On Tuesday, Walmart joined the growing list of companies settling with state, local, and tribal governments over its pharmacies’ involvement in the Opioid epidemic, which has claimed the lives of thousands of Americans since 1999. The second-largest retailer in the world agreed to pay $3.1 billion to resolve thousands of lawsuits accusing Walmart of failing to adequately oversee the dispensing of prescription Opioid medications at its pharmacies.

This tentative settlement follows an announcement made earlier this month that CVS Health and Walgreens Co., the two largest pharmacy chains, will pay a combined $10 billion settlement. While Walmart is not paying the most in its settlement, it will be providing the funds faster than the other pharmacy giants, with most of the funds going out within the first year. Walmart will pay the remainder in payments through 2028. 

Where Will The Opioid Settlement Go?

Walmart’s proposed settlement will be divided across several states, including Indiana and Iowa, and all federally recognized tribes. Indiana, which the Opioid epidemic has considerably impacted, is expected to receive $53 million, according to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office. Iowa is expected to receive $19.9 million, and Native American tribes will receive $78 million. Before Walmart’s plan can take effect, it needs to be approved by 43 states by December 15, and local governments can sign onto the plan until March 31, 2023. 

While the root cause of Opioid-related overdose deaths and addiction is diverse, there are common public health or socioeconomic themes that exacerbate the issue, like financial and housing instability and untreated mental health issues. To address a wide array of issues contributing to the Opioid crisis, the funds from these settlements will go toward wide-reaching harm-reduction programs, treatment programs, and drug policies. However, it is up to the state and local governments and Native American tribes to allocate the funds.

Studies suggest that one of the most effective ways to reduce Opioid-related harms is to provide individuals with access to treatment. Treatment for Opioid abuse can include a variety of treatment facilities, like inpatient or outpatient treatment, and medications for Opioid abuse. Local governments, states, and Native American tribes can allocate the settlement money to create or renovate substance abuse treatment facilities and educational programs. The funds can also help rebuild the communities directly impacted by prescription Opioids by ensuring equitable resource distribution, as the Opioid epidemic has hit many underserved communities. To avoid the previous pitfalls of governments using Tobacco settlement funds for unrelated uses in the 90s, today’s Opioid settlements have been designed to be used to fight the crisis and rebuild communities. 

Why Is The Opioid Crisis So Pervasive In The US?

As we understand it today, the Opioid epidemic has occurred in 3 waves in the US. According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), the first wave occurred in the 1990s when doctors began overprescribing prescription Opioids because pharmaceutical companies told them that the pills were less addictive than Painkiller alternatives. We now know that Opioids are incredibly addictive, and overdose deaths involving prescription Opioids (i.e., Natural and Semisynthetic Opioids and Methadone) have increased since 1999. 

The second wave of rapid overdose deaths involved Heroin in 2010. The third wave, which is where the US is currently, began in 2013. The CDC has reported a significant increase in overdose deaths involving Synthetic Opioids (particularly those involving illicitly manufactured Fentanyl). In fact, the Synthetic Opioid-related overdose death rate was 18 times higher in 2020 than in 2013. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than Heroin, but drug dealers still combine the substance with Heroin, counterfeit pills, and Cocaine to increase potency, cut costs, and boost profits. If an individual unknowingly takes a substance cut with Fentanyl, they could potentially overdose, which could be fatal. 

The community harm that came from the over-prescription of Opioids and the exposure to illicit Opioids in the US is what the funds from the Walmart, CVS Health, and Walgreen Co. settlements aim to reduce and heal. The Walmart agreement also included court-ordered requirements to monitor prescriptions closely to reduce “pill-mill doctors” and prevent patients from seeking multiple prescriptions for Opioids. New requirements would also include flagging suspicious prescriptions. 

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Rebuilding Communities And Pursuing Treatment

As the Opioid epidemic continues, time will tell how the settlement funds provided by some of the world’s largest retailers, drugmakers, and distribution companies will be utilized by the state, local, and Native American tribal governments. The Opioid crisis has caused over 500,000 deaths over 20 decades, and the hope is that settlement funds (totaling over $50 billion now) can begin to change the course of this deadly epidemic.     

Prescription Opioid abuse makes up a relatively small portion of the issue nationally, but it still impacts thousands of individuals daily. Individuals can fight the Opioid crisis in their personal lives as well by pursuing treatment for Opioid abuse. Attending treatment can feel daunting, but receiving treatment is the most significant act of kindness you can provide for yourself.  If you or a loved one is experiencing substance abuse, contact a treatment provider today.

The post Walmart Offers $3.1 Billion Opioid Settlement appeared first on Addiction Center.

CVS Health Corporation, the healthcare company that owns CVS Pharmacy, has announced it has settled lawsuits over how its role in prescribing powerful and addictive Opioids fueled the Opioid epidemic in the United States. The settlement, which would pay nearly $5 billion to state, local, and Native American Tribal governments over the next 10 years, makes CVS Health the first pharmacy chain to reach a nationwide settlement regarding the Opioid crisis.

The Rhode Island-based company made the announcement Wednesday while also sharing their better-than-expected quarterly earnings, which show the pharmacy giant brought in well over $81.16 billion in yearly profits. CVS Health did not admit liability or wrongdoing and said that non-financial terms remain to be resolved.

