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Tag: Opioid

  • MBTA balks at expanding overdose prevention kiosks

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    BOSTON — MBTA officials are pouring cold water on a legislative push to make the opioid overdose reversing drug naloxone available at subway stations, citing a lack of proper staff and a shortage of funding.

    The T recently wrapped up a federally funded pilot project that installed 15 kiosks with doses of the medicine – also known by its brand name, Narcan – at several Red Line stations to help reduce fatal drug overdoses.


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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Fentanyl: Facts and myths on the drug driving OD deaths

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    When federal agencies recognize an “awareness day” for something, that’s code for: “Take this seriously. Please.”

    Deaths from fentanyl — the synthetic, often deadly opioid frequently present in illicit street drugs — have contributed to the United States’ soaring opioid overdose deaths in the last decade. 

    In 2022, the advocacy group Facing Fentanyl designated Aug. 21 “National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day,” to honor the people who have died from fentanyl and to increase public awareness of its toll. Today, a number of federal agencies mark the day as well.

    Fentanyl overdose deaths have recently dropped. From April 2024 to March 2025, the CDC reported 43,000 synthetic opioid deaths, most of which are from fentanyl, down from nearly 70,000 in the previous similar period.

    You probably already know this part: Even tiny amounts of fentanyl can be lethal. But we’ve come across a fair number of myths about fentanyl over the years. Knowing the facts about this potent drug can help save lives. Here’s some quick must-knows and common myths. 

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    Two milligrams of fentanyl can be deadly: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says that ingesting as little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be deadly for an adult. The drug is similar to morphine, but up to 100 times more potent, which is what makes it so lethal.

    Photo shows how a potentially lethal 2-milligram dose of fentanyl compares in size to a penny. (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration)

    Different people can tolerate different doses, but it’s hard to know how much is in a pill: A dose’s lethality can vary based on height, weight and tolerance from past exposure. So a frequent opioid user may tolerate a higher dose than a first time user. A DEA analysis found dosages can vary widely from one pill to another. 

    Fentanyl can be added to other illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine: Because of its potency and low cost, fentanyl is frequently used to “cut” other illicit drugs, including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines. As a result, people may unknowingly take a drug that contains fentanyl in potentially lethal amounts. 

    Medical fentanyl can be prescribed by a doctor: A pharmaceutical form of fentanyl can be safely prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain after surgery or in the late stages of cancer. It is used similarly to morphine but in smaller doses. It can be administered through a shot, a patch on the skin or a lozenge. 

    Street fentanyl is not the same as medical fentanyl: Illicit fentanyl, the kind sold illegally on the street, is not regulated like the kind that doctors give. It is made in clandestine labs and the exact dosage is not always reliable. Illicit fentanyl is most closely associated with overdose deaths. According to the DEA, illicit fentanyl can be sold as a powder, pill or nasal spray.

    Fentanyl test strips can show if a drug has been laced: But they cannot tell you how much of the opioid is present. Read about how to use fentanyl test strips here. 

    Naloxone or Narcan can reverse an opioid overdose: Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is administered via nasal spray or injection and can be bought over the counter. Friends, family members and bystanders can give a person naloxone in the case of an overdose, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Sometimes multiple doses are needed, depending on the strength of the opioid.

    People who use Narcan should still go to the hospital: Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose for 30 to 90 minutes, so it is possible overdose symptoms can return once the treatment wears off. 

    You can’t overdose by touching an item containing fentanyl. In 2017, the American College of Medical Toxicology and the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology released a joint statement saying “it is very unlikely” that skin exposure to fentanyl powder or tablets “would cause significant opioid toxicity.” Fentanyl isn’t absorbed well by the skin; for fentanyl to have a physical effect on the body, it must enter the bloodstream. Some medical fentanyl is delivered through skin patches, but it is absorbed slowly over the course of hours. These patches can’t quickly deliver a high dose of fentanyl.

    Breathing air in a room with fentanyl can’t make you sick. Medical experts said fentanyl isn’t volatile, meaning it doesn’t easily become a vapor, which means you’re not going to become sick from breathing near it. Experts said fentanyl doesn’t just float up into the air and unintentionally expose people nearby.

    Fentanyl does not smell like popcorn when it burns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that fentanyl is odorless and tasteless, and there is no visible way of knowing if or how much fentanyl a pill contains. But those low-cost test strips can determine whether a drug contains traces of fentanyl.

    RELATED: It’s physically impossible to overdose from touching a dollar bill laced with fentanyl 

    RELATED: Following your nose won’t find fentanyl, experts say, but using test strips will 

    RELATED: Misinformation about fentanyl exposure threatens to undermine overdose response

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  • Rockport school board updated on opioid prevention

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    The Rockport School Committee, along with the town’s Public Health Department, is aiming to eliminate the effects of possible substance abuse in Rockport schools.

    During the committee’s meeting on June 4, members heard from Dr. Ray Cahill, director of the Rockport Public Health Department, who updated those gathered about the “RIZE Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership Grant.” The grant aims to support children and families affected by the opioid crisis.


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    By Stephen Hagan | Staff Writer

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  • Data: Fewer opioids prescribed in Mass., NH

    Data: Fewer opioids prescribed in Mass., NH

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    BOSTON — While the scourge of opioid addiction continues to affect Massachusetts, the number of people getting legal prescriptions for heavily addictive medicines is falling, according to the latest federal data.

