News Top Drug & Alcohol News of the Week   Drug Overdose Deaths Rose 19 Percent in 2016 Drug overdose deaths increased 19 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to a preliminary analysis of data by The New York Times. Evidence suggests the problem, driven by opioid addiction, has continued to worsen this year. Read More Bill Would Create Tough New Penalties for People Caught With Synthetic Opioids Two senators on the Judiciary Committee are preparing a bill that would create tough new penalties for people caught with synthetic opioids, NPR reports. Read More   DEA Warns Police, Firefighters About Accidentally Overdosing on Fentanyl on the Job The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning police officers and firefighters about the dangers of overdosing on the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl if they accidentally touch or inhale the drug while on the job. Read More Teens at Elite High Schools May Face Increased Addiction Risk as Young Adults Teens who attend elite high schools may face an increased risk of addiction as young adults compared with national norms, a new study suggests. Read More Series of Overdoses in Georgia Traced Back to Fake Percocet Pills Officials in Georgia say at least a dozen people were hospitalized over two days in the state after ingesting an unidentified street drug. Four deaths have been linked to the drug. Read More Other Headlines of Interest Senators consider killing Medicaid expansion that helps residents from their drug-torn states (Modern Healthcare) Blog: Jeff Foote, PhD Shares His Expertise on Parent Coaching for Addiction Treatment (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse) Incredibly, Americans Drank Less Alcohol in 2016 (Fortune) Beyond Binging: “High-Intensity Drinking” Emerging Drug Trends Report (Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation) Blog: When a Loved One Struggles With Addiction: Feeling YOUR Pain (Rehabs.com) Opinion: TrumpCare’s fatal flaw — making addiction coverage a choice (The Hill) Blog: Concerned Your Child Is Using Drugs? Write a Letter. (Partnership for Drug-Free Kids) Ohio Lawmaker Reveals Her Sons Are Battling Opioid Addiction (NBC News) How To Help a Friend With a Drug Addiction (Teen Vogue) These Teen Girls Invented a Straw That Detects Date Rape Drugs (Glamour) Journalists, Stop Using Words Like Addict and Drug Abuser (Slate) Opioid Overdoses Overwhelm South Florida's Addiction Centers (NPR)   DONATE Parent Toll-Free Helpline: 1-855-DRUGFREE drugfree.org © Partnership for Drug-Free Kids 352 Park Ave South | 9th Floor | New York, NY 10010   privacy policy | manage email preferences