As part of Twelve-Step programs, they act as support, friend, mentor, and advisor—but they’re also former addicts and …
methadone
Viewpoint: How the Drug Treatment System Failed Cory Monteith
The Vancouver coroner’s office revealed that “Glee” star Cory Monteith died of a toxic mixture of alcohol and heroin, weeks after leaving rehab for substance misuse. His death highlights the dangers of the post-rehab period, and …
Methadone: A Major Driver of Prescription Painkiller Overdose Deaths
Methadone accounts for nearly 1 in 3 prescription painkiller overdose deaths in the U.S., even though only 2% of prescriptions for opioid painkillers are for this drug, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control …
How the Global War on Drugs Drives HIV and AIDS
The war on drugs is driving much of the global AIDS pandemic, increasing new infections among injection-drug users in the U.S. and elsewhere, according to a new report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
The Case of Cameron Douglas: Prison Is Not Rehab, Say Addiction Experts
An unusually harsh prison sentence handed down to the drug-addicted son of actor Michael Douglas has prompted addiction experts to indict the courts for ignoring the treatment needs of inmates.
Number of Babies Born Suffering from Drug Withdrawal Triples
The rate of babies born to mothers who use prescription painkillers during pregnancy has risen sharply over the last decade. Though the long-term effects of such drug exposure are uncertain, true harm can come of labeling these …
Heroin Cheaper, More Effective than Methadone For Hard Cases: Study
Treating heroin addiction with more heroin may be cheaper than methadone
Viewpoint: Why Dr. Feelgood Isn’t Always Wrong
Dr. Conrad Murray, personal physician to Michael Jackson, is currently on trial in Los Angeles for involuntary manslaughter, two years after the death of the singer — of “acute propofol intoxication” — was officially ruled a …
Perspective: The Debate Over Anonymity in Addiction Recovery
Should addicts and alcoholics remain anonymous about their recovery? Eighteen years ago this month, I wrote my first op-ed for the Washington Post‘s Sunday Outlook section, arguing against that idea. It was headlined “Addicted to …
Are Oxycontin Babies This Decade’s Crack Babies?
In the late 1980s and early ’90s, it was almost impossible to avoid hearing about the plight of “crack babies” — infants born to mothers who had used crack cocaine during pregnancy. These offspring were predicted to become a …
Perspective: To Prevent AIDS in Russia, Drug Addicts Need Care
Russia has one of the fastest spreading HIV epidemics in the world, driven largely by the government’s refusal to institute measures to treat the country’s drug addicts — measures that have dramatically reduced HIV infections …
Addiction Files: Recovering From Drug Addiction, Without Abstinence
In this installment of Healthland’s series on addiction, we speak with Howard Josepher, a former heroin addict who has been an energetic and committed advocate for people with addictions for more than 40 years.