Updates

The Injury and Violence Prevention Branch of the Division of Public Health recently posted an update of suspected overdose deaths and provisional data on ED visits for overdose. The IVPB was unable to update the fentanyl-positive death report this month. Suspected...

Legalization of recreational cannabis may contribute to increased rates of teen and childhood asthma, new research suggests. Investigators compared asthma rates in states with recreational programs with rates in states where the substance was illegal from 2011 through...

Many people struggle with a substance use disorder. This can lead to myriad troubles with cognitive functioning, including lack of attention, impairments in executive functioning, memory loss, and more. Deficits in cognition have been linked to higher rates of relapse...

A new study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has found using medical marijuana to treat pain, anxiety and depression failed to improve these symptoms while doubling the risk of developing cannabis use disorder. The study, published in the journal JAMA Network...

A large study by U.S. highway safety regulators found that more than half the people injured or killed in traffic crashes had one or more drugs, or alcohol, in their bloodstreams. Also, just over 54% of injured drivers had drugs or alcohol in their systems, with...

An animal sedative that’s harmful to human health is showing up in street drugs across the United States, and it appears to be spreading. The drug, called xylazine, causes severe skin wounds and knocks users out for hours at a time, leaving them vulnerable and...