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Results for search "Drugs: Illicit".

Health News Results - 48

17 May
U.S. Justice Department Moves to Reclassify Weed as Less Risky Drug

U.S. Justice Department Moves to Reclassify Weed as Less Risky Drug

The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, setting the stage for a significant shift in the nation's drug policy.

In a proposed rule...

14 Nov
More Than 1 in 6 U.S. Adults, Teens Have Substance Use Disorder

More Than 1 in 6 U.S. Adults, Teens Have Substance Use Disorder

TUESDAY, NOV. 14, 2023 (Healthday News) -- Over 1 in 6 Americans, adults and teens alike, suffered a substance use disorder in 2022, new government data released Monday shows.

In the

26 Sep
Buying Marijuana Online Easy for Minors, Study Finds

Buying Marijuana Online Easy for Minors, Study Finds

The lax enforcement of age limits by many online marijuana dispensaries makes it easier for minors to buy weed, claims new research that looked at online weed sales in 32 states.

"It is imperative to require strict age-verification procedures prior to cannabis purchases ...

21 Sep
Substance Abuse Greatly Raises Odds of Heart Attack, Stroke During Pregnancy

Substance Abuse Greatly Raises Odds of Heart Attack, Stroke During Pregnancy

Substance abuse and pregnancy may be a dangerous combination.

New research finds that pregnant women with a history of substance abuse had a dramatically increased risk of death from heart attack and stroke during childbirth compared to women with no drug history.

...

05 Sep
New Opioids Are Joining the Illicit Drug Supply, and They're More Potent Than Fentanyl

New Opioids Are Joining the Illicit Drug Supply, and They're More Potent Than Fentanyl

In recent years, the opioid epidemic has been worsened by the advent of street fentanyl, an illicit version of a powerful prescription painkiller.

But experts now warn that the threat posed by fentanyl may ultimately pale in comparison to the emergence of an even more da...

18 Aug
1 in 10 ICU Patients With Heart Issues Has Illicit Drugs in Their System

1 in 10 ICU Patients With Heart Issues Has Illicit Drugs in Their System

More than 1 out of every 10 patients who land in an ICU with a potentially deadly heart emergency test positive for recreational drug use, a new French study reports.

About 11% of nearly 1,500 patients admitted to a French intensive cardiac care unit for a heart crisis t...

09 Aug
After U.S. Warns of Counterfeit Pills Laced With Fentanyl, Mexico Shuts Down 23 Pharmacies

After U.S. Warns of Counterfeit Pills Laced With Fentanyl, Mexico Shuts Down 23 Pharmacies

Following a four-day raid, Mexico has closed 23 pharmacies in Caribbean resorts of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum for irregular pill sales.

Last spring, the United States

01 Aug
Psilocybin May Help Some Who Battle Anorexia

Psilocybin May Help Some Who Battle Anorexia

One dose of the hallucinogenic ingredient in "magic mushrooms" may help some people with anorexia move past their preoccupation with body image, an early study suggests.

The study, of just 10 women with anorexia, tested the effects of a single dose of psilocybin plus psy...

12 Jul
ADHD Drugs Won't Raise Risk for Illicit Drug Use Later

ADHD Drugs Won't Raise Risk for Illicit Drug Use Later

Teens who use stimulant medication like Ritalin to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not have an increased risk of illicit drug use later, a new study finds.

This study looked specifically at cocaine and methamphetamine use. High school seniors wh...

11 Jul
First Murder Conviction for Fentanyl Dealer Delivered in California

First Murder Conviction for Fentanyl Dealer Delivered in California

A fentanyl dealer has been found guilty of second-degree murder in what authorities believe is the first-ever murder conviction for dealing the dangerous drug.

The conviction happened in Placer County, Calif., in a case involving the fatal overdose last summer of a 15-ye...

14 Jun
Lesbians, Gays Suffer More Mental Health Issues, Drug Use Problems: Survey

Lesbians, Gays Suffer More Mental Health Issues, Drug Use Problems: Survey

Lesbians, gays and bisexuals are experiencing more mental health and substance use issues than their heterosexual peers, researchers say.

According to a new

09 Jun
Young Adults' Use of Hallucinogens Like Mushrooms, PCP Doubled in a Few Years: Study

Young Adults' Use of Hallucinogens Like Mushrooms, PCP Doubled in a Few Years: Study

Young American adults have doubled their use of non-LSD hallucinogens in just a few years, a new report warns.

