138 articles found
Federal court sentences OxyContin maker to historic penalties, clearing path for bankruptcy settlement that includes $865 million for victims—but many will be shut out under tightened eligibility rules.
Georgia's Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust opens applications for Year 3 funding, allocating $20 million to address addiction and overdose across the state.
Physicians publish urgent editorial urging federal action to protect access to addiction medications during climate emergencies after Hurricane Helene exposed critical gaps.
Local governments in South Dakota struggle to deploy opioid settlement dollars while the state moves faster with grants and programs, highlighting challenges rural areas face in addressing the addiction crisis.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announces $9 million in opioid settlement grants for community prevention and treatment programs, with funds flowing through state legislature-approved distribution framework.
Rural Oklahoma faces barriers accessing opioid settlement grants due to lack of grant-writing expertise and community partnerships, while metro areas and schools secure most funding.
Trump administration's SAMHSA announces major policy reversal, banning federal funds for fentanyl test strips and sterile syringes while urging limitations on methadone and buprenorphine prescribing.
Milwaukee County reports dramatic 42.5% decline in drug overdose deaths since 2022, driven by harm reduction expansion, medication-assisted treatment, and $111 million opioid settlement investment.
Vermont reports dramatic 25% reduction in drug overdose deaths, marking the state's first significant decline in fatal overdoses in 20 years amid national mortality improvements.
Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission distributes record $34 million to 100+ organizations, bringing total community investment past $100 million since 2021.
New data presented at ASAM 2026 shows extended-release buprenorphine (Sublocade) associated with lowest overdose rates among medication options and supports remission as meaningful treatment endpoint.
Utah joins $773.7 million national settlement with Albertsons Companies, directing funds to opioid abatement programs for treatment, recovery services, and prevention efforts.
FDA awards priority review vouchers to Compass Pathways, Usona Institute, and Transcend Therapeutics for psilocybin and methylone therapies targeting treatment-resistant depression and PTSD.
State regulations force daily clinic visits and limit take-home doses, making medication-assisted treatment more burdensome than federal standards require.
New research published in JAMA shows the 988 suicide crisis hotline is associated with significant reductions in suicide deaths among young people, with states showing highest call volume experiencing the greatest declines.
New Mexico becomes testing ground for SAMHSA-vetted digital recovery platform with dedicated teen version, offering 24/7 peer support and crisis intervention through smartphones.
New Child Trends analysis shows youth overdose deaths dropped 37% since 2023, with rates now lower than before the pandemic despite fentanyl's continued spread.
Mayor Brandon Scott unveils first annual report and public dashboard tracking how Baltimore invests settlement dollars from opioid litigation into harm reduction, treatment, and community services.
State Senator Pat McMath proposes using unspent opioid settlement dollars to fund clinical research into psychedelic-assisted therapy for veterans, first responders, and people with opioid dependence.
New JAMA Network Open study shows MOUD access among Medicaid beneficiaries rose from 60% to 69% between 2019-2023, with 45 states seeing increases.
DEA identifies carfentanil 1,400 times in 2025 drug seizures as the ultra-potent synthetic opioid 100 times stronger than fentanyl kills hundreds across 42 states.
In a region flooded with 17 million prescription opioids, proposed Medicaid work requirements and funding cuts threaten to dismantle the safety net that has helped hundreds achieve recovery from addiction.
Albertsons and Safeway parent company agrees to $773 million national settlement, with Oregon receiving up to $38.2 million over nine years to expand addiction and recovery services.
New research reveals 20% of US pharmacies block access to buprenorphine, with independent pharmacies and southern states showing significantly higher refusal rates for this life-saving opioid addiction medication.
Wake Forest research reveals e-cigarette taxes reduced vaping among heterosexual teens by 3-4 percentage points, yet had no effect on LGBQ youth who use nicotine to cope with bullying and emotional distress.
South Dakota distributes second round of transformative grants to 10 organizations, funding mobile street medicine, recovery coaching for incarcerated individuals, and primary care addiction training.
President Trump signs executive order directing FDA to fast-track psychedelic drug reviews, allocates $50 million for ibogaine research, and establishes Right to Try pathway for treatment-resistant patients.
