The National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the Centers for Disease Control, estimates that drug overdoses killed 64,070 people in the United States last year, a rise of 21% from 2015. To put this into perspective, the drug overdoses in 2016 killed at almost double the rate from both firearms and vehicles. Additionally,…
On July 13, 2013, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Department of Health and Human Services announced the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, involving 412 charged defendants (including doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professional) for alleged health care fraud schemes. Of the 412 defendants, over 120…
The entertainment industry was saddened by the unexpected death of “True Blood” actor Nelsan Ellis on July 8, 2017. On July 10, 2017, Ellis’s family revealed that he had died as a result of attempting to withdraw from alcohol on his own, without medical supervision. In a statement released through Ellis’s manager to the Hollywood…
President Trump has declared May 2017 as National Mental Health Awareness Month. The proclamation recognizes the millions of American families affected by mental illness and calls to redouble our efforts to ensure that people who suffer can get the care and the treatment they need. The proclamation reports that nearly 10 million Americans suffer from…
It is now well documented, and publicized, that the United States is in the midst of a terrible and fatal opioid drug epidemic. On March 29, 2017, it was announced that New Jersey governor Chris Christie will lead a new national opioid commission whose task will be to figure out ways to fight the opioid…
Ben Affleck should be commended for his Facebook post on March 14, 2017, that announced that he had completed 30 days of treatment for alcohol addiction. Affleck who had been to rehab in 2001 stated, “I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be…
On November 17th, 2016, the Surgeon General of the United States, Vivak H. Murthy, published a landmark report entitled, “Facing Addiction in America” a comprehensive review of substance use, misuse, and disorders. Previous reports of the Surgeon General have highlighted the public health crisis challenges of Tobacco, AIDS, and Mental Health issues, and the hope is that…
A global study from the researchers from National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre of the University of New South Wales, Australia concludes that women have caught up with men in the amount of alcohol they consume. The study examined the drinking habits between men and women over time, from 1981-2014, by pooling together the results…
There is an estimated 23.4 million Veterans in the United States. With a 52.7 % increase in outpatient Veterans treated for Substance Use Disorder between 1995 and 2016, addiction is a major concern for Veterans and their families. The demanding nature of military life and experience with combat can be made more complex by substance…
Is Congress Protecting Drug Makers? The former head of the DEA office what was responsible for preventing prescription medicine abuse, said that drug companies and their lobbyists have a “stranglehold” on Congress that protects the 9 billion dollar a year trade in opioid painkillers. Joseph Rannazzisi, who held his position with the DEA until a year ago,…