Researchers found that between 2018 and 2021, U.S. adults aged 19 to 30 increased their use of mescaline, peyote, psilocybin ("magic mushrooms") and PCP, thoug...

24 May
Illicit Use of Ketamine Keeps Rising in U.S.

Illicit Use of Ketamine Keeps Rising in U.S.

Seizures of illicit ketamine by drug enforcement agents have surged throughout the United States, growing 349% from 2017 through 2022, a new study finds.

Rising use of ketamine could increase the likelihood that people who use the drug recreationally may instead get a po...

08 May
U.S. to Fund Study on Safe Drug Injection Sites for Overdose Prevention

U.S. to Fund Study on Safe Drug Injection Sites for Overdose Prevention

The U.S. federal government has committed $5 million to study three existing and planned safe drug injection sites to see if they help prevent overdoses and whether they may offer savings in the health and criminal justice systems.

At these overdose prevention centers (O...

02 May
Apetamin: Using This Illegal Weight-Gain Product Can Bring Tragic Results

Apetamin: Using This Illegal Weight-Gain Product Can Bring Tragic Results

U.S. regulators are urging Americans to avoid Apetamin, an illegal drug used for weight gain and figure enhancement.

The substance, typically sold as a syrup, is manufactured overseas, illegally imported and isn't approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

12 Apr
Mix of Vet Tranquilizer, Fentanyl an 'Emerging Threat,' U.S. Officials Warn

Mix of Vet Tranquilizer, Fentanyl an 'Emerging Threat,' U.S. Officials Warn

U.S. officials are intensifying efforts to crack down on illicit use of the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine, which can cause painful and deadly side effects in humans.

The drug, when mixed with the opioid fentanyl, has been designated an "emerging threat,"the Office of ...

29 Mar
Lawmakers Want to Tighten Access to Veterinary Drug Xylazine, Often Mixed With Fentanyl

Lawmakers Want to Tighten Access to Veterinary Drug Xylazine, Often Mixed With Fentanyl

Congressional leaders introduced a bill on Tuesday that would further restrict access to the veterinary drug xylazine, which is now being added to fentanyl powder.

Also known as tranq, the drug is meant to be a sedative and muscle relaxer for horses and other large anima...

28 Feb
FDA Takes Action Against Animal Tranquilizer Tied to Fatal ODs

FDA Takes Action Against Animal Tranquilizer Tied to Fatal ODs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it has taken action to restrict imports of the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine to prevent illicit use of the drug.

While veterinarians use products containing xylazine to sedate large animals such as horses and dee...

06 Feb
U.S. Tourists in Northern Mexico Are Buying Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl

U.S. Tourists in Northern Mexico Are Buying Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl

Researchers have uncovered groundbreaking evidence that pharmacies in tourist areas of Northern Mexico are selling counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamines.

The pills, mainly sold to U.S. tourists without a prescription, were passed off as contr...

14 Nov
Colorado Says Yes to Medical Use of 'Magic Mushrooms'

Colorado Says Yes to Medical Use of 'Magic Mushrooms'

Colorado voters have voted narrowly to approve the medical use of "magic mushrooms"in Colorado.

"I'm in awe of what we were able to accomplish,"s...

09 Nov
Fatal Heart Infections Linked to Opioid Abuse Have Tripled Among Young Americans

Fatal Heart Infections Linked to Opioid Abuse Have Tripled Among Young Americans

The U.S. opioid epidemic has been heartbreaking -- literally.

Young adults' risk of dying from a devastating infection of the heart has doubled to tripled in the United States during the past two decades, a new study reports.

Researchers ascribe the increase in fat...

09 Nov
FDA Warns of Animal Tranquilizer in Illicit Drugs

FDA Warns of Animal Tranquilizer in Illicit Drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday warned health care workers to look out for patients who may have been exposed to a potentially deadly animal sedative, possibly through illicit drug use.

The veterinary medication xylazine is sometimes added to fentanyl, h...

26 Oct
Could Psychedelics Help You Kick the Habit?

Could Psychedelics Help You Kick the Habit?

Smoking is an incredibly hard habit to break. Anne Levine of Baltimore can attest to that.

But Levine, 58, is getting help from a potential ...

