Last week, the U.S. Congress approved the 21st Century Cures Act, which, among other things, aims to tackle the American opioid epidemic. The bill calls for $1 billion in funding for expanding access to addiction treatment centers across the country and strengthening existing mental health parity laws. While there are several critics of the Cures...Read More

The Opioid Epidemic If there is a perfect solution to be found regarding ending the American opioid epidemic, it has yet to show itself. The American public has been made fully aware of the situation, with hundreds of people dying every week; they also know that we cannot arrest our way out of the problem,...Read More

The new year is knocking on the door and it is time to see if opioid addiction legislation has the desired effect in 2017. You are probably aware of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), a dense piece of legislation that was written to address the most serious drug epidemic in our history. It...Read More

While it is often reported that there are over 2 million Americans who have a problem with prescription opioids and more than half a million people abusing heroin, it is highly likely that those numbers are low and that there are many more people who actually meet the criteria for an opioid use disorder. Part...Read More

Earlier this week we discussed that fact that there are some opponents of expanding access to the lifesaving drug naloxone, otherwise known as Narcan. The most common argument against the miracle drug is that it gives opioid addicts a reason to continue using, because they know if they overdose then they can be resuscitated. Naturally,...Read More

It has been some busy couple weeks in the U.S. House of Representatives with regard to addiction and mental illness. After years of hard work and difficult negotiations, the House adopted the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA). The bill is meant to address the American opioid epidemic, a crisis that now takes...Read More

Efforts to curb opioid addiction in the United States made news again last week when the U.S. House of Representatives adopted the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) with 407 votes in favor and 5 against. CARA gives the Attorney General and Secretary of Health and Human Services the power to award grants to stem...Read More

The American opioid epidemic is a bipartisan issue, one that affects practically everyone throughout the country in one way or another. Even if you yourself have never had a problem with prescription opioids and/or heroin, it is highly likely that you have a friend, family member or an acquaintance that has struggled with opiate narcotics....Read More