Latest KFF Health News Stories
Narcan, Now Available Without a Prescription, Can Still Be Hard to Get
Narcan is available without a prescription. Addiction treatment experts hope this move will increase access to the medication, which can reverse opioid overdoses. But hurdles remain: cost and stigma.
More Schools Stock Overdose Reversal Meds, but Others Worry About Stigma
Colorado is among several states that ensure schools have access to the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone for free or at reduced cost. But most districts hadn’t signed up by the start of the school year for a state distribution program amid stigma around the lifesaving treatment.
Más escuelas tienen el medicamento para revertir sobredosis, pero otras se preocupan por el estigma
La Administración de Salud Mental y Abuso de Sustancias federal recomienda que las escuelas, incluidas las primarias, tengan naloxona disponible, ante el aumento de las sobredosis mortales de opioides, especialmente de la potente droga fentanilo.
Officials Agree: Use Settlement Funds to Curb Youth Addiction. But the ‘How’ Gets Hairy.
Parents, educators, and elected officials agree that investing in school-based prevention efforts could help curb the rising rate of youth drug overdoses. The well-known D.A.R.E. program is one likely choice, but its effectiveness is in question.
Legislatura aprueba la propuesta de Newsom para reformar la Ley de Servicios de Salud Mental
Newsom prometió que la recién rebautizada Ley de Servicios de Salud Mental construiría 10,000 nuevas camas y viviendas para personas sin hogar con necesidades de salud mental.
California Legislature Passes Gov. Newsom’s Proposal to Retool Mental Health Services Act
The California Legislature greenlighted Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest plan to build more housing and increase addiction treatment as part of his response to the state’s homelessness and drug crises.
Despite Successes, Addiction Treatment Programs for Families Struggle to Stay Open
Residential addiction treatment programs that allow parents to bring their children along have been recognized for their success. But a mix of logistical challenges and low reimbursement rates mean they struggle to stay afloat.
Heat-Related Deaths Are Up, and Not Just Because It’s Getting Hotter
Excessive heat contributed to 1,670 deaths nationwide last year, according to federal data — the highest rate in at least two decades. An increase in drug use and homelessness, along with hotter temperatures, were among the reasons.
A menudo, adolescentes con adicciones pasan por el proceso de desintoxicación sin medicamentos
Una nueva investigación ha descubierto que la mayoría de las áreas de Estados Unidos carecen de instalaciones que ofrezcan desintoxicación supervisada por personal médico para pacientes menores de 18 años.
Teens With Addiction Are Often Left to Detox Without Medication
Facilities that offer medically managed substance use treatment for patients under 18 are few and far between in the United States. A Denver hospital is trying to help fill the gap.
The Painful Legacy of ‘Law and Order’ Treatment of Addiction in Jail
Efforts to improve addiction care in jails and prisons are underway across the country. But a rural Alabama county with one of the nation’s highest overdose rates shows how change is slow, while law enforcement officials continue to treat addiction as a crime rather than a medical condition.
Consumo excesivo de alcohol durante la pandemia eleva muertes por enfermedad hepática alcohólica
Las ventas de alcohol aumentaron durante la pandemia, con saltos especialmente grandes en el consumo de licores.
Excessive Drinking During the Pandemic Increased Alcoholic Liver Disease Death Rates
The number of Californians dying from alcoholic liver disease rose dramatically in the last decade, sped by the pandemic.
Once-Resistant Rural Court Officials Begin to Embrace Medications to Treat Addiction
As evidence supporting medication treatment for opioid addiction mounts, judges, district attorneys, and law enforcement officials in rural America are increasingly open to it after years of insisting on abstinence only.
Superar una adicción es un proceso. No hay una solución única.
La adicción es una enfermedad crónica que requiere vigilancia constante, no existe una solución única y las recaídas son parte del proceso de recuperación.
Recovery From Addiction Is a Journey. There’s No One-and-Done Solution.
Drug use has become a major public health crisis, but effective treatment remains hard to find. It does exist though. Columnist Bernard J. Wolfson offers advice on finding help and says not to expect a quick solution.
California Confronts the Threat of ‘Tranq’ as Overdose Crisis Rages
California officials are stepping up efforts to combat the spread of xylazine, a powerful animal sedative that’s increasingly being used by people, often with devastating results. It’s mostly been an East Coast phenomenon, but ‘tranq,’ as it is known, is beginning to appear in the Golden State.
Readers and Tweeters Weigh Marijuana’s Merits Against Those of Alcohol or Opioids
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
California’s Fentanyl Problem Is Getting Worse
State lawmakers have recently been debating whether and how to stiffen punishments for dealers, while Gov. Gavin Newsom is targeting fentanyl trafficking and distributing more naloxone. The problem, experts say, is one with no easy or clear answers.
Se agrava la crisis del fentanilo en California
Impulsadas en gran medida por la prevalencia del fentanilo, un opioide sintético hasta 100 veces más potente que la morfina, las sobredosis de drogas en California matan ahora a más del doble de personas que los accidentes de tráfico.
