Texas Legislature on verge of completely banning THC products after key House vote

Posted on May 28, 2025 by TCYSAPC

The Texas House gave final approval to a bill that would ban all products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, likely spelling the end for the state’s short-lived hemp industry. Under the legislation, hemp retailers and recreational users would be allowed to sell and consume only the non-intoxicating, non-psychoactive cannabinoids known as … Continue to full story .......

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Father arrested after daughter reportedly dies from alcohol poisoning

Posted on May 25, 2025 by TCYSAPC

SHERMAN, Texas — Michael Cain, 35, was arrested on a warrant for Criminally Negligent Homicide.  An investigation, reported that Cain was consuming alcohol with his 17 year old daughter, Patience Cain, before her death. A medical examination showed that Patience died as a result of acute ethanol toxicity, more … Continue to full story .......

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Texas moves forward with expansive social media ban for minors, reigniting debate

Posted on May 23, 2025 by TCYSAPC
A child's hands hold a cellphone on top of a desk with homework and pens (Marijan Murat / dpa / picture alliance via Getty Images file)

Texas is poised to become the second state to enact an across-the-board ban on social media for minors before its state legislative session ends in a little over a week.  Advocates on both sides of the issue have said the bill would be the strictest state-level regulation yet on social

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Heated tobacco products show unclear health risks as evidence remains limited

Posted on May 11, 2025 by TCYSAPC
vape

Heated tobacco products are often marketed by tobacco companies as less harmful than cigarettes, but they can pose health risks to users, according to a new review  in the journal Tobacco Control. Evidence on their health risks in people who smoke is limited, sometimes contradictory, and hard to make sense

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Medicaid unwinding linked to disruptions in opioid addiction treatment, study suggests

Posted on May 11, 2025 by TCYSAPC
buprenorphine

The massive national effort to return the Medicaid enrollment process to its pre-pandemic rules starting in April 2023 may have disrupted the care of people receiving treatment for opioid addiction, a new University of Michigan study suggests.  The researchers call this finding concerning, because the disruption may increase the risk

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SAMHSA Faces Significant Cuts, Uncertain Future

Posted on May 7, 2025 by TCYSAPC
SAMHSA | Arizona | Intensive Treatment Systems of ArizonaThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced that (SAMHSA)  the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will be absorbed into HHS’s newly created Administration for a Healthy America—leaving experts concerned about the potential effects on a country grappling with mental health and substance use crises.
Under
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Texas House unanimously gives initial approve to bill that would legalize fentanyl testing strips

Posted on April 25, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Amazon.com: Emnce Fentanyl Test Strips Home Drug Testing Kit - Accurate for Powder Substances, Liquids & Pills | Urine Test Kit for Synthetic Detection | for Forensic Use [5 Pack] : Health & HouseholdThe Texas House has given unanimous initial approval to a bill to legalize fentanyl testing strips. Currently, state law classifies the strips as drug paraphernalia.   On Tuesday, state lawmakers passed House Bill 1644 on second reading by a vote of 145 to 0. It would legalize testing strips for fentanyl

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The risks of teen drinking and the role of family medicine physicians with conversations about alcohol

Posted on April 25, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Teen drinking poses serious risks to adolescent health, affecting brain development and increasing addiction potential. There are effective strategies to address this issue.  Teen alcohol use is far more common, and far more consequential, than many family practitioners realize. According to recent surveys, nearly one in three high school

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Texas court blocks Austin law that decriminalized small amounts of marijuana

Posted on April 25, 2025 by TCYSAPC
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Bill allowing grocery stores, gas stations to sell ‘ready-to-drink’ cocktails advances out of TX Lege committee

Posted on April 24, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Pre-Mixed Cocktails for Summer - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer FoodsA bill in the Texas Senate to allow the sale of “ready-to-drink cocktails” (RTDs) at grocery and convenience stores passed a committee vote Wednesday. Those drinks would be limited to 17% alcohol by volume.  SB 2225 would allow stores that are licensed to sell beer and wine to apply for

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Drug deaths are going down in Travis County, but federal funding cuts could halt progress

Posted on April 23, 2025 by TCYSAPC
Narcan Nasal Spray in an emergency holder in a nurse clinic.

Drug deaths are going down in Travis County for the first time since 2019, according to the medical examiner’s report.   Total drug deaths decreased 22% from 2023 to 2024, and deaths involving fentanyl fell by 36%. The numbers were released Monday and are a stark difference from last year’s report,

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Trump team revokes $11 billion in funding for addiction, mental health care

Posted on April 14, 2025 by TCYSAPC

President Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have movedWhite House | History, Location, & Facts | Britannica to slash funding for addiction treatment programs and research, saying the money should instead be spent on efforts to “Make America Healthy Again.”  Local public health departments and nonprofit groups are reeling after announced abrupt cancellation and revocation of

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