Is alcohol a risk factor for cancer development? Elizabeth Tracey reports Several cancer societies have come out fingering alcohol consumption as a risk factor for several types of cancer, the most recent the American Association for Cancer Research. Kimmel Cancer …

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Nitazines are the new kid on the block when it comes to synthetic opioids being found in street drugs, and they can be about 40 times as powerful as fentanyl. Eric Strain, a substance use disorders expert at Johns Hopkins, …

Synthetic opioids continue to complicate rates of opioid dependance and death, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Opioid overdoses continue to be a huge public health problem, with new synthetic opioids continuing to be developed. Eric Strain, a substance use disorder expert at Johns Hopkins, says one bright spot is access to treatment is improving. Strain: I …

Readily available treatment is important for opioid addiction, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Just keeping up with the names is difficult: fentanyl, carfentanyl, xylazine, now nitazines…and each has a host of harms and is more potent than its predecessor. Substance use disorder expert Eric Strain at Johns Hopkins says keeping up is a …

How is it that more and more powerful opioids are appearing among street drugs? Elizabeth Tracey reports. Read More »

Adding the potent opioid nitazine to heroin or fentanyl is hard to understand, since it ups the likelihood you’ll kill your clientele. Eric Strain, a substance use disorder expert at Johns Hopkins, is nonplussed. Strain: Why? That's a great question …

Why add even more potent synthetic opioids to existing ones? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

When someone is brought to the ED having overdosed, the clock is ticking to identify what substance they’ve used and then attempt to reverse it. Johns Hopkins substance use disorder expert Eric Strain says that’s why the new street opioid …

What are the dangers of nitazines? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

No sooner does awareness of new types of street opioids develop than the next generation appears. Such is the case with nitazines, a class of opioids being found increasingly adulterating heroin and fentanyl, with deadly consequences. Johns Hopkins substance use …

Newer and more potent street opioids are always being developed, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

First was heroin, then came fentanyl and its variations, then came xylazine. Now nitazines, a class of drugs that augment the action of opioids, are being found in drugs trafficked illegally, and they’re deadly. Eric Stain, a substance use disorder …

There’s a new drug being added to opioids bought on the street, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Schools, communities, medical systems, all are working to intervene when it comes to the epidemic rate of drug overdose death we are experiencing nationally. At a recent talk at Johns Hopkins, CDC director Mandy Cohen says including the many resources …

When strategizing on how to prevent drug overdoses, look to the CDC first, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Drug overdose deaths are at an all time high, with social ills, availability of lethal substances and barriers to care all involved. Mandy Cohen, director of the CDC, said in a recent talk at Johns Hopkins that the federal agency …

How is the CDC helping to stem the tide of drug overdose death? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »