opioid
Trump immigration policies set tone for most of the GOP presidential field
This is one of an occasional series comparing the Republican presidential candidates’ positions on issues. WASHINGTON — Most of the candidates in this year’s 2024 Republican race for the presidential nomination mirror hard-line immigration policies set by the front-runner, former President Donald Trump. What were once considered far-right policies are now common talking points among […]
Synthetic drugs are killing more Americans as they render treatment options less effective
BURLINGTON, Vt. — “You can’t inject a horse tranquilizer and think nothing bad is gonna happen” to you, said Ty Sears, 33, a longtime drug user now in recovery. Sears was referring to xylazine, a sedative used for animal surgeries that has infiltrated the illicit drug supply across the country, contributing to a steady climb […]
Opioid settlement funds provide 15K Narcan kits to Arkansas law enforcement
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Law enforcement agencies from throughout Arkansas are collecting naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdose, at the Camp Robinson military base Thursday and Friday. More than 15,000 kits of naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, were available Thursday morning. Vehicles from municipal police and county sheriffs’ departments lined up outside […]
Hundreds of new Arkansas laws set to take effect Aug. 1
Arkansas lawmakers passed 890 laws during this year’s legislative sessions, and most take effect on Tuesday. In Arkansas, new laws take effect 91 days after the end of a legislative session (This year’s session ended May 1). A handful of those are already in effect because they contained emergency clauses, meaning they become law immediately […]
States stiffen penalties for fentanyl, despite public health concerns
As they struggle to reduce drug overdose deaths, policymakers across the United States are embroiled in a heated debate over creating and increasing criminal penalties related to fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that’s up to 100 times more potent than morphine. Legislators pushing the new wave of criminal penalties say the laws will deter drug […]
Meet the people deciding how to spend $50 billion in opioid settlement cash
As more than $50 billion makes its way to state and local governments to compensate for the opioid epidemic, people with high hopes for the money are already fighting over a little-known bureaucratic arm of the process: state councils that wield immense power over how the cash is spent. In 14 states, these councils have […]
Mental health, addiction replace access to basic care as top rural health issue
For the first time in 20 years, mental health and addiction are more pressing health concerns than getting access to basic healthcare, according to a survey of rural stakeholders. Rural Healthy People 2030, released by the Southwest Rural Health Resource Center, surveyed a national sample of people “working to improve the lives and health of […]
Opioid settlement payouts to localities made public for first time
Thousands of local governments nationwide are receiving settlement money from companies that made, sold, or distributed opioid painkillers, like Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, and Walmart. The companies are shelling out more than $50 billion total in settlements from national lawsuits. But finding out the precise amount each city or county is receiving has been nearly […]
UAMS researchers test app designed to prevent opioid use relapse
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researchers have developed an award-winning smartphone app designed to decrease opioid cravings and optimize medication-assisted treatment for people with opioid use disorder. Supported by a $2.8 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the research team is testing the effectiveness of OptiMAT (Optimizing Medication Assisted Treatment) among […]