“We are pleased to resolve these longstanding claims and putting them behind us is in the best interest of all parties, as well as our customers, colleagues, and shareholders,” Thomas Moriarty, the CVS chief policy officer, and general counsel said in a statement. “We are committed to working with states, municipalities, and tribes, and will continue our own important initiatives to help reduce the illegitimate use of prescription opioids.”

In addition to the settlements, the company says it has also launched educational programs and installed safe disposal boxes for drugs in both their stores and police departments across the country, as well as other harm reduction measures to help mitigate the misuse of Opioids.

Why The CVS Opioid Settlement Is Important

The CVS Health suit brings the nationwide total of finalized settlements to $45 billion. Due to the nature of the settlements, the majority of the money agreed upon must be used to directly address the Opioid crisis.

The Opioid epidemic is one of the nation’s largest public health crises, responsible for over 500,000 overdose deaths since 1999. This nationwide dependence on Opioids did not start on the streets or by way of back-alley drug deals, but rather by major pharmaceutical industries, drug wholesalers, and physicians who pushed Opioids upon the public by way of prescription painkillers.

“We saw this trend back in the 90’s; with an increased amount of Opioid prescribing that occurred amongst medical professionals,” says Dr. Ashish Bhatt, MD addiction medicine specialist and Medical Content Director for Addiction Center. “And this was probably due to a lot of misleading marketing and studies that were embellished or magnified that did not show the true consequence of what could happen with long-term opioid abuse.”

As steps to mitigate the growing dependence on Opioids were taken, making these drugs harder to obtain, many people turned to illicit drugs like Heroin to satiate their addiction. Since 1999, the number of US adults with a substance use disorder to illicit drugs like Heroin has skyrocketed from around 104,000 to nearly 263,000 in 2019.

With so many people turning to illicit drugs, the rate of overdoses has also increased alarmingly in recent years. In 2021 alone, Opioid-related deaths exceeded 80,000, with nearly 89% of those involving Fentanyl; an incredibly dangerous drug that has become widespread in the nation’s drug supply.

While the $5 billion price tag may seem staggering, the CVS Health settlement represents only a fraction of the settlements that have been made in recent years.

Other Notable Opioid Settlements

To date, there have been more than a dozen major Opioid settlements in the United States alone. The largest settlement, which involved four of the nation’s largest Opioid manufacturers and wholesalers; those being Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson, was settled at $26 billion.

In that lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson, the consumer products and health giant that manufactures generic Opioid medications, was ordered to contribute $5 billion to the settlement. The other three massive drug wholesalers were ordered to pay the remaining $21 billion. In total, 46 states and roughly 90% of eligible local governments signed on to the deal, which was said to “directly support state and local efforts to make meaningful progress in addressing the opioid crisis.”

Another major gain in the ongoing battle against those responsible for the Opioid epidemic was the settlement involving Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, and their owners: the Sackler family. The deal, which was agreed upon in March of 2022, was worth more than $10 billion and called for the members of the Sackler family to pay an additional $6 billion as well as remove themselves from the ownership of the company. While the settlement was widely recognized as a “win,” many were quick to criticize it (including some of those involved in bringing the suit) as they felt the Sackler family got off too easy.

Earlier this year Purdue Pharma agreed to pay $270 million in a settlement with Oklahoma, and in 2007 the company, along with some of its top executives, were ordered to pay $635 million following a lawsuit over “misleading marketing.”

Along with CVS, Walgreens, another of the nation’s largest retail pharmacies, and Walmart have both reached similar settlements this year and will pay $4.79 and $3 billion respectively.

Don’t Battle Opioid Addiction Alone

If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to Opioids or other illicit substances, don’t wait any longer to get help. Settlements like the CVS Health suit help highlight the severity of the Opioid crisis and the importance of addiction treatment. If you’re ready to take the first step toward recovery, contact a treatment provider.

The post CVS Health Agrees To $5B Opioid Settlement appeared first on Addiction Center.

In March of 2021, three New York professionals died of a Fentanyl overdose. Three different lives, three separate locations, all unbeknownst to each other; the three victims had received Cocaine laced with Fentanyl from the same text-order drug delivery service.

On a Wednesday in late winter, 26-year-old Julia Ghahramani, 40-year-old Ross Mtangi, and 38-year-old Amanda Scher texted their dealer, Billy Ortega, asking for Cocaine. The 35-year-old stay at home dad operated a delivery service and upon receiving the orders, sent out courier Kaylen Rainey to distribute the drugs.

Dealer Sends Assuaging Texts, Pleads Not Guilty

Communicating via text with the customers, incriminating messages reveal that Ortega knew the batch he was selling was deadly, or at least highly dangerous. Records show a text thread between Ortega (sometimes using the moniker “Jason Melissa”) and Scher the day she bought the drugs:

“Hey try not to do too much because it’s really strong”

“Hey boss lady you heard”

“Lol”

These messages came after Scher had told him that this batch was “Def better” than her previous order earlier in the week. By the time she was found dead on her couch by her dog walker the next day, Scher had several missed Facetime calls from Ortega as well as a text sent that morning to “give [him] a call back” to “ask [her] something real fast.”

The timestamps are fuzzy regarding the correspondences between Ortega and his three customers, but prosecutors allege that roughly six hours after Rainey had delivered the drugs to Ghahramani, Ortega tried to reach her, too. Like Scher, Ghahramani and Mtangi were both found already dead the next morning.

Both Ortega and Rainey are pleading not guilty to causing the three deaths.

