By Lane Ball GREENUP, KY (WOWK) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R-KY) made a stop in Greenup County on his Fight Fentanyl Operation tour across the Commonwealth. Local leaders, addiction recovery officials and concerned residents gathered at the Jesse Stuart Lodge in the Greenbo Lake State Resort Park Wednesday afternoon. Watch[Read More…]
Tag: overdose deaths
Louisville officials approve funds to hire overdose quick response team members
Kentucky’s opioid settlement will be putting $85,000 toward two new peer support specialists to join the quick response team. More Videos Author: Jim Stratman LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Metro Health and Wellness officials say that the real life experience that peer support specialists can bring to their outreach programs are invaluable. Community Health[Read More…]
Louisville group hosts Narcan training session in effort to slow overdose deaths
By Molly Jett LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A training seminar was held to teach people how to administer Naloxone, also known as Narcan, in Louisville on Tuesday night. The group 502 Revolution held a training session with Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition on how to administer Narcan on Baxter Avenue. Nearly 2,000 Kentuckians[Read More…]
As opioids overdose deaths keep rising, report urges lawmakers to develop new approaches
BY: ASHLEY MURRAY WASHINGTON — Lawmakers should view America’s staggering opioid crisis, including the rise of illicit fentanyl, through an “ecosystems” approach, argues a massive RAND Corporation report published last week. That means they should examine the gaps and interconnections among emergency response, data collection, education, treatment, housing and law enforcement, the report[Read More…]
Fentanyl accounts for a majority of fatal overdoses. But ERs aren’t testing for it.
After her son’s death in 2018, Juli Shamash began advocating for legislation that would require hospitals to test for fentanyl. Tyler’s Law took effect in California this year. By Maura Barrett and Bianca Seward LOS ANGELES — When Tyler Shamash survived a drug overdose at 19, his mother, Juli, asked his doctor several[Read More…]
Leaders and addiction specialists urge for immediate action as fentanyl use spikes
By Chandler Wilcox HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) – Fentanyl has grabbed the attention of leaders nationally and statewide. Kentucky House Bill 353, which would decriminalize fentanyl testing strips and other testing tools, passed through the House as the need for action grows. The CDC says fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100[Read More…]
Fentanyl overdose crisis: 7 deaths in the past 2 weeks
By Lexi Schweinert WARREN CO., Ky.-The fentanyl crisis is increasing at an alarming pace. “In the past approximately two weeks we’ve had seven overdose deaths,” said Warren County Drug Task Force Executive Director Tommy Loving. “I think this hit our community at a rate that we definitely were not expecting,”[Read More…]
Officials see spike in overdose deaths in central Ky.
By Kelsey Souto LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A recent spike in overdoses around central Kentucky has harm reduction experts trying to spread awareness and resources to those in need. “We had a run, I guess it was last week, where we had every day finding someone deceased,” said Madison County Coroner[Read More…]
Buprenorphine deaths did not increase despite wider access during pandemic, study shows
By Lev Facher The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic led to a sea change in addiction medicine — in particular, increased access to buprenorphine, a drug commonly used to treat opioid use disorder. Now, new data show that despite the medication’s wider availability, deaths involving buprenorphine still constitute a small fraction[Read More…]
Biden talks fentanyl crisis in Mexico: What experts say should be done to stop overdose deaths
By Claire Thornton | USA TODAY President Joe Biden will meet with Mexican officials Mondayto discuss how to stop illicit drugs from coming through the southern border, a problem that continues to fuel a new wave of the deadly fentanyl crisis across the United States. CONTEXT: There were107,622 drug overdose deaths in 2021, according to the Centers[Read More…]