Opioids
Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello Fired
Leonard Campanello, the Gloucester police chief who changed the way police respond to cases involving opioid use and addiction, was fired from his post on Monday morning. […]
Devastating Video from Lawrence Shows a Mom Overdosing in a Toy Aisle
A devastating video of a mom who overdosed in the toy aisle of a Lawrence discount store with her daughter has surfaced this week, and […]
Bostonians May Now Use 311 for Substance Abuse Support
Boston’s 311 service is used for reporting all manner of non-emergency issues—some important, and others less so. The city is rolling out a new functionality […]
Gloucester Police Chief Placed on Leave
Update 11:20 a.m.: The Globe has reported that Campanello’s attorney says the investigation has nothing to do with the chief’s policing duties and that he expects […]
Massachusetts General Hospital and GE Are Hosting an Opioid Hackathon
Hackers this weekend will be tasked with developing new, outside-the-box technologies and solutions for improving opioid abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery. Massachusetts General Hospital and […]
Governor Baker Unveils Safe Drug Disposal Program
Governor Charlie Baker announced Wednesday a new method of fighting opioid abuse—one that will hopefully help cut it off at the start. Thirteen Massachusetts Walgreens […]
Wicked Sober is Tackling the State’s Opioid Epidemic
Wicked Sober is rallying people across Massachusetts against the opioid epidemic. The local intervention group is partnering with Recovery Centers of America (RCA)’s New England Center for Addiction […]
Dorchester Nurse May Have Written More than 100 Illegal Prescriptions
As the Commonwealth continues to battle opioid abuse, a Dorchester nurse practitioner is under fire for her prescription writing habits. Roberta Regan, formerly employed by […]
Surgeon General Praises Massachusetts’ Fight Against Opioid Abuse
During a tour of the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) Friday, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy spoke highly of Massachusetts’ efforts to combat […]
Massachusetts May Get $20 Million to Fight the Opioid Crisis
Massachusetts could receive up to $20 million to fight opioid abuse, under the White House’s proposed $1.1 billion effort to ease the crisis nationwide. On […]
FDA Approves First Implantable Treatment for Opioid Dependence
A new FDA-approved device is adding another weapon to the arsenal of those fighting opioid abuse. The device, called Probuphine, is the first continuous, implantable […]
OxyContin Is a Flawed Drug, So Why Is It Prescribed So Often?
Last week, the Los Angeles Times published a thorough investigation into Purdue Pharma, the company behind the highly popular opioid painkiller OxyContin. The article paints an equal […]
How Purdue Pharma Hooked the Nation on OxyContin
Chances are you’ve heard of Purdue Pharma. If not, you’ve certainly heard of its blockbuster brainchild, OxyContin, the powerful, addictive pain pill that’s widely considered […]
Report Shows Continued Severity of the Opioid Crisis
A new report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) offers a striking look at the continued severity of the state’s opioid crisis. According to the […]
Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello to Be Honored at White House
Last year Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello had had enough. Fatal opiate overdoses were piling up across the state and the chief’s small department was […]