Cocaine Prevalence Among New York Elites, Now Cut With Fentanyl

Thanks to its Stimulant nature and euphoric effects, Cocaine gained popularity as a party drug in New York in the 1980s. With a bustling night life full of busy-bodied professionals and a nonstop mentality, it’s not necessarily surprising that this powdered substance is so widely used. According to the Wall Street Journal, the rate of Cocaine usage in New York is higher than the national average of 2%.

What’s worse and considerably more concerning is the increasing prevalence of illicit Fentanyl found in a variety of street drugs, particularly those like Heroin, Cocaine, and sometimes even counterfeit Adderall. Fentanyl, when pharmaceutically rendered and medically prescribed, can alleviate intense pain following surgical procedures and even provide relief for cancer patients. When bought in the drug market illicitly, though, the drug is highly dangerous and incredibly lethal. A synthetic Opioid, Fentanyl is 50-100 times stronger than Morphine and deadly in a dose of around 2 milligrams, roughly the same amount as several grains of sand.

Recent data from the New York Department of Health shows that nearly half of all overdose deaths involve Fentanyl, often the victims none the wiser that their drug contained any traces of the deadly substance. Sassan Ghahramani, 26-year-old Julia’s father said of his daughter’s devastating overdose, “Julia was a driven professional with everything to live for. Never in a billion years would she have touched anything with Fentanyl. This is like putting bullets in people’s brains.”

Fentanyl Overdose Fatalities Steadily Climbing

Because the illicit, street-derived Fentanyl is relatively low cost and easy for cartels and dealers to procure, it is being cut into more and more substances either accidentally, as an experiment, or a way to lower the cost of more expensive drugs like Cocaine and Heroin.

In New York alone, of the 980 Cocaine-related deaths in 2020, 81% involved Fentanyl. Drug usage and overall fatalities have increased over the last few years of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns and isolation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 107,622 reported fatal overdoses throughout the United States in 2021, an increase of 15% from the 93,655 deaths the previous year. While still stifling, this 15% increase is only half of what it was from 2019 to 2020’s 30% rise. Of those 107,622 deaths, 71,238 of them involved the presence of a synthetic Opioid—largely, Fentanyl.

Accidental Overdose Can Happen To Anyone

Ross Mtangi was a Wall Street executive who regularly ran five miles through Manhattan, Harvard-educated, and an expecting father. Julia Ghahramani virtually graduated from Columbia Law School in 2020 and was working as a first-year lawyer, days away from a family holiday trip. Amanda Scher was a dedicated social servant, splitting her time between hospital work and virtual counseling, and a doting mother to an elderly rescue dog.

These unsuspecting, recreational users became victims in a matter of moments; their bright futures permanently snuffed. None of them fit the bill of “addict,” their story added to the list of dozens like it, another heartbreaking glimpse into the danger and devastation of the drug trade.

Get Help For Fentanyl And Illicit Drug Use

If you or someone you love is struggling with illicit drug use, there are resources available. Reach out and contact a treatment provider today to learn more and discuss treatment and recovery options. Don’t wait until it’s too late; life is too precious and moves too fast.

The post Fentanyl Overdose Kills Three New Yorkers appeared first on Addiction Center.

A new type of animal tranquilizer called Xylazine is appearing more frequently in drug supplies across the country and is thought to be responsible for thousands of overdoses in states like Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, and New Jersey. Also known by the street name, “Tranq,” Xylazine poses a major threat to public health, as not only can the drug be lethal, but it can also cause necrosis (death of bodily tissue) which can lead to loss of fingers, toes, and even limbs in severe cases.

Xylazine belongs to a class of drugs known as sedatives and is sold under the brand names Rompun®, Sedazine®, and AnaSed®. Currently, it is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for veterinary medicine only, where it is used as a sedative, analgesic, and muscle relaxant for horses and cattle, similar to tranquilizers like Ketamine.

The Dangers Of Tranq

Officials say drug suppliers are lacing the Fentanyl and Heroin supply with Xylazine because it is cheap and easy to get. This means that many users may be using the drug unknowingly. Because Xylazine isn’t an Opioid, it can’t be detected by Fentanyl testing strips, nor can its effects be negated using Naloxone, a medication that reverses the effects of drug overdoses. The drug has been said to be so powerful that it can “knock out” users for about 6 to 8 hours, far longer than most Opioids.

Shawn Westfahl, an overdose prevention coordinator for Prevention Point, Philadelphia’s only needle exchange, says the combination of Xylazine and Fentanyl can put a person to sleep for hours, making it harder to determine whether someone is experiencing an overdose.

Along with its extremely addictive nature, Xylazine poses serious risks for users. Since the drug is often mixed with Opioids like Fentanyl or Heroin, it can not only be ingested unknowingly, but it can also be extremely deadly.

Jamill Taylor, a member of Philadelphia’s narcotics unit, says that “[Xylazine] is basically eating them alive. It causes them to rot from the inside out.” Taylor is referring to perhaps the most alarming symptom of Xylazine use: necrosis. In many cases, the use of Xylazine use can cause skin cells to die, leading to loss of fingers, toes, and even limbs in some cases. Health officials in Philadelphia report that a woman who had been admitted to the hospital for Xylazine needed both an arm and leg amputation due to “severe necrosis.”

