Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Maryland Eyes Expansion Of Needle Exchange Program To Six More Counties
The Baltimore Sun: Counties Expand Needle Exchange Programs To Protect Public Health
Needle exchange programs for drug users could be coming to six counties across the state, including Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, as state health officials work with local leaders to stop the spread of infectious diseases in the face of the heroin epidemic. The efforts are being lead locally and are at various stages of formation, but state officials are encouraging the programs and offering technical assistance and some funding, said Onyeka Anaedozie, deputy director of the Maryland Department of Health’s Infectious Disease Prevention and Health Services Bureau. (Cohn, 7/18)
The Washington Post: 10-Year-Old Dies With Heroin And Fentanyl In His System, Fla. State Attorney Says
A Florida state attorney is voicing alarm after a 10-year-old boy died last month with a dangerous opioid mixture in his system — making him one of the youngest victims in the state's drug epidemic. (Bever, 7/18)
Minnesota Public Radio: What Can We Learn From New Research Into Opioid Addiction?
New research into opioid addiction from the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute and the University of Maryland School of Public Health addresses the issue of doctors over-prescribing drugs. The report also discusses growing evidence that doctors are still prescribing opioids to patients with a higher risk of abuse at a higher rate than they are to others. (Weber and Erickson, 7/18)
Columbus Dispatch: Treatment Center To Help Break Narcan, Overdose Cycle
A Franklin County board agreed Tuesday to spend $5 million more to address one of the major concerns of emergency workers who respond to heroin overdoses in the county. Too often, rescuers rushed overdose cases to hospitals, but the patients walked right back out to use again because there was no room for them in treatment facilities. (Perry, 7/19)
