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Results sorted by updated date (newest first)
Results sorted by updated date (newest first)
Posted 5/17/2021 (updated 4/10/2024)
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, combined with counseling, to treat substance use disorders. Research has proven the effectiveness of MAT and addiction treatment experts endorse it, but a variety of barriers have prevented the widespread use of MAT. These include a lack of financing for medication, insufficient organizational infrastructure to deliver medication, state and county funding and regulatory obstacles, physician training and certification, staff and client resistance, and community attitudes.
Posted 10/14/2021 (updated 4/3/2024)
Stimulant intoxication, withdrawal, and psychosis have accepted and established treatment strategies. Several lifesaving harm reduction interventions/services are available. There are no Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for treatment of stimulant use disorder, although several are promising. Behavioral treatment, especially the use of contingency management (and other approaches with supportive evidence), has by far the best evidence of effectiveness. The presenter reviewed topics of importance to clinicians treating individuals with stimulant use disorder.
Rick Rawson, PhD, University of Vermont Rural Center of Excellence
Posted 7/27/2020 (updated 3/28/2024)
The American Medical Association’s Opioid Task Force report shows a dramatic increase in fatalities involving illicit opioids, stimulants (e.g. methamphetamine), heroin and cocaine and a similarly dramatic drop in the use of prescription opioids.
Posted 11/1/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
Last year, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) launched a resource meant to help local health departments (LHD) prevent or mitigate potentially traumatic events, known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The Suicide, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Capacity Assessment Tool (SPACECAT) allows LHDs to make an internal assessment of their capacity to address and prevent a still-growing public health issue.
Posted 4/12/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
Since 1999, an estimated 841,000 people in the U.S. have died from a drug overdose. Beginning in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly exacerbated the overdose crisis resulting in a 30% increase in 2020 compared to 2019. The majority of overdose deaths in the U.S. involve opioids, including nearly 71% of all overdose deaths in 2019.3 Despite high rates of overdose across the nation, overdose and overdose death are preventable. However, people at risk of overdose often face significant challenges accessing treatment and navigating systems of care. Local and state health departments are well-suited to lead and support efforts to prevent and respond to overdose and to link people to evidence-based treatment and services. Peer support services (PSS) are a valuable component of a growing number of overdose response and linkage to care initiatives that can be implemented and supported by local and state health departments.