Implantable Device Reverses Opioid Overdose in Animals

An implantable device detected opioid overdose and automatically administered naloxone, saving lives in rat and pig models. The device hasn’t yet been tested in people. If successful, it might also be adapted to treat other emergencies, such as life-threatening allergic...

Federal Study Examines Care Following Nonfatal Overdose Among Medicare Beneficiaries; Identifies Effective Interventions and Gaps in Care

Researchers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that among...

Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Associated With Mental Disorders in Children That Persist Into Early Adolescence

Prenatal cannabis exposure following the middle of the first trimester – generally after five to six weeks of fetal development – is associated with attention, social, and behavioral problems that persist as the affected children progress into early adolescence (11 and 12 years of age),...

Research to Address the Real-Life Challenges of Opioid Crisis

While great progress has been made in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, America’s opioid crisis continues to evolve in unexpected ways. The opioid crisis, which worsened during the pandemic and now involves the scourge of fentanyl, claims more than 70,000 lives each year in the United States1....

NIH Research Matters – Telehealth Improves Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

Telehealth improves treatment for opioid use disorder for people during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the likelihood of staying on their medications and less likely to overdose. The findings support continuing the expanded telehealth access that began during the pandemic. Medications...

How Many Is Too Many? When Drinking Becomes a Problem

For some people, a glass of wine, a beer, or a cocktail is an occasional treat. Others struggle to stop at just one or even many drinks. Some may drink alcohol in moderation, but still feel like they’re not in control of their drinking. How do you know when drinking becomes a problem for...

Percentage of Overdose Deaths Involving Methadone Declined Between January 2019 and August 2021

National data indicate COVID-era treatment expansion was not associated with harms, add evidence to support take-home treatment for opioid use disorder The percentage of methadone-involved overdose deaths relative to all drug overdose deaths declined from January 2019 to August 2021, according...

Marijuana and Hallucinogen Use Among Young Adults Reached All-Time High in 2021

Marijuana and hallucinogen use in the past year reported by young adults 19 to 30 years old increased significantly in 2021 compared to five and 10 years ago, reaching historic highs in this age group since 1988, according to the Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study. Rates of past-month nicotine...

Drug Use Severity in Adolescence Affects Substance Use Disorder Risk in Adulthood

People who reported multiple symptoms consistent with severe substance use disorder at age 18 exhibited two or more of these symptoms in adulthood, according to a new analysis of a nationwide survey in the United States. These individuals were also more likely, as adults, to use and misuse...

U.S. Law Enforcement Seizures of Pills Containing Fentanyl Increased Dramatically Between 2018-2021

Law enforcement seizures of pills containing illicit fentanyl increased dramatically between January 2018 and December 2021, according to a new study. The number of individual pills seized by law enforcement increased nearly 50-fold from the first quarter of 2018 to the last quarter of 2021 and the...