opioid abuse

Hannah Berkowitz in her parents' home in West Hartford, Conn. Getting intensive in-home drug treatment is what ultimately helped her get back on track, she and her mom agree.

Home-Based Drug Treatment Program Costs Less And Works

5:42pm April 17, 2017

by Jack Rodolico

Treating addiction is expensive and patients often relapse. A new company is offering better results at a price that's lower in the long run — and clients get treatment right at home.

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Allyson and Eddie, clients at the AAC Needle Exchange and Overdose Prevention Program in Cambridge, Mass., say they carry naloxone and try to never use drugs alone to reduce the risk of overdosing.

Fentanyl Adds A New Terror For People Abusing Opioids

5:14pm April 06, 2017

by Martha Bebinger

People who abuse opioids are well aware of the risk posed by fentanyl, a powerful anesthetic that's increasingly slipped into heroin and other drugs. They're coming up with new tactics to survive.

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Christopher Milford in his apartment in East Boston, Mass. He quit abusing opioids after getting endocarditis three times.

Doctors Consider Ethics Of Costly Heart Surgery For People Addicted To Opioids

11:19am March 21, 2017

by Jack Rodolico

A troubling trend has followed the opioid epidemic: People who use intravenous drugs are getting heart infections, driving up hospital bills and stirring an ethical debate among doctors.

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A pair of studies show declines in opioid use by young people, including prescription use, intentional misuse and accidental poisonings.

Studies Suggest Cautious Optimism About Declines In Teen Opioid Use

1:49pm March 20, 2017

by Tara Haelle

A pair of long-term studies found fewer children and teenagers are coming in contact with opioids, and that hospitalizations from the drugs are down. The same is not true for adults.

Michael Botticelli, former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on attacking America's epidemic of heroin and prescription drug abuse.

Former Drug Czar Says GOP Health Bill Would Cut Access To Addiction Treatment

6:30pm March 15, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

The director of National Drug Control Policy under President Obama, Michael Botticelli, says the proposed GOP health bill would decrease access to treatment in the middle of an opioid crisis.

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German dictator Adolf Hitler gives a speech in October 1944. Author Norman Ohler says that Hitler's abuse of drugs increased "significantly" from the fall of 1941 until the winter of 1944.

Author Says Hitler Was 'Blitzed' On Cocaine And Opiates During The War

7:05pm March 07, 2017

Author Norman Ohler says that Adolf Hitler's drug abuse increased "significantly" from the fall of 1941 until winter of 1944: "Hitler needed those highs to substitute [for] his natural charisma."

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How does naltrexone work? The drug seems to curb cravings by blunting the euphoric and sedative effects of alcohol in the brain.

A Medicine That Blunts The Buzz Of Alcohol Can Help Drinkers Cut Back

2:04pm February 27, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

Naltrexone was approved to treat alcohol disorders more than 20 years ago. But many doctors still don't know that when combined with counseling it can help people resist the urge to drink too much.

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Dr. Joel Funari performs some 300 tooth extractions annually at his private practice in Devon, Pa.. He's part of a group of dentists reassessing opioid prescribing guidelines in the state.

Dentists Work To Ease Patients' Pain With Fewer Opioids

6:37am February 26, 2017

by Elana Gordon

After minor surgeries, many dentists used to reflexively prescribe quick-acting opioids to relieve a patient's pain. Now they're learning to counsel patients about better, less addictive alternatives.

A doctor at a Boston Medical Center clinic counsels a patient who has become addicted to opioid painkillers, and wants help kicking the habit. Addiction specialists say drugs like suboxone, which mitigates withdrawal symptoms, can greatly improve his odds

Another Big Health Insurer Loosens Rules For Covering Addiction Treatment

1:35pm February 15, 2017

by Shefali Luthra

Doctors treating people addicted to opioids often need approval from insurers before giving drugs that ease withdrawal. The delay can be risky for patients. Insurers are starting to come around.

(Left) Bob Hardin's son has fought alcoholism for decades. (Right) Cary Dixon's adult son has been in and out of treatment for opioid addiction.

W. Va. Families Worry About Access To Addiction Treatment Under Trump

6:59pm February 09, 2017

by Sarah McCammon

If President Trump fulfills his promise to repeal Obamacare, families in the state hit hardest by the opioid epidemic are concerned their loved ones will lose coverage for alcohol and drug treatment.

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