    Massachusetts had the second lowest opioid prescription rate in New England in 2022, following Vermont, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Health care providers in the Bay State wrote 30.8 opioid prescriptions for every 100 residents, the federal agency reported.

    That’s a slight drop from the previous year but a substantial decline from the 66 per 100 prescription rate in 2006, when the CDC began tracking the data, which lags by two years.

    New Hampshire, which has also seen declining numbers of opioid prescriptions in recent years, had the third-lowest rate in New England in 2022, with 32 prescriptions for every 100 residents. Maine had the highest rate in the region, or 35.2 per 100 residents.

    Nationally, the overall prescription rate was 39.5 prescriptions per 100 people in 2022, according to the CDC data.

    Curbing opioid addiction has been a major focus on Beacon Hill for a number of years, with hundreds of millions of dollars being devoted to expanding treatment and prevention efforts.

    For many, opioid addiction has its roots in prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin and Percocet, which led them to street-bought heroin and fentanyl once those prescriptions ran out.

    In 2016, then-Gov. Charlie Baker and lawmakers pushed through a raft of rules to curb over-prescribing of opioids. Those included a cap on new prescriptions written in any seven-day period and a requirement that doctors consult a state prescription monitoring database before prescribing an additive opioid.

    Meanwhile opioid manufacturers have been hammered with hundreds of lawsuits from the states and local governments over their role in fueling a wave of opioid addiction. Attorney General Maura Healey’s office recently agreed to a multi-billion dollar settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma.

    Supporters of the tougher requirements say they have saved lives by dramatically reducing the number of heavily addictive opioids being prescribed.

    Pain management groups say the regulatory backlash has made some doctors worried about writing prescriptions for opioids, depriving patients of treatment.

    There were 2,125 confirmed or suspected opioid-related deaths in 2023 — which is 10%, or 232, fewer fatal overdoses than the same period in 2022, according to the latest data from the state Department of Public Health.

    Last year’s opioid-related overdose death rate also decreased by 10% to 30.2 per 100,000 people compared with 33.5 in 2022, DPH said.

    Health officials attributed the persistently high death rates to the effects of an “increasingly poisoned drug supply,” primarily with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. Fentanyl was present in 90% of the overdose deaths where a toxicology report was available, state officials noted.

    Nationally, there were 107,543 overdose deaths reported in the U.S. in 2023, a 3% decrease from the estimated 111,029 in 2022, according to CDC data.

    On Beacon Hill, state lawmakers are being pressured to take more aggressive steps to expand treatment and prevention options for those struggling with opioid addiction.

    Last month, a coalition of more than 100 public health and community-based organizations wrote to House and Senate leaders urging them to pass substance abuse legislation before the Dec. 31 end of the two-year session.

    “There isn’t a day that goes by without several people in the Commonwealth dying from an overdose or losing loved ones to this disease,” they wrote. “As individuals and institutions working to combat the opioid epidemic, we know the Commonwealth must do more to prevent addiction, help people find pathways to treatment and recovery, and save lives.”

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Data: Fewer opioids prescribed in Massachusetts

    Data: Fewer opioids prescribed in Massachusetts

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    BOSTON — While the scourge of opioid addiction continues to affect Massachusetts, the number of people getting legal prescriptions for heavily addictive medicines is falling, according to the latest federal data.

    Massachusetts had the second lowest opioid prescription rate in New England in 2022, following Vermont, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Health care providers in the Bay State wrote 30.8 opioid prescriptions for every 100 residents, the federal agency reported.

    That’s a slight drop from the previous year but a substantial decline from the 66 per 100 prescription rate in 2006, when the CDC began tracking the data, which lags by two years.

    New Hampshire, which has also seen declining numbers of opioid prescriptions in recent years, had the third-lowest rate in New England in 2022, with 32 prescriptions for every 100 residents. Maine had the highest rate in the region, or 35.2 per 100 residents.

    Nationally, the overall prescription rate was 39.5 prescriptions per 100 people in 2022, according to the CDC data.

    Curbing opioid addiction has been a major focus on Beacon Hill for a number of years, with hundreds of millions of dollars being devoted to expanding treatment and prevention efforts.

    For many, opioid addiction has its roots in prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin and Percocet, which led them to street-bought heroin and fentanyl once those prescriptions ran out.

    In 2016, then-Gov. Charlie Baker and lawmakers pushed through a raft of rules to curb over-prescribing of opioids. Those included a cap on new prescriptions written in any seven-day period and a requirement that doctors consult a state prescription monitoring database before prescribing an additive opioid.

    Meanwhile opioid manufacturers have been hammered with hundreds of lawsuits from the states and local governments over their role in fueling a wave of opioid addiction. Attorney General Maura Healey’s office recently agreed to a multi-billion dollar settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma.

    Supporters of the tougher requirements say they have saved lives by dramatically reducing the number of heavily addictive opioids being prescribed.

    Pain management groups say the regulatory backlash has made some doctors worried about writing prescriptions for opioids, depriving patients of treatment.

    There were 2,125 confirmed or suspected opioid-related deaths in 2023 — which is 10%, or 232, fewer fatal overdoses than the same period in 2022, according to the latest data from the state Department of Public Health.

