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09 Nov
Half of Dentists Say Patients Are Coming to their Appointments High
More dentists are finding patients high on marijuana, often forcing a delay in treatment, according to the American Dental Association.
Health News Results - 258
Young Adults' Use of Hallucinogens Like Mushrooms, PCP Doubled in a Few Years: Study
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- June 9, 2023
- Full Page
Young American adults have doubled their use of non-LSD hallucinogens in just a few years, a new report warns.
Researchers found that between 2018 and 2021, U.S. adults aged 19 to 30 increased their use of mescaline, peyote, psilocybin ("magic mushrooms") and PCP, thoug...
Most Injection Drug Users Are Not Seeking Out Fentanyl: Study
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- June 1, 2023
- Full Page
Many Americans who inject illicit drugs are unknowingly getting fentanyl mixed in with their heroin, which can increase their risk for overdose and perhaps their tolerance for the drug.
About 80% of injection drug users in New York City test p...
Illicit Use of Ketamine Keeps Rising in U.S.
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- May 24, 2023
- Full Page
Seizures of illicit ketamine by drug enforcement agents have surged throughout the United States, growing 349% from 2017 through 2022, a new study finds.
Rising use of ketamine could increase the likelihood that people who use the drug recreationally may instead get a po...
Medicare's Coverage of Methadone Could Help Get People Off Opioids
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- May 22, 2023
- Full Page
When Medicare expanded coverage for methadone, more people used this treatment for opioid use disorder, a new study shows.
Use rose sharply but did not displace other opioid treatments such as buprenorphine, according to researchers.
Much of the rise in methadone ...
U.S. Child Deaths From Fentanyl Jumped 30-Fold in Just 8 Years
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- May 8, 2023
- Full Page
The synthetic opioid fentanyl is killing increasing numbers of U.S. kids, emulating the chilling trends seen among adults, a new study finds.
Pediatric deaths from fentanyl increased more than 30-fold between 2013 and 2021, according to study author
Exercise Could Be an Antidote to Addiction, Data Suggests
- Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
- April 27, 2023
- Full Page
Exercise might help people who are battling addiction stay on the straight and narrow, a new research review finds.
Investigators who analyzed 43 studies from around the world found a link between physical activity and reduced substance use among people in treatment for ...
Supplements Can Contain Far More Melatonin Than Is Safe, Upping Odds for Illness
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- April 25, 2023
- Full Page
When U.S. health officials reported a 500% spike in the number of poison center calls involving kids eating melatonin gummies last year, Harvard researchers decided to take a closer look at the sleep supplements and discovered a disturbing fact: They contained up to 347% more ...
People With Cerebral Palsy Could Be in the Crosshairs of the Opioid Crisis
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- April 25, 2023
- Full Page
People with cerebral palsy are more likely to be prescribed opioids to manage pain, making them vulnerable to the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States, according to a new study.
While pain is common among patients with cerebral palsy, opioids may not be as helpful ...
In Some U.S. Schools, 1 in 4 Kids Said They've Misused an ADHD Drug
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- April 19, 2023
- Full Page
U.S. schools that have a lot of students with prescriptions for ADHD medication also tend to have a lot of students who misuse the drugs, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among nearly 3,300 U.S. middle schools and high schools, some had a serious problem with...
Million-Person Study Finds Genes Common to Many Addiction Disorders
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- March 24, 2023
- Full Page
Breakthrough research shows genetic markers for substance abuse and could lead to more effective ways to prevent and treat drug and alcohol use disorders.
These findings could help people wh...
New Jersey's '5-Day Rule' Didn't Curb Opioid Use
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- February 24, 2023
- Full Page
While many opioid policies in New Jersey have worked to combat misuse of the drugs, one that limited the length of prescriptions did not have its intended effect, new research shows.
The legislation capped initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain at just five days. <...
