Tag: harm reduction
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New Orleans Doctor Reimagines Addiction Care: From Opioids to Holistic Healing
In the Heart of New Orleans, a Different Approach to Addiction Dr. Elyse Stevens has spent years stepping into some of the most stubborn medical deserts in the country: patients struggling with opioid dependence, chronic pain, and social barriers that complicate recovery. Based in New Orleans, Stevens has become a notable voice in a field…
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New Orleans Doctor Reframes Addiction Care: Compassion, science, and safer paths to recovery
Reframing Addiction Care in a Challenging Landscape In New Orleans, a city grappling with a long-standing opioid crisis and deep health disparities, a physician is reshaping how addiction is treated. Rather than viewing patients solely through the lens of risk or blame, this approach centers on medical science, patient dignity, and access to comprehensive care.…
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Kratom, 7-OH Products, and the FDA Warning: The Narrow Path Between Popularity and Risk
The Growing Popularity of Kratom and 7-OH Products Across the United States, a growing number of consumers are turning to kratom and products containing the active compound 7-hydroxy mitragynine (7-OH) as alternatives to traditional opioids. Sold in many smoke shops, vape shops, and online retailers, these products are often marketed as mood boosters, energy enhancers,…
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Should you give your teenager alcohol at Christmas? A practical guide for parents
Should you give your teenager alcohol at Christmas? A practical guide Holidays are a time for family, togetherness, and celebrations. For parents navigating teenage years, one question often arises: should I allow a small amount of alcohol at Christmas, or is it safer to avoid any alcohol entirely? The short answer from researchers and child…
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Public Servant Speaks Out as Queensland Pill-Testing Program Is Rolled Back
Background: Queensland’s Pill-Testing Program and its Unwinding In recent years, several Australian jurisdictions piloted pill-testing or drug-checking programs as harm-reduction measures, aiming to reduce overdoses and provide safer outcomes for festival-goers and other communities. Queensland, where a fledgling pill-testing initiative gained attention for its potential to inform users about the contents of substances, has seen…
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Senior Public Servant Slams Queensland’s Pill Testing Ban as “Absolutely Staggering”
Alarming Reversal in Queensland’s Health Policy A veteran public servant who helped pilot Australia’s first pill testing programs has condemned the Crisafulli government’s move to unwind Queensland’s fledgling harm-reduction scheme. The former senior official described the ban as “absolutely staggering,” arguing that it undermines decades of public health work aimed at reducing drug-related harm and…
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Health Canada ignored expert advice to expand access to safe drugs for opioid users, internal documents show
Overview: Internal documents surface warning signs Newly obtained internal documents raise questions about Health Canada’s approach to addressing the opioid crisis. The materials suggest that expert advisors pressed for expanding access to safe drugs for opioid users—an approach many public health experts say could reduce overdoses and save lives. The documents imply a tension between…
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Health Canada Ignored Expert Advice on Expanding Safe Drug Access
Overview: A policy standoff at Health Canada Newly disclosed internal documents raise questions about Health Canada’s approach to the ongoing opioid crisis. The materials suggest that health policy experts advised expanding access to safe, regulated drugs as a tool to reduce overdoses and save lives, but senior officials chose a more cautious path. The revelations…
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Health Canada ignored experts on expanding safe opioid treatment
Overview: A policy clash at Health Canada New internal documents indicate that Health Canada faced pressure to broaden access to safe, regulated drugs for people who use opioids, yet senior officials reportedly did not implement or even seriously consider the expert recommendations. The controversy centers on how best to reduce overdose deaths, stabilize communities affected…
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Scotland Nears WHO Target as Hepatitis C Incidence Falls Among PWID
Scotland Nears WHO Target for Hepatitis C Elimination Scotland is edging closer to the World Health Organization’s hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination target as a new modelling study reveals a significant drop in HCV incidence among people who inject drugs (PWID). The findings, drawn from one of the largest long-term cohorts of PWID, underscore the…