    Last year’s opioid-related overdose death rate also decreased by 10% to 30.2 per 100,000 people compared with 33.5 in 2022, DPH said.

    Health officials attributed the persistently high death rates to the effects of an “increasingly poisoned drug supply,” primarily with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. Fentanyl was present in 90% of the overdose deaths where a toxicology report was available, state officials noted.

    Nationally, there were 107,543 overdose deaths reported in the U.S. in 2023, a 3% decrease from the estimated 111,029 in 2022, according to CDC data.

    On Beacon Hill, state lawmakers are being pressured to take more aggressive steps to expand treatment and prevention options for those struggling with opioid addiction.

    Last month, a coalition of more than 100 public health and community-based organizations wrote to House and Senate leaders urging them to pass substance abuse legislation before the Dec. 31 end of the two-year session.

    ”There isn’t a day that goes by without several people in the Commonwealth dying from an overdose or losing loved ones to this disease,” they wrote. “As individuals and institutions working to combat the opioid epidemic, we know the Commonwealth must do more to prevent addiction, help people find pathways to treatment and recovery, and save lives.”

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Sheriff expands inmate drug treatment program to The Farm

    Sheriff expands inmate drug treatment program to The Farm

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    LAWRENCE — Sheriff Kevin Coppinger plans to stand before hundreds of police chiefs this month and tell them how he’s bringing drugs into Essex County jails.

    It may sound odd as keeping illicit drugs and contraband out of jails and prisons will always be an issue, Coppinger noted.

    But Middleton Jail now has a nationally acclaimed Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program where addicted inmates can receive their medically prescribed doses of Suboxone, methadone and Vivitrol on a daily basis.

    In large part, such doses are used to treat the opioid addiction that has plagued the region for the past two decades. And many local crimes are drug driven.

    Last week, the MAT program expanded when a second treatment site opened at an Essex County Sheriff’s Department location — The Correctional Alternative Center, known as The Farm, off Marston Street in Lawrence.

    Adding a second MAT unit “allows us to get the medication to the inmates easier and increases public safety in the community,” Coppinger said.

    About two-thirds of Essex County inmates are diagnosed with both substance abuse and mental health disorders. The sheriff’s department was housing 819 inmates as of Friday’s count.

    At Middleton Jail, 180 inmates receive MAT. About another 35 are treated through MAT at The Farm, which includes females from the Women In Transition program, who are driven there from the Salisbury facility.

    “Abundant evidence” shows the drugs used in MAT programs “reduce opioid use and opioid use disorder-related symptoms, and they reduce the risk of infectious disease transmission as well as criminal behavior associated with drug use,” according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

    “These medications also increase the likelihood that a person will remain in treatment, which itself is associated with lower risk of overdose mortality, reduced risk of HIV and Hepatitis C transmission, reduced criminal justice involvement, and greater likelihood of employment,” the institute reports.

    The roots of the MAT program at Middleton came after a 2018 federal lawsuit by an inmate, Geoffrey Pesce, who had been medically treated with methadone prior to his arrest and jailing for driving without a license.

    Pesce, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and a law firm, successfully sued for his access to methadone while at Middleton Jail.

    In the lawsuit, the federal court was asked to require ECSD to provide Pesce with the prescribed medication onsite or to transport him daily to a medical facility where he could get his daily dosage.

    “Pesce suffered opioid use disorder and had been in recovery for two years with help of doctor-prescribed medication,” the ACLU of Boston said. “Pesce struggled with addiction for nearly six years, experiencing unemployment, homelessness, and estrangement from his family and son. After his doctor prescribed medication-assisted treatment, he made a dramatic recovery.”

    The hope is with the continued treatment behind bars, individuals won’t want to seek drugs when they are released. Brooke Pessinis, a licensed mental health counselor affiliated with the MAT program, said the goal is “harm reduction” and readying the inmate for success when they leave lock up.

    The inmates are also given Narcan, a medication which can reverse an opioid overdose, when they leave, ECSD Assistant Superintendent Jason Faro said.

    The medication dispensed in MAT are “highly managed” and kept in a safe approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration, he said.

    “You’d probably need 100 sticks of dynamite to blow the door off of it,” Faro said of the safe.

    In October, the MAT program will be among discussion topics at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference being held this year in Boston.

    But off stage, anecdotally, on a local level, Faro said he has seen the benefits of the MAT program through a former inmate he occasionally runs into in the Merrimack Valley. The man has a lengthy criminal record that stretches back to when he was 17.

    After MAT treatment and release, the man has now reconnected with his family and children, obtained his commercial drivers’ license and appears to be thriving.

    Notably, Faro said his crimes were “all driven by drug use.”

    Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter @EagleTribJill.

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    By Jill Harmacinski | Staff Writer

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  • Opioid deaths drop 10%, but remain high

    Opioid deaths drop 10%, but remain high

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    BOSTON — The scourge of opioid addiction continues to affect Massachusetts, but new data shows a double-digit decrease in the number of overdose deaths in the past year.

    There were 2,125 confirmed or suspected opioid-related deaths in 2023 — which is 10%, or 232, fewer fatal overdoses than during the same period in 2022, according to a report released this week by the state Department of Public Health.

