This Week in Recovery: November 14, 2019

Welcome to This Week in Recovery, a weekly recap of the 5 biggest stories in the recovery industry.

 

Heavy Marijuana Use Linked To Higher Risk of Stroke – Yahoo News

A new study found that young people who use marijuana have a higher risk of stroke. The risk was even higher for frequent users. Those who reported using marijuana more than 10 days a month were 2.5 times more likely to have a stroke than nonusers. Additionally, vaping only appeared to make these risks worse.

 

Brain Implants Being Used To Fight Drug Addiction – BBC

In a first trial of its kind in the United States, patients with severe opioid addiction are being given brain implants to help reduce their cravings. The lead doctor behind the trial described the device as a “pacemaker for the brain”. This is the first time this type of brain stimulation has been approved for drug addiction.

 

Trump Signals Flexibility To Ban On Flavored Vaping Products – ABC News

President Donald Trump indicated this week that he may plan to step back from a full ban on flavored vaping products. He announced last week that his administration will take action to curb youth use of the devices and raise the legal age to buy tobacco-related products to 21.

 

Patients Aren’t Affected By Cuts To Opioid Prescribing – Reuters

A new study found that when surgeons cut opioid prescriptions for pain by more than 50 percent, their patient satisfaction scores didn’t fall. Public health officials in the United States consider opioid overdoses to be at crisis levels and are looking into ways to reduce these prescription rates wherever possible.

 

Problems With Opioid Addiction Treatment In Jails – NPR

A new book from Dr. Kimberly Sue, the medical director of a national advocacy group looked at how the prison population was being affected by the opioid crisis. A quarter or more of the U.S. prison population has an addiction to opioids and only 5 percent of those people are receiving medication for their chronic condition.

 

How Substance Abuse Affects Veterans

Veterans face a long list of problems and potential issues that they may struggle from when they return home. Substance abuse is a common issue among the veteran population and veterans are affected at a higher rate compared to civilians. Learn more about how substance abuse affects veterans in this week’s featured article.