New ASAM Criteria volume establishes dedicated clinical standards for youth SUD treatment, emphasizing brain development, family engagement, and integrated mental health care
BMJ study of 2.5 million Medicaid births finds children exposed to buprenorphine in utero have no greater risk of ADHD, autism, or other neurodevelopmental disorders compared to methadone exposure.
Flow Neuroscience's transcranial direct current stimulation device becomes first prescription brain stimulation therapy available for home use, offering new option for treatment-resistant depression
JAMA Network Open study finds Medicaid expansion in eight states increased buprenorphine prescriptions by over 21%, with Oklahoma seeing 43% drop in overdose deaths.
President Trump signs executive order directing FDA to fast-track psychedelic research, provides $50 million for ibogaine studies, and opens Right to Try pathway for patients with treatment-resistant mental illness.
The Trump administration abruptly canceled hundreds of SAMHSA grants funding overdose prevention, naloxone distribution, and peer recovery support, putting addiction services at risk nationwide.
Twenty Kentucky counties join forces through the KACo Opioid Solutions Network to share best practices and strategically deploy nearly $1 billion in settlement funds
White House budget request would slash drug prevention grants, consolidate SAMHSA into new agency, and merge NIDA with alcohol institute while cutting $200 million from research.
Advocates press Congress to expand Veterans Treatment Courts and restore VA benefits access for incarcerated veterans struggling with service-connected mental health and substance use disorders
More than 200 residents protest proposed 122-bed addiction treatment facility funded by California's Proposition 1, highlighting tensions between statewide mental health expansion and neighborhood concerns
New research in Journal of Psychiatric Research reveals individuals with opioid use disorder face 1.88 to 4.17 times greater odds of suicidal thoughts, with moderate cases showing highest attempt rates.
ONDCP, SAMHSA and HUD launch two-day summit to develop national toolkit for treating substance use disorders among homeless individuals, marking a shift toward integrated care models
Federal health officials warn about medetomidine, a veterinary tranquilizer increasingly mixed with illicit fentanyl, causing complex withdrawal syndromes and complicating overdose responses
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services opens applications for up to $10 million in opioid settlement funds to expand behavioral health services and strengthen recovery systems across the state
New Anesthesiology research reveals that conventional naloxone doses may not fully reverse respiratory depression from potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl and sufentanil, urging updated emergency protocols
NPR analysis reveals sustained decline in overdose mortality since August 2023 peak, marking longest decrease in four decades despite emergence of more potent street drugs
Food and Drug Administration issues complete response letter rejecting Lykos Therapeutics' MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, demanding additional clinical trials despite promising efficacy data.
New JAMA study shows states expanding Medicaid after 2018 saw sharp rises in buprenorphine prescriptions, but federal funding cuts could reverse gains.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services announces comprehensive $31 million opioid response strategy combining treatment access expansion, harm reduction, and law enforcement education.
Michigan's MDHHS accepting applications through April 30 for loan repayment up to $30,000 to SUD providers as state confronts workforce shortage limiting treatment access for 1.3 million residents.
North Carolina awards federal block grants to 12 community organizations for rural treatment, crisis response, and justice-involved recovery programs targeting 1.4 million residents with substance use disorders.
World Health Organization updates opioid dependence treatment recommendations, conditionally endorsing monthly injectable buprenorphine formulations as global treatment gap persists.
Central Health plans 45 free naloxone units by September as Travis County overdose deaths drop 22%, expanding vending machines and community partnerships to sustain decline.
Rhode Island becomes first state to reverse kratom ban while Kansas, Connecticut move toward Schedule I classification, creating fragmented regulatory landscape for substance used by millions for pain and opioid withdrawal.
Congressional bill H.R. 5629 threatens to roll back SAMHSA's permanent methadone take-home flexibilities as Pew Charitable Trusts submits testimony defending COVID-era reforms that reduced travel burdens without increasing diversion or deaths.
NCDHHS awards federal block grant funding to twelve community organizations targeting rural areas, youth prevention, and criminal justice-involved populations as state battles 1.4 million struggling with substance use.
National coalition urges Congress to maintain SAMHSA, NIH, and addiction program funding in FY2027 appropriations amid proposed 12.5% HHS budget cuts.
Longleaf Lodge launches with 50 residential and 10 detox beds, addressing Alabama's crisis where 19% need substance use treatment but only 5% receive it. Integrated care model tackles co-occurring conditions as wait times stretch weeks to months.