    Last year’s opioid-related overdose death rate also decreased by 10% to 30.2 per 100,000 people compared to 33.5 in 2022, DPH said.

    Health officials attributed the persistently high death rates to the effects of an “increasingly poisoned drug supply,” primarily with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

    Fentanyl was present in 90% of the overdose deaths where a toxicology report was available, state officials noted.

    Preliminary data from the first three months of 2024 showed a continued decline in opioid-related overdose deaths, the agency said, with 507 confirmed and estimated deaths, a 9% drop from the same time period last year.

    Gov. Maura Healey said she is “encouraged” by the drop in fatal overdoses but the state needs to continue to focus on “prevention, treatment and recovery efforts to address the overdose crisis that continues to claim too many lives and devastate too many families in Massachusetts.”

    Substance abuse counselors welcomed the declining number of fatal opioid overdoses, but said the data shows that there is still more work to be done to help people struggling with substance use disorders.

    “While the number of opioid-related overdose deaths in the commonwealth remains unacceptably high, it is encouraging to see what we hope is a reversal of a long and painful trend,” Bridgewell President & CEO Chris Tuttle said in a statement. “The time is now to boost public investments and once and for all overcome the scourge of the opioid epidemic.”

    Nationally, there were 107,543 overdose deaths reported in the U.S. in 2023, a 3% decrease from the estimated 111,029 in 2022, according to recently released U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

    In New Hampshire, drug overdose deaths also declined by double digits in 2023, according to figures released in May by the state’s medical examiner and the National Centers for Disease Control.

    There were 430 deaths attributed to overdoses in 2023, an 11.7% decrease from 2022’s 487, according to the data.

    Curbing opioid addiction has been a major focus on Beacon Hill for a number of years with hundreds of millions of dollars being devoted to expanding treatment and prevention efforts.

    The state has set some of the strictest opioid-prescribing laws in the nation, including a cap on new prescriptions in a seven-day period and a requirement that doctors consult a state prescription monitoring database before prescribing an addictive opioid.

    Hundreds of millions of dollars are flowing into the state from multistate settlements with opioid makers and distributors, including $110 million from a $6 billion deal with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family.

    Under state law, about 60% of that money will be deposited in the state’s opioid recovery fund, while the remainder will be distributed to communities.

    Earlier this week, House lawmakers were expected to take up a package of bills aimed at improving treatment of substance abuse disorders and reducing opioid overdose deaths.

    The plan would require private insurers to cover emergency opioid overdose-reversing drugs such as naloxone and require drug treatment facilities to provide two doses of overdose-reversal drugs when discharging patients, among other changes.

    Another provision would require licenses for recovery coaches, who are increasingly sent to emergency rooms, drug treatment centers and courtrooms to help addicts get clean.

    Backers of the plan said the goal is to integrate peer recovery coaches more into the state’s health care system, helping addicts who have taken the first steps toward recovery.

    Long-term recovery remains one of the biggest hurdles to breaking the cycle of addiction, they say.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Report: Injured workers at risk for opioid overdoses

    Report: Injured workers at risk for opioid overdoses

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    Workers who are injured on the job are at higher risk for fatal opioid-related overdoses, according to a new study, which calls for renewed efforts to reduce the stigma of drug addiction.

    The report, released Thursday by the state Department of Public Health, found that working-age Massachusetts residents who died between 2011 and 2020 were 35% more likely to have died of an opioid-related overdose if they had previously been injured at work.

    DPH researchers compiled information about individuals’ employment and work-related injury status from their workers’ compensation claims and linked it with data from their death certificates.

    Researchers reviewed the details of 4,304 working-age adults who died between 2011 and 2020 and found at least 17.2% had at least one workplace injury claim and died of an opioid-related overdose, according to the study.

    Public health officials say the study is the first linking the impact of work-related injuries to opioid-related overdose deaths.

    “Occupational injuries can take both a physical and mental toll, and those who suffer injuries at work may be discouraged from seeking help because of stigmatization and fear of losing their jobs,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh said in a prepared statement. “Avoiding or delaying care can lead to a preventable overdose death.”

    She called for stepped-up efforts to “eliminate the stigma that accompanies substance use disorder in all sectors of society, including the workplace.”

    The release of the report comes as opioid overdose deaths remain devastatingly high in the Bay State, despite a slight decrease over the past year.

    There were 2,323 confirmed or suspected opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023 — eight fewer than the same period in 2021, according to a report released in December by the health department.

    Health officials attributed the persistently high death rates to the effects of an “increasingly poisoned drug supply,” primarily with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

    Fentanyl was present in 93% of the overdose deaths where a toxicology report was available, state officials noted.

    Curbing opioid addiction has been a major focus on Beacon Hill for a number of years with hundreds of millions of dollars being devoted to expanding treatment and prevention efforts.

    The state has set some of the strictest opioid prescribing laws in the nation, including a cap on new prescriptions in a seven-day period and a requirement that doctors consult a state prescription monitoring database before prescribing an addictive opioid.

    The Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, created by the state Legislature in 2020, has received more than $101 million from settlements with drug makers and distributors over their alleged role in the opioid crisis, according to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

    More than 25,000 people have died from opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts since 2011, according to state records.

