One year into the pandemic, researchers at the University of Kentucky say they’re seeing a rise in alcohol use and stress among caregivers, according to WKYT’s Kristen Kennedy. And, because women often serve as the primary caregivers in their households, the sex gap between men and women struggling with alcohol[Read More…]
Author: Kentucky Recovery News
Derby week can be triggering for people recovering from addiction
While the Kentucky Derby is known for the fun and excitement it brings to our communities, the festivities surrounding this annual event can be quite triggering for people who have struggled with substance use disorders. Keith Farah, the transitional care manager at The Healing Place in Louisville, spoke with Spectrum[Read More…]
Overdose Deaths Surged In Pandemic, As More Drugs Were Laced With Fentanyl
According to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, synthetic opioid fatalities rose by an unprecedented 55 percent. The head of the National Institute of Drug Abuse says that the spike in overdose deaths is the result of people often consuming fentanyl without knowing it. Read[Read More…]
How Bad Is Our Pandemic Drinking Problem?
The New York Times reports that a growing body of research has begun to confirm that Americans, and women in particular, are drinking more alcohol in response to the COVID-19. A survey conducted in May 2020 by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Maryland,[Read More…]
Kentucky among top states where overdose deaths have spiked during COVID-19 pandemic
Deborah Yetter at the Courier-Journal reports that drug overdoses in Kentucky rose by 50 percent between September 2019 and September 2020. During the same timeframe, drug overdose deaths increased nationwide by nearly 30 percent. Treatment providers and recovery advocates point to job loss and pandemic-related stress and anxieties. According to[Read More…]
Study: Kentucky ranks fourth, among 38 states studied, in per-resident costs of opioid-use disorder and deaths resulting from it
A new report from the CDC found that Kentucky’s combined per-resident costs from opioid-use disorder and its resulting deaths in 2017 was $5,491, including $3,007 for OUD deaths. Of the 38 states included in the report, Kentucky ranked second for per-resident cost of OUD and 10th for per-resident spending on[Read More…]
Louisville addiction recovery center advocating for local restaurants that employ, support alumni
After restaurants were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Healing Place, a non-profit addiction recovery center, is encouraging its alumni and supporters to eat out at local restaurants to boost their profits. “A lot of the other restaurants participating help support our alumni and employ our alumni and give[Read More…]
Overdose Deaths Have Surged During the Pandemic, CDC Data Shows
More than 87,000 Americans died of drug overdoses over the 12-month period, according to preliminary federal data. These staggering statistics surpass even the yearly tolls during the height of the opioid epidemic and mark a reversal of progress against addiction over the past few years. Read the full story here.
Gov. Beshear Signs Recovery-related Bills into Law
With another legislative session behind us, below is a recap of the criminal justice and recovery-related reforms that passed. All bills listed here have been signed into law by Governor Beshear. For more information on specific bills, please visit the Kentucky LRC website. Senate Bill 51, sponsored by Sen. Ralph Alvarado, removes prior[Read More…]
Ray Daniels: New legislation will help clean up Kentucky’s outdated criminal justice laws
For many years, criminal justice advocates have been pleading with the General Assembly to take stock of outdated laws and make sure they meet the needs of Kentuckians today. Many of these conversations have rightfully focused on how the criminal justice system approaches individuals in the strongholds of addiction. From[Read More…]