the election, recreational pot was legal for 5 percent of the population, but that number jumped to 20 percent post-election. Among the states with marijuana reform […]
Most people of a certain age will remember First Lady Nancy Reagan’s anti-drug campaign “Just Say No.” Then came a Partnership for a Drug-Free America’s iconic ad “This is Your Brain on Drugs.” Following that was the Drug Abuse Resistance Education or DARE, founded by […]
As the nation’s battle with opioid addiction continues to ravage entire communities, there’s been scant reporting on how the epidemic’s touched the lives of children. In a recent study, however, researchers examined 15 years of data from children’s hospitals and found that children are suffering […]
Global consumption of the opioid Tramadol, a drug that in some parts of the world is unregulated, increased 186 percent between 2000 and 2012, reports the International Narcotics Control Board. In the United States, the synthetic opioid analgesic received government approval in 2010. By 2014, […]
California’s Proposition 64 – legalization of recreational marijuana – is on the ballot this November and the most recent polls reveal solid voter support for the measure. While law enforcement officials in the state have been outspoken in their stance against prop 64, some agencies […]
Scott MacDonald is the lead physician at Crosstown Clinic, a Vancouver, British Columbia medical facility that opened in 2005 to conduct trials of prescription heroin. MacDonald has worked with 52 patients, though that number is expected to double now that the Canadian government, under Prime […]
