MSN News: Federal database of addiction treatment providers outdated, study finds. “There’s a rallying cry heard often in the battle against opioid addiction: People with opioid use disorder need immediate access to treatment, particularly the medications that stop cravings and prevent overdoses. But a study published this week in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice found that one avenue to addiction treatment — a federal database of clinicians who prescribe buprenorphine, a key antiaddiction medication — is rife with inaccuracies and unlikely to connect patients with care.”
drug addiction
EurekAlert: Computer game may help to predict reuse of opioids
EurekAlert: Computer game may help to predict reuse of opioids. “The game, now being developed as an app, tests each patient’s comfort with risk-taking, producing mathematical scores called betas long used by economists to measure consumers’ willingness to try new products. The team then used a statistical test to see whether changes in risk-taking comfort tracked with opioid reuse, and found that people who placed higher-risk bets had higher beta scores.”
Undark: To Tackle Drug Use, Researchers and People With Addiction Alike Turn to Online Forums
Undark: To Tackle Drug Use, Researchers and People With Addiction Alike Turn to Online Forums. “As the opioid epidemic worsens, claiming about 130 lives a day in 2018 in the United States alone, a cadre of researchers is looking for solutions to addiction and overdoses in the sprawl of drug forums. The researchers say that drug forums on the dark net — a catch-all for internet hubs that are often encrypted or unavailable through regular search engines — along with more mainstream counterparts like Bluelight and drug-related threads on the website Reddit, might be a medical or research tool in their own right.”
CNET: Google Maps adds tools to find drug addiction recovery resources
CNET: Google Maps adds tools to find drug addiction recovery resources. “Google on Thursday said it’s adding tools to its Maps app to help people recover from drug addiction. The search giant said it launching a new feature for Google Maps that shows people where to go to attend more than 83,000 recovery meetings, including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous gatherings. The meetings take place in more than 33,000 locations, such as community centers or churches.”
KATV: Arkansas group to start opioid-deaths state database
KATV: Arkansas group to start opioid-deaths state database. “The state of Arkansas is using an almost $1 million Department of Justice grant to create a statewide database for opioid abuse and deaths, but the system will depend on the voluntary compliance of 75 county coroners.”
Appalachian State University: Drs. Russell and Thames use Facebook to Understand the Opioid Epidemic
Appalachian State University: Drs. Russell and Thames use Facebook to Understand the Opioid Epidemic. “Using Facebook pages administered by Ohio newspapers, [Dr. David] Russell, [Dr. Naomi] Spence, and [Dr. Kelly] Thames critically evaluated news coverage and narratives discussing the opioid epidemic. They were also able to assess public reactions to the various newspaper posts on Facebook to shed light on the ranges of public understanding and attitudes towards this issue.”
EurekAlert: Excessive social media use is comparable to drug addiction
EurekAlert: Excessive social media use is comparable to drug addiction . “Bad decision-making is a trait oftentimes associated with drug addicts and pathological gamblers, but what about people who excessively use social media? New research from Michigan State University shows a connection between social media use and impaired risky decision-making, which is commonly deficient in substance addiction.”
Hyperallergic: Museum Creates Program for Families Suffering from the Opioid Crisis
Hyperallergic: Museum Creates Program for Families Suffering from the Opioid Crisis. “Approximately 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2017 alone. For families hurt by addiction, the Currier Museum of Art in New Hampshire has created an unprecedented program that uses art as a healing tool for those affected by the epidemic in a state that’s ranked third in the nation for drug overdoses.”
The Verge: Instagram will send a pop-up about opioid addiction support if you search certain hashtags
The Verge: Instagram will send a pop-up about opioid addiction support if you search certain hashtags. “Instagram says people are using the platform’s hashtags to find addiction support and communities as well as illegal drugs. So, in response, the company is rolling out a pop-up today that’ll provide users with drug addiction resources if they search certain hashtags, like ‘opioid.'”
WSBT: New interactive map tracks Nalaxone use in Indiana
WSBT: New interactive map tracks Nalaxone use in Indiana. “The full scale of the opioid epidemic can be hard to imagine. There’s a new tool in Indiana to help visualize where its impacting communities the most. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security has released a heat map that shows where Naloxone has been administered in Indiana. You can even type in a specific address.”
Vice: Drug Dealers on Facebook Are Targeting People With Addiction
Vice: Drug Dealers on Facebook Are Targeting People With Addiction. “Last year, the US government celebrated the takedown of darknet (the underground and far less traceable version of the web) drug sales site AlphaBay. It was an effort the FBI described as ‘one of the most sophisticated and coordinated efforts to date on the part of law enforcement across the globe.’ Attorney General Jeff Sessions has pledged to include concentrated efforts related to online drug sales in his controversial, renewed war on drugs. But online drug sales are now springing up in a much less covert, and far more surprising, forum: Facebook.”
Vern Buchanan: Buchanan Bill Creates National Opioid Database
Vern Buchanan: Buchanan Bill Creates National Opioid Database. “Congressman Vern Buchanan’s bipartisan bill to create a national database on the best ways for patients to manage pain and avoid opioid addiction is expected to be approved today by the House Ways and Means Committee.”
NextGov: Google Maps Unveils Tool to Locate Drug Disposal Sites
Nextgov: Google Maps Unveils Tool to Locate Drug Disposal Sites. “The opioid crisis continues to have a grim effect on millions of Americans. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control revealed that 63,632 people in the U.S. died from a drug overdose in 2016, with two-thirds of those overdoses involving some form of opioid. Google announced Wednesday it will be partnering with the Drug Enforcement Agency to create a new tool to help reduce opioid consumption.”
Glasgow (KY) Daily Times: Bevin announces launch of site to help combat opioid epidemic
Glasgow (KY) Daily Times: Bevin announces launch of site to help combat opioid epidemic. “[The new tool] acts as a search engine for individuals seeking a SUD treatment facility for themselves or family members. Users can locate facilities based on geographic location, facility type, and type of treatment needed. The search results also identify which facilities have current openings for patients.”
WTNH: New website helps addicts find beds available in detox programs
WTNH: New website helps addicts find beds available in detox programs. “The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has launched a new website to help individuals, families and medical professionals find available beds in detox and recovery programs across the state.”
