Stop Oxy

Narcan Goes OTC Nationwide Next Week

Post author:Melissa
Post published:August 31, 2023
Post category:opiate addiction overdoses
Reading time:4 mins read

Narcan, also known by its generic name naloxone, is a medication used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose rapidly. This is a crucial tool in addressing the opioid crisis and has proven to be a lifesaving intervention in many cases. After much advocacy, the federal government is allowing naloxone to be sold over-the-counter, without a prescription, starting next week.

The Importance of Narcan

Narcan has been a vital tool in saving lives since the 1970s. Now, it can be carried and used by anyone who comes across an overdose situation, making it more likely they get care and medical help.

Rapid Overdose Rescue: Narcan binds to the same receptors in the brain that opioids attach to. By doing this, it effectively displaces opioids and reverses their effects. This can quickly restore normal breathing and consciousness in someone experiencing

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Fentanyl Overdose May Be Stopped with Monoclonal Antibody Treatment

Post author:Melissa
Post published:August 1, 2023
Post category:opiate addiction
Reading time:4 mins read

A fentanyl overdose may be reversed with the help of Narcan, but sometimes the drug is too powerful to respond. Now a company has gotten a green light for a project that explores the use of monoclonal antibodies in helping reverse a fentanyl overdose.

As a street drug, fentanyl can have different potency levels each time a user tries it. And often, the user doesn’t know where it is in the drug. Instead, they expected to get high on cocaine, meth, heroin, or Oxy. It can be 50-100 times as potent as morphine, so a person who doesn’t use opioids is highly susceptible to an overdose.

What Is a Monoclonal Antibody Treatment?

One of the most well-known applications of monoclonal antibody therapy is in treating certain cancers, such as breast cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, monoclonal antibodies …

Oxycontin Billionaire Sackler Family Shielded From Lawsuits

Post author:Melissa
Post published:July 1, 2023
Post category:OxyContin
Reading time:3 mins read

As part of a six billion dollar opioid settlement by the makers of Oxycontin, the Sackler family will be shielded from lawsuits. Rather than being held personally responsible for the effects of the opioid epidemic, instead, the company Purdue Pharma will pay billions of dollars over time.

What Is The Sackler Settlement For?

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York affirmed the plan last Tuesday. Under this new agreement, members of the Sackler family give up ownership of Purdue Pharma. Purdue will now be called Knoa. The drugmaker’s profits are being sent to a fund to prevent and treat addiction.

In addition to giving up Purdue, members of the Sackler family will give $5.5 billion to $6 billion in cash over time to make up for the effects of the opioid epidemic. Over time, they’re expected to …

San Francisco Reaches $260 Opioid Million Settlement with Walgreens

Post author:Melissa
Post published:May 22, 2023
Post category:big pharma
Reading time:2 mins read

On Wednesday, San Francisco announced that it had reached a $230 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc regarding its involvement in the city’s opioid epidemic by allowing overprescription of Oxycontin to go unexamined or unstopped. The agreement will help pay expenses related to treatment, prevention, harm reduction, and recovery for individuals in the city.

The Walgreens/San Francisco Opioid Lawsuit

This agreement comes after a nine-month wait. It’s been almost nine months since US District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco decided the drugstore chain could be held accountable for significantly contributing to an opioid crisis that resulted in widespread harm in the city, thereby creating a public nuisance.

Judge Breyer criticized Walgreens for failing over 15 years to adequately monitor opioid prescriptions and identify potential misuse of these highly addictive drugs. Because of this, pill mills were able to …

12 Students in Philly Drink Juice Spiked With ‘Wonk’

Post author:Melissa
Post published:April 28, 2023
Post category:opiate addiction opioid
Reading time:3 mins read

Twelve high school students drank grape juice spiked with a sedative or opioid last Wednesday at Crossroads Accelerated Academy on the 4300 block of Westminster Avenue. School officials say this is something they’ve never had to deal with before and expressed shock at the fact that so many teens would willingly consume a drug on school grounds.

Five minors were hospitalized, ranging in age from twelve to sixteen. Police locked the school down and brought the counterterrorism unit to aid the investigation.

What Is Wonk?

It’s not clear what wonk is made from. Tests are still being done on the substance. School and police officials say “wonk” is a new street opioid. However, they haven’t yet finished running tests on the substance.

