For Many County Officials, the Opioid Epidemic Isn’t Political, It’s Personal
At a National Association of Counties Legislative Conference town hall meeting, local officials shared powerful firsthand connections to the opioid epidemic.
Can Florida's First Needle Exchange Help Curb HIV?
The state leads the nation in new diagnoses, and close to six percent are attributed to injection-drug users sharing used or infected needles.
Confronting the Challenges of Getting Timely Opioid Abuse Data
“We get quarterly, sometimes monthly economic data, but when it comes to drug overdoses we have to wait two years. It’s about setting priorities. It’s absolutely insane.”
CDC: Drug Overdose Deaths Have Doubled Since 1999
The drugs that are killing people have evolved—from pills to heroin to fentanyl.
Naloxone Access Associated With Decline in Overdose Deaths
The study also found no evidence that access to the anti-overdose drug increased recreational use of prescription painkillers.
Alaska Declares ‘Public Health Disaster’ for Opioids; Palm Springs Ex-Mayor Facing 21 Counts
Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: Phoenix City Council rejects “sanctuary city” request; San Francisco may toll famous street; and Maine governor’s low salary.
Route Fifty Special Report: The Health Data Equation
We’re featuring three stories of state and local governments using data to deliver critical health services, make better decisions and improve their communities in the process.
Patients Are Ditching Opioid Pills for Marijuana
Can marijuana help solve the opioid epidemic?
Amid the Opioid Crisis, ‘The Best Ammunition That Public Officials Can Embrace Is Storytelling’
While maps can be useful, they can have very little narrative power when they stand alone.
Purdue Pharma Funds Prescription Monitoring Program Upgrade In Virginia
The $3.1 million grant comes just one week after a Washington city announced it will sue the company for neglecting black market trafficking of its drug, OxyContin.
A Cautionary Case Study for Governors Looking to Defund Planned Parenthood
What are state governments doing to prevent a repeat of a public health crisis like the one that’s hobbled Scott County, Indiana?
Needle Exchanges Work, But Where’s the Funding?
Making clean syringes available to people who inject drugs can save counties millions of dollars in the long run, but funding has been slow to reach these critical programs.
Chris Christie: ‘Arresting, Jailing, Stigmatizing the Victims Will Not Make It Better’
In his State of the State Address, the New Jersey governor laid out plans to address drug abuse and the ongoing opioid epidemic.
U.S. Opioid Overdose Deaths Reach Record Highs
The CDC data are painful reminders of the tragic losses affecting families and communities across the country.
Distressing Stat on Colorado’s Overdose Deaths Underscores Urban-Rural Disparities
In 2015, more people died from opioid overdoses than homicides and the problem is made worse by a lack of access to treatment options.
Tracking W.Va.’s Opioid Pill Pipeline; Opening Date Set for N.Y.C.’s 2nd Ave. Subway
Also in our State and Local Weekend News Digest: Nigerian man indicted in L.A. County phishing attack; investigation finds that $1 billion was misused for Navajo Nation housing; and Iowa bill would ban traffic cameras.
How States Can Help Curb Opioid Misuse
Increasing prescriber use of prescription drug monitoring programs is critical to stopping the opioid crisis.
Fighting Opioid Abuse in Indian Country
The overdose death rate among Native Americans is three times the rate in the general population. As the opioid epidemic surges, many tribes are investing in treatment and specialized housing on the reservation.
Hazardous Needles Pose Difficult Problems for Local Governments
If a safe-injection site “eliminates this public health hazard, maybe it’s something to consider,” says the public works director in Santa Cruz, California.
Vermont City Wants to Be an Opioid 'Role Model'; Iowa Mayor's Solution for Local Minimum Wage Hikes
Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: Colorado's marijuana "gray market" dangerous?; Trump supporters harass Seattle council member; Florida panther's river crossing a good sign.
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