Federal initiative targets individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders through outcomes-based approach, but faith-based inclusion and punitive policy context raise concerns among public health advocates.
Second round of 'transformative grants' prioritizes youth treatment expansion, school prevention programs, and mobile crisis response as state officials emphasize building complete care continuum
Deal flow in substance use disorder treatment hits six-year low as investors pull back amid quality concerns, Medicaid uncertainty, and volatile federal grants—leaving safety-net providers facing potential closures.
SB 365 would mandate ERs provide evidence-based addiction treatment, potentially saving $20,000 per patient annually while reducing overdose deaths — but faces hospital pushback over costs.
World Health Organization adds conditional recommendation for monthly and weekly buprenorphine injections, expanding evidence-based options for 61 million people using opioids non-medically worldwide.
Two competing bills represent fundamentally different approaches to kratom policy—one seeks complete prohibition while the other acknowledges harm reduction uses for addiction recovery and pain management.
Despite receiving $800 million since 2023, more than 40% of Michigan counties have yet to distribute opioid crisis mitigation funds while overdose deaths continue claiming nearly 2,000 lives annually.
Governor Rhoden announces funding for 10 organizations as Attorney General Jackley pushes for direct allocation to Sioux Falls and Rapid City treatment centers.
University of Cincinnati launches one of nation's largest trials pairing weight-loss drugs with proven addiction medication to improve treatment retention and reduce cravings.
New research from Ohio University finds primary care physicians view opioid use disorder as more treatable than diabetes, yet only 8% have ever prescribed buprenorphine, creating treatment deserts in rural America.
World Health Organization adds conditional endorsement for long-acting injectable buprenorphine to global opioid dependence treatment guidelines April 2026, alongside continued strong recommendations for methadone and oral formulations.
Proposed legislation SB 365 mandates that Connecticut emergency departments offer buprenorphine to patients with opioid use disorder, despite hospital opposition citing costs.
Senator Patty Murray announces funding for Tacoma-Pierce County mobile medical services while highlighting successful pushback against Trump administration's proposed $2 billion SAMHSA grant terminations.
Ann Arbor-based online addiction provider now treats kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine dependence through app-based platform, addressing regulatory gap as FDA restricts potent derivatives but leaf products remain unregulated nationwide.
Georgia county awards settlement dollars to programs ranging from peer support to residential treatment as officials confront third-highest opioid death toll in the state.
New report profiles eight alternative mental health crisis programs removing police from response while Trump administration restructuring threatens federal funding infrastructure.
State lawmakers advance plan to distribute nearly $60 million in opioid settlement money, sidestepping the independent council created just last year to oversee spending.
Federal agency proposes expanding community health workers and peer support specialists in rural areas where 60% of Americans lack access to mental health and addiction treatment services.
State officials unveil plan to restructure troubled mental health agency, potentially dissolving it and shifting control to Department of Health as providers struggle with service cuts.
Congressional oversight hearing exposes chaotic federal response to addiction crisis as $2 billion in treatment grants remain uncertain and agency staff cut by half
Oregon and Colorado lead regulated psilocybin therapy programs as research shows promise for depression, PTSD, and addiction. Personal stories reveal profound results.
Indiana University's MACRO-B initiative reduced opioid overdose mortality among Black Indianapolis residents by 45% in two years, now expanding statewide.
Cychlorphine, a novel opioid resistant to standard naloxone doses, has been detected in over a dozen states. Oklahoma confirmed its first death as experts warn the drug may require multiple Narcan doses to reverse overdoses.
Governor Josh Stein announces expansion of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion programs to seven counties, offering treatment alternatives to incarceration for low-level offenses involving substance use.
New Wisconsin Policy Forum report reveals dramatic expansion in MOUD access across state correctional facilities from 2021 to 2025, coinciding with substantial decline in overdose deaths.
AB 602 requires California public universities to provide addiction treatment rather than punishment when students seek help for overdoses, effective July 2026.
CDCR documented over 7,000 overdose reversals since 2019 and became the only U.S. state prison system allowing incarcerated individuals to carry naloxone inside facilities.
SUPPORT Act allows pharmacists to prescribe addiction medication with 8 hours training. Maryland considers state legislation as federal pathway opens treatment access.