U.S. Deaths Involving Meth Are Skyrocketing, Fentanyl a Big Factor
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- February 21, 2023
- Full Page
Deaths from methamphetamine among Americans increased 50-fold between 1999 and 2021, a chilling new study reports.
Most of these deaths also involved heroin or fentanyl, according to researchers.
"The staggering increase in methamphetamine-related deaths in the Uni...
Legalizing Marijuana Doesn't Raise Drug, Alcohol Abuse: Study
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- January 30, 2023
- Full Page
Living in a U.S. state where recreational weed is legal does not appear to increase the average adult's risk of succumbing to “reefer madness,” a new study of twins has determined.
An adult living in a “legal” state is not more likely to develop any sort of subst...
As Opioid Deaths Rise Among Teens, Too Few Youth Get Anti-Addiction Drug
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- January 24, 2023
- Full Page
The number of American teenagers becoming addicted to opioids is on the rise, yet fewer are being prescribed a medication that can help them, a new government study finds.
Between 2015 and 2020, the proportion of teens receiving buprenorphine prescriptions fell by 45%. B...
Pharmacists Can Be Key to Helping Folks Kick Opioid Addiction
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- January 13, 2023
- Full Page
Pharmacists could play an important role in helping curb the U.S. opioid epidemic, a new study suggests.
Researchers studied the impact of a Rhode Island law allowing specially trained pharmacists to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder...
Babies in Danger From Ingesting Opioids Laced With Animal Tranquilizer
- Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
- December 28, 2022
- Full Page
When a toddler or an infant accidentally ingests a prescription opioid medication, the immediate results can prove deadly, experts warn.
But another new worrisome dynamic is afoot in the United States, a just-published
Pandemic Brought Surge in Teen Drug Overdose Deaths
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- December 20, 2022
- Full Page
Deaths of teens from drug overdoses soared starting in late 2019, and though they appear to be on the decline, they remain much higher than in 2019, U.S. health officials report.
Most of these deaths are due to illegally made fentanyl mixed with other drugs, said study a...
Cases of Deadly Heart Infection Tied to Opioid Abuse Rose Sharply During Pandemic
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- December 13, 2022
- Full Page
Researchers already knew that injecting drugs can lead to the dangerous and deadly heart infection called endocarditis.
Now they know that also becoming infected with COVID-19 appears to increase risk for this already vulnerable group.
"A lot of people talk about l...
Record Number of Fatal Drug ODs for Pregnant, Postpartum Women
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- December 6, 2022
- Full Page
Pregnant and postpartum women are dying of drug overdoses in record numbers, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made things worse, a new study shows.
Deaths increased about 81% over the past four years, hitting a record high in 2020, according to researchers from Columb...
As Alcohol Abuse Declines Among Teens, Marijuana Abuse Soars
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- December 5, 2022
- Full Page
American kids are drinking to excess less and abusing marijuana more, a new study finds.
Marijuana abuse among 6- to 18-year-olds has increased 245% since 2000, while child alcohol abuse has steadily declined over those years, say researchers who analyzed poisonings...
Cases of Meth-Linked Heart Failure Are Spreading Worldwide
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- December 2, 2022
- Full Page
Methamphetamine wreaks havoc on the heart, warns new research that shows heart failure rates linked to the illicit drug are on the rise around the world.
Not only are these cases increasing, but they are more severe than traditional heart failure cases and they are stri...
Fatal Drug Overdoses Among U.S. Seniors Have Tripled Since 2000
- Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
- November 30, 2022
- Full Page
Growing numbers of older Americans are dying from drug overdoses and alcohol abuse.
That's the tragic takeaway from two new reports by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than 5,000 people aged 65 and older in the United States died of a ...
Lots of Teen Boys Use Steroids, Often With Side Effects
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- November 28, 2022
- Full Page
Steroid users, especially teen boys and young men, seem indifferent to the serious side effects and dependency associated with use of the drugs, a new study finds.
“We're seeing more young adults and adolescent boys engaging in risk behaviors, such as the use of steroi...
