A Glimmer Of Hope In Midst Of Epidemic: Opioid Deaths Fall For First Time In Years For 14 States
“If we’re truly at a plateau or inflection point, it would be the best news all year,” said Caleb Alexander, of Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness. Meanwhile, five states and the District of Columbia saw death spikes of more than 30 percent.
Stateline:
Overdose Deaths Fall In 14 States
New provisional data released this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that drug overdose deaths declined in 14 states during the 12-month period that ended July 2017, a potentially hopeful sign that policies aimed at curbing the death toll may be working. In an opioid epidemic that began in the late 1990s, drug deaths have been climbing steadily every year, in nearly every state. A break in that trend, even if limited to just 14 states, has prompted cautious optimism among some public health experts. (Vestal, 2/22)
In other news on the crisis —
The Hill:
FDA Announces Recall Of Dietary Supplements After Opioid Declaration
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced a recall of dietary supplements that contain kratom, a herb the agency has classified as an opioid. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb also urged manufacturers to stop selling products intended for human consumption if they contain kratom. (Hellmann, 2/21)
Concord Monitor:
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Lands $2.7M Grant For Pregnant Women Battling Addiction
The first major addiction treatment funding to reach the Granite State since President Obama signed it into law in 2016 will be a $2.7 million federal grant for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center to treat pregnant women using opioids. “Today is an historic moment because now I feel that New Hampshire is not only going to address the opioid epidemic that we face but we are going to lead the rest of the country out of it,” U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster declared at the Family Willows substance use treatment center at Families in Transition in Manchester. (Steinhauser, 2/21)
The Hill:
Committee Chairman Aims For House Vote On Opioid Bills By Memorial Day
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) is aiming to get a House vote on opioid epidemic legislation by Memorial Day. The panel is gearing up to begin work Feb. 28 on bills aimed at curbing the prescription painkiller and heroin epidemic plaguing the country, as overdose deaths from opioid use jumped nearly 28 percent from 2015 to 2016. (Roubein, 2/20)
Kansas City Star:
Missouri Bill Would Criminalize Pregnant Women Who Do Drugs
On Monday, Lucas blew lawmakers a kiss as they heard testimony on a bill that aims to combat the increasing number of babies like him who are born with symptoms of drug withdrawal, known as neonatal abstinence syndrome. ...The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Jered Taylor, a Nixa Republican, would make it a felony if a pregnant woman takes narcotic drugs or controlled substances without a prescription. (Weinberg, 2/21)