21 Oct
New Biden Plan Would Help Pregnant Women Fight Opioid Addiction

New Biden Plan Would Help Pregnant Women Fight Opioid Addiction

Pregnant women addicted to opioids have both a compelling reason to change and a harder time getting medications to battle their substance use disorder.

Now, a new plan from the B...

13 Oct
Allergy Meds in Street Opioids Make Overdoses More Deadly

Allergy Meds in Street Opioids Make Overdoses More Deadly

A new study is sounding the alarm about the addition of antihistamines to street forms of opioids -- and how they might make a fatal overdose more likely.

The prime drug in question is

16 Sep
Experts Say New Street Drug Is 'as Deadly as Fentanyl'

Experts Say New Street Drug Is 'as Deadly as Fentanyl'

Nitazenes: You've probably never heard of these highly toxic drugs, and neither have many Americans who abuse opioid street drugs.

...

01 Sep
Deadly 'Rainbow Fentanyl' Looks Like Candy, Could Entice Kids

Deadly 'Rainbow Fentanyl' Looks Like Candy, Could Entice Kids

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning the public that colorfully dyed fentanyl -- dubbed "rainbow fentanyl" -- is readily available across the United States.

"Rainbow ...

23 Aug
LSD Is Making a Comeback Among Young Americans

LSD Is Making a Comeback Among Young Americans

If you think hallucinogens like LSD are a thing of the past, think again.

New research estimates that the use of mind-altering LSD rose from less than 1% in 2002 to 4% in 2019 among people aged 18 to 25. An...

04 Aug
B 8/9 -- When Pot Made Legal, Poisonings From Synthetic Pot Decline

B 8/9 -- When Pot Made Legal, Poisonings From Synthetic Pot Decline

People appear less likely to turn to dangerous synthetic pot products in U.S. states where marijuana has been legalized, a new Washington State University study finds.

Researchers disco...

31 Mar
Police Records Show Use of Illegal Fentanyl-Laced Pills Soaring

Police Records Show Use of Illegal Fentanyl-Laced Pills Soaring

Dovetailing with a surge in overdose deaths, the United States has seen a sharp rise in seizures of illicit fentanyl, according to a new report.

Law enforceme...

01 Feb
Young Americans Lost Almost 1.5 Million Years of Life to Opioids Between 2015 and 2019

Young Americans Lost Almost 1.5 Million Years of Life to Opioids Between 2015 and 2019

The U.S. drug epidemic continues its death march, with new research showing American teens and young adults have lost nearly 1.5 million years of life due to drug overdose deaths in recent years.

For

19 Jan
Opioid Addiction Treatment in Jail Could Change Lives

Opioid Addiction Treatment in Jail Could Change Lives

No magic bullet exists for ending the U.S. opioid crisis, but there's hopeful news for one high-risk population: Providing addiction medication in jails reduces the odds of addicts being re-arrested after their release, new research shows.

"Studies like this provide much...

22 Dec
NYC's Overdose Prevention Centers Already Saving Lives

NYC's Overdose Prevention Centers Already Saving Lives

At least 59 overdoses were prevented in the first three weeks that two overdose prevention centers have been open in New York City, the city's health department said Tuesday.

During that time, there were more than 2,000 visits to the centers that are operated by OnPoint ...

16 Dec
Pandemic Saw Big Declines in Kids' Use of Drugs, Alcohol, Vaping

Pandemic Saw Big Declines in Kids' Use of Drugs, Alcohol, Vaping

There may be a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, with U.S. health officials reporting an "unprecedented" decline in teens' use of alcohol, marijuana, other illegal drugs and vaping.

"We have never seen such dramatic decreases in drug use among teens in just a one-y...

24 Nov
Wearable Device Spots, Reverses Opioid Overdoses

Wearable Device Spots, Reverses Opioid Overdoses

A wearable device that could inject a lifesaving antidote for an opioid overdose might be on the horizon.

A new study shows that the device, worn on the stomach like an insulin pump, can detect when someone stops breathing from an overdose and inject the drug naloxone to...

26 Oct
Number of Teens Who Vape Marijuana Doubled in 7 Years

Number of Teens Who Vape Marijuana Doubled in 7 Years

Teenagers have followed the vaping trend into marijuana use, with recent studies chronicling a boom in pot vaping among adolescents in the United States and Canada, researchers report.

The percentage of teens who've experimented with vaped pot has more than doubled in re...