Symptoms of Xylazine Use

According to officials with the US Drug Enforcement Agency, reports of non-fatal Xylazine cases ranged from concentrations of 30 to 4,600 mL. In non-fatal cases, some of the most reported symptoms include:

• Blurred vision
• Disorientation
• Drowsiness
• Staggering
• Coma
• Miosis (constriction of the pupils)
• Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)

Reports of fatal overdoses involving Xylazine were identified as those with a drug concentration up to 16,000 mL. According to the DEA, it is extremely difficult to ascertain exactly where the threshold of lethal and non-lethal doses of Xylazine is due to the wide range of reported doses.

When used frequently, in high concentrations, or alongside other substances like Fentanyl, Xylazine can have serious, life-threatening symptoms. These include:

• Respiratory depression
• Bradycardia (slowed heart rate)
• Skin lesions
• Frequent, persistent skin infections
• Necrosis
• Overdose

Furthermore, the DEA has urged extreme caution surrounding Xylazine use, as normal overdose-prevention medications, like Narcan, will not work on someone heavily sedated on Xylazine. Given the high prevalence of Opioids like Fentanyl that are commonly mixed with Xylazine, health officials still say Narcan should be administered should someone display overdose symptoms.

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Where Is Xylazine Coming From?

While it’s unclear where exactly the surge in supply of Xylazine is coming from, what public health officials do know is that Philadelphia has become ground zero for this new, deadly drug.

Health officials in the city claim that an “alarming” amount of the drug has entered the city in the last few years, leading to a spike in cases of Xylazine-related overdoses. Researchers in Pennsylvania estimate that Xylazine is in 91% of the Heroin and Fentanyl supply in Philadelphia, and claim its prevalence is making its way west. Additionally, the Detroit Free Press reports that deaths involving the tranquilizer increased 87% from 2019 to 2020 in the state of Michigan.

Other states that have been plagued by the recent spike in Xylazine include New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, all of which have seen a staggering increase in overdoses in the last year. In Maryland alone, which ranks 6th in the country for the rate of fatal overdoses (44.6 per 100,000), Xylazine was involved in nearly 20% of all fatal drug overdoses in 2021.

Treating Xylazine Addiction

While Xylazine in and of itself is not a “new” substance, its use outside of veterinary medicine has skyrocketed in the last few years. Since the drug has not been studied for its effects on humans extensively, along with the fact that much of the Xylazine in circulation is laced with Opioids like Fentanyl, it can be extremely difficult to determine when someone may be experiencing an overdose or severe adverse effects.

Since health officials know very little about the drug, it is not advised for anyone who is using Xylazine to detox alone. Experts suggest undergoing a supervised medical detox at an inpatient rehab facility for the safest possible outcome.

Once detox is completed, treatment may include a variety of methods, including medically assisted treatment (MAT), recreational therapies, group therapies, and other specialized treatment methods geared toward specific Xylazine withdrawal symptoms. Certain psychological counseling modalities have shown to be particularly successful in treating addictions to similar substances like Ketamine. These include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).

Get Help Today

Should adverse effects or signs of addiction to Xylazine or other drugs be present, the time to get help is now. Xylazine has no authorized use outside of veterinary medicine, meaning any use of the drug is not only illegal but can have potentially life-threatening side effects.

To start your journey toward recovery, contact a treatment provider to learn more about what treatment options are available to you.

The post Animal Tranquilizer Xylazine Poses Major Threat appeared first on Addiction Center.

The Opioid crisis has been increasingly present in the United States for nearly 2 decades. Since 1999, more than 1 million people have lost their lives to a drug overdose. Year after year, a growing number of those overdoses have involved a Synthetic Opioid known as Fentanyl, which now accounts for nearly 90% of all Opioid-related overdoses and over 65% of all reported drug overdoses.

In the last year alone, drug overdoses have increased by over 15%, from 94,000 in 2020 to over 108,000 in 2021. Of those 108,000, over 80,000 involved Opioids and over 70,000 of those involving Opioids included Fentanyl.

With no clear signs of slowing down, America’s Fentanyl crisis is at an all-time high. Cities across the country, many of which have historically had low numbers of Opioid-related deaths, are now seeing alarming rates of overdoses. Entire states are being affected as well, with many rural states like West Virginia and Kentucky leading the nation in overdose death rates (81.4 and 49.2 per 100,000 respectively).

Fentanyl-Related Overdoses Continue To Rise In 2022

Drug overdoses have been steadily increasing for over 20 years. Since 2014, however, the number of overdoses has exploded largely due to Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic Opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than Morphine.

“These past three years we have seen an increase of contamination of other illicit drugs with Fentanyl, be it Cocaine, be Methamphetamine, and more recently, illicit prescription drugs,” says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This has put a bigger population of drug users at risk of overdoses, she adds. “In many instances, these may be people that take just one pill, and they get that contaminated pill and they can die.”

What is even more concerning to many experts is the potential of overdoses among younger adults, adolescents, and even children. In 2020 alone, there were 6,129 Opioid overdoses among people under the age of 24, with the overwhelming majority involving Fentanyl.

Overdoses in this age group have become so common, in fact, that for the first time they are on they are rise. A recent study found that for the first time in over a decade, the number of teens who died from overdoses rose in 2020. Experts believe that Opioid overdoses among younger individuals, especially those involving Fentanyl, are more common because the drug is often “cut” or mixed into counterfeit prescription drugs like MDMA which are popular among younger people.

Reports of “candy-colored” or “rainbow” Fentanyl have surfaced in multiple states, which appear to be marketed toward a younger, more impressionable audience. Officials at Arizona’s Nogales Port of Entry reportedly seized over 15,000 rainbow-colored Fentanyl pills, following 250,000 similar multi-colored pills that were seized at the same port just 24 hours earlier. Similar reports of colorful Fentanyl pills have been reported in Oregon, California, and Washington, D.C.

