Oftentimes, when Americans think about the major drug issues affecting the country, they picture people who live far away. In fact, the opioid crisis is occurring in your own backyard as well – metaphorically, if not literally. So today we’re talking about the drug crisis in Missouri, our home state. Opioid overdose deaths are on … Read More →

Public officials are desperate for a solution to the harrowing opioid epidemic sweeping through America. Did you know that 64,000 Americans died last year from overdosing on opioids? Although experts and scientific analysis show that medication-assisted treatments for opioid addiction are effective, some people believe they simply substitute one drug (like heroin) for another (like … Read More →

Did you know that people hoping to cheat on a drug test can now buy fake pee? Synthetic urine mimics the visual, chemical, and thermal properties of human urine. More and more people around the country are purchasing synthetic urine and slipping it into specimen cups in an attempt to “beat” drug tests required by … Read More →

As you wrap up your back-to-school shopping and wave your kids goodbye as they run to the bus, take a moment to consider this fact: “21 percent of 12th graders say that they’ve used any illicit drug other than marijuana at least once in their lifetime, and about 36 percent reported using marijuana in the … Read More →

A study recently published by the University of Virginia found the number of deaths due to opioid overdoses is extremely underreported, with the actual number of deaths being around 24% higher. One of the most commonly used metrics is the 91 American deaths per day from opioid overdoses. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports … Read More →

In 2014, more people died of a drug overdose than any other year on record, and today it is the leading cause of injury death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day. Many factors have contributed to the opioid … Read More →

Unfortunately, many misconceptions surround substance abuse, addiction, treatment, and recovery. The stigma attached to drug addiction sometimes prevents people from obtaining the help they need. Through education and public awareness, we can eradicate some of the myths about drug addiction and assist those on their way toward recovery.

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Flakka [fla-kuh] What is it? Flakka is a synthetic stimulant of the cathinone class that was developed in the 1960s. The drug is technically called alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP) but more commonly known as “flakