Addiction Disorders

Promising efforts to mitigate the opioid crisis

Margaret Lowenstein, an LDI senior fellow and assistant professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine discusses the increase in opioid and drug overdoses since the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Penn LDI

The origins of the opioid epidemic

The study, “Origins of the Opioid Crisis and its Enduring Impacts” examines the role of the 1996 introduction and marketing of OxyContin as a potential leading cause of the opioid crisis. 

From Penn LDI

Boots on the ground for the opioid task force

Opioid addiction is a “public health emergency,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Overdose deaths involving opioids—both prescription and illegal—have increased fivefold between 1999 and 2016.

Penn Today Staff



In the News


Fortune

Tranq, the new ‘zombie’ drug that causes skin rotting, is fueling overdoses across the U.S.

Jeanmarie Perrone of the Perelman School of Medicine explains the merit behind the concept of overdose prevention sites.

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Everyday Health

Can taking a pill before going out help curb binge drinking?

Henry Kranzler of the Perelman School of Medicine says that some people might be more open to treatment for problem drinking if they could take a pill on an as-needed basis.

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News Rebeat

“Sleep well, you can make money.” ‘Insomniac’ Japanese companies’ grand strategy to get a good night’s sleep

According to a study from Penn, the cognitive ability of people who sleep an average of six hours a night for two weeks falls to that of a drunkard with a blood alcohol level of 0.1%.

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USA Today

Is any amount of alcohol safe? It depends on your taste for risk

Research by Henry R. Kranzler of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that drinking more than about one alcoholic drink a day is associated with health risk and cognitive problems.

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The New York Times

Binge drinking may be curbed with a pill

Henry Kranzler of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the self-medication approach with taking naltrexone before consuming alcohol represents a niche opportunity to treat binge drinking.

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MPR News

Mayo ‘mini brains’ offer new ways to understand addiction

Peggy Compton of the School of Nursing says that addiction is complex and difficult to reduce to one brain lobe because it involves environmental factors and multiple pathways.

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