Where Is Fentanyl Coming From?

In recent years, the amount of Fentanyl-contaminated drugs entering the country has skyrocketed. Most of the Fentanyl that enters the country is made in clandestine or illegal laboratories, oftentimes under the guise of brand-name medications like Adderall and Xanax. This means that some people may consume Fentanyl without their knowledge.

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), as of 2019, China remains the primary source of Fentanyl and Fentanyl-related substances trafficked through international mail and express consignment operations environment, as well as the main source for all Fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States. Other major countries of origin include Mexico and India, with even smaller amounts arriving from Canada’s black market.

From October 2021 to June 2022, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reportedly seized a total of nearly 11,000 pounds of Fentanyl from U.S. borders.

While recent polls show that most Americans believe the majority of Fentanyl is smuggled into the country by migrants, the reality is that these claims are extremely false and misleading. While it is true that many cartels will use migrants as a distraction, the overwhelming majority come through official ports of entry such as cargo ships or trucks.

“The probability [migrants] are going to carry some kind of illicit narcotic is probably close to zero,” says Victor Manjarrez, a retired CBP agent of over 20 years and director for the Center for Law and Human Behavior at the University of Texas, El Paso.

“When you look at the chaos and clutter that occurs at a port of entry, just with the legitimate traffic – you know, trucks and personal vehicles – and so if you’re looking at a couple of pounds of Fentanyl hidden in that chaos – you know, if you’re the bad guy, you kind of like your odds,” he continued.

What’s Being Done To Combat The Fentanyl Crisis?

The Fentanyl crisis has progressed to such an extreme degree that immediate, meaningful action is needed.

“It’s absolutely devastating and heartbreaking that we continue to remain in this position,” says Sheila Vakharia, deputy director of research and academic engagement at the Drug Policy Alliance, an addiction policy advocacy group. “We are over 20 years in this overdose crisis and there’s no sign of any kind of slowing down of deaths. If anything, things have only seemed to have gotten more dire.”

Since 2007, the United States has been working with Mexico in a program known as the Merida Initiative. The program has provided Mexico with more than $3 billion in security and counternarcotics aid, both for police and judicial reforms. While the Merida Initiative has led to the capture of some top cartel leaders, including Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has staunchly criticized the agreement.

In 2021, both Mexico and the U.S. announced a new agreement to improve “health and security cooperation.” In a similar partnership, the U.S. had been working with Columbia starting in 2000, where it provided the Columbian government with over $10 billion in aid up until 2016 when the agreement ended.

It’s not just international efforts that have been made to combat the Fentanyl crisis. In April, the Biden administration announced plans to address the unprecedented number of Fentanyl overdoses across the country. The plans included increasing access to harm reduction methods like Naloxone, a powerful medication that reverses overdoses. However, experts agree that this is simply not enough to solve the ongoing Fentanyl crisis. Currently, there are only 2 above-board, legal harm reduction sites in the entire country, both of which are in New York City.

While the need for more legal, safe harm reduction sites continues to grow and gain support across the country, legislation continues to fall short. On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed cities to open supervised drug injection sites as a part of a pilot program to help decrease fatal overdoses.

It’s important to note, however, that while harm reduction has been proven to reduce fatal overdoses and in some instances steer individuals toward quitting, it is not a substitution for treatment. With that said, the two can work well together when implemented correctly.

Getting Help Before It’s Too Late

Getting help for an addiction to Opioids or other illicit drugs can seem like an impossible, constant uphill battle. Along with abundantly underfunded harm reduction programs, the stigma that surrounds drug addiction can be enough to keep those who need help from seeking it out.

As the Fentanyl crisis continues to rage forward, experts warn that an increasing number of illicit drugs will be contaminated with Fentanyl, which often goes unnoticed by those who consume them. If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, the time to get help is now. To get help today, contact a treatment provider who can help you start your journey toward recovery.

The post America’s Fentanyl Crisis Is Getting Worse appeared first on Addiction Center.

Public health officials in Chicago are urging would-be Lollapalooza-goers to test their drugs for Fentanyl, citing concerns of potential overdoses during the four-day music festival. The festival, which was held over the weekend, saw nearly 400,000 people flood the city’s Grant Park, many of which were believed to be partaking in illicit drug use.

“There’s going to be people walking around with backpacks at Lollapalooza, that are going to be selling pills that are going to be laced with Fentanyl. There’s not a doubt in my mind,” said a spokesperson for the Chicago Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the days leading up to the festival.

In the official warning put out by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), officials warned of the potential dangers of Fentanyl, and urged all Lollapalooza attendees to “Test your drugs before you use, carry Narcan, and don’t use alone.”

CDPH said Fentanyl is found in Cocaine, Ecstasy (MDMA) and other drugs – not just Heroin. The department also informed attendees that Narcan and Fentanyl test strips can be picked up at Chicago public libraries “in easy-to-access Narcan dispenser kits,” similar to other harm reduction sites found in other major cities across the country.

Previous Concerns About Fentanyl At Music Festivals

The warnings by CDPH are not the first to be made by the city, nor are they first to be made regarding a music festival. In the last year, Chicago alone has seen over 1,300 Fentanyl-related overdoses. Fentanyl now accounts for nearly 70% of all Opioid-related deaths in the United States, with a growing number of overdoses occurring at events such as raves or music festivals.

