Latest news with #NationalInstituteonDrugAbuse
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Trump signs bill to keep tough sentences for fentanyl traffickers
The law places fentanyl on the Drug Enforcement Administration's list of most serious drugs with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. The list includes drugs such as heroin, cocaine and LSD. Fentanyl has been temporarily assigned to the Schedule 1 category since 2018. The law makes the designation permanent. The law also makes permanent mandatory minimum penalties of five years in prison for trafficking 10 grams of fentanyl and 10 years for 100 grams. "It doesn't sound like much, but it's a big deal," Trump said. The Department of Homeland Security seized 27,000 pounds of fentanyl and arrested 3,600 criminal suspects in 2024. More than 105,000 people nationwide died of drug overdoses in 2023, including nearly 73,000 from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The crackdown on fentanyl distribution is also at the heart of current U.S. trade disputes with China, Mexico and Canada. Trump imposed tariffs on those countries, citing the threat of cross-border fentanyl trafficking. "We are delivering another defeat for the savage drug smugglers and criminals and the cartels," Trump said. Parents of several people who died after overdosing on fentanyl spoke at the event. Anne Fundner, whose 15-year-old son Weston died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2022, previously spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last year. "It is a lifeline for families across America for keeping our families safe," Fundner said of the legislation. "This is what we voted for, Mr. President." Gregory Swan, whose 24-year-old son Drew died of fentanyl poisoning, started a group known as Fentanyl Fathers, in which parents tell their story to high schools across America. "His passing ruined, I thought, my life," Swan said. "There's despair and there's hopelessness. But we've been able to find some repose in going out and advocating."
USA Today
3 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Trump signs bill making tough sentences for fentanyl trafficking permanent
Nearly 73,000 people died from overdosing synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, according to the government. WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed a law that extends tougher prison sentences for fentanyl trafficking, surrounded by relatives of people who died from overdoses and lawmakers who approved the bill. 'Today we strike a righteous blow to the drug dealers, narcotic traffickers and criminal cartels,' Trump said. 'We take a historic step toward justice for every family touched by the fentanyl scourge.' The law places fentanyl on the Drug Enforcement Administration's list of most serious drugs with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. The list includes drugs such as heroin, cocaine and LSD. Fentanyl has been temporarily assigned to the Schedule 1 category since 2018. The law makes the designation permanent. The law also makes permanent mandatory minimum penalties of five years in prison for trafficking 10 grams of fentanyl and 10 years for 100 grams. 'It doesn't sound like much, but it's a big deal," Trump said. The Department of Homeland Security seized 27,000 pounds of fentanyl and arrested 3,600 criminal suspects in 2024. More than 105,000 people nationwide died of drug overdoses in 2023, including nearly 73,000 from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The crackdown on fentanyl distribution is also at the heart of current U.S. trade disputes with China, Mexico and Canada. Trump imposed tariffs on those countries, citing the threat of cross-border fentanyl trafficking. 'We are delivering another defeat for the savage drug smugglers and criminals and the cartels," Trump said. Parents of several people who died after overdosing on fentanyl spoke at the event. Anne Fundner, whose 15-year-old son Weston died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2022, previously spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last year. "It is a lifeline for families across America for keeping our families safe," Fundner said of the legislation. 'This is what we voted for, Mr. President." Gregory Swan, whose 24-year-old son Drew died of fentanyl poisoning, started a group known as Fentanyl Fathers, in which parents tell their story to high schools across America. 'His passing ruined, I thought, my life,' Swan said. 'There's despair and there's hopelessness. But we've been able to find some repose in going out and advocating.'