22 Oct
Scientists Develop Quick Test for Marijuana Use

Scientists Develop Quick Test for Marijuana Use

Researchers may be one step closer to developing the equivalent of a Breathalyzer for detecting marijuana use.

In an early study, scientists found that their rapid test was able to reliably detect THC in people's saliva in under 5 minutes. THC, short for tetrahydrocannab...

14 Oct
CDC Reports Record High 12-Month Drug Overdose Death Toll

CDC Reports Record High 12-Month Drug Overdose Death Toll

Drug overdose deaths in the United States hit a new record for the 12-month period ending March 2021, new government data shows.

A record high 96,779 drug overdose deaths occurred between March 2020 and March 2021, representing a 29.6% rise, new statistics from the U.S....

08 Oct
Stimulants Like Ritalin May Be Gateway Drugs for College Students

Stimulants Like Ritalin May Be Gateway Drugs for College Students

Use of stimulants among college students was once thought to be a problem among high achievers seeking energy and focus to study.

Not so, according to new research that links misuse of these so-called "study drugs" to binge drinking and marijuana use. The stereotype of s...

01 Oct
How the COVID Pandemic Made the Opioid Epidemic Worse, Even as Telehealth Helped

How the COVID Pandemic Made the Opioid Epidemic Worse, Even as Telehealth Helped

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the U.S. opioid crisis in ways bad and good, increasing the risk of use and overdose but also spurring innovative approaches to treatment.

The pandemic has definitely been linked to an increase in opioid use and overdose deaths, Tufts ...

30 Sep
Smoking, Drinking Gateway to Pot, Study Finds

Smoking, Drinking Gateway to Pot, Study Finds

For those who smoke or drink, it's only a small step to marijuana, researchers report.

"Legal consumption of alcohol and tobacco may directly increase the level of illicit drug use. However, the relationships are complex," said researcher Dr. Zoe Reed. She is a senior re...

29 Sep
DEA Warns of Fentanyl in Counterfeit Opioid Pills

DEA Warns of Fentanyl in Counterfeit Opioid Pills

People buying pills that look like prescription opioid painkillers or stimulants who are not buying them from a licensed pharmacy may be buying a lethal drug, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration warned this week.

This was the first public safety alert the DEA has is...

23 Sep
U.S. Meth Overdose Deaths Tripled in Recent Years

U.S. Meth Overdose Deaths Tripled in Recent Years

Deaths from methamphetamine overdoses in the United States nearly tripled between 2015 and 2019, health officials report in a new study.

While the number of methamphetamine users did not increase as steeply, researchers said frequent use of methamphetamine, and using oth...

21 Sep
Animal Sedative Is Driving Rise in Fatal Drug ODs

Animal Sedative Is Driving Rise in Fatal Drug ODs

An animal tranquilizer, xylazine, is increasingly linked to drug overdose deaths across the United States, health officials say.

According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, xylazine has turned up in overdose deaths in 25 of 38 stat...

20 Sep
Opioid Use Disorder Is as Deadly as Heart Attack: Study

Opioid Use Disorder Is as Deadly as Heart Attack: Study

Hospitalized opioid addicts die at a rate similar to people who have a heart attack after leaving the hospital.

Nearly 8% of patients addicted to opioids died within 12 months of hospital discharge, according to researchers from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)....

30 Aug
Half of Adults With ADHD Have Struggled With Alcohol, Drug Use

Half of Adults With ADHD Have Struggled With Alcohol, Drug Use

Fully half of all young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also battle alcohol or drug abuse.

And folks with ADHD who have a history of depression or anxiety are particularly vulnerable to substance abuse problems, a new study showed.

...

26 Aug
Fatal ODs From Illicit Tranquilizers Jumped 6-Fold During Pandemic

Fatal ODs From Illicit Tranquilizers Jumped 6-Fold During Pandemic

Overdose deaths linked to illicit "designer" benzodiazepines have surged in the United States, as underground labs crank out new synthetic variations on prescription tranquilizers like Valium, Xanax and Ativan.

Overdose deaths involving illicit benzos increased more than...

23 Aug
Rising Number of U.S. Cardiac Arrests Tied to Opioid Abuse

Rising Number of U.S. Cardiac Arrests Tied to Opioid Abuse

There's been a sharp rise in opioid-related cardiac arrests in the United States and they now equal those associated with other prime causes, a new study finds.

Of more than 1.4 million cardiac arrest hospitalizations nationwide between 2012 and 2018, more than 43,000 (3...