Magnolia Center Charleston

03/25/2026

https://www.ncpgambling.org/ncpg/

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. More than 20 million people across
the United States were affected by gambling-related harm last year—and many
are ashamed to talk about it.
Problem gambling awareness helps communities notice warning signs, start
conversations, and reduce the stigma that keeps people feeling isolated. It reminds
us that gambling addiction isn’t a matter of willpower—it’s a mental health
condition that impacts families, friends, and entire communities.
To learn how you can help raise awareness, visit NCPGambling.org. And if you or
someone you know needs support, free and confidential help is available by calling
the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, help is available. The National Council on Problem Gambling provides a range of resources, including answers to commonly asked questions, a gambling behavior self-assessment, information about treatment and the National Problem Gambli...

03/20/2026

https://scienceblog.com/risk-of-addiction-has-more-to-do-with-impulse-control-than-the-drug-itself/

Key Takeaways Recent research reveals that addiction risk stems more from brain architecture than from specific substances. A study analyzed data from

03/10/2026

Route of drug use among North Carolina drug overdose decedents, 2018–2023
Author links open overlay panel
Molly Remch a
,
Mary E. Cox b
,
Scott Proescholdbell b
,
Darsey Schulaka b
,
Kathryn E. Moracco c d

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2026.108546
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Highlights
•
Analyses of overdose deaths in North Carolina from 2018 to 2023.
•
Overdoses involving injection have decreased as a percent of overdose deaths.
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Overdoses involving snorting and smoking have increased as a percent of overdose deaths.
•
Trends differ by race, s*x, and age.
Abstract
Objective
To describe the route of drug use among overdose decedents in North Carolina.
Methods
We use data from the North Carolina State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System from 2018 to 2023. We include variables on the characteristics of the decedents and context of the overdose, including the reported route of drug use and the drugs involved.
Results
There were 19,520 overdose deaths, largely involving opioids (87.7%), particularly fentanyl and its analogues (75.5%), stimulants (61.3%), and benzodiazepines (20.9%). Route of drug use was not documented for most (53.9%) deaths. In 2018, the most common route of drug use among decedents was injection (36.6%), followed by snorting (6.3%), smoking (3.6%), and ingestion (1.7%). In 2023, the percentage of overdose deaths involving injection (18.1%), snorting (17.8%), and smoking (18.3%) were similar to one another and the prevalence of ingestion increased to 4.7%.
Conclusions
Increasing numbers of overdoses caused by non-injection drug use suggests a need for broader public health intervention that extend beyond the population injecting drugs. However, data on route of drug use is missing for over half of all overdose fatalities in North Carolina. More complete data on route of drug use will allow for more nuanced interpretation.

03/06/2026

https://www.medpagetoday.com/psychiatry/opioids/120156

Health insurance loss, changes 'may undermine continuity of critical treatment,' researchers say

02/12/2026

https://bhbusiness.com/2026/01/15/samhsa-reverses-2b-in-grant-cuts-but-funding-fears-remain/?asam.org

The Trump administration and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) restored billions in funding less than 24 hours after abruptly terminating $2

02/06/2026

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/lawmakers-target-kratom-addiction-cases-surge/281-616a0211-37bb-4872-85ca-c68f13d343bc

State lawmakers are considering a ban on synthetic kratom after reports of addiction and deaths.

01/27/2026

A Heartbreaking Face of the Stimulant Crisis:
The Cardiac Toll of Stimulant Use
By Nicolas Garel, MD, MSc, FRCPC, and Paola Lavin, MD, MSc

Stimulants and methamphetamine-related emergencies are no longer confined to the pages of public health reports, they are unfolding daily in hospitals and emergency departments across North America. Clinicians increasingly encounter young adults experiencing chest pain, arrhythmias, or new cases of heart failure with no prior cardiac history but with a positive toxicology screen for (meth)amphetamine. This clinical pattern, once rare, has become alarmingly common.

