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Stoned seniors — and we're not talking high-school kids — are visiting emergency rooms for cannabis-related issues in unprecedented numbers, according to a new study by UC San Diego researchers.
However, according to Dr. Ken Finn, a Pain Medicine Specialist in Colorado Springs with more than 33 years of experience in the medical field, we are now in the middle of a multi factorial mental health crisis with youth substance abuse, particularly cannabis, affecting developing brains. “I think the medical literature is pretty clear that during the pandemic kids were not in school, they were isolated, they tend to use substances in isolation, particularly cannabis,” explained Finn.
In just five years, the number of small children in the US exposed to cannabis after accidentally eating an edible rose 1,375%, a new study says.
San Diego County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to fight the illicit fentanyl crisis by increasing education, outreach and early intervention, working to detect “outbreaks” or clusters of overdoses, and expanding distribution of overdose medication.
Tuesday’s action comes after the Board of Supervisors and County District Attorney’s office declared fentanyl deaths a public health crisis in late June.
During the holiday season, many of us look forward to get-togethers with friends and family. Unfortunately, holidays can also be a dangerous time for alcohol- and drug-related traffic incidents. SAMHSA is observing National Impaired Driving Prevention Month in December to raise awareness of this deadly yet preventable problem.
Since the early 1980s, public policy changes, school and community interventions, and grassroots advocacy have significantly decreased alcohol-related driving fatalities. Yet, driving impaired (by alcohol or other drugs) continues to take lives.