Cannabis may impair driving ability for up to 4 hours, study finds

Cannabis can impair a person’s ability to drive up to 4 hours after the drug is used, according to a recent study.  “Although performance was improving at 3.5 hours, recovery was not fully seen until 4.5 hours post smoking’” researchers stated in the report published in the JAMA Psychiatry.… Continue to full story .......

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‘Like Russian roulette’: Counterfeit opioids laced with fentanyl a deadly problem in Central Texas

Austin American-Statesman — When Becky Stewart hadn’t heard from her 19-year-old son in several hours, she decided to check on him at his Leander apartment.  But when she got there on March 20, Cameron Stewart wouldn’t answer the door.  Officers found him dead inside and later said he had died … Continue to full story .......

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Fentanyl is Increasing the Stakes in the Austin’s Deadly Opioid Epidemic

Austin Monthly – Deaths went up in Travis County, too, which ranked fourth among Texas counties for accidental opioid fatalities in 2019. A report from the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance revealed 262 people died of a drug overdose in Travis County the following year, a 36 percent increase. That December, Continue to full story .......

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Fentanyl is becoming more accessible to kids on social media, raising alarms for parents

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Austin voters to decide in May on decriminalizing ‘low-level’ marijuana offenses

Jan. 10, 2022 – (KXAN) — A stop to the enforcement of low-level marijuana offenses and the end of “no knock” warrants will be on Austin’s May ballot.  Ground Game Texas announced on Monday that the Austin City Clerk’s office has qualified the ballot measure.

Enough signatures were obtained to … Continue to full story .......

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More than a million Americans have died from overdoses during the opioid epidemic

Dec. 30, 2021 – NPRAustin – Deaths due to drug overdose have topped a million for the first time since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began collecting data on the problem more than two decades ago.  A study released Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics, a

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What if cars could stop you from driving drunk? A peek at the latest tech mandated in new infrastructure law

Jan. 4, 2022 – NPRAustin –  What if our cars could prevent drunk driving?  The recent infrastructure law included a provision mandating that, in a few years, all new cars must include technology to detect and prevent drunk driving.

Some companies were already racing to figure out how to do … Continue to full story .......

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Adolescent females face multiple barriers to drug treatment in Texas

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After a year and a half of drug addiction without treatment, Anisa Madero spent her 17th birthday in a rehabilitation facility.  Today, Madero is 20 years old, sober and a community guest specialist at an adult drug treatment program. Her time in treatment as a teen … Continue to full story .......

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Travis County reports more than 240 overdose deaths last year

Dec. 1, 2021 – AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 240 people died from overdose-related deaths in Travis County during 2020, county leaders announced Thursday, with deaths spiking by more than 30% from the year prior.  Data from the Travis County Medical Examiner’s 2020 annual report revealed 246 people died due

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Naloxone is an extraordinary, lifesaving medication. But at high doses, it can backfire.

Emergency responders administer naloxone to a man experiencing an overdose.

The Atlantic – When someone ingests too many opioids and stops breathing, we know what to do: Give them naloxone (Narcan).  And yet when it comes to naloxone, more isn’t always better. Experts suggest that a more potent form of the drug could backfire, compounding naloxone’s harmful side effects with

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How to Talk to Teens About Drugs and Substance Use

Experimenting with substances can be risky for teens. It’s the responsibility of parents and caregivers to educate kids about drugs and alcohol. The teenage years can be some of the most fun and formative years of a person’s life. Yet, these years can also be marked by high emotions and

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Texas Longhorns linebacker Jake Ehlinger died of accidental overdose, family says

October 2022 – AUSTIN (KXAN) — The family of University of Texas student and Texas Longhorns linebacker Jake Ehlinger say the 20-year-old’s May death was due to an accidental drug overdose.  In a statement sent Thursday, the Ehlinger family says they learned Jake accidentally overdosed May 6 from what’s believed … Continue to full story .......

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