This week's NDEWS Hotspot Alerts report includes 23 counties with higher-than-expected drug-related 911 dispatch counts over the previous 7-day period. Read more here. Click here to read more about NDEWS Hotspot Alerts.

Virtual HealthStreet extends UF HealthStreet’s tradition of excellence in providing quality data and empirically driven policy change, with a new focus on drug use. A national expert panel of people with histories of drug use are recruited to participate in periodic special topic surveys specifically aimed at garnering a better understanding of emerging drug trends across the US. Join here.

A study recently published in Addiction compared trends in hallucinogen-associated emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations with visits involving alcohol and cannabis use in California. The findings showed that hallucinogen-associated ED visits and hospitalizations increased by 54% and 55%, respectively, between 2016 and 2022. Observed alcohol-associated ED visits decreased by 20% and cannabis-associated ED visits increased by 15%. Alcohol-associated and cannabis-associated hospitalizations increased by 1% during the same period. Read the study here.

A study recently published in the Harm Reduction Journal identified four key principles that syringe service programs (SSP) should consider when implementing drug-checking programs. The authors note that while there is not a one-size-fits-all approach SSPs should prioritize methods that can provide immediate utility to people who use drugs, they should integrate seamlessly into existing workflows, balance individual- and population-level data needs, and attend to legal concerns for implementation and dissemination. Read the study here.

A recently published article led by Dr. Mary Kennedy reported findings that suggest a significant, positive association between monthly median fentanyl concentration and illicit drug toxicity−related death rates. The article demonstrates how drug-checking studies are now being used to inform surveillance efforts.

Based on this article, NDEWS Deputy Director Dr. Joseph Palamar published a letter to the editor piece in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The commentary acknowledges the innovative step toward linking fentanyl detection in the illicit opioid supply to death rates and recommends future studies expand on these methods and focus on the increased adulteration of cocaine with fentanyl among people who report using cocaine recreationally but do not engage in opioid use. Read the paper here.

Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first test that uses DNA to assess whether individuals may have an elevated risk of developing opioid use disorder. As part of a clinical evaluation, the test is intended to be used before first exposure to oral opioid pain medications in patients being considered for a 4-30 day prescription for the treatment of acute pain. The test is to be used only with patients who consent to the test and have no prior use of oral opioid analgesics. Read the news release here.

Date: Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Time: 2:00 p.m. ET

Register here.

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