Overdoses are down slightly statewide, but they remain a huge health concern. That’s prompted a push to make the overdose-reversing drug more available in public places.
Opioids in Michigan
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | How to help stop the madness of Michigan fentanyl overdose
Fentanyl test strips can help prevent overdoses by alerting users to the presence of the synthetic opioid. The state should push for federal money to supply local health offices with test strips and help save lives.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Lifesaving Narcan for drug overdoses approved for over the counter sale
Doctors and substance abuse experts said a federal policy shift could make the drug, now available in pharmacies, far more convenient to buy at convenience stores, gas stations or from online retailers. But will it still be affordable?
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
‘Staggering’ rise in overdoses, suicides for African Americans in Michigan
The rate of opioid overdose deaths doubled among Black residents over a recent five-year period. Suicide rates jumped 88 percent. Advocates say isolation, treatment disparities and the ubiquity of fentanyl in street drugs are behind the increases.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Non-opioid alternatives in Michigan hospitals would cut addiction
We need to not only better educate the public on non-opioid options but make it available to surgeons and remove barriers from our health providers.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Did COVID fuel drug overdoses? Michigan deaths surged last year.
Michigan’s increase in drug overdose deaths in 2020 wasn’t as high as the national average, but 2,743 people died across the state — a 16 percent rise over 2019.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
$5 million in federal grants not a lot to solve Michigan’s rural opioid crisis
One mental health official says the funds “won’t go very far at all,” as the state’s opioid overdose rates start to climb once again after the coronavirus outbreak hit Michigan in the spring.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Opioid abuse surges in Michigan amid misery from the coronavirus
New state data and reports from county medical examiners show a rise in opioid-related overdoses and deaths in parts of Michigan, which was likely fueled by the isolation and anxiety of the pandemic.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s health budget is heavy on prevention
Addressing everyday social determinants today — from food security to postpartum care to youngsters’ teeth — will save more in the long run, says Michigan’s Health and Human Services director.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Dana Nessel sues opioid firms under Michigan law intended for drug dealers
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Nessel announced the lawsuit on Tuesday, touted as the first of its kind in the nation.