Scientific American
07-07-2025
- Health
- Scientific American
Massive Study Flips Our Story of Addiction and the Brain
For decades, Americans have been told a simple story about addiction: taking drugs damages the brain—and the earlier in life children start using substances, the more likely they are to progress through a 'gateway' from milder ones such as marijuana to more dangerous drugs such as opioids. Indeed, those who start using at younger ages are much more likely to become addicted. But a recent study, part of an ongoing project to scan the brains of 10,000 kids as they move through childhood into adulthood, complicates the picture. It found that the brains of those who started experimenting with cannabis, cigarettes or alcohol before age 15 showed differences from those who did not— before the individuals took their first puff or sip. When paired with an independent trial of a successful prevention program tailored to at-risk kids, the findings suggest better ways to fend off substance use disorders before they start. 'This study is extremely helpful because it begins to outline the brain changes that are seen in teenagers who start to use drugs early,' says Ayana Jordan, an associate professor of psychiatry and population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, who was not associated with the project. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. The findings are 'actually telling you that there are vulnerability factors and identifying them,' says Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, which funded the research. Published in December 2024 in JAMA Network Open, the new work is part of the ongoing NIDA-led Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development initiative, the largest-ever long-term U.S. study of child brain health and growth. (Like all current NIH projects, it is threatened by the budget cuts imposed by the Trump administration, though Volkow says sustaining it is a top priority for NIDA.) In the new study, children aged nine to 11 underwent regular brain scans for three years. In separate interviews, the participants and their parents also provided information on diet and substance use. Nearly a quarter of the children had used drugs including alcohol, cannabis and nicotine before the study began. Children who started using drugs during the study period had preexisting enlargements in many brain regions and had larger brains overall when the study began than those who did not use drugs, explains lead author Alex Miller, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine. These youth had many of the same brain differences as children who had begun drug use before the start of the study. In both groups, the outer portion of the brain, called the cortex, also had a larger surface area on average, with more folds and grooves. Having a bulkier and more heavily creased brain is generally linked to higher intelligence, though these factors are far from the only ones that matter. Bigger and groovier isn't always better: during adolescence, natural processes actually 'prune back' some brain areas—so whether size differences are positive depends on the life stage being studied and on the brain regions that should be large at that time. Other research has associated the some of the brain differences found in the study with certain personality traits: curiosity, or interest in exploring the environment, and a penchant for risk-taking. Like having a large brain, curiosity and interest in novelty (which are sometimes measured together as a personality trait called 'openness to experience') are associated with intelligence. But when curiosity is coupled with a strong drive to seek intense sensations and a willingness to take risks without considering the consequences, it's also linked to a higher likelihood of trying drugs. If these early brain differences aren't caused by drugs, where do they come from? They could reflect certain genetic variations or childhood exposure to adverse experiences—both of which have previously been associated with addiction risk. While it's still possible that substances could chemically interfere with brain development, contributing to the elevated risk for addiction among those who start drinking or taking other drugs early, the study suggests that there are other, preexisting factors at play. The brain differences here were only linked to early initiation of drug use —not necessarily to addiction itself. 'More data is needed to see if any of these brain changes are related to disease progression, severity of use or how the teens may respond to treatment,' Jordan says. Research already suggests that early differences can be targeted to improve prevention programs. In fact, a recent trial showed that substance use disorders can be prevented in kids with personality traits that put them at higher risk. Some of the personality traits targeted in this trial have previously been associated with the kinds of brain differences found in the new brain scan study. In the prevention trial, researchers compared Montreal-area schools in which teens received a personality-based intervention in seventh grade with those that did not. The program began by having kids take a validated personality test. Months later, with no reference to the test, teens who scored highest in the traits of impulsiveness, sensation-seeking, hopelessness or sensitivity to anxiety were invited to participate in two 90-minute workshops. These workshops taught cognitive skills aimed at maximizing the strengths and minimizing the weaknesses typically associated with their specific most strongly outlying trait. Five years later, students at the schools that did use the program had 87 percent lower odds of developing substance use disorders. 'It's a 35 percent reduction in the annual growth of substance use disorders across time,' says Patricia Conrod, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal and lead author of the prevention trial. The results were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in January. Conrod emphasizes that 'risky' traits have pluses as well as minuses. For example, a tendency to seek new experiences can be critical for success in science, medicine and the arts. A willingness to take risks is useful in occupations ranging from firefighting to entrepreneurship. The trick is to help young people manage such predilections safely. In some children she has worked with, who start drugs as early as age 13, Conrod says that 'the drive to self-medicate is so strong; it's really striking. There really is this discomfort with their inner world.' As a result, providing ways to manage these feelings without misusing drugs—and without pathologizing those with outlying traits—can be a powerful way to support healthy development.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Speedballing – the deadly mix of stimulants and opioids – requires a new approach to prevention and treatment
