The number of emergency department visits involving the sleep drug zolpidem (the active ingredient in Ambien) almost doubled over four years, according to a new government report. Zolpidem-related ER visits rose from 21,824 in 2005-2006, to 42,274 in 2009-2010, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found. In…
Medications to Help People Stop Drinking Rarely Prescribed
A new study finds two medications that can help people quit drinking are rarely used. The drugs, naltrexone and acamprosate, could be helping many thousands of people, the researchers say. The drugs reduce alcohol cravings. They have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating alcoholism for more…
More States Soften Approach to Low-Level Drug Use
A growing number of states are changing their approach to low-level drug users, emphasizing treatment instead of incarceration, according to The Washington Post. The change is a result of both reduced budgets and shifting views on drug use. One-third of states have Good Samaritan Laws designed to prevent drug overdose deaths. The…