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Drug overdose and poisoning deaths are at epidemic levels in the U.S. In 2021, the most recent year we have complete data [1], 106,699 deaths were associated with drugs. This is nearly 300 people everyday. And of these deaths, 70,601 or nearly 70% were connected with opioids; a class of drugs that include heroin, oxycodone, morphine and of course, fentanyl [2, 3, 4], the drug we have heard so much about.
Read MoreBefore the COVID19 pandemic started to dominate the collective consciousness, the opioid crisis in the United States was widely recognized as one of the most important public health emergencies of our time. In 2019, almost 50,000 people died from an opioid overdose in the United States, almost sixfold the level from 2000. In 2020, the number of opioid-related deaths surged almost 40% from the prior year to about 69,000 and then spiked a further 20% to almost 81,000 deaths in 2021.
Read MoreHow many times have you heard the phrase “addiction doesn’t discriminate”? Although the cliché is technically accurate - no one is immune from developing an addiction - it is also true that drug overdose rates are much higher among some populations and places in the United States than others. My research explores this variation.
Read MoreWhile the origins of the electronic dance music (EDM) subculture in the United States differ, most accounts situate it as emerging in the late 1980s as a political dissident subgroup whose subcultural values were articulated around the concept of peace, love, unity and respect (PLUR). Members of the subculture produced their events in secret venues, utilizing technological developments in computing technologies to create new forms of music
Read MoreViews on the medical efficacy and acceptability of marijuana (cannabis) have changed dramatically in recent years. Today, most Americans (62%) favor legalization, and most states have approved marijuana for medical use. California was the first state to allow individuals to legally use medical marijuana and has recently allowed recreational use. California is already a very large market and it is expected to become the largest in the country, with estimated sales of $7.2 billion by 2024.
Read MoreIn a recent study that Dr. Meenakshi Subbaraman and I published with colleagues in the journal Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, we found that U.S. adults who use alcohol and drugs at the same time are more likely to report signs of alcohol use disorder and drug abuse than users who do not mix substances.
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