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News Articles: substance use disorder

A volunteer with the Atlanta Harm Reduction Coalition gives out sterile syringes in exchange to get potentially contaminated needles off the street.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Stronger opioid reversal drugs are needed to combat the fentanyl crisis, Narcan developer says

Between early February and mid-March, at least 66 emergency department visits in Georgia involved the use of cocaine, methamphetamine, crack, heroin, pain killers and cannabis products that were likely laced with fentanyl, which is 30 to 50 times stronger than heroin. Experts worry about increased risk of overdose when users believe that the pills are legitimate pharmaceutical products.

April 07, 2022
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
Teresa Wren Johnston and Blake Schneider at Kennesaw State University's Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Georgia could see $636 million to fight the opioid epidemic if this bill passes

Legislation to bar future lawsuits against the companies involved in a $26 billion multi-state settlement must be passed before the state can collect $636 million dollars. The money will help pay for preventing and addressing the effects of opioid dependence.

March 08, 2022
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
Man holds face

Tagged as: 

  • Mental Health

Enrolling for health insurance can be confusing. Experts say check for mental care coverage first

Even when mental health is covered, providers of behavioral health services can be tough to find. And there are not always enough of them to treat rising pandemic-related anxiety or depression.

The deadline to sign up for a health plan on the marketplace is Jan. 15.

December 20, 2021
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
The Boys & Girls Club offers teens access to programs to ensure a positive future.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

American Rescue Plan grants $85M to 106 Georgia nonprofits helping students cope with pandemic

The BOOST Grants Program provides three-year grants, renewed annually, to community-based and statewide organizations that operate comprehensive out-of-school time programming year-round, over the summer months or after school during the academic year.  

December 08, 2021
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
Jeff Breedlove holds a printed copy of the Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership's Unified Vision for Transforming Mental Health and Substance Use Care in Georgia.

Tagged as: 

  • Mental Health

Mental health and addiction care aren't prioritized in Georgia. A bipartisan group is changing that

Parity in health care means substance misuse treatment and heart defects should be treated the same way by insurance companies. A federal parity law passed in 2008, but there is no mechanism to ensure parity is enforced in Georgia. A plan presented Nov. 10 at the state Capitol seeks to change that.

November 12, 2021
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
A pedestrian is seen through a cutout of a leaf on a gated entrance to Piedmont Park in Atlanta.

Tagged as: 

  • Mental Health

Georgia improves its mental health rating — on data collected before COVID. But challenges remain

The latest Mental Health America report likely underreports the current prevalence of mental illnesses in the population, both among children and adults, but nothing in the pandemic by itself would suggest that the relative rankings of the states would have changed solely because of the pandemic.

October 19, 2021
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
Hank Arnold, executive director of Coweta F.O.R.C.E. in Newnan

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Georgians In Recovery In Double Struggle To Remain Healthy During The Pandemic

There were early signs trouble was brewing on the substance use front. When the state released its first revenue report after the pandemic took hold here and revenues plummeted, tax collections from alcohol sales had risen 13%.

September 07, 2021
|
By:
  • Jill Nolin
Sue Howland, right, and Larrecsa Cox walk past addiction-themed graffiti

Tagged as: 

  • Health

CDC Reports Overdose Deaths In Georgia Rose At Least 38% During Pandemic

In Georgia, more than 1,900 people died of drug-related causes in the 12-month period ending January 2021, which is a 38.8% increase over data from the previous year.

August 11, 2021
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
David Nathan Thompson looks out from his apartment in Columbus, Georgia, in 2011.

Tagged as: 

  • Mental Health

This Is What Happens When Georgians Experience Mental Health Or Addiction Crisis

Increased funding for mental health treatment is desperately needed in Georgia, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made things worse. The state has a total of 533 beds for adults in crisis with a mental health or substance use emergency.

July 23, 2021
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
Members of the Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership and the substance use disorder community introduce their "unified vision" for transforming mental health and substance use care Monday July 12, 2021, at the state Capitol..

Tagged as: 

  • Health Care

Georgia Leaders Share Vision For Transforming Mental Health, Substance Use Care

The Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership and Substance Use Disorder Community shared a vision Monday for moving through the COVID-19 pandemic and shift perceptions around mental health, substance use, and well-being.

The coalition is offering positive policy solutions based on the American Rescue Plan funds for the 2022 Georgia legislative session to reform policies impacting the Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership and Substance Use Disorder Community.

July 14, 2021
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
crop of billboard

Tagged as: 

  • Health

'Recovery Is Real' Billboard Campaign Continues In Georgia Thanks To SAMSA Grant

The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Association is awarding nearly $600,000 in grant money to the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse. Part of the money will be used for the “Georgia Recovers” billboard campaign. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge reports on the council’s work to reduce stigma associated with substance use disorder. 

July 06, 2021
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
Pensive Black man lying on couch

Tagged as: 

  • Health Care

Parity Law Aims To Equalize Mental Health And Addiction Coverage With Physical Care

A bill in the Georgia House is aimed at bringing insurance coverage for behavioral health issues in the state up to par with the rest of the country.

February 11, 2021
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
A statue of an angel in a graveyard

Tagged as: 

  • Health

CDC Reports Highest Number Of Drug Overdose Deaths Ever In A Year

More than 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period, according to recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

December 30, 2020
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
person leaning on wall with head in hands

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Emory, Hazelden Betty Ford Create Addiction Alliance Of Georgia

Phase 1 of the Addiction Alliance is to launch an intensive outpatient program in the Atlanta area and introduce a partial hospital program.

September 24, 2020
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., listens to constituents during a town hall meeting Tuesday, August 13, 2019, at a senior center in Lithonia, Georgia.

EXCLUSIVE: Congressman With 25 Years Sobriety Works To Erase Stigma Of Addiction, Hepatitis C

U.S. Rep Henry “Hank” Johnson walked away from all drugs and alcohol more than 25 years ago, he shared for the first time with GPB News in an exclusive...

May 20, 2020
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
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