Now that marijuana possession has been decriminalized in a number of US states, there are fewer instances where people are being sent to marijuana treatment programs by the legal system. Even though the number of instances of court-ordered treatment is dropping, survey results are showing that numbers are up for those seeking help voluntarily. Court-Mandated Public Sector and Overall Marijuana …
Employers Tackling Issue of Prescription Drug Abuse Head-on
With opioid abuse having become a national epidemic, employee benefits plans are using their resources to take on this issue, according to a survey conducted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Its results found that more than 22 percent of employers have carried out a prescription claims analysis to look for possible abuse. The IFEBP Mental Health and …
Local Police Department Helps Hundreds of Addicts Get Treatment
A unique drug addiction program developed by a small fishing town in Massachusetts has been able to successfully place close to 400 addicts into treatment programs almost every time they asked for help. A team from the Boston Medical Center and Boston University’s School of Public Health has released numbers saying that 376 people have requested help for drug addiction …
Cigna Lessens Barriers to Opiate Addiction Treatment
In the ongoing battle against the devastation caused by opioids such as heroin and prescription painkillers, many groups and policy makers continue to find ways to save lives. Since our country has reached an all-time high in the number of drug overdose fatalities, addressing this immediate concern is literally a life saver. For many opiate addicts, access to specific types …
New York Investigating Harm Reduction Approach to Heroin Addiction
There are several aspects to addressing the heroin addiction problem in America. States throughout the country have to balance education, prevention, treatment and crime related to heroin in order to decrease the number of people who are addicted or who will become addicted. The problem has become so pervasive, that more people are willing to try different approaches as possibilities. …
Higher Risk For Substance Abuse Among Bipolar Teens and Young Adults
Additional information regarding an earlier study of teens diagnosed as bipolar has recently been published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. The original study from 2008 showed that adolescents who were diagnosed with bipolar disorder were more likely to abuse illegal drugs and smoke cigarettes than those who were not. As a way to monitor future teenagers and young adults, …