2023 is SF's deadliest year ever for drug overdoses; solution to crisis may be in wastewater
A record number of people have died from drug overdoses in San Francisco this year, surpassing the previous record of 726 deaths in 2020.
San Francisco public health officials announced a plan to track wastewater for illicit drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine, and xylazine. [ more ]
City's first public health vending machine unveiled in Brownsville * Brooklyn Paper
Photo courtesy of the Department of Health Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams City health officials unveiled a new style of vending machine in Brownsville Monday - but don't expect to find any tasty snacks in there.The machine is loaded with safe-sex kits and toiletries, along with naloxone (a substance that can help treat drug overdoses), which will help tackle the rising number of opioid-related deaths in the Big Apple by making the harm reduction supplies conveniently available.
Deadly overdoses fell in U.S. for first time in five years, new estimates show
Deaths from drug overdoses decreased in the U.S. for the first time in five years, mainly due to fewer fatalities involving fentanyl and other opioids. [ more ]
Why the Life Expectancy Gap between Men and Women Is Growing
The life expectancy gap between men and women in the U.S. has widened to 5.8 years, the largest disparity since 1996.
COVID-19 fatalities and drug overdoses are major factors contributing to the decline in life expectancy among men.
Other public health problems that disproportionately affect men, such as drug overdoses, suicide, and violence, also contribute to the gender gap in life expectancy. [ more ]
Why the Life Expectancy Gap between Men and Women Is Growing
The life expectancy gap between men and women in the U.S. has widened to 5.8 years, the largest disparity since 1996.
COVID-19 fatalities and drug overdoses are major factors contributing to the decline in life expectancy among men.
Other public health problems that disproportionately affect men, such as drug overdoses, suicide, and violence, also contribute to the gender gap in life expectancy. [ more ]
Fox News Asks: 'What About Naperville?' in Diner Segment About Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
On Monday, Brandon Johnson assumed office as Chicago's 57th mayor.And in grand tradition, the hot takes from outside of Chicago immediately started trickling in.One curious piece of theater came courtesy of Fox News and is attracting attention online from Chicagoans the segment purportedly represents.
Good Morning, News: Lawmakers Consider Tougher Rent Control, Idaho Hates Women, and Nashville Shooter Legally Purchased a LOT of Guns
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day-but your help is essential.If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us.Thanks for your support!GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!Expect a mostly dry and warmer day with a high of 58 degrees.
'Die-in' rally to be held at Texas State Capitol to address overdose crisis
AUSTIN, Texas Six Texas Harm Reduction Alliance delegations from across the state will hold a "die-in" on the lawn of the Texas State Capitol Wednesday to call for policy changes to end the overdose crisis.The six delegations from San Antonio, El Paso, Laredo, West Texas, Austin and Houston are coming together to encourage Texas lawmakers to make changes to policies to prevent drug overdoses.
Travis County hosting benefit concert to raise awareness for overdose deaths
AUSTIN, Texas Multiple organizations within Austin are hosting their annual Safer Together concert to raise money and awareness for drug overdoses in Central Texas.Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, the Red River Cultural District and the SIMS Foundation are putting on the admission-free benefit concert at Mohawk, located at 912 Red River St., in Downtown Austin on Thursday.
Seizures of fentanyl-laced pills have more than quadrupled so far this year across four Southern California counties compared to last year, an increase that authorities said Tuesday underscores their efforts to keep pace with the continuing influx of the drug into the region.At a meeting of the Los Angeles Police Commission, L.A. Police Department officials said that through September more than 904,000 pills containing the potent synthetic opioid that is more than 50 times stronger than heroin have been confiscated by regional task forces.
Covid dropped to fourth leading cause of death in US last year
A man walks through the snow covered Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on January 23, 2023.Gene J. Puskar (AP) New York - 04 May 2023 - 20:13 UTC U.S. deaths fell last year, and Covid-19 dropped to the nation's No. 4 cause, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
Covid-19 was the fourth leading cause of death in 2022, CDC data shows
Covid-19 was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States in 2022, according to provisional data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.It was the third leading cause of death in the first two years of the pandemic, but there were about half as many deaths from it in 2022 as there were the year before.