A new national cohort analysis by Garel and colleagues quantifies what frontline physicians have long observed. Using high-dimensional propensity score matching on more than 137,000 patients with substance use disorders (SUD), the authors compared the cardiovascular impact of stimulant use disorder (StUD) with non-stimulant SUD. Their findings showed that individuals with StUD had a 37% higher risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, or death, as compared with patients with non-stimulant SUDs. Even after rigorous adjustment for demographic and clinical confounders, mortality remained 23% higher. These results demonstrate that stimulant use carries distinct and substantial cardiovascular risk, even within an already vulnerable population.

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12/09/2025

https://www.asam.org/publications-resources/the-asam-weekly/detail/2025/12/08/guest-editorial---contingency-management-saves-lives--from-evidence-to-action?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ASAM%20Weekly%2012925&utm_content=ASAM%20Weekly%2012925+CID_bf789ce21af636b9bbce7295fb602d98&utm_source=utm_mediumemail&utm_term=Read%20the%20full%20editorial%20here&asam.org

The opioid crisis remains one of the most pressing public health emergencies facing the United States. A 2023 KFF poll found that nearly one-third of adults reported that they or a family member had experienced an opioid addiction.1 In the same year, about 5.7 million Americans were diagnosed with ...

11/12/2025

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949875925002085?asam.org
Abstract
Despite overwhelming evidence supporting medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for substance use disorders (SUDs), stigma persists within recovery communities—particularly in some circles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA)—that view MAT as incompatible with sobriety. This perspective piece explores the tension between life-saving pharmacologic interventions such as medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) and deeply held beliefs within 12-step fellowships. Through the lens of a clinically grounded, narrative-driven, and first-person perspective we examine the origins of this stigma, including the historical ambivalence toward psychiatric medication in AA's founding literature. We also examine contemporary NA literature especially as it relates to the term “clean.” While many 12-step programs have increasingly accepted medications like antidepressants, MOUD remains stigmatized despite its proven effectiveness in reducing cravings, relapse, and overdose deaths. We argue that this resistance—often reinforced by sponsors, literature, and group norms—places patients at risk and undermines recovery. We use our personal experience as physicians and people in long-term recovery to call for a renewed interpretation of fellowship principles that embrace evidence-based treatment and affirms each individual's path to recovery. True sobriety should not require choosing between medication and belonging.

09/23/2025

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/health/trump-drug-users-involuntary-commitment-rehab.html?asam.org

The president wants to enforce involuntary commitment laws for severe drug use. But rehab is expensive, without enough beds for those who seek it.

08/10/2025

https://www.npr.org/2025/07/16/nx-s1-5468535/fentanyl-trump-addiction-funding

Threats to $140 million in funds for public health departments battling fentanyl overdoses comes as some experts see the addiction safety net unraveling.

07/22/2025

Cannabis and Cannabinoids for Treating Pain: What Are the Data?
Khalsa, Jag H. MS, PhD; Potenza, Marc N. MD, PhD; Bunt, Gregory MD; DuPont, Robert MD

Journal of Addiction Medicine ():10.1097/ADM.0000000000001537, July 14, 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000001537

Abstract
Cannabis is the most used federally illicit drug in the United States. Although cannabis use is associated with serious health consequences including cognitive dysfunction, memory problems, psychosis, and hyperemesis, and there is scant clinical evidence to support its use as a medicine, it is nevertheless being widely promoted to treat a wide range of health conditions including chronic pain. Currently, the body of clinical research taken together does not support the use of cannabis in any dosage form for treating any pain, particularly given the potential adverse effects. Certain cannabinoids have the potential to treat many clinical conditions, including perhaps specific pain conditions, but current research is insufficient to support their use for treating pain. More clinical research in compliance with regulatory guidelines is needed to consider approval of cannabis and related products as therapeutics for treating pain. If asked about the use of cannabis and related products for treating pain, providers should exercise caution and engage in evidence-informed discussions with patients to engage in shared decision-making. The lack of evidence supporting efficacy, with the potential of considerable adverse effects associated with the use of high-potency products of cannabis often being consumed currently, should be considered.

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