    Nationally, fatal drug overdoses fell by roughly 3% in 2023, according data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    But the toll from fatal overdoses in 2023 remained high, claiming 107,543 lives, the federal agency said.

    Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were responsible for about 70% of lives lost, while methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants are responsible for about 30% of deaths, the CDC said.

    “The shift from plant-based drugs, like heroin and cocaine, to synthetic, chemical-based drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine, has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced,” Anne Milgram, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a recent statement.

    The DEA points to Mexican drug cartels, who it says are smuggling large quantities of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs manufactured in China into the country, along the southern border.

    “The suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and money launderers all play a role in the web of deliberate and calculated treachery orchestrated by these cartels,” she said.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

    Source link

  • Report: Injured workers at risk for opioid overdoses

    Report: Injured workers at risk for opioid overdoses

    [ad_1]

    Workers who are injured on the job are at higher risk for fatal opioid-related overdoses, according to a new study, which calls for renewed efforts to reduce the stigma of drug addiction.

    The report, released Thursday by the state Department of Public Health, found that working-age Massachusetts residents who died between 2011 and 2020 were 35% more likely to have died of an opioid-related overdose if they had previously been injured at work.

    DPH researchers compiled information about individuals’ employment and work-related injury status from their workers’ compensation claims and linked it to data from their death certificates.

    Researchers reviewed the details of 4,304 working-age adults who died between 2011 and 2020 and found at least 17.2% had at least one workplace injury claim and died of an opioid-related overdose, according to the study.

    Public health officials say the study is the first linking the impact of work-related injuries to opioid-related overdose deaths.

    “Occupational injuries can take both a physical and mental toll, and those who suffer injuries at work may be discouraged from seeking help because of stigmatization and fear of losing their jobs,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh said in a statement. “Avoiding or delaying care can lead to a preventable overdose death.”

    Walsh called for stepped-up efforts to “eliminate the stigma that accompanies substance use disorder in all sectors of society, including the workplace.”

    The release of the report comes as opioid overdose deaths remain devastatingly high in the Bay State, despite a slight decrease over the past year.

    There were 2,323 confirmed or suspected opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023 — eight fewer than the same period in 2021, according to a report released in December by the health department.

    Health officials attributed the persistently high death rates to the effects of an “increasingly poisoned drug supply,” primarily with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

    Fentanyl was present in 93% of the overdose deaths where a toxicology report was available, state officials noted.

    Curbing opioid addiction has been a major focus on Beacon Hill for a number of years with hundreds of millions of dollars being devoted to expanding treatment and prevention efforts.

    The state has set some of the strictest opioid-prescribing laws in the nation, including a cap on new prescriptions in a seven-day period and a requirement that doctors consult a state prescription monitoring database before prescribing an addictive opioid.

    The Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, created by the state Legislature in 2020, has received more than $101 million from settlements with drug makers and distributors over their alleged role in the opioid crisis, according to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

    More than 25,000 people have died from opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts since 2011, according to state records.

    Nationally, fatal drug overdoses fell by roughly 3% in 2023, according data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    But the toll from fatal overdoses in 2023 remained high, claiming 107,543 lives, the federal agency said.

    Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were responsible for approximately 70% of lives lost, while methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants are responsible for approximately 30% of deaths, the CDC said.

    “The shift from plant-based drugs, like heroin and cocaine, to synthetic, chemical-based drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine, has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced,” Anne Milgram, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a recent statement.

    The DEA points to Mexican drug cartels, who it says are smuggling large quantities of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs manufactured in China into the country along the southern border.

    “The suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and money launderers all play a role in the web of deliberate and calculated treachery orchestrated by these cartels,” she said.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Orange County Adopts CDC Initiative to Reduce Fatal & Nonfatal Overdoses

    Orange County Adopts CDC Initiative to Reduce Fatal & Nonfatal Overdoses

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    In order to address the increasing number of overdose deaths related to prescription opioids and illicit drugs, Orange County has engaged with the Centers for Disease Control and recently was awarded a grant funded by the CDC to implement its Stop Overdose campaigns locally.

    The series of campaigns focuses on four key areas: the dangers of illicitly manufactured fentanyl, the risks and consequences of mixing drugs (polysubstance use), the lifesaving power of naloxone, and the importance of reducing stigma around recovery and treatment options. The messaging highlights drug-use trends and encourages harm-reduction practices.

    “We worked with CDC staff to determine the best messages for our community, and they helped us identify our priorities,” explained Dr. Thomas Hall, director, Orange County Drug-Free Coalition. “The campaigns are based on best-practice marketing strategies, and the messages are simple and direct. Each message has an action associated with the information presented.”

    The connecting feature of the campaigns is the Stop Overdose website, which was launched as a resource library for people who use drugs and their loved ones. Each subpage on the website features campaign messaging, support data and resources for the intended audience – those who use drugs between the ages of 18-34.

    “There’s a big stigma attached to addiction, so we need to get specific messages out to people who use illicit drugs, including that the community offers access to free medicine that reverses opioid overdoses and free treatment,” asserted Megan Giddens, senior program manager, Orange County Drug-Free Office. “This campaign really helps get these messages to its intended audience.”

    Three hundred people die of a drug overdose every day in this country, and the availability of illicit fentanyl significantly increases the likelihood of opioid overdoses and overdose deaths. In our community and across the nation, deaths related to mixing fentanyl with other drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamines, are most prominent.

