Recent News

Synthetic Opioids Are Causing Cocaine, Xanax Deaths To Skyrocket (The Daily Caller)

Synthetic opioids like fentanyl are increasingly invading non-opioid drug supplies, creating a massive spike in overdose deaths from cocaine and anti-anxiety medication like Xanax.

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Synthetic opioids involved in more deaths than prescription opioids (Science News)

As opioid-related deaths rise in the United States, so has the role of synthetic opioids — primarily illicit fentanyl, mixed into heroin or made into counterfeit pills. 

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Baltimore brings hospitals into the fight against opioid addiction (Baltimore Sun)

In an op-ed by Mayor Catherine Pugh and Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen, they discuss Baltimore's response to the opioid epidemic, including a new initiative involving the City's 11 hospitals.

"The Baltimore City Health Department is working with our hospital systems to create “levels of care” that enshrine best practices for responding to the epidemic and publicly recognize hospitals that implement those practices."

Read the entire op-ed.

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Cocaine Deaths Are Rising At An Alarming Rate, And It’s Because Of Fentanyl (Buzzfeed)

Cocaine deaths rose 52% between 2015 and 2016. A BuzzFeed News analysis shows the role of fentanyl in this staggering trend.

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Weinberg Foundation gives $480K grant for United Way's 2-1-1 helpline (Baltimore Business Journal)

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation is giving the United Way of Central Maryland a $480,000 grant that will connect two local helplines that provide information and referrals to Baltimore's elderly. 

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Naloxone’s steep price hinders battle against opioid epidemic (Washington Times)

Cost is one of the biggest hurdles in getting naloxone, the opioid overdose-reversing drug, into more hands.

Evzio, a hand-held auto injector, has risen from less than $600 in 2014 to more than $4,000 for a two-pack now, according to members of Congress who say it’s time the government do something to tamp down on the price.

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New city project aims to improve opioid treatment (AP)

A new city health project aims to evaluate Baltimore’s hospitals on their efforts to improve treatment for opioid use disorders.

Leaders from Baltimore’s 11 hospitals joined the city’s mayor and its health commissioner to announce the new effort on Monday. The initiative is intended to identify “best practices” for responding to the opioid epidemic.

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Surgeon General: Household naloxone access vital to opioid crisis solution (Washington Times)

Mark Curtis says the first time he nearly died from an opioid overdose, the room service guy found him in his Florida hotel.

Luckily, the paramedics who arrived that day in 2010 carried naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug that few Americans had heard about at the time.

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Baltimore diaper-changing legislation praised by dads as a 'right' for babies (Baltimore Sun)

Hailed by dads who say safe, clean changing facilities for babies should be “a right,” a Baltimore councilman Monday introduced legislation that would require more establishments to install baby-changing stations.

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Leana Wen

Baltimore hospitals to play a bigger role in opioid epidemic under city initiative (Baltimore Sun)

Baltimore’s 11 hospitals have committed to a new city initiative aimed at increasing their role in fighting the opioid epidemic. 

Executives from each hospital joined Mayor Catherine E. Pugh and Health Commissioner Dr. Leana S. Wen Monday in announcing the efforts to screen patients for addiction, connect them to rehabilitation services and distribute the overdose reversal drug naloxone, among other ways to better help people dealing with substance abuse. 

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