Speedballing – the practice of combining a stimulant like cocaine or methamphetamine with an opioid such as heroin or fentanyl – has evolved from a niche subculture to a widespread public health crisis. The practice stems from the early 1900s when World War I soldiers were often treated with a combination of cocaine and morphine. Once associated with high-profile figures like John Belushi, River Phoenix and Chris Farley , this dangerous polysubstance use has become a leading cause of overdose deaths across the United States since the early- to mid-2010s. I am an assistant professor of public health who has written extensively on methamphetamine and opioid use and the dangerous combination of the two in the United States. As these dangerous combinations of drugs increasingly flood the market, I see an urgent need and opportunity for a new approach to prevention and treatment. Dating back to the 1970s, the term speedballing originally referred to the combination of heroin and cocaine. Combining stimulants and opioids – the former's 'rush' with the latter's calming effect – creates a dangerous physiological conflict. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, stimulant-involved overdose fatalities increased markedly from more than 12,000 annually in 2015 to greater than 57,000 in 2022, a 375% increase. Notably, approximately 70% of stimulant-related overdose deaths in 2022 also involved fentanyl or other synthetic opioids, reflecting the rising prevalence of polysubstance involvement in overdose mortality. Users sought to experience the euphoric 'rush' from the stimulant and the calming effects of the opioid. However, with the proliferation of fentanyl – which is far more potent than heroin – this combination has become increasingly lethal. Fentanyl is often mixed with cocaine or methamphetamine, sometimes without the user's knowledge, leading to unintentional overdoses. The rise in speedballing is part of a broader trend of polysubstance use in the U.S. Since 2010, overdoses involving both stimulants and fentanyl have increased 50-fold, now accounting for approximately 35,000 deaths annually. This has been called the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic. The toxic and contaminated drug supply has exacerbated this crisis. Stimulants like cocaine increase heart rate and blood pressure, while opioids suppress respiratory function. This combination can lead to respiratory failure, cardiovascular collapse and death. People who use both substances are more than twice as likely to experience a fatal overdose compared with those using opioids alone. The conflicting effects of stimulants and opioids can also exacerbate mental health issues. Users may experience heightened anxiety, depression and paranoia. The combination can also impair cognitive functions, leading to confusion and poor decision-making. Speedballing can also lead to severe cardiovascular problems, including hypertension, heart attack and stroke. The strain on the heart and blood vessels from the stimulant, combined with the depressant effects of the opioid, increases the risk of these life-threatening conditions. Increasing awareness about the dangers of speedballing is crucial. I believe that educational campaigns can inform the public about the risks of combining stimulants and opioids and the potential for unintentional fentanyl exposure. There is a great need for better access to treatment for people with stimulant use disorder – a condition defined as the continued use of amphetamine-type substances, cocaine or other stimulants leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, from mild to severe. Treatments for this and other substance use disorders are underfunded and less accessible than those for opioid use disorder. Addressing this gap can help reduce the prevalence of speedballing. Implementing harm reduction strategies by public health officials, community organizations and health care providers, such as providing fentanyl test strips and naloxone – a medication that reverses opioid overdoses – can save lives. These measures allow individuals to test their drugs for the presence of fentanyl and have immediate access to overdose-reversing medication. Implementing these strategies widely is crucial to reducing overdose deaths and improving community health outcomes. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Andrew Yockey, University of Mississippi Read more: Rat poison is just one of the potentially dangerous substances likely to be mixed into illicit drugs Kim Kardashian West and ecstasy: A reminder of the social dangers of the drug Nitazenes are a powerful class of street drugs emerging across the US Andrew Yockey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Politico
29-06-2025
- Health
- Politico
RFK Jr. is bringing psychedelics to the Republican party
Driven by a desire to help ex-servicemembers with mental illness, GOP lawmakers led a failed campaign last year to persuade the Biden administration to approve psychedelic drugs. Now they may have found the ally they need in President Donald Trump's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A longtime believer in psychedelics' potential to help people with illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, despite the lack of supportive evidence Biden officials found, Kennedy is ramping up government-run clinical studies and telling the disappointed lawmakers doctors will be prescribing the drugs soon. 'These are people who badly need some kind of therapy, nothing else is working for them,' Kennedy said at a House hearing Tuesday. 