Substance Abuse and Addiction News

• Teva to Pay Nevada $193 Million Over Role in Opioid Epidemic Teva Pharmaceutical Industries on Wednesday agreed to pay Nevada $193 million to settle claims that its marketing practices fueled opioid addiction, the state announced.
  Reuters Health Information, June 07, 2023
• White House Vows an Improved Effort Against Drug Overdoses President Joe Biden's administration pledged an improved effort to combat drug overdoses that claimed the lives of about 100,000 Americans last year, using a White House summit to tout a multifaceted approach to tackle the crisis.
  Reuters Health Information, June 06, 2023
• Alcohol Dependence in Teens Tied to Subsequent Depression New research shows alcohol dependence in adolescence increases the risk of depression in early adulthood.
  Medscape Medical News, June 07, 2023
• Why Not Both? Dual Biologics for RA and PsA Previous clinical trials of dual biologic therapies have raised safety issues, but more recent, promising findings from clinical trials and case series have renewed interest in the treatment approach.
  Medscape Medical News, June 02, 2023
• Peak Seasons, Times for Suicidal Thoughts, Attempts ID'd Suicidal ideation peaks during the winter but suicide attempts are most common in late spring and early summer in the early hours of the morning, new research shows.
  Medscape Medical News, June 02, 2023
• Novel Intervention Helps Pain Patients Discontinue Opioids A novel intervention that blends individualized care, mindfulness, and a tapering plan is more successful than usual care in helping patients discontinue opioids for chronic pain, new research shows.
  Medscape Medical News, June 02, 2023
• Canada to Require Health Warnings on Individual Cigarettes Canada will be the first country in the world to require that health warnings be printed on individual cigarettes.
  WebMD Health News, June 02, 2023
• US Sanctions on Chinese, Mexican Entities in Fentanyl Action The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on 17 people and entities based in China and Mexico who it accused of enabling production of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills.
  Reuters Health Information, May 30, 2023
• Machine-Based Opioid Dispensing Reduced Drug-Related Harms A qualitative study found that a British Columbia-based safer supply program that uses biometric machines reduced overdose risks and illicit drug use.
  Medscape Medical News, May 30, 2023
• How Has Cannabis Legalization Affected Pregnant Mothers? Emergency department or hospital care for cannabis-related issues has increased and is associated with an increased risk for negative neonatal outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight.
  Medscape Medical News, May 26, 2023
• APA 2023 Community Workers May Address Psychiatrist Shortage A pilot project in New York that trains lay people to screen and deliver evidence-based short-term treatments for depression and other common mental health conditions aims to cut long waits for services.
  Medscape Medical News, May 25, 2023
• Alert FDA Approves Buprenorphine Injection for Opioid Use Disorder The FDA has approved extended-release injection buprenorphine (Brixadi, Braeburn Inc) for the treatment of moderate to severe opioid use disorder.
  FDA Approvals, May 23, 2023
• Smoker's Lung Drug Benefit Swift and Sustained in Trial The benefits of Sanofi and Regeneron's anti-inflammatory drug Dupixent set in quickly during a trial to treat 'smoker's lung' and lasted for the duration of the 1-year study, French drugmaker Sanofi has said.
  Reuters Health Information, May 22, 2023
• SCAI 2023 Marijuana Linked to Higher PAD Risk A large study found marijuana users had almost four times the risk of peripheral artery disease, but no higher risk of death or coronary intervention.
  MDedge News, May 22, 2023
• Which Drug Best Reduces Sleepiness in Patients With OSA? A systematic review indicates that solriamfetol (Sunosi) is likely superior to other wake-promoting agents in reducing excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
  Medscape Medical News, May 19, 2023
• US Adults Report Depression at Record Rates: Survey 'Social isolation, loneliness, fear of infection, psychological exhaustion, elevated substance abuse, and disruptions in mental health services have all likely played a role,' wrote the Gallup analysts.
  WebMD Health News, May 17, 2023
• Feds Extend Pandemic Telehealth Rules Until November Restrictions on telehealth prescribing of controlled medications were set to resume May 11 with the end of the federal public health emergency. That's been postponed amid pushback from clinicians who want the more flexible pandemic rules to continue.
  Medscape Medical News, May 10, 2023
• Young Men at Highest Schizophrenia Risk From Cannabis Abuse Cannabis use disorder is a major modifiable risk factor for schizophrenia at the population level, particularly among young men, new data show.
  Medscape Medical News, May 05, 2023
• Australia to Ban Recreational Vaping in E-cigarette Crackdown Australia said on Tuesday it will ban recreational vaping and tighten other aspects of e-cigarette laws in the biggest crackdown on the tobacco industry in more than a decade to try to stop an alarming rise in teenage vaping.
  Reuters Health Information, May 02, 2023
• Food Addiction Tied to Type 2 Diabetes, Even Beyond BMI Body weight only partially explains the association between food addiction and type 2 diabetes, researchers found, and that association was attenuated among people with mental disorders.
  Medscape Medical News, May 02, 2023