Last Friday, April 5, the Texas Department of State Health Services removed hemp from its list of controlled substances.1 In Texas, it is no longer a Schedule I drug alongside others like heroin, cocaine, and LSD. With the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, the federal government also removed hemp from its list of controlled […]
Category: Substance Abuse
Texas Overdose Deaths Have Nearly Tripled in the Last 18 Years
The entire U.S. is facing an ongoing opioid crisis, and Texas is no exception. Although the Lone Star State isn’t typically known for being a hotspot for opioid overdoses, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prove the face of the substance abuse problem in Texas is changing.
Texas Opioid Overdoses are Increasing
According to recent news reports from Houston Public Media, opioid overdose deaths in Texas have been rising at a rate of about ten percent a year since 2014.1 As other states across the U.S. also grapple with increasing opioid overdose deaths, the need for high-quality addiction treatment continues to be high. Surprisingly, new data released […]
An In-Depth Overview of Drug Use and Co-Occurring Disorders
About 7.9 million adults in the United States suffered from co-occurring disorders in 2014, according to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health publDrug Use and Co-Occurring Disorders: Most Common Co-Occurring Disorders with Addictionished by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.1 Unfortunately, since co-occurring disorders are often very complex, many individuals […]
America Faces Record Number of Overdose Deaths in 2017
New estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that drug overdoses killed about 72,000 Americans in 2017, with synthetic opioids being a primary factor for the drastic increase.1 To compare, in 2016, drug overdoses killed 63,632 Americans. 2
The Effects of Workplace Substance Abuse
Have you ever shown up to work high or hungover from drinking the night before? How well did you perform that day? Many employees suffer and struggle to perform to their full potential due to the effects of substance abuse. Employees with substance abuse issues are less productive, use more sick days, are more likely […]
Substance Abuse in the Restaurant Industry
Did you know that 8.7 percent of full-time workers ages 18 to 64 used alcohol heavily in the past month? And 8.6 percent used illicit drugs in the past month? More than nine percent of workers in the U.S. have a substance use problem and a majority of them are working in the restaurant and […]
Overdose Death Rates Now Higher Than Previous Four Years Combined
The drug overdose epidemic is accelerating quickly, according to recent reports from Fortune and Bloomberg. Federal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that drug overdose deaths spiked by 21 percent last year, which was more than the previous four years combined.1
5 Powerful Ways Stigma Contributes to Substance Abuse
Last month, students at the University of Houston declared a mental health crisis after a recent suicide and a dramatic increase in counseling appointments brought attention to the mental health issues of students on campus.1
Texas Law May Provide Drug Rehab Instead of Jail Time
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the Sandra Bland Act into law back in June and it went into effect on September 1, 2017. The law requires jailers to make an immediate determination on the mental health status of an inmate, and divert those who have a mental illness or substance abuse problem to a treatment […]