National opioid overdose deaths fell to 46,066 in October 2025, down from 86,075 in June 2023. CDC data reveals declines across all racial groups as weaker fentanyl supply and expanded treatment efforts reshape the crisis.
Federal $750K investment establishes Pennsylvania Addiction Action Network to coordinate data-driven opioid settlement spending across all 67 counties
Opioid deaths fell 12% in Washington last year while innovative programs expanded access to life-saving treatment. But new Medicaid work requirements and federal funding cuts are already disrupting care.
Survey of 212 U.S. jails, prisons, and detention centers finds stark regional and facility-type disparities in MOUD access, with post-release mortality 40 times higher than national average.
Psychostimulants, primarily methamphetamine, overtook opioids as Iowa's leading overdose cause in 2024. Without a Narcan equivalent, public health officials confront new treatment challenges.
Veterinary sedative 300× more potent than xylazine spreads through illicit opioid supply, causing life-threatening withdrawal and evading standard drug tests.
Baltimore's finalized Overdose Response Strategic Plan ups its target to a 50% reduction by 2040, backed by nearly $600 million in opioid settlement funds and community-driven priorities.
Workit Health's evidence-based virtual care model delivers 62% rural retention at three months—more than double competing programs—with peer-reviewed studies in JAMA Network Open showing perfect buprenorphine adherence among participants.
Eastern Shoshone Tribal Health launches Wyoming's first harm reduction vending machines offering free naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and suicide prevention tools through anonymous PIN access to address overdose crisis on Wind River Reservation.
First randomized trial testing extended-release buprenorphine in pregnancy finds higher abstinence rates and fewer serious adverse events compared to standard sublingual treatment.
West Virginia First Foundation introduces Regional Contingency Allocation Program allowing six regions to respond to immediate community needs outside traditional grant cycles, managing nearly $1 billion in settlement funds.
Brandeis University economic analysis shows two pharmacy-based methadone models generate positive returns of $2.64 and $3.53 per dollar spent over three years while addressing treatment deserts in 80% of U.S. counties.
Somerset County commissioners chose to protect a jail Sublocade program with zero overdose deaths over prevention services as opioid settlement funds run short.
ACLU challenges West Virginia's 2007 moratorium on methadone clinics, arguing the state's unique restriction violates disability law while forcing 54,000 residents with opioid use disorder to navigate impossible treatment logistics.
A new survey of 212 jails and prisons finds only 58% provide FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder, with stark regional disparities and treatment gaps putting released inmates at 40-times-higher overdose risk.
Senate Bill 2185 passed committee and would mandate MAT screening and access in all Illinois prisons, funded by opioid settlements, following a Kane County program that cut overdose deaths by 89%.
Mayor Daniel Lurie announces Proposition 1 funding for 100 new psychiatric and addiction treatment beds across three sites, even as the city faces $900 million deficit and federal funding cuts.
NIH-funded trial finds pregnant patients receiving weekly extended-release buprenorphine injections achieved significantly higher rates of opioid abstinence with fewer serious adverse events than those on sublingual buprenorphine.
SAMHSA's termination and rapid restoration of $2 billion in mental health grants in January exposed fragility of addiction infrastructure as overdose deaths decline for first time in decades.
New research shows patients adherent to extended-release buprenorphine injections had $15,017 lower annual costs and fewer emergency visits than those using other opioid use disorder medications.
New transparency tool shows municipalities spent just 12% of available settlement funds in latest fiscal year, while state officials emphasize accountability in managing $1 billion expected through 2039.
New Oregon laws streamline licensing, strengthen workplace safety, and expand access to mental health and addiction services amid one of the nation's worst provider shortages
Lawmakers push package of reforms including 988 funding, treatment bed registry, and insurance coverage mandates as state struggles to meet crisis response needs.
Eight new mental health and drug treatment facilities will receive Proposition 1 funding, including sobering centers and residential programs across the Bay Area
VA study of 600,000 patients finds GLP-1 medications like Ozempic reduce substance use disorder risk by 15-20%, suggesting a common biological pathway underlying all addictions.
Bipartisan POINTS Act would allocate $100M annually from sports betting taxes to prevention and treatment programs, marking the first dedicated federal investment in gambling disorder services.
Indiana city's first round of settlement funding prioritizes community organizations meeting people at every stage of recovery, including grief counseling for families navigating substance use loss.