    For more about local strategies, programs and resources, visit Orange County Responds.

    “The Drug Enforcement Administration reported 7 out of every 10 pills seized by the agency contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, yet drug users may not know the risk of fentanyl being present,” said Dr. Hall. “Raising awareness of these risks is a priority for Orange County, and the Drug-Free Coalition is committed to expanding harm reduction strategies to reduce drug-related deaths in our community.”

    Giddens agreed the priority is saving lives. “We have high overdose rates in this region, so Stop Overdose is a critical education piece,” she said. “We want to be proactive, and this represents an effective preventive measure.”

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  • Dallas doctor found guilty of illegally selling opioid prescriptions

    Dallas doctor found guilty of illegally selling opioid prescriptions

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    File photo.

    File photo.

    Getty Images

    A Dallas doctor accused of writing opioid prescriptions to undercover agents posing as patients has been found guilty in federal court, according to a news release.

    Leovares Mendez, 58, was found guilty of six counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He will be sentenced at a later date and faces up to 140 years in federal prison, according to the news release from the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Texas.

    Codefendant Cesar Pena-Rodriguez, 56, pleaded guilty on Jan. 17 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. His sentencing is scheduled for April 22.

    Mendez and Pena-Rodriguez wrote “numerous prescriptions” without any real medical purpose and outside of usual professional practice standards, the news release said. They included those for hydrocodone, alprazolam and tramadol prescribed to undercover agents who paid the doctors $250 in cash.

    They sold the prescriptions to the undercover agents across 24 visits, according to the new release. Evidence presented at the trial showed Mendez wrote prescriptions after performing “only minimal or perfunctory medical evaluations during short visits, some only lasting one minute.”

    The agents created undercover videos that “showed a pattern of the officers requesting the medications by name with no complaint of pain,” according to the news release. Mendez coached the undercover agents on what to say if they were ever contacted by law enforcement regarding the illegal prescriptions.

    Related stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    James Hartley is a breaking news reporter with awards including features, breaking news and deadline writing. A North Texas native, he joined the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in 2019. He has a passion for true stories, understated movies, good tea and scotch that’s out of his budget.

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    James Hartley

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  • Rite Aid Files For Bankruptcy Amid Opioid Lawsuits

    Rite Aid Files For Bankruptcy Amid Opioid Lawsuits

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    U.S. pharmacy chain Rite Aid Corp. filed for bankruptcy in an effort to close unprofitable stores, address lawsuits over its role in the opioid pandemic, and rework a debt load of roughly $4 billion. What do you think?

    “The true victims of the opioid epidemic are finally coming to light.”

    Camilla Danner, Relationship Mediator

    Scientists Announce Earth’s Core Can Play Blu-Rays

    “I’d be happy to take some of those pills off their hands if they need to make a quick buck.”

    Alfred Moros, Gandy Dancer

    “Will they still honor my prescription for 500,000 oxy tablets?”

    Santos Turner, Gift Wrapper

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  • FDA Approves First Over-The-Counter Narcan To Reduce Overdoses

    FDA Approves First Over-The-Counter Narcan To Reduce Overdoses

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    The Food and Drug Administration has approved selling the overdose-reversal drug Narcan without a prescription, a move long sought by advocates to aid the national response to the opioid crisis. What do you think?

    “I’m not comfortable with just anyone being able to save someone’s life.”

    Joel Budnik, Ball Pit Monitor

    FDA: Everyone Needs To Induce Vomiting Right Now

    “I guess the opioid crisis has finally gotten as bad as America’s upset-tummy crisis.”

    Jared Hanlon, Unemployed

    “Then what’s the incentive to not overdose?”

    Cindy Ryerson, Sound Distortionist

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  • 12 Northwell emergency departments are accredited for pain, addiction care | Long Island Business News

    12 Northwell emergency departments are accredited for pain, addiction care | Long Island Business News

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    The American College of Emergency Physicians has awarded 12 Northwell Health emergency departments with the Pain and Addiction Care in the Emergency Department bronze-level designation.

    The recognition is part of a national accreditation program that is designed to improve management and substance use care for patients so that they receive the highest level of treatment for pain and addiction, while also minimizing the usage of opioid medications.

    “The fact that 12 of our hospitals have received national accreditation recognizes our efforts to humanize the approach to substance use and pain. We are very proud that our model of care is being regarded as an industry standard,” Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, assistant vice president of Emergency Medicine Addiction Services, said in a statement. “It is our mission that all 18 of our emergency departments will soon be recognized for our work in this space.”

    The accreditation comes at a time when pain-and-substance abuse, and subsequent fatal opioid overdoses are increasing nationwide, experts say. Fatal opioid overdoses, many caused by Fentanyl, are considered a national public health epidemic. There have been 108,000 deaths in the 12-month period that ended in August 2022, according to Northwell.

    The Northwell sites on Long Island that received the designation include Huntington Hospital, North Shore University Hospital, Plainview Hospital, Syosset Hospital, Glen Cove Hospital, LIJ Valley Stream, Long Island Jewish Medical Center and South Shore University Hospital.

    Locations in New York City with the designation include Lenox Health Greenwich Village, Lenox Hill Hospital, Staten Island University Hospital North and Staten Island University Hospital South.

