USA Today: As nation struggles with opioid crisis, workers bring addiction to the job
Charisse Jones and Jayne O’Donnell
A new survey from DrugAbuse.com, which offers educational content and recovery resources to people dealing with addiction, found that 23 percent of U.S. workers responding to the survey say they have used drugs or alcohol on the job.
CNBC: White House touts progress in opioid crisis, but health researchers are skeptical
By Emma Newburger
The White House is touting progress in the battle against the country’s opioid epidemic, but health policy researchers warn the Trump administration against claiming credit, and say planned cuts to Medicaid funding could exacerbate the crisis.
The New York Times: Want to Reduce Opioid Deaths? Get People the Medications They Need
By The Editorial Board
Drugs like buprenorphine could sharply curb the nation’s opioid overdose crisis. But federal laws make it difficult for people who need such medications to get them.
The New York Times: New York Sues Sackler Family Members and Drug Distributors
By Roni Caryn Rabin
As investigators closed in on Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid painkiller OxyContin, more than a decade ago, members of the family that owns the company began shifting hundreds of millions of dollars from the business to themselves through offshore entities, the state of New York alleged in a lawsuit on Thursday.
Democratic & Chronicle: New York wants to tax opioid manufacturers, but the cost may fall on consumers
By Joseph Spector
New York is trying to find a way to tax opioid manufacturers to cover the cost of addiction treatment. But a court ruling last year struck down the state’s initial opioid tax, and now the new state proposal is feared to be a hit on customers.
NPR: Fentanyl-Linked Deaths: The U.S. Opioid Epidemic’s Third Wave Begins
By Martha Bebinger
Men are dying after opioid overdoses at nearly three times the rate of women in the United States. Overdose deaths are increasing faster among black and Latino Americans than among whites. And there’s an especially steep rise in the number of young adults ages 25 to 34 whose death certificates include some version of the drug fentanyl.
The New York Times: Legalizing Marijuana, With a Focus on Social Justice, Unites 2020 Democrats
By Trip Gabriel
Legalization of marijuana has become a pillar of progressive politics, and a litmus test for candidates’ commitment to equal treatment for all races in policing and criminal justice.
New York Daily News: NYC homeless advocates slam de Blasio, demand more housing
By Michael Gartland
Advocates for the city’s homeless demanded on Friday that Mayor de Blasio do more to provide permanent, affordable housing for thousands of New Yorkers living in shelters and on city streets.
HealthDay: Many with Opioid Addiction Don’t Get Meds That Can Help
By Dennis Thompson
Most people struggling with opioid addiction lack access to FDA-approved medications that can head off withdrawal symptoms and quell their cravings, a new report finds.
Science Daily: Study Finds Link between Substance Use Disorder and Chronic Health Problems
A new study finds 37 percent of adults in recovery from problems related to alcohol or drugs have been diagnosed with one or more of nine alcohol- and drug-related diseases and health conditions.
The New York Times: Methadone Helped Her Quit Heroin. Now She’s Suing U.S. Prisons to Allow the Treatment.
By Abby Goodnough
About to enter a federal prison, a Massachusetts woman is not permitted to continue taking the opioid as a treatment to block cravings and withdrawal from heroin addiction.