Dr. Conrad Murray was found guilty on Monday of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. With overdose deaths tripling in the past decade, should Murray’s conviction be a lesson to other doctors?
opioid
Are Doctors Really to Blame for the Overdose Epidemic?
Forty people die each day from what Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calls an “epidemic” of prescription drug overdose. Frieden largely attributes the rise in overdose …
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 …
Fueled by Growing Painkiller Use, Overdose Deaths and Child Poisonings Are on the Rise
Drug overdose has now overtaken automobile crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., according to an analysis of government data. This is the first time that drugs have killed more people than car wrecks since …
It’s No Joke: Why Laughter Kills Pain
What do joke-lovers and junkies have in common? According to new research, they’re both responding to the same kind of “high.” The study suggests that genuine laughter releases endorphins in the brain, chemicals that activate the …
On Overdose Awareness Day, a Mother’s Plea for Compassion
Marilee Murphy Odendahl wants you to know a few things about her son, Ian. “He was marvelously funny, loyal, extremely intelligent and a really good observer of human behavior, so much that you wouldn’t necessarily like to be the …
Dentists, Too, Can Help Battle Painkiller Addiction
When it comes to prescription-drug misuse, you don’t usually think of dentists as the source. No one talks about “dentist shopping” or “dental pill mills.” But a new study shows that in fact dentists prescribe 12% of all …
Report: Chronic, Undertreated Pain Affects 116 Million Americans
Serious, chronic pain affects at least 116 million Americans each year, many of whom are inadequately treated by the health-care system, according to a new report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The report offers a blueprint …
Does the ADHD Drug Shortage Herald a Crackdown on Stimulants?
With the Obama administration characterizing prescription drug misuse as this generation’s crack epidemic, something like this seemed fated to happen: patients, pharmacists and manufacturers are reporting a serious shortage of …
Perspective: Why Comparing Painkiller Addiction to Crack Worsens the Problem
As the Obama administration and the media increasingly promote the idea that prescription drug misuse is this generation’s crack epidemic, I want to take a few minutes to note how irresponsible and off-base this idea is.
U.S. Aims to Reduce Overdose Deaths, But Will the New Plan Work?
The Obama administration announced on Tuesday a new initiative to reduce prescription painkiller misuse and overdose, a problem that has become the leading cause of accidental death in 17 states, surpassing car accidents — and …
Cure for the Munchies? Exercise Cuts Marijuana Cravings
Want to get stoned without breaking federal law? Try exercise. Past research suggests it may trigger the release of natural marijuana-like substances in the brain, and now a small but intriguing new study finds that exercise …