While not a surprise to many, music festivals such as Lollapalooza have become hotspots for party drugs like MDMA (Ecstasy), Cocaine, and many other recreational substances. These drugs, combined with extended periods outdoors in the heat, lack of proper hydration, and the drug culture surrounding music festivals can all spell disaster for those partaking in illicit drug activity.

Unfortunately, deadly overdoses involving Fentanyl at music festivals are becoming more and more common. Since 2006, there have been 26 confirmed cases of overdoses from Fentanyl-tainted Ecstasy alone at music festivals and other rave-like events. In fact, just two weeks ago at a music festival in Washington state called Wiggle in the Wetlands, a 21-year-old woman was found dead after consuming Ecstasy that had been laced with Fentanyl.

It’s not just regular drug users that are falling victim to overdoses at music festivals. In 2018, 16-year-old Evan Kitzmiller died at Lollapalooza after a fatal overdose involving Ecstasy. Andrew Kitzmiller, Evan’s father, remains adamant that Evan was not a drug user, and that it was likely Lollapalooza was his first time using.

Music festivals create unique opportunities, and risks, for illicit drug use. Most major festivals, like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Coachella, draw massive crowds, sometimes exceeding half a million attendees. This makes it easy to slip backpacks filled with drugs past security, which is oftentimes lacking to begin with.

These types of festivals are also typically held in the height of summer, with many in locations that can exceed 100 degrees in the daytime. This, combined with alcohol and drug use, can cause severe dehydration, which can increase the risk for a drug overdose.

Fentanyl Can Be Found In Many Drugs Used At Festivals, Not Just Heroin

Fentanyl is commonly associated with drugs like Heroin or Methamphetamines, as it is commonly used to lace or “cut” the substance to make it more potent or addictive. However, many people may be unaware that Fentanyl can also be found in numerous other drugs, including the two most commonly used at music festivals: Ecstasy and Cocaine, according to a 2018 survey on illicit drug use at music festivals.

Fentanyl is a synthetic Opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than Morphine. The drug is typically used to treat patients after surgery but has become rampant in recreational drugs where it is often used to “cut” or lace other substances. This can oftentimes be unknown to drug users, which can lead to devastating consequences for unsuspecting music festival attendees.

Illicit drugs like Ecstasy and Cocaine don’t come with an ingredient list, and it’s nearly impossible to tell if they have been laced with Fentanyl unless you test them with Fentanyl test strips. Even in small amounts, Fentanyl can be extremely deadly, making any level of illicit drug use potentially dangerous. When compared with other illicit drugs, such as Cocaine, which can be lethal in doses around 1.2 grams, Fentanyl can be lethal in as little as 2 milligrams.

Since October of last year, Chicago DEA has seized over 80,000 pills containing Fentanyl. What makes these pills especially dangerous, according to DEA officials, is that they are nearly identical to the real thing.

“I’ve done this job for 20 years,” said one DEA official. “I can’t distinguish between a fake Fentanyl pill or a pill containing Fentanyl and one that doesn’t.”

While the answer to staying safe from Fentanyl at music festivals is to avoid illicit drug use altogether, health officials say that should attendees decide to use, they should do so safely. Narcan, also known as Naloxone, is a drug used to help reverse the symptoms of an overdose and save lives.

“Having your own naloxone could save someone else’s life. Or if you carry it around and let your friends and other loved ones know where it is, because you can’t use it on yourself,” said Dr. Maria Rahmandar, who often treats patients during Lollapalooza at Lurie Children’s Hospital. “If you decide to use something, I would encourage you to not use alone and to use with people who are sober.”

Even Occasional Drug Use At Music Festivals Can Lead To Addiction

It’s important to note that there is a difference between occasional drug use and drug addiction. Using illicit drugs once, or occasionally, is known as drug misuse. Because no level of drug use is safe, drug misuse still carries significant risk, especially considering the increased warnings surrounding Fentanyl at music festivals.

Where drug misuse crosses over to drug addiction is when it is accompanied by compulsive behaviors such as seeking out drugs, despite adverse consequences. Addiction is considered a brain disorder, because it involves changes to the brain that alter the way it functions. These changes oftentimes involve altering the circuits involved with reward, risk, stress, and self-control. This is why it’s recommended to seek professional help for drug addiction.

If you or someone you know are unable to stop using drugs, they should consider treatment for drug addiction. Treatment for drug addiction usually begins with detox, which should be done at a treatment facility, as drug withdrawals can be especially dangerous. Depending on the substance you are using, detox can take anywhere from 24 hours to two weeks.

Detox is just the first part of treatment. On its own, detox is usually insufficient for a successful recovery. You will need to speak with your doctor or addiction treatment specialist to determine what steps you will need to take once detox is complete. Typically, this will include inpatient or outpatient rehab programs, or a combination of both.

To find a treatment center near you, contact a treatment provider to get more information on addiction treatment.

The post Fentanyl At Music Festivals Raises Concerns appeared first on Addiction Center.

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has entered rehab after a relapse on pain medication following foot surgery. The 74-year-old singer underwent surgery to “prepare for the stage” as the band prepared to start their Deuces Are Wild shows in a forthcoming Las Vegas residency in June. A spokesperson for Tyler issued a statement that said the “necessity of pain management during the process” had led him to relapse, but Tyler has since voluntarily entered a treatment program to “concentrate on his health and recovery.” The remaining tour dates for June and July have been canceled, but the band expects to resume their residency in September.  

