Colleges Offering Safe Space With ‘Sober Dorms’ As Opioid Epidemic Ravages Country
There was no way he was going to stay sober in the typical college environment, one student realized. That's when he signed up for substance-free housing. In other news on the opioid crisis, a study finds that deaths extend beyond overdoses and the surgeon general urges more funding.
Stateline:
Amid Opioid Epidemic, More Schools Offer 'Sober Dorms'
The nation’s opioid epidemic is focusing new attention on a strategy Rutgers pioneered back in 1988. Oregon State University will offer substance-free housing to students this coming school year. (Wiltz, 6/15)
The Associated Press:
Opioids Linked With Deaths Other Than Overdoses, Study Says
Accidental overdoses aren't the only deadly risk from using powerful prescription painkillers — the drugs may also contribute to heart-related deaths and other fatalities, new research suggests. Among more than 45,000 patients in the study, those using opioid painkillers had a 64 percent higher risk of dying within six months of starting treatment compared to patients taking other prescription pain medicine. Unintentional overdoses accounted for about 18 percent of the deaths among opioid users, versus 8 percent of the other patients. (6/14)
The Associated Press:
Surgeon General Calls For Greater Investment In Opioid Fight
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Tuesday called for more government investment in addressing the nation's opioid epidemic, saying only half of the 2 million people who need treatment for addictions have access to it. Murthy's comments came as he toured a substance abuse center in Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city. New Mexico had one of the highest overdose death rates in 2014, especially among adults 21 to 35, the most recent federal data showed. (6/14)
Meanwhile, news outlets report on the epidemic in the states —
The Associated Press:
NY Gov. Cuomo, Lawmakers Agree On Plan To Combat Heroin
New York state may limit opioid prescriptions for acute pain to seven days as part of a broader effort to combat a staggering rise in addiction and overdose deaths. The new limits on prescriptions are one of several proposals contained in a deal announced by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders on Tuesday. The full Legislature is expected to formally pass the proposals later this week. (6/14)
The Baltimore Sun:
White House: Maryland Could Get $17 Million For Opioid Treatment Under Funding Bill
Maryland would be eligible for up to $17 million over two years to expand access to treatment for opioid addiction, according to an estimated breakdown of a $1.1 billion emergency funding request made by President Barack Obama to Congress. (Cohn, 6/14)
The Columbus Dispatch:
Obama Plan Would Send Ohio $45 Million For Drug Treatment
Ohio would get an estimated $45 million over two years to fight the opioid epidemic under a national program outlined Tuesday by the Obama administration. The $1.1 billion proposal from Obama, which must still be approved by Congress, would expand access to drug treatment, particularly medication-assisted treatment, federal drug czar Michael Botticelli said in a national conference call. (Johnson, 6/15)
New Hampshire Union Leader:
NH Ranks Third In U.S. Drug Deaths
New Hampshire would be eligible for up to $5 million over two years to help expand access to treatment for opioid and heroin abusers under President Barack Obama’s proposed $1.1 billion request to Congress. (Tuohy, 6/14)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Despite Standing Order, Many Pharmacies Don't Have Life-Saving Overdose-Reversal Drug
A drug central to the push to reduce Pennsylvania's soaring opioid overdose death rate isn't on the shelves of many pharmacies, and numerous drug stores Tuesday showed confusion about a state order meant to put naloxone in the hands of any resident who could witness an overdose. (Giammarise, 6/15)
The Cincinnati Enquirer:
Fentanyl-Linked OD Deaths Up In NKY
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid often used to cut heroin, is raising the overdose death toll in Northern Kentucky. The state's 2015 overdose deaths report released Tuesday cites striking deaths from the powerful analgesic that, narcotics agents say, is largely manufactured overseas and sometimes sold straight on the streets to users who are unwittingly injecting it. (DeMio, 6/14)
The Columbus Dispatch:
Drug Addicts In Newark Can Get Treatment Help From Police Without Fearing Arrest
Police hope that a new program announced Tuesday will steer drug addicts into treatment and rehabilitation centers rather than jail. Under the Newark Addiction Recovery Initiative, addicts can come to the Newark police station and seek help and treatment. They can surrender any unused drugs and paraphernalia, and they will not be charged with a crime. (Smola, 6/15)
Cincinnati Enquirer:
CDC Warning: HIV May Follow Heroin To Cincinnati
An HIV outbreak linked to heroin and other injected drugs could hit five counties in the Cincinnati region, a new federal analysis warns. ... The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the analysis June 3 of the more than 3,100 counties across the United States that puts 220 at risk of the potentially deadly immunodeficiency disease and hepatitis C, a virus that attacks the liver, among people who inject drugs.(DeMio, 6/14)
