Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fight Against Opioid Crisis Just Got $500M -- And White House Wants To Get It To States
USA Today: White House Moves Quickly To Release Opioid Money
With $500 million in hand to fight the opioid epidemic, White House officials are moving quickly to get that money flowing to the hardest-hit states—and pushing local officials to spend the new dollars on treatment above other addiction-related initiatives. (Shesgreen, 12/13)
The Washington Post: Where Opiates Killed The Most People In 2015
More than 33,000 people died of opioid overdoses in the United States last year. But speaking of an “opiate epidemic” is in some ways a misnomer. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the country is in fact dealing with multiple opioid epidemics right now — each with a distinct geographic footprint. (Ingraham, 12/13)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Fentanyl, Not Heroin, Responsible For Majority Of N.H. Drug Overdoses This Year
At least 369 people have fatally overdosed in New Hampshire this year, according to an update released Tuesday by the state medical examiner. But the state says another 78 cases are still under review, so the actual number could be even higher. (McDermott, 12/13)
And in other news —
Stat: Among Teens, Marijuana Use Overtakes Tobacco, E-Cigarettes
Teen drug use is largely on the decline, with one notable exception — marijuana. Nearly 23 percent of high school seniors reported using marijuana in the past month, according to new data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institutes of Health, which collected responses as part of an annual survey of teen drug use known as “Monitoring the Future.” The survey polled eighth, 10th, and 12th grade students from across the country about their drug and alcohol consumption. (Thielking, 12/13)
The Wall Street Journal: E-Cigarette Use Falls Among Teens
E-cigarette use among teens dropped in 2016, reversing an upward trend that had prompted the U.S. Surgeon General to recommend increased regulation and taxation. Among high-school seniors, 12% this year said they had used e-cigarettes in the past month compared with 16% in 2015, according to the National Institutes of Health’s annual Monitoring the Future survey. (Maloney, 12/13)