Tyler previously discussed his struggles with addiction with GQ magazine stating that drugs were “more or less the thing to do” as a rock star in the 70s. Heavy drug and alcohol use was prevalent amongst many bands during this time, with Tyler stating that hardly any bands even knew what being sober meant. Tyler started using drugs in the 1960s as a teenager, but the rockstar lifestyle caught up with the singer during his early years with Aerosmith.

In 1988, Tyler’s bandmates and management staged an intervention that led him to a period of abstinence. The singer stated that it took many years to get over the anger of being sent to rehab, but his anger has now turned to appreciation, and he owes a “thanks to them” for his sobriety. Following a relapse in 2009, he entered the Betty Ford facility for prescription drug abuse treatment and was believed to have remained sober afterward. 

The Risk Of Prescription Pain Medication

Tyler’s history with prescription pain medication abuse is unfortunately not an uncommon occurrence in America. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 2 million people in the US had a prescription Opioid use disorder, and over 16 million people reported misusing any prescription psychotherapeutic drug in 2020. The rate of addiction to prescription pain medication is so high due to several factors, including high accessibility, a history of over-prescription, and the fact that the body can develop a tolerance quickly to it. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the risk of developing an Opioid dependency significantly increases after 5 days of regular use.

Successful treatment of prescription drug abuse may need to incorporate several components, including detoxification, counseling, and medications. Multiple courses of treatment may be necessary for an individual to make a full recovery, but recovery is possible for everyone. 

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How Steven Tyler Made The Best Of His Situation

Tyler opened Janie’s House in 2017, a home for residential treatment programs for abused and neglected girls just outside Atlanta, after meeting women during his previous time in rehab who were also seeking treatment. Many of the women, Tyler told CNN, were seeking treatment, in part, due to the ramifications of the abuse they had endured during their lives. “While I was in [rehab], I found out most of women in there were battered and beaten and abused verbally and sexually in huge numbers,” Tyler said. “It was like 7 out of 10, 8 out of 10.”

The organization’s namesake comes from Aerosmith’s 1989 hit song “Janie’s Got A Gun,” which details a young girl abused by her father. Preceding Janie’s House, Tyler created Janie’s Fund to bring awareness to the neglect and abuse children face, and to provide financial support to ensure that girls receive the most effective services available to help them overcome the trauma and pain of abuse. 

It is not yet known how long Tyler will remain in treatment, but a representative of the singer apologized to those affected by the show cancellations, “especially our most loyal fans who often travel great distances to experience our shows,” and thanked everyone for their support and understanding during this time. 

The post Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler Reenters Rehab appeared first on Addiction Center.

Over the past week, several states have settled lawsuits with Opioid drugmakers, distributors, and pharmacies, tallying up over $390 million in total. The states in question (Alabama, New York, West Virginia, and California), have been deeply impacted by the ramifications of the Opioid epidemic, which has led to over 500,000 overdose deaths nationally in the past 2 decades. Among others across the nation, these settlements are the first steps to providing the financial backbone that many states need to rebuild their communities affected by Opioids. 

The companies involved in these recent settlements, all of which have denied any wrongdoing, include Johnson & Johnson, McKesson Corp, Endo International Plc, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson). The next section of this article will break down who each state settled with and for how much. 

State-By-State Breakdown Of Recent Opioid Lawsuits

Alabama

On Tuesday, Alabama reached $276 million in settlements with Johnson & Johnson, McKesson Corp, and Endo International Plc. According to the state attorney general, this settlement resolves the claim that these companies fueled an Opioid crisis in the state. Alabama had previously accused McKesson of failing to prevent the diversion of Opioids for illicit use and for downplaying the addictive risks of the prescription Painkillers. Johnson & Johnson stated that its past marketing efforts were “appropriate and responsible,” and the company no longer sells prescription Opioids in the US. 

Alabama was one of 4 states that declined to join a nationwide $26 billion settlement of Opioid litigation by McKesson, two other top US distributors, and Johnson & Johnson. If it had agreed to the national settlement, the state would have received $115 million from McKesson over 18 years and $70.3 million from Johnson & Johnson over 9 years. Under this new deal, McKesson will pay $141 million within 9 years, Johnson & Johnson will make full payment within a year, and Endo will pay $25 million. 

New York

On Tuesday, New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced that Central New York would receive over $6.3 million from several settlements negotiated in 2019. The settlements involved 6 Opioid manufacturers and 4 distributors, and the funds will be distributed to Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse, $3.7 million and $263,000, respectively. The money received from this settlement is only a part of the original $1.5 billion settlement finalized by the attorney general, who says more money will be coming.

Central New York City was impacted significantly by the Opioid crisis, specifically during the 2020 lockdown. Onondaga County paused most in-person activities related to Opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, and a 7th of the economy was forced to shut down, which placed working individuals on the sidelines, said Onondaga County Executive McMahon. 

West Virginia

West Virginia is to receive $99 million in a settlement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. In this Opioid lawsuit, Janssen was accused of overstating the benefits of their prescription drugs while downplaying, or failing to mention entirely, the potential risks of addiction. The drugmaker has faced multiple Opioid lawsuits throughout dozens of communities in the country, but State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said during a news briefing that he believes West Virginia’s settlement is the largest in the country per capita. 

West Virginia has long held alarming rates of drug overdose deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the state’s number of fatal overdoses has nearly tripled over the past decade. Additionally, the state has one of the highest rates of non-medical use of prescription Painkillers in 19 to 25-year-olds, with experts testifying in the Janssen case that the rush of prescription Opioids into communities was the driving force behind West Virginia’s drug crisis.