Is Mind-Altering Ayahuasca Safe? No, But Folks Who Try It May Not Care
- Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
- November 17, 2022
- Full Page
Ayahuasca, a powerful psychoactive drug derived from a South American plant, is a traditional Amazonian-based medicine and an increasingly popular hallucinogenic brew used by devotees worldwide.
But what is the ayahuasca experience really like?
Pandemic Saw Big Rise in Deaths to Millennials From Multiple Causes
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- November 16, 2022
- Full Page
Americans aged 25 to 44 — so-called millennials — are dying at significantly higher rates from three leading killers than similarly aged people just 10 years ago, the latest government data shows.
Fatal Heart Infections Linked to Opioid Abuse Have Tripled Among Young Americans
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 9, 2022
- Full Page
The U.S. opioid epidemic has been heartbreaking — literally.
Young adults' risk of dying from a devastating infection of the heart has doubled to tripled in the United States during the past two decades, a new study reports.
Researchers ascribe the increase in fa...
FDA Warns of Animal Tranquilizer in Illicit Drugs
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- November 9, 2022
- Full Page
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday warned health care workers to look out for patients who may have been exposed to a potentially deadly animal sedative, possibly through illicit drug use.
The veterinary medication xylazine is sometimes added to fentanyl, h...
Half of Dentists Say Patients Are Coming to Appointments While High
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- November 8, 2022
- Full Page
More and more nervous patients are showing up stoned for dental appointments, often forcing dentists to postpone treatment until the patient sobers up, new survey data shows.
As more states are legalizing marijuana, more than half of dentists (52%) report seeing patients...
CDC Issues New Guidance on Prescribed Opioids for Pain
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 3, 2022
- Full Page
THURSDAY, Nov. 3, 2022 -- U.S. doctors prescribing opioids for pain relief now have a new -- and more nuanced -- set of guidelines from the federal government.
Issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, the new recommendations incorporate ...
New Biden Plan Would Help Pregnant Women Fight Opioid Addiction
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- October 21, 2022
- Full Page
Pregnant women addicted to opioids have both a compelling reason to change and a harder time getting medications to battle their substance use disorder.
Now, a new plan from the B...
Marijuana, Meth, Cocaine Use Can Help Trigger Dangerous A-Fib
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- October 20, 2022
- Full Page
Using marijuana increases the risk of developing the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation (a-fib), a new study suggests.
It's been known that drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine an...
Feds Make Big Funding Push for More Mental Health Clinics
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- October 18, 2022
- Full Page
The federal government is pumping millions more dollars into an effort to expand the United States' network of community mental health centers.
Up to 15 states now can apply for $1 million grants to help plan new
Big Drop Seen in Drug Treatment Admissions During Pandemic
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- September 26, 2022
- Full Page
Admissions to drug treatment programs declined sharply during the pandemic's first year, likely explaining a later surge in fatal overdoses.
Among people of color, admissions dropped nearly 25%, a RAND Corp. study found.
This is one possible reason for the recent s...
U.S. Teens' Drinking, Smoking Declines While Vaping & Pot Use Keep Rising
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- September 21, 2022
- Full Page
Fewer U.S. teenagers are drinking and smoking these days, but marijuana and
In Canada, Program That Supplies Safe Opioids to Addicts Is Saving Lives
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- September 20, 2022
- Full Page
As opioid overdose deaths continue to soar, a Canadian program points to one way to save lives: providing "safer" opioids to people at high risk of overdose.
That's the conclusion of a study evaluating Canada's first formal "safer opioid supply," or SOS, program. Such pr...
Experts Say New Street Drug Is ‘as Deadly as Fentanyl'
- By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- September 16, 2022
- Full Page
Nitazenes: You've probably never heard of these highly toxic drugs, and neither have many Americans who abuse opioid street drugs.
...
