Addiction Disorders

The new U.S. plan to target xylazine-laced fentanyl

Researchers from Penn LDI, in conjunction with the Center for Health Economics of Treatment Interventions for Substance Use Disorder, analyze the plan and raise the question of whether it goes far enough.

From Penn LDI

The economics of addiction

Professor of Economics Jeremy Greenwood’s research is uncovering information about the opioid crisis, its effects on the labor shortage, and the law of unintended consequences.

Susan Ahlborn



In the News


Philadelphia Tribune

‘A system of disjointed pieces’: Philly addiction medicine experts call for reforms in substance use treatment

Margaret Lowenstein of the Perelman School of Medicine says that patients seeking substance use treatment who also have infections or wounds struggle to get into a rehab that has the capacity to care for these issues.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Drug deaths and overdoses plague Philly jails, raising concerns about plans to step up Kensington arrests

Jeanmarie Perrone of the Perelman School of Medicine says that opioid withdrawal is typically not life-threatening, but that underlying health conditions or multidrug use can result in serious complications.

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Psychology Today

Fentanyl overdoses may cause brain injury

Researchers from Penn and the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggest that neurologic and cognitive impairments could interfere with a patient’s ability to engage in addiction treatment.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

As wounds and amputations spike, experts say Philly’s $100M addiction treatment center must ensure adequate medical care for patients

Nicole O’Donnell of Penn Medicine says that the Parker administration’s planned addiction treatment center in Philadelphia presents an opportunity to cover currently nonexistent levels of care.

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Slate.com

What’s going on with tranq?

Jeanmarie Perron of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the appearance and progression of skin ulcers and tissue loss on xylazine users is different than with other intravenous drugs.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Mayor Parker’s plan to ‘remove the presence of drug users’ from Kensington raises new questions

Shoshana Aronowitz of the School of Nursing and Ashish Thakrar of the Perelman School of Medicine comment on the lack of specificity in Philadelphia’s plan to remove drug users from Kensington and on the current state of drug treatment in the city.

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