drug abuse

REPORT: DRUG DEATHS, SUICIDES UP AMONG OLDER AMERICANS

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service

Photo:  New research shows the early death rate for Hispanic American seniors climbed 48% from 2019 to 2020, compared to a national average of 17%. (Logoboom/Adobe Stock)

June 15, 2022 (San Diego) - Older Americans are dying from drug overdose or suicide at much higher rates now compared to a decade ago, according to the latest America's Health Rankings Senior Report from UnitedHealthcare.


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COUNTY OFFICIALS WARN OF RISE IN FENTANYL FATALITIES, USE OF COUNTERFEIT DRUGS AMID PANDEMIC

By Miriam Raftery

August 12, 2020 (San Diego) – District Attorney Summer Stephan is warning of an “alarming uptick” in overdose deaths caused by fentanyl.  Stephan says dealers are lacing various illegal drugs with fentanyl in what she calls “a recipe for death.”

At least 119 deaths so far this year are confirmed to be related to fentanyl in San Diego County, with another 84 deaths in which the drug is suspected to be a factor.  Isolation during the pandemic is believed to be a key factor contributing to the increase in addiction and fatalities.

According to a joint statement issued by state and federal prosecutors, law enforcement and county health officials, the number of deaths in 2020 is expected to exceed last year’s total of 152. 


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SENIORS AT RISK OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADDICTION: TURN IN UNUSED MEDICINES SATURDAY

 

 

Source: Institute for Public Strategies San Diego

 

April 26, 2018 (San Diego) -- With Prescription Drug Take Back Day coming up on April 28, San Diegans are encouraged to turn in medications that have expired or they no longer need so that they cannot be abused or overused. This is especially true among senior citizens, a demographic we don’t normally associate with a growing drug problem. 


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NEW RESEARCH: PTSD, ALCOHOL USE DISORDER COMMON IN ADOLESCENTS EXPOSED TO NATURAL DISASTERS

 

Source: American Psychiatric Association

Photo: Hurricane Katrina damage

May 21, 2017 (San Diego) – Adolescents exposed to natural and environmental disasters show higher levels of alcohol misuse and emotional trauma than their peers, according to new research presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Diego. The findings indicate the importance of mental health services for youth that have experienced emotional trauma.


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COUNTY ACCESS AND CRISIS LINE: NEW, EASY-TO-REMEMBER NUMBER (888) 724-7240 LAUNCHES FEB. 15


February 3, 2012 (San Diego)--The services will remain the same. But the number will change. Starting February 15, people who need help with mental health including alcohol or drug abuse, suicide prevention, medication needs, and more can call a new and easier-to-remember telephone number: (888) 724-7240.

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GROSSMONT HEALTH DISTRICT GRANTS $49K TO CASA FOR PREVENTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE

 

January 17, 2011 (La Mesa)--Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is continuing its support of Communities Against Substance Abuse (CASA), East County's oldest, community-based, non-profit organization dedicated solely to substance abuse prevention. The GHD board of directors recently voted unanimously to approve a grant of $49,000 to help fund CASA’s Students Together Against Alcohol ‘N Drugs (STAAND), a youth advocacy program.


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DROP OFF UNUSED MEDICINES SEPT. 25 at PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK SITES COUNTYWIDE


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READER'S EDITORIAL: A NEW PATH--MOMS UNITE TO END THE WAR ON DRUGS

 

“Moms are uniting and leading the charge to end drug prohibition, just as they did with alcohol prohibition in the 1930s. It’s time to end the pointless and punitive criminalization of people who use drugs and the needless deaths caused by the illegal drug trade.” -- Gretchen Burns Bergman, Executive Director & Co-Founder A New PATH

By: Dennis Moore


July 10, 2010 (San Diego) –Family members of drug victims have joined forces with healthcare and others to forge a coalition calling for changes in failed drug policies.  These policies have led to increased violence and mass incarceration, while failing to curb addiction and overdose deaths.


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