Govs. From Hard-Hit New England Address Opioid Epidemic: ‘There Is Not An Issue More Pressing’
The region's six governors urge an international conference of physicians to reduce their opioid prescribing. Meanwhile, the FDA warns of overdose risks from a diarrhea drug with opiate-like effects, insurers bet on data to help them fight the epidemic, and the head of the DEA says synthetic designer drugs -- especially opioids -- pose an unprecedented threat to the country.
The Wall Street Journal:
New England Governors Tackle Region’s Drug Problem
Deaths linked to opioid drugs in Massachusetts nearly tripled in the past five years, according to state data, while in Maine, opioids drove a 31% year-over-year climb in drug-related deaths in 2015. As those trends underscore New England’s acute problem with heroin and prescription drugs, the region’s six governors, including four Democrats and two Republicans, gathered at Harvard Medical School in Boston Tuesday to address how they are fighting the problem. (Kamp, 6/7)
WBUR:
New England Governors Converge To Address Opioid Epidemic
Pressing for the same or nearly the same limits on opioid prescriptions is one of the ways New England’s Republican and Democratic governors are working together to address the drug epidemic. The six regional governors gathered in Boston Tuesday for an opioid panel. (Bebinger, 6/7)
New Hampshire Public Radio:
Meet the Recovery Coaches Taking On The Heroin Crisis in N.H.'s Largest City
In Manchester, more than 100 people died of overdoses last year. Despite those grim numbers, it’s a surprisingly positive atmosphere on a Thursday night at Hope for New Hampshire Recovery, a substance abuse recovery center in the heart of New Hampshire’s largest city. (Ganley and Brindley 6/8)
NBC News:
People Overdosing On Diarrhea Drug, FDA Says
Too many people are overdosing on a diarrhea drug that has opiate-like effects, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday. Many are accidental overdoses but people also report taking the drug, called Imodium, on purpose to help curb cravings for highly addictive opioid drugs. (Fox, 6/7)
Marketplace:
Insurance Executives Are Using Data To Help Curb Opioid Abuse
Nearly 19,000 people. That’s how many Americans died in 2014 due to overdosing on prescription pain medication, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The Food and Drug Administration, states and health insurance companies are all tackling this public health epidemic. (Gorenstein, 6/7)
Reuters:
Synthetic Drugs Pose Alarming U.S. Overdose Risk: DEA Chief
Synthetic designer drugs, especially synthetic opioids like fentanyl implicated in the death of pop star Prince, pose an "unprecedented" threat for U.S. overdoses and deaths, especially among youth, the country's top anti-drug official said on Tuesday. (Harte, 6/7)
