Opioids
DPH Seeks Money for More Mass. Needle Exchanges
As Massachusetts continues to weather the opioid epidemic, the Department of Public Health (DPH) has requested federal funding to open more needle exchange sites, State House […]
Trump’s Proposed Budget Would Gut Health and Science Funding
Massive cuts detailed in President Trump’s budget blueprint could change health and science research as we know it, nationwide and here in Massachusetts. The plan—which is […]
Boston Medical Center to Create Addiction Medicine Center with $25 Million Gift
A $25 million donation to Boston Medical Center (BMC)—the largest gift in the hospital’s history—will bolster its long-standing efforts to fight substance abuse in Massachusetts. […]
Heroin Now Accounts for a Quarter of All Fatal Drug Overdoses
Fueled by the opioid epidemic, fatal drug overdoses have grown 2.5 times more common since 1999, according to the CDC. Sobering data released Friday compares […]
This Nonprofit Is Raffling Off a House
How would you like to buy a house for $100? The offer isn’t a joke, or a scam. It’s part of a charity raffle that benefits […]
Local Hospitals Are Seeing an Uptick in Amnesia Cases. Why?
A strange medical phenomenon is raising new questions about the consequences of substance use. Boston-area doctors have seen an abnormally high 14 cases of amnesia—partial […]
Gov. Baker Slashed Funding for Opioid, HIV, and Elder Care Programs
A series of budget cuts proposed by the Baker administration may put some Massachusetts health organizations—including some of the state’s hallmark programs—in peril. In December, […]
Black and Hispanic Opioid Users May Be Less Likely to Continue Treatment
New research says female opioid users have high odds of sticking with treatment, while black, Hispanic, and unemployed users are less likely to engage. Researchers […]
Massachusetts Has the Country’s Highest Rate of Opioid-Related ER Visits
Massachusetts has far and away the country’s highest rate of opioid-related emergency room visits, according to a new brief from the Agency for Healthcare Research […]
Why Is Charlie Baker Cutting $1.9 Million for Substance Abuse Treatment?
An emotional Gov. Charlie Baker broke down in tears as he signed landmark opioid legislation into law back in March, “the most comprehensive measure in the […]
Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation to Sponsor Opioid Summit
As the opioid epidemic wages on, people from all walks of life are joining the search for solutions—from Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, all the way […]
Surgeon General Releases First-Ever Report on Substance Abuse
Vivek Murthy will go down in history as the first surgeon general to issue a report on substance use disorders. Murthy, who spent years at […]
This Year Is On Pace to Be the State’s Worst for Opioid Overdoses
Data released by the Department of Public Health suggests opioid-related death rates are still climbing in Massachusetts. The report, which includes opioid overdose estimates up […]
Massachusetts Hospitals to Pilot ER-Based Opioid Treatment Program
A $3 million state budget allocation will allow three local hospitals to test a model of addiction treatment that will begin in the emergency room. […]
Boston Medical Center Launches Opioid Urgent Care Center
Boston Medical Center (BMC) is fighting the opioid epidemic head-on, with a new opioid urgent care center that aims to give patients faster access to substance abuse […]