Ketamine, an animal tranquilizer, is often sold as “wonk” on the street and in clubs. Ketamine is …

Chronic Pain May Make Opioid Use Disorder Worse

Post author:Melissa
Post published:March 28, 2023
Post category:oxycontin epidemic prescription drugs
Reading time:3 mins read

Researchers following the data for people with fibromyalgia and opioid use disorder found that people with chronic pain may have more challenges when staying sober.

Chronic Pain and Opioid Exposure

Many people first use opioids to treat pain. Physical pain can significantly contribute to the development of opioid use disorder. Opioids are commonly prescribed to manage chronic pain; over time, people may develop a tolerance to the medication. They may require higher doses to achieve the same pain relief. As a result, individuals may become physically dependent on opioids, which can lead to opioid use disorder.

Most people’s first exposure to opioids is through an illness or injury where a doctor prescribes drugs like Percocet or Oxycontin.

Chronic Illness and Opioid Misuse

Chronic pain can increase the risk of addiction, overdose, and other adverse effects.

There is also a chance …

Teens In Denmark Increasingly Hooked On Opioids

Post author:Melissa
Post published:February 28, 2023
Post category:opiate addiction tramadol
Reading time:3 mins read

America is not the only country fighting a battle against opioid addiction. In Denmark, a disturbing new trend of adolescents as young as 12 experimenting with pills. Teens as young as 15 have sought treatment for being hooked on drugs like Tramadol, Oxycontin, and other opioids.

Experts say the problem is worse than that.

Trend Of Teens Using Opioids Recreationally Is a Wake-Up Call

“This is serious,” said Christina Ekmann, a Danish addiction treatment specialist, who told Euronews about the increased enrollment at her youth addiction center in the town of Greve. Six out of twenty current clients have opioid use disorders. All of them said that tramadol was their drug of choice. “Let’s say they have four friends, then suddenly we’re up to 20-30 young people taking them. And that’s just the ones we know about,” Ekmann told …

Harm Reduction for Fentanyl Is Now Everyday Life

Post author:Melissa
Post published:January 31, 2023
Post category:fentanyl fentanyl epidemic
Reading time:3 mins read

People who use drugs have started dying from accidental drug overdoses. For many of them, they believed they were taking Molly, Oxycontin, or another pill bought from an online drug dealer. Sadly, just one pill has led to many overdose deaths. People have begun to gather in person; overdoses seem to have accelerated. Many concerned parents and community members now carry Narcan to help reverse an overdose in progress. And now, in New York, determined drug users test their drugs to see if they’re tainted with fentanyl.

Fentanyl Is In Almost Every Street Drug

The pandemic has hung over an increasingly unsettled population for the past three years. The pandemic brought about economic issues and inflation. Some people lost members of their families. News stories are still permeated about how COVID has reshaped us. This includes how people buy …

Experts Predict Fentanyl Crisis to Continue in 2023

Post author:Melissa
Post published:December 28, 2022
Post category:fentanyl fentanyl epidemic
Reading time:3 mins read

Fentanyl is the top cause of overdoses in 2022 and may be responsible for over 80% of overdose deaths. While police have cracked down and increased penalties for fentanyl sales, it continues to flow over the border. Federal authorities believe that 2023 will continue to be marred by fentanyl and that dangerous analogs and other additives may contribute to the misery.

Fentanyl Use Prevention and Treatment Are Working

First, there is some good news on the horizon. More people than ever are accepting help via medical-assisted treatment. As a result, the overdose death rate is slowing, but overdoses have increased, especially among the younger demographics.

People know that there is help if they are addicted, but they may not understand the dangers of fentanyl or how to be safe from them. Measures such as education on fentanyl and counterfeit pills …

Fentanyl Vaccine Could Be A New Tool To Fight Epidemic

Post author:Melissa
Post published:November 30, 2022
Post category:addiction treatment
Reading time:3 mins read

New research from a team of scientists at the University of Houston aims to create a vaccine to block the powerful opioid fentanyl, which is the top cause of overdose deaths in America. The vaccine is meant for people who already struggle with opioid addiction and hope to break the cycle. For fentanyl addicts, Medication-Assisted Treatment is considered the gold standard of care. However, a “vaccine” of this type could be a game-changer for preventing relapse from opioid use disorder.

Fentanyl is now responsible for the majority of overdose deaths in America. The drug, 50 to 100 times stronger than opioids, is often added to other drugs such as cocaine or Oxy. Some users die because they have no tolerance for opioids. Nearly 150 people die a day from fentanyl overdoses.

What Would a Fentanyl Vaccine Be Able to Accomplish?

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