Travis County Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition

March 13, 2019 — By American-Statesman Editorial Board — If a specific threat to public health was responsible for the deaths of 28,000 Texans each year, killing more people than car accidents, murders, suicides and illegal drug use combined, we would expect our lawmakers to do something about it.  … Continue to full story .......

Vaping is not harmless. That’s the message the U.S. Surgeon General wants to get across with a recent warning that teen vaping has become a health epidemic.  E-cigarettes are devices that vaporize liquids. The devices hold chemicals and flavors, including kid-friendly flavors like types of candy and fruit. And … Continue to full story .......

Feb 25, 2019 – Statesman.Com — Dell Seton is one of the only hospitals in Texas to offer opioid treatment. Stephanie McCurry, a 33-year-old Air Force veteran, had been using heroin steadily for about four years. She was the last person anyone expected to become addicted to the drug, she … Continue to full story .......

Feb. 4, 2019 — The Sobering Center in downtown Austin started 24/7 operations on Oct. 1 and so far has seen more than 600 clients. Its goal, executive director Rhonda Patrick said, is to provide police and emergency officials with an alternative, safe place to take people under the influence … Continue to full story .......

The Travis County Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition will be meeting next week, Tuesday, February 5 from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm at LifeWorks East, 835 N. Pleasant Valley Rd., 78702. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ysapc-february-5th-meeting-tickets-55656909314.

At this meeting:
Julie McElrath will present on strategic planning updates with the Youth Recovery Network … Continue to full story .......

Jan 22, 2019 – Statesman.Com — State health officials on Tuesday unveiled a new website they hope will help educate people about prescription opioid misuse and encourage patients to safely dispose of their unused medications so they don’t end up in the wrong hands, the latest in an effort by … Continue to full story .......

(Science News) – As public health officials tackle opioid addiction and overdoses, another class of prescription drugs has been contributing to a growing number of deaths across the United States.

Benzodiazepines, such as Valium and Xanax, are commonly prescribed for anxiety and insomnia. The drugs are also highly addictive and … Continue to full story .......

Jan. 17, 2019 – AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Faced with the task of curbing opioid misuse in the state of Texas, some lawmakers are exploring several avenues to improve the workflow of the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), as well as clarifying how parents can access their kid’s prescription information. 

“As … Continue to full story .......

Drug overdoses resulted in 70,237 deaths during 2017 nationwide, according to data released from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
–  47,600 (67.8%) involved opioids (14.9 per 100,000 population), representing a 12.0% rate increase from 2016.
–  Synthetic opioids were involved in 59.8% of all opioid-involved overdose deaths; the … Continue to full story .......

Jan. 9, 2019 – Statesman.com — A Houston lawmaker has filed the 86th Legislature’s first three bills aimed at tackling the state’s opioid crisis, including one that would require pharmacists to put a red cap on all prescription opioids warning patients of their risks.

Another bill would require a label … Continue to full story .......

Almost 9,000 children and teenagers died from opioid poisoning from 1999 to 2016, and annual deaths increased threefold over the 18 years, ateam of researchers at Yale University reported Friday. 

The finding suggests the opioid epidemic will likely continue, the team said, unless legislators, public health officials, doctors and parents … Continue to full story .......