opioid crisis

The Download

Opioids’ path of destruction in construction

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Differences in health patterns among different population groups is a well-established fact. Indeed, it forms the foundation for an entire field of health research, epidemiology, which has contributed enormously to our understanding of the causes of disease. But a new report from the state Department of Public Health documenting the astonishingly high rate of opioid(...)

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Opioids’ path of destruction in construction

Drug Addiction/ Drugs/ Health

Opioids’ path of destruction in construction

Sector accounts for one-quarter of all overdose deaths

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DIFFERENCES IN HEALTH patterns among different population groups is a well-established fact. Indeed, it forms the foundation for an entire field of health research, epidemiology, which has contributed enormously to our understanding of the causes of disease. But a new report from the state Department of Public Health documenting the astonishingly high rate of opioid(...)

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Judging the judge

Courts/ Drug Addiction

Judging the judge

Anger rises over actions of Judge Timothy Feeley

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A protest last week outside a Salem courthouse featured a refrain made familiar by the scholarly legal eagles who regularly populate the president’s rally, where they apply only the most reasoned conclusions to complicated issues. “Lock him up,” shouted about 200 people gathered outside the Ruane Judicial Center, according to this Salem News account. The(...)

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The Download/ Courts

Judging the judge

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A protest last week outside a Salem courthouse featured a refrain made familiar by the scholarly legal eagles who regularly populate the president’s rally, where they apply only the most reasoned conclusions to complicated issues. “Lock him up,” shouted about 200 people gathered outside the Ruane Judicial Center, according to this Salem News account. The(...)

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A bridge to opportunity

Drug Addiction/ Opinion

A bridge to opportunity

A Long Island addiction recovery campus can't wait

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IN 2014, THE OPIOID crisis passed two critical local milestones: Massachusetts’ fatal opioid overdose rate rose to more than double the national average; and the city of Boston lost an addiction recovery facility on Long Island, when the crumbling 63-year-old bridge to the island was condemned and closed. The island was evacuated, eliminating its 225(...)

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Taxpayers clean up Big Pharma’s mess

Drug Addiction/ Health/ Politics/ Opinion

Taxpayers clean up Big Pharma’s mess

States must take action to force manufacturers to pay for disposal of unused drugs

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LAST YEAR, the United States saw a 13 percent increase in drug overdose deaths, from an estimated 60,147 lives lost in 2016, to an estimated 67,944 in 2017. For perspective, that is enough to completely fill Gillette Stadium, with an overflow of 2,066 individuals. Here in Massachusetts, we experienced a slight decrease in opioid related(...)

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Electronic opioid scripts save lives

Drug Addiction/ Drugs/ Health/ Health Care/ Opinion

Electronic opioid scripts save lives

Passing Baker's bill is key to stemming the overdose crisis

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A HEARING EARLIER this month on Beacon Hill underscored the critical need for Massachusetts-specific solutions to the nation’s opioid crisis. As the Legislature prepares next steps to address this critical issue, it would do well to consider a bill recently proposed by Gov. Charlie Baker that would capitalize on technological advances to help address the(...)

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Public health emergency rings hollow

Drug Addiction/ Opinion

Public health emergency rings hollow

Medicaid cuts would deepen opioid crisis

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PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ANNOUNCEMENT that the opioid epidemic is a public health emergency certainly drew attention to the problem, but in reality it is an empty declaration that, at least as of yet, provides no real resources to fight the epidemic. The announcement will give the government more flexibility in the services that are made available(...)

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Clark takes on Purdue’s opioid marketing 

Drug Addiction/ Drugs/ Summer 2017

Clark takes on Purdue’s opioid marketing 

Says pharmaceutical company’s ‘greed and recklessness’ spawned crisis

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LATE LAST YEAR, an article in the Los Angeles Times caught the eye of US Rep. Katherine Clark of Melrose. The article alleged that Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, was moving aggressively to sell its signature drug abroad now that sales in the United States are on the decline. The Times article said(...)

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