    Northwell says a critical aspect to addressing the substance abuse crisis is the health system’s three-prong approach, which comprises education, clinical practice and research.

    “We will continue our efforts to provide patients with all the knowledge and power available to us to shift that narrative that there is ‘no help out there,’” Kapoor said. “We are here and committed to serve our patients, their families, and our communities in a holistic and comprehensive manner.”

     

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    Adina Genn

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  • ‘Friends’ Star Matthew Perry Reveals Harrowing Addiction Journey

    ‘Friends’ Star Matthew Perry Reveals Harrowing Addiction Journey

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    By Cara Murez 

    HealthDay Reporter

    THURSDAY, Oct. 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Just a few years ago, “Friends” actor Matthew Perry almost died from opioid overuse that nearly destroyed his colon and almost killed him.

    Now, he’s sober and wants to tell his story.

    Perry has written a memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” which will be published Nov. 1.

    “I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,” Perry told the magazine PEOPLE. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people.”

    Perry shares that he has gone to rehab 15 times, but he doesn’t say how long he’s been sober.

    “It’s important, but if you lose your sobriety, it doesn’t mean you lose all that time and education,” he says. “Your sober date changes, but that’s all that changes. You know everything you knew before, as long as you were able to fight your way back without dying, you learn a lot.”

    Perry talks about how his alcohol addiction was just beginning when he was 24 and cast on the TV show “Friends.” Perry, now 53, played Chandler Bing on the show.
     

    “I could handle it, kind of. But by the time I was 34, I was really entrenched in a lot of trouble,” he admits. “But there were years that I was sober during that time. Season 9 was the year that I was sober the whole way through. And guess which season I got nominated for best actor? I was like, ‘That should tell me something.’”

    Among his lows during the “Friends” years were when he was taking 55 Vicodin a day and weighed only 128 pounds.

    “I didn’t know how to stop,” Perry says. “If the police came over to my house and said, ‘If you drink tonight, we’re going to take you to jail,’ I’d start packing. I couldn’t stop because the disease and the addiction is progressive. So it gets worse and worse as you grow older.”

    His cast mates were aware of his conditions and patiently propped him up.

    “It’s like penguins. Penguins, in nature, when one is sick, or when one is very injured, the other penguins surround it and prop it up. They walk around it until that penguin can walk on its own. That’s kind of what the cast did for me.”
     

    A few years ago, at age 49, Perry nearly died because of his addiction. His colon burst from opioid overuse, causing him to spend two weeks in a coma, five months hospitalized and to use a colostomy bag for nine months.

    “The doctors told my family that I had a 2% chance to live,” Perry told PEOPLE. “I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that’s called a Hail Mary. No one survives that.”

    Perry said he’s now healthy and that scars on his stomach remind him of his journey to sobriety.

    “I’m pretty healthy now,” Perry said, before joking, “I’ve got to not go to the gym much more, because I don’t want to only be able to play superheroes. But no, I’m a pretty healthy guy right now.”

    Perry said his therapist suggested that when he thinks about taking Oxycontin, he think about the possibility of having a colostomy bag for the rest of his life.

    “And a little window opened and I crawled through it and I no longer want Oxycontin anymore,” Perry said.

    Perry, the only survivor among five people put on an ECMO machine at his hospital the night his lengthy stay began, is determined to help others who struggle with addiction.

    “I say in the book that if I did die, it would shock people, but it wouldn’t surprise anybody. And that’s a very scary thing to be living with. So my hope is that people will relate to it, and know that this disease attacks everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’re successful or not successful, the disease doesn’t care,” Perry said.

    He has learned “everything starts with sobriety. Because if you don’t have sobriety, you’re going to lose everything that you put in front of it, so my sobriety is right up there,” he says. “I’m an extremely grateful guy. I’m grateful to be alive, that’s for sure. And that gives me the possibility to do anything.”

    More information

    The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can help people struggling with addiction.

     

     

    SOURCE: PEOPLE magazine

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  • Pharmacist hopes to get life saving drug in every household in Adel community

    Pharmacist hopes to get life saving drug in every household in Adel community

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    If there are a few things Sumpter Pharmacy owner Leslie Herron loves, it’s Adel and the people who live there. It’s part of why she’s hoping to get Narcan, which is used to treat narcotic overdoses during emergencies, into the homes of everyone throughout the community. The other reason is because she knows how life-saving it can be while waiting for first responders to arrive and help. When people think about what overdoses are caused, many first think about heroin or fentanyl. However, overdosing does not discriminate. “When you’re in pain, you’re not thinking clearly,” Herron said. “So, it is really easy to lose track of how much medication you’ve taken.” That’s when Herron says it’s time to pull out the Narcan nasal spray. “It just needs to be absorbed through the nasal passages because that’s one of the fastest ways to get in the bloodstream,” Herron said.A law passed in 2016 allows Iowa pharmacists to dispense Narcan to patients over the age of 18. Herron says she hopes to get them into every house in Adel because Narcan reverses the effects of an opioid. “So opioids come, you take them, and they bind to a receptor in your body and then they do their job,” Herron said. “What Narcan does is it comes in and it just knocks that opioid off the receptor as if it’s not there anymore.” “It can be in your home,” said Deborah Krauss, referring to an overdose.Krauss is the director of the Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition.”It could be you know your nephew, your niece, or your kid,” she said.Krauss says she knows how overdosing does not discriminate. Like Herron, she believes it’s important people reduce the stigma around Narcan because anyone can be in need or save a life. “There’s a lot of people who have never touched a drug in their life and they carry Narcan because you could save a life,” Krauss said.

