Latest News On Substance Misuse

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Hospitals Have Been Slow to Bring On Addiction Specialists

KFF Health News Original

Hospitals have specialists ready to offer consult and care for concerns from cancer to childbirth but often no one with expertise in addiction medicine. Patients with a history of substance use — who are discharged without care — are at risk for overdose.

At This Recovery Center, Police Cope With the Mental Health Costs of the Job

KFF Health News Original

Burnout, PTSD, depression, and substance misuse are rampant among first responders, partly fueled by the anti-police sentiments after the killing of George Floyd. Combined with low morale, the poor state of officers’ mental health has pushed many out of the profession, leaving those who remain exhausted. A handful of specialized treatment facilities are trying to meet demand, but more resiliency training is needed, experts said.

They Call It ‘Tranq’ — And It’s Making Street Drugs Even More Dangerous

KFF Health News Original

Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, has made it into the illegal drug supply of opioids and cocaine. It is changing the way outreach workers treat overdoses and may be responsible for grisly injuries and infections among people who unknowingly inject it.

Datos de las sobredosis, obtenidos por colaboración colectiva, resaltan en dónde hace falta la ayuda

KFF Health News Original

El proyecto de la Universidad de Texas, llamado TxCOPE, busca resolver un problema que mantiene en vilo a los funcionarios de todo el país en su esfuerzo por reducir el número récord de muertes por drogas: obtener una imagen clara y precisa de las sobredosis no mortales y mortales.

Crowdsourced Data on Overdoses Pinpoints Where to Help

KFF Health News Original

University of Texas researchers are testing a program that would allow harm reduction groups to crowdsource data on fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses statewide. While the data relies on word of mouth, they say, it is more comprehensive than anything that exists now and can be used immediately to prevent overdoses.

Overdose Deaths Behind Bars Rise as Drug Crisis Swells

KFF Health News Original

Drug-related mortality rates have increased in prisons and jails even as the number of people incarcerated for drug offenses has dropped. The pandemic lockdowns on visitors didn’t eliminate the problem, showcasing that guards have been a source of the contraband.

Sobering Lessons in Untying the Knot of a Homeless Crisis

KFF Health News Original

The homeless tragedy in Portland, Oregon, now spills well beyond the downtown core, creating a crisis of conscience for a fiercely liberal city that has generously invested in homeless support services.

Can a Monthly Injection Be the Key to Curbing Addiction? These Experts Say Yes

KFF Health News Original

In California, where overdose deaths are on the rise, physicians say administering anti-addiction medication as a monthly injection holds tremendous potential. So, why aren’t more patients getting it?

LA Mayoral Hopefuls Agree Addressing Homelessness Is Crucial but Disagree on How

KFF Health News Original

The top candidates to lead California’s most populous city have pledged to expand services for homeless people struggling with mental illness and substance use disorders. But they differ on whether the city should control homeless funding or continue a partnership with the county.

Calls to Overhaul Methadone Distribution Intensify, but Clinics Resist

KFF Health News Original

The pandemic has shown that loosening the strict regulations on distributing methadone helps people recovering from addiction stay in treatment. But clinics with a financial stake in keeping the status quo don’t want to make permanent changes.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Politics of Vaccine Mandates

KFF Health News Original

Like almost everything else associated with the covid-19 pandemic, partisans are taking sides over whether vaccines should be mandated. Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill are still struggling to find compromise in their effort to expand health insurance and other social programs. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jen Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times and Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews best-selling author Beth Macy about her book “Dopesick,” and the new Hulu miniseries based on it.