Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Americans Are Now More Likely To Die In An Accidental Opioid Overdose Than A Car Crash
The New York Times: Opioids, Car Crashes And Falling: The Odds Of Dying In The U.S.
The opioid crisis in the United States has become so grim that Americans are now likelier to die of an overdose than in a vehicle crash. That’s according to a new report by the National Safety Council that analyzed the causes of preventable deaths in the country in 2017. The probability of dying from an opioid overdose, according to the report, is one in 96. The chances of dying in a vehicle crash? One in 103. (Mazzei, 1/14)
CNN: Mass Drug Overdose In California Kills 1 Person And Sends 14 More To Hospitals
A mass drug overdose at a home in Chico, California, has killed one person and sent more than a dozen people to hospitals, police said. Chico Police Chief Michael O'Brien said the main substance involved is believed to be fentanyl -- the most commonly used drug in overdoses, according to a recent government report. (Boyette and Yan, 1/14)
Stat: Purdue Appeals Kentucky Court Order To Unseal OxyContin Records
Purdue Pharma on Monday asked the Kentucky Supreme Court to review a lower court decision that would unseal secret records about the company’s marketing of its opioid painkiller OxyContin. The legal fight stems from a motion filed by STAT in 2016 to make public sealed records believed to show how Purdue promoted OxyContin and what company executives knew about the addictive properties of the drug, which has been blamed for helping spawn the opioid addiction crisis. (Joseph, 1/14)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Can Medical Marijuana Help N.H. Fight The Opioid Crisis?
Lawmakers will hear testimony Tuesday on a bill to add opioid addiction as a qualifying condition for access to the state's medical marijuana program. It's the first time for the bill in New Hampshire, though it's been discussed in the past. (Tuohy, 1/14)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tosa Health Department Teams Up With Podcasters To Start Conversation About Substance Use
"Don't Die Wisconsin" podcasters Kevin Schaefer, an intervention specialist, and Patrick Reilly, an alcohol-and-other-drug-abuse program supervisor, will speak to parents about this topic. About a year ago, Schaefer, Reilly and Ryan Gorman, the podcast's "resident junkie," started the podcast based off of the "Don't Die Podcast" by Bob Forrest, a musician and drug counselor. (Kirby, 1/14)
