Addiction News & Policy Update for Week Ending June 19, 2020

'Iso,' a Deadly New Synthetic Opioid, Has Hit American Streets
A new synthetic opioid as powerful as fentanyl is causing overdose deaths at an ever-increasing rate, experts warn.

Substance Abuse Risks Rise Amid Pandemic As Workers Return To Jobs
Employers should be on alert as the risk of increased substance misuse among employees could be on the rise as workers return to their jobs, the National Safety Council warns.

Up to 60% of Teens in Some U.S. Schools Used E-Cigs: Study
More than 1 in 10 middle and high school students in the United States used e-cigarettes within the last month, according to a University of Michigan study that found the rate in some schools is as high as 60%.

Editorial: The 1980s crack epidemic was a fork in the road. America chose racism and prisons over public health
What if the nation had met the crack epidemic of the 1980s with healthcare rather than with police and prison? How much more prepared might we have been today for a deadly viral pandemic, and how much more resilient in the aftermath, had we built out a public health infrastructure with treatment clinics, housing and other resources and supports aimed at restoring the health of American neighborhoods?

A New Addiction Crisis: Treatment Centers Face Financial CollapseFewer patients in recent months have been showing up for drug and alcohol treatment at REACH Health Services in Baltimore. But Dr. Yngvild Olsen, the medical director there, suspects it's not for good reasons: Some have likely relapsed or delayed drug and alcohol addiction treatment, while others likely fear infection and have stayed home.