    ADEL, Iowa —

    If there are a few things Sumpter Pharmacy owner Leslie Herron loves, it’s Adel and the people who live there. It’s part of why she’s hoping to get Narcan, which is used to treat narcotic overdoses during emergencies, into the homes of everyone throughout the community.

    The other reason is because she knows how life-saving it can be while waiting for first responders to arrive and help.

    When people think about what overdoses are caused, many first think about heroin or fentanyl. However, overdosing does not discriminate.

    “When you’re in pain, you’re not thinking clearly,” Herron said. “So, it is really easy to lose track of how much medication you’ve taken.”

    That’s when Herron says it’s time to pull out the Narcan nasal spray.

    “It just needs to be absorbed through the nasal passages because that’s one of the fastest ways to get in the bloodstream,” Herron said.

    A law passed in 2016 allows Iowa pharmacists to dispense Narcan to patients over the age of 18.

    Herron says she hopes to get them into every house in Adel because Narcan reverses the effects of an opioid.

    “So opioids come, you take them, and they bind to a receptor in your body and then they do their job,” Herron said. “What Narcan does is it comes in and it just knocks that opioid off the receptor as if it’s not there anymore.”

    “It can be in your home,” said Deborah Krauss, referring to an overdose.

    Krauss is the director of the Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition.

    “It could be you know your nephew, your niece, or your kid,” she said.

    Krauss says she knows how overdosing does not discriminate. Like Herron, she believes it’s important people reduce the stigma around Narcan because anyone can be in need or save a life.

    “There’s a lot of people who have never touched a drug in their life and they carry Narcan because you could save a life,” Krauss said.

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  • Pharmacist hopes to get life saving drug in every household in Adel community

    Pharmacist hopes to get life saving drug in every household in Adel community

    [ad_1]

    If there are a few things Sumpter Pharmacy owner Leslie Herron loves, it’s Adel and the people who live there. It’s part of why she’s hoping to get Narcan, which is used to treat narcotic overdoses during emergencies, into the homes of everyone throughout the community. The other reason is because she knows how life-saving it can be while waiting for first responders to arrive and help. When people think about what overdoses are caused, many first think about heroin or fentanyl. However, overdosing does not discriminate. “When you’re in pain, you’re not thinking clearly,” Herron said. “So, it is really easy to lose track of how much medication you’ve taken.” That’s when Herron says it’s time to pull out the Narcan nasal spray. “It just needs to be absorbed through the nasal passages because that’s one of the fastest ways to get in the bloodstream,” Herron said.A law passed in 2016 allows Iowa pharmacists to dispense Narcan to patients over the age of 18. Herron says she hopes to get them into every house in Adel because Narcan reverses the effects of an opioid. “So opioids come, you take them, and they bind to a receptor in your body and then they do their job,” Herron said. “What Narcan does is it comes in and it just knocks that opioid off the receptor as if it’s not there anymore.” “It can be in your home,” said Deborah Krauss, referring to an overdose.Krauss is the director of the Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition.”It could be you know your nephew, your niece, or your kid,” she said.Krauss says she knows how overdosing does not discriminate. Like Herron, she believes it’s important people reduce the stigma around Narcan because anyone can be in need or save a life. “There’s a lot of people who have never touched a drug in their life and they carry Narcan because you could save a life,” Krauss said.

    ADEL, Iowa —

    If there are a few things Sumpter Pharmacy owner Leslie Herron loves, it’s Adel and the people who live there. It’s part of why she’s hoping to get Narcan, which is used to treat narcotic overdoses during emergencies, into the homes of everyone throughout the community.

    The other reason is because she knows how life-saving it can be while waiting for first responders to arrive and help.

    When people think about what overdoses are caused, many first think about heroin or fentanyl. However, overdosing does not discriminate.

    “When you’re in pain, you’re not thinking clearly,” Herron said. “So, it is really easy to lose track of how much medication you’ve taken.”

    That’s when Herron says it’s time to pull out the Narcan nasal spray.

    “It just needs to be absorbed through the nasal passages because that’s one of the fastest ways to get in the bloodstream,” Herron said.

    A law passed in 2016 allows Iowa pharmacists to dispense Narcan to patients over the age of 18.

    Herron says she hopes to get them into every house in Adel because Narcan reverses the effects of an opioid.

    “So opioids come, you take them, and they bind to a receptor in your body and then they do their job,” Herron said. “What Narcan does is it comes in and it just knocks that opioid off the receptor as if it’s not there anymore.”

    “It can be in your home,” said Deborah Krauss, referring to an overdose.

    Krauss is the director of the Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition.

    “It could be you know your nephew, your niece, or your kid,” she said.

    Krauss says she knows how overdosing does not discriminate. Like Herron, she believes it’s important people reduce the stigma around Narcan because anyone can be in need or save a life.

    “There’s a lot of people who have never touched a drug in their life and they carry Narcan because you could save a life,” Krauss said.

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