'This line of therapeutics has tremendous advantage if given in a clinical setting. And we are working very hard to make sure that that happens within 12 months.' The GOP's embrace of psychedelics is another, and perhaps one of the more jarring, examples of cultural transformation that Trump's populist politics have brought. Veterans seeking cures for mental illnesses associated with combat, combined with the Kennedy-backed Make America Healthy Again movement's enthusiasm for natural medicine, have strengthened a libertarian strain on the right in favor of drug experimentation. Meanwhile, the left, where hippies are giving way to technocrats, has become more skeptical. When Joe Biden was president, for example, agencies studied the drugs' medical potential, but an air of doubt prevailed. The head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Nora Volkow, compared the hype for psychedelics as a cure for mental illness to belief in 'fairy tales' in Senate testimony last year. Then in August, the Food and Drug Administration rejected drugmaker Lykos Therapeutics' application to offer ecstasy, alongside therapy, as a treatment for PTSD. FDA advisers worried the company's researchers were more evangelists than scientists and determined that they'd failed to prove their regimen was either safe or effective. Republicans complained the loudest. 'These technocrats think they know better,' Texas GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL who lost an eye in Afghanistan, wrote on X after FDA advisers recommended Lykos' application be rejected. 'Their job is to say NO and support the status quo.' But Crenshaw, who's helped secure funding for psychedelic research at the Defense Department, got the response he wanted from Kennedy at Tuesday's budget hearing. Kennedy said results from early government studies at the Department of Veterans Affairs and FDA were 'very, very encouraging.' He added that his FDA commissioner, Marty Makary, sees it the same way. 'Marty has told me that we don't want to wait two years to get this done,' he said. Crenshaw was pleased. 'I've spent years supporting clinical trials to study the use of psychedelics to treat PTSD,' he told POLITICO. 'It's been a long fight, and it's taken a lot of grit. I'm grateful Secretary Kennedy is taking this seriously — helping to mainstream what could be a groundbreaking shift in mental health.' Kennedy's comments have revived hope among psychedelics' advocates that the Lykos decision was more hiccup than death knell. 'It's important for the entire community and the entire value chain around psychedelic therapy to hear that he wants to responsibly explore the benefits and risks of these therapies,' said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, a health official at the VA under Biden who sees promise in the drugs. The VA, under Trump's secretary, Doug Collins, is working directly with Kennedy on clinical research. Collins has referenced psychedelics on a podcast appearance, on X and at a cabinet meeting this spring when Trump pressed him on what he's doing to drive down the high suicide rate among veterans. 'I talk with Collins about it all the time,' Kennedy said Tuesday. 'It's something that both of us are deeply interested in.' Earlier this month, Texas' Republican governor, Greg Abbott, signed a law to put $50 million into clinical trials of the psychedelic ibogaine, as a mental health treatment. 'That culture shift is underway,' W. Bryan Hubbard, who spearheaded the Texas bill and is executive director of the American Ibogaine Initiative, told POLITICO. As Hubbard sees it, the narrative around psychedelics has evolved from counterculture recreation to a promising medical treatment for the 'deaths of despair' from alcohol, drug overdoses and suicides the United States has grappled with in recent decades. Kennedy was happy to see it. 'It's super positive. It is really notable that the Republicans have become the party of some of these issues you wouldn't have expected before,' Calley Means, a top Kennedy adviser, told POLITICO. 'States pushing the envelope is certainly aligned with what Secretary Kennedy is trying to do. It gives him leverage to push bolder reforms.' The Texas effort involved a six-month sprint by Hubbard and former GOP Gov. Rick Perry to convince state lawmakers to pass the bill. Rep. Morgan Luttrell, another Lone Star Republican who credits ibogaine he took in Mexico with helping him overcome trauma he incurred during military service, also lobbied for it. Hubbard attributes their success partly to Texas' independent pioneer culture and a red-state philosophy that was receptive to his pitch for a medicalized psychedelics model. It didn't hurt that Abbott had signed a bill to study ecstasy, psilocybin and ketamine as treatments for veterans with PTSD with Baylor College of Medicine. And since Texans are no stranger to religion, conversations about the spiritual aspect of ibogaine treatment seemed to resonate with lawmakers. 'We had a message that was tailor-made for the Lone Star State,' he said. Veterans turned out at public hearings to describe traveling out of the country, often to Mexico, where ibogaine is unregulated, to receive treatment they couldn't access in the U.S. 'These heroes have gone to war to defend the land of the free, only to come home and be faced with inflexible, bureaucratic systems that offer ineffectual solutions, paired with the Controlled Substances Act that has forced them to flee the country that they have defended in order to access treatment in a foreign country,' Hubbard said. But the biggest momentum push was likely the boost Hubbard and Perry got from conservative kingmaker Joe Rogan when the two went on Rogan's podcast in January. 'That really put a tremendous amount of wind in our sails,' Hubbard said. Still, last year's FDA decision to reject Lykos Therapeutics' application underscores the concerns raised by many scientists that the utility of the drugs is oversold. FDA advisers raised ecstasy's potential to damage the heart and liver; a suspicion that trial researchers were more advocates than scientists; and a worry that results had been skewed by the psychedelics' pronounced effects, since participants could figure out if they got the drug. Ibogaine also poses heart risks. The Drug Enforcement Administration lists both it and ecstasy on its schedule of drugs with no currently acceptable medical use and high risk of abuse. That would have once been enough to make law-and-order Republicans say no. Kennedy's adviser Means says things are changing for the better. 'Ten years ago, nobody expected the Republican Party as the party of healthy food, as the party of exercise, as the party of questioning pharmaceutical companies, as the party of psychedelic research — but that's where we are,' Means said. 'The Democratic Party has become the party of blindly trusting experts,' he concluded. 'The Republican Party has become the countercultural party that's asking common-sense questions.'