California

On Wednesday, the city of San Francisco reached a $10 million settlement with Endo, who makes the Opioid Painkiller Percocet. According to City Attorney David Chiu, Endo settled with the city days before an upcoming trial, which claims the drugmaker fueled an Opioid epidemic. While Endo hasn’t marketed Percocet since 2016, a 2018 lawsuit filed by San Francisco claims that the company “flooded” the community with prescription Opioids without corrective measures to prevent the drugs from being diverted to illegal use.  

Along with the Endo company, the lawsuit filed by San Francisco also targeted Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson, McKesson Corp, Cardinal Health Inc, and AmerisourceBergen Corp. To date, Endo has agreed to pay over $300 million in Opioid settlements to local and state governments, including San Francisco. 

Settlement Money To Be Used For Recovery And Prevention

The funds from these settlements provide financial support for states and cities to rebuild the communities that the Opioid epidemic has deeply impacted. The use of the millions will go well beyond sopping up the damage caused by over-prescription, questionable marketing practices, and illicit use of Opioids; communities hope to stop addiction before it starts. Beyond funding treatment programs for those with an OUD, many communities are planning to use the funds for Opioid prevention and education to reduce the risk of addiction for the youth and individuals throughout the community. 

For example, in Central New York, Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse will use the settlement money to treat individuals with an OUD, to reduce the number of people dying of overdoses, and to give young people additional resources to teach them about the dangers of drugs, specifically Opioids. The settlement money supplied to the states and communities across the US is a necessary step in healing and treating individuals who have suffered at the hands of the Opioid epidemic that has in part been fueled by Opioid drugmakers, distributors, and pharmacies.  

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The post Four States To Receive Millions In Opioid Settlements appeared first on Addiction Center.

Over the past 20 years, nearly 500,000 American lives have been lost to the Opioid Epidemic due to prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin and other illicit substances sold on the street. As recently as Monday, April 11, 2022, the popular pharmacy chain Walgreens is being prosecuted by the state of Florida for the “fraud and addiction that the company should have noticed and acted upon.”

Florida’s prosecutor Jim Webster says the company of roughly 9,000 storefronts, 820 of which located in Florida, was knowingly dispensing medications that were actively killing people. Records show that from May of 2006 to June of 2021 in Florida alone, Walgreens distributed approximately 4.3 billion Opioid pills. Between the years 1999-2020, more than 39,000 Florida residents died from Opioid use. According to Webster, 1 in 4 of these cases was traced to Walgreens’ sale and suspicious circumstances: fake prescriptions, questionable physicians, and unnecessary amounts of pills for any singular patient.

Walgreens’ attorney, Steve Derringer, claims that the real issue lies with the pharmaceutical companies not being entirely forthright and truthful about the addictiveness of Opioids, not that of the individual pharmacy chains like Walgreens.

Walgreens Is The Last To Budge

This is hardly the first lawsuit regarding Opioids and the pharmacies responsible for distributing them in Florida. So far, the state has reached nearly $878 million dollars in settlements: CVS Health Corp agreed to pay the highest so far at $484 million, with Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd next at $195 million, and Allergan PLC paying upwards of $134 million. This case follows that of the nationwide deal where Purdue Pharma’s owners, the Sackler family, agreed to pay $6 billion in settlements. Considering the estimated total cost of both civil and criminal penalties tied to OxyContin’s parent company since 2007 is roughly $45 billion, the contributions from the family responsible hardly makes a dent in the national deficit. Florida alone has spent nearly $14 billion over the last two decades in various Opioid-related costs, from criminal justice and drug rehabilitation reform to saving infants born with an Opioid addiction.

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Taking place in New Port Richey, Florida, just north of Tampa, the trial is slated to last anywhere from 3-8 weeks. Walgreens, the largest pharmacy chain in the country, is the last stake in this multi-pronged Opioid prosecution campaign. In the opening statement on Monday, Florida’s Attorney General, Ashley Moody said her department wants the store chain to be held responsible “for its role in helping create and fuel the deadly Opioid crisis devastating Florida families and draining taxpayer-funded resources.”

Following the relative success of the settlements with other big pharmacy brands, Webster, in his opening remarks claims:

Walgreens was the last line of defense in improperly distributing Opioids. The evidence will show that millions of times, Walgreens ignored its duty to investigate suspicious prescriptions. Instead, it filled them as quickly as possible.

Who Is Really Responsible?

Due to the number of players and stakeholders and general scope of the Opioid Epidemic, it is tough to determine who and what deserves the largest number of pointed fingers. Many families who have lost loved ones to the addictive power of prescription painkillers blame the Sackler family and their intentional negligence to inform physicians and pharmacies of the inherent danger in medications such as OxyContin. Others point to the drug counters across the country and wonder why no one questioned the increasing amount of Opioid prescriptions running through their systems while still others don’t understand how doctors could be so obtrusively unaware of the devastating side effects.

Regardless of the outcome, the issue proceeds. The scariest part of the Opioid crisis is the fact that an addiction can start from a prescribed medication if the individual is not cautious and aware. If you or someone you love is struggling with an addiction to painkillers, or any other substance, remember you are not alone and there are resources to help you.

As for the judicial trials, only time will tell.

The post Florida Vs Pharmacies: Fueling The Opioid Crisis? appeared first on Addiction Center.