Used During Pandemic, Telehealth Lowered U.S. Opioid Overdoses
- By Sydney Murphy HealthDay Reporter
- September 2, 2022
- Full Page
Telehealth flourished during the pandemic, and now a new study shows it saved lives: The practice meant more people struggling with opioid addiction stayed in treatment longer and thereby lowered their risk of dying fro...
Brain Study Shows How Fentanyl Kills
- By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- August 31, 2022
- Full Page
Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that's driving a surge in drug overdose deaths, kills by stopping breathing even before someone loses consciousness, a new study reveals.
To come to that conclusion, res...
Use of Pot, Hallucinogens Soaring Among Young Americans
- By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- August 23, 2022
- Full Page
Marijuana and hallucinogen use are at an all-time high among young adults, U.S. health officials reported Monday.
Compared to five or 10 years ago, the use of these drugs over the past year has risen significantly among 19- to 30-year-olds, according to the
Many Who Need Opioid OD Antidote the Most Can't Afford It
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- August 22, 2022
- Full Page
Naloxone is a lifesaving antidote to an opioid overdose, but it may be priced too high for those most vulnerable to opioid-related death, a new study finds.
Between 2014 and 2018, naloxone...
Moving Away From Opioids to Treat Dental Pain
- By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- August 19, 2022
- Full Page
Many opioid abusers cite short-term, legitimate use of an opioid for relief of joint or dental pain as their "gateway" into addiction.
Now, research done at one New York State clinic find...
Meth Plays Big Role in Drug ODs in Rural America
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- August 16, 2022
- Full Page
Methamphetamine is driving an epidemic of drug overdoses in rural America, a new study concludes.
Researchers attribute the surge to meth laced with fentanyl or combined with an opioid tha...
Veterans Often Reluctant to Admit Struggles With Sleep, Addictions
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- August 16, 2022
- Full Page
A new study of U.S. military veterans reveals they are more comfortable getting help for physical ills than for mental health issues.
"The majority of participants indicated they would be willing to seek treatment for both physical and mental health problems. However, th...
Playing Football, Hockey in High School Ups Odds for Stimulant Abuse
- By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- August 15, 2022
- Full Page
Taking part in certain sports in high school may lead to misuse of prescription stimulants in the years after graduation, a new study finds.
It reported that high school seniors who play contact sports are 50% more likely to abuse prescription stimulants in their 20s. Se...
B 8/9 -- When Pot Made Legal, Poisonings From Synthetic Pot Decline
- By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- August 4, 2022
- Full Page
People appear less likely to turn to dangerous synthetic pot products in U.S. states where marijuana has been legalized, a new Washington State University study finds.
Researchers disco...
B 8/11 -- U.S. Opioid Prescriptions Are Declining
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- August 3, 2022
- Full Page
The United States has an opioid epidemic, but there's one bright spot in the fight against it: Prescriptions for these addictive drugs have declined for patients with private insurance.
Amid guidelines over the past decade from governments, health systems and insure...
Wave of Opioid Overdoses Expected to Hit U.S. Rural, Urban Areas
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- July 29, 2022
- Full Page
Experts predict opioid overdoses will climb in both rural and urban areas because of the l...
Fatal Drug ODs Are Soaring, Especially Among Minorities: CDC
- Dennis Thompson and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
- July 19, 2022
- Full Page
The nation's opioid epidemic is hitting minority groups the hardest, with the latest government study reporting the steepest increases in overdose deaths among Black Americans and American Indians...
Teens Have Triple the Odds of Misusing Marijuana Compared to Adults
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- July 6, 2022
- Full Page
In yet another report that illustrates the dangers pot poses to the young, developing brain, a new British study finds teenagers are much more likely than adults to develop an addiction to mariju...
What Drives Doctors to Take Their Own Lives
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- July 5, 2022
- Full Page
Doctor burnout and suicide are a growing concern, a new study finds.
"We often overlook the physical health of our health care workers, but poor health can lead to difficulty performing tasks at work, which then leads to job stress and mental health issues," said corresp...