COVID-19 Dropped to 4th Leading Cause of Death in U.S. Last Year
NEW YORK U.S. deaths fell last year, and COVID-19 dropped to the nation's No. 4 cause, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.COVID-19 deaths trailed those caused by heart disease, cancer and injuries such as drug overdoses, motor vehicle fatalities, and shootings.In 2020 and 2021, only heart disease and cancer were ahead of the coronavirus.
DEA issues alert about widespread threat of xylazine
The US Drug Enforcement Administration issued an alert Monday about the widespread threat of fentanyl mixed with xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer also commonly known as tranq or tranq dope.Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has every faced, fentanyl, even deadlier, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in the alert.
American life expectancy is now at its lowest in nearly two decades
In 2021, the three leading causes of death were heart disease, cancer and COVID-19.Andy Ryan/Getty Images The average life expectancy for Americans shortened by over seven months last year, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.That decrease follows an already big decline of 1.8 years in 2020.
CVS agrees to pay $5 billion to settle opioid lawsuits
CVS Health said it has agreed to pay about $5 billion to state, local and Native American tribal governments to settle lawsuits over the toll of opioids.CVS is not admitting wrongdoing and the company would make the payments over a decade.(Gene J. Puskar/AP)CVS Health, one of the nation's largest retail pharmacies, has agreed to pay nearly $5 billion to states, cities and Native American tribes to settle all opioid lawsuits against it.
TYLER, Texas Texas officials are alerting the public of a highly dangerous drug combination making its way across the Lone Star State.The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has issued a health advisory notifying healthcare providers that xylazine (tranq), an animal tranquilizer is being combined with illegal drugs being distributed in Texas.
Mortality rate for children and teens in the US surged in 2020 and 2021, study shows
The mortality rate for children and teens in the United States surged in 2020 and 2021, driven not by deaths from Covid-19 but from fatal injuries from things like firearms, drugs and cars, according to a study published Monday in JAMA.The pandemic years brought a marked shift to the trends in pediatric mortality, which had previously seen a period of great progress, according to the study authors.
Now Four Patients Have Died After Being Moved Out of Laguna Honda
Laguna Honda hospital is simultaneously moving patients out over its decertification while working on its recertification so it can keep patients there, and four fatalities highlight the tragic folly of this seemingly contradictory process.
Hollywood school took 8 hours to find teen overdose victim in bathroom, mother's lawsuit alleges
Melanie Ramos was missing for eight hours before she was found dead of suspected fentanyl poisoning in a Hollywood school bathroom this year, the 15-year-old's mother and her lawyers said Wednesday in announcing a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District.The wrongful-death and negligence lawsuit filed on behalf of Elena Perez, Melanie's mother, alleges school officials knew illicit narcotics were prevalent at Helen Bernstein High but took no action.
Authorities investigate possible overdose of four students at Moreno Valley middle school
Fire officials rushed to a Moreno Valley middle school Wednesday to investigate the possible overdose of four students who had ingested an unknown substance.The incident was reported shortly after 11:30 a.m. in the 23000 block of Eucalyptus Avenue, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.Emergency responders arrived at Sunnymead Middle School and treated four students for unknown symptoms.
Murder charges filed in drug deaths of two women left at hospitals
A man accused of leaving two unconscious women at hospitals, where they were later pronounced dead from drug overdoses, has been charged with their murders, court records show.
A Tim Hortons in Ontario says blue lights in its washrooms have cut drug overdoses, but it's raised concerns | CBC News
The owner-operator of a Tim Hortons in Woodstock, Ont., says installing blue lights in its washrooms has decreased the number of drug overdoses in the coffee shop.
US life expectancy dropped in 2021 for second consecutive year
US life expectancy dropped for the second consecutive year in 2021, falling by nearly a year from 2020, according to a government report released on Wednesday.
Santa Clara County funds health care, jail in latest budget
Santa Clara County officials approved the budget for the coming year, ignoring last-minute objections from residents over hundreds of millions of dollars set aside for a new jail.