Sen. John Keenan proposes expanding subway naloxone access after 2024 pilot ended prematurely, leaving empty and broken cabinets across Boston's transit system.
New state transparency dashboard reveals municipalities spent just 12% of available settlement funds in FY2025 while communities await critical addiction services and harm reduction programs.
Minnesota lawmakers approved HF 2906, creating a state-regulated psilocybin therapy pilot program with patient caps and bipartisan backing, joining Oregon and Colorado.
City Council approves five-year opioid settlement funding plan targeting overdose prevention through community-based Narcan distribution, HIV testing, and integrated harm reduction services.
Maine city finally distributes nearly all available settlement money to 16 organizations, three years after receiving first payments, as Penobscot County sees rising overdose deaths.
State lawmakers unanimously approve evidence-based mandates and conflict-of-interest safeguards for $400M+ opioid settlement fund after investigative reporting exposed governance failures.
Federal judge's ruling forces Education Department to restore funding for 120 school mental health projects, extending support through June 2026 as legal battle continues.
JAMA Network Open study analyzing Medicare records shows specialists using telemedicine heavily saw only 0.9% more rural patients while treating 3.6% fewer new patients overall.
New national survey reveals 18 states mandate recovery assessments in treatment facilities, but federal reporting burdens and staffing shortages slow broader adoption.
Governor Newsom awards funding to 28 regions while launching accountability system recognizing 'CARE Champions' and placing underperforming counties in intensive support program.
Weill Cornell research shows state laws eliminating insurance prior authorization for buprenorphine don't significantly improve 180-day retention rates, highlighting need for broader policy interventions.
While Mississippi sits on over $400 million in opioid settlement funds, the state has spent almost none of it on treatment or family services — even as it leads the nation in children living with grandparents and foster care tied to parental substance use.
Civil rights lawsuit alleges Missouri DOC and Centurion Health deny life-saving medication to prisoners with opioid use disorder, despite $7M in settlement funds and rampant drug availability.
Washington University analysis of 600,000+ VA patients finds GLP-1s tied to 50% reduction in drug-related deaths and lower risk across alcohol, opioid, cocaine, and nicotine use disorders.
Washington University research shows uMAT-R app reduced opioid and drug use by 50% in people experiencing housing insecurity, addressing critical gap in treatment access.
House Bill 487 allocates $43M from opioid settlements to prevention, treatment, and recovery programs, with unanimous bipartisan support as Alabama reports 30% reduction in overdose deaths.
Local governments in Maine allocated $3 million from opioid settlements in 2025 toward treatment, prevention, and law enforcement programs, with $19 million remaining and new reporting requirements now in place.
New federal legislation would require OSHA guidance on workplace naloxone access amid rising employer reports of opioid impact and uneven emergency preparedness.
State programs like Project Nurture combine prenatal care, substance use treatment, and peer support after Oregon data showed mental health and SUD led pregnancy-related deaths.
The Maternal Overdose Matters Initiative delivered naloxone kits to over 2,500 families at 107 hospitals, helping reverse a crisis where overdose became the leading cause of maternal mortality statewide.
DEA and HHS codify pandemic-era flexibility, allowing providers to initiate and maintain buprenorphine treatment entirely via telehealth through the end of 2026, a move experts say could save lives and reshape addiction care nationwide.
California's CalRx program cuts naloxone costs by more than half while the state's distribution initiative crosses a staggering milestone in overdose reversals.
The Food and Drug Administration moves forward with controversial regulations to limit common painkillers, sparking national debate over balancing opioid crisis response with patient access to pain management.
As cocaine and methamphetamine become contaminated with fentanyl, researchers argue that contingency management and culturally adapted harm reduction are essential—yet remain vastly underutilized across the United States.
Digital therapeutics for substance use disorders are gaining traction as researchers identify key strategies to improve engagement and outcomes, with apps reaching patients beyond traditional clinic walls.
Senate Bill 2749 passes committee with unanimous vote, expanding Illinois' addiction treatment framework to include problem gambling and mandating new prevention and recovery services statewide.
Washington University study finds that uMAT-R digital platform reduced substance use by 50% among participants with housing instability, challenging assumptions about technology access in vulnerable populations.
New Jersey lawmakers unanimously approve trio of bills to regulate addiction treatment industry, addressing concerns raised in 2024 state investigation into facility operations and peer recovery programs.