Former Correction Officers and Rikers Employees Charged With Corruption
Five people, including employees and a detainee from Rikers Island, have been charged with corruption for smuggling contraband like drugs and cellphones into the jail.
The defendants accepted bribes to smuggle in a variety of illegal substances, which contributed to making Rikers Island less safe for inmates and officers during a spike in overdoses. [ more ]
Hundreds of people died on Silicon Valley streets in 2022 - San Jose Spotlight
As 2022 comes to a close, advocates are remembering the 246 homeless people who died on Silicon Valley streets.About 70 residents gathered in McEntee Plaza at Santa Clara County Government Center in San Jose Wednesday for a memorial service featuring rows of makeshift tombstones, each with the name of a homeless person who died between December 2021 and November this year.
Baby Reportedly Ingests Fentanyl Found In Grass at Marina Park, Saved With Narcan
A parent's worst nightmare came true Tuesday after a trip to Moscone Park in the Marina, as a 10-month-old suffered cardiac arrest reportedly after finding fentanyl somewhere in the park, and was saved using Narcan.Some overdoses in San Francisco's fentanyl crisis are people who had no intention of using fentanyl it was simply present in what they thought were other substances.
SF Has Seen More Than 500 Overdoses This Year, Though That's Down From 2020 and 2021
The overdose death count in San Francisco has declined since the height of the pandemic, but we're still one of the most affected cities in the nation, behind Houston and Philadelphia.The San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) has been releasing monthly data on drug overdoses, amidst the spike in overdose deaths of the pandemic era.
Steve Chapman: The fentanyl crisis confirms the folly of the never-ending war on drugs
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly subsided, but another deadly plague continues to rage across America: drug overdoses.They caused more than 106,000 deaths in 2021 - greater than the toll from guns and auto accidents combined - and preliminary government health data indicate that last year was nearly as bad.
What is naloxone and should everyone have access to it?
Deb Balzer Two panels that advise the Food and Drug Administration are recommending that naloxone nasal spray be approved for over-the-counter sale for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses.The Joint Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously to approve the measure.
Austin receives $2 million in federal funding for drug overdose prevention efforts - Austin Monitor
After a spike in the number of fatal drug overdoses last year, Austin is getting $2 million in federal funding for prevention programs, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) announced Tuesday.The money will be used to hire more peer-recovery coaches and for a public awareness campaign.City officials said this is the first time Austin has received federal money for this type of effort.
AFD on the front lines of effort to combat overdose crisis - Austin Monitor
Thursday, July 14, 2022 by Veronica Apodaca
The Austin Fire Department spoke about its use of naloxone to combat drug overdoses in its quarterly report at the Public Safety Commission's July 5 meeting.
Two men were found dead near the Forest Hills MBTA station Sunday morning, according to Transit Police.The victims were pronounced dead on scene.Transit Police said they do not suspect foul play, as their preliminary investigation suggests the deaths were due to drug overdoses.The investigation remains ongoing.
Inquest probes deaths of 5 inmates in eastern Ontario jail | CBC News
An inquest into the deaths of five inmates at the Central East Correctional Centre who died in separate "drug toxicity" incidents between 2018 and 2019 begun Monday.(Google Streetview) A coroner's inquest into the drug-related deaths of five inmates at an eastern Ontario jail begun Monday morning.
Poor working conditions exacerbate PTSD issues for police study
Many UK police officers suffer from trauma-related mental health disorders, and this is exacerbated by poor working conditions such as a lack of time and support, according to research.
Op-ed: City should return entire boardwalk revenue directly to the neglected areas of Coney Island * Brooklyn Paper
Drug addiction, gun violence, mental health issues, and lack of jobs have been plaguing the west end of Coney Island since the 1950s.However, it's worse now than it's been in decades.
30 Years Ago, Alice in Chains Delivered the "Beautiful, Dark, and Ugly" Dirt
Editor's Note: In addition to this written retrospective, Consequence will be exploring Alice in Chains' Dirt with an in-depth four-episode season of The Opus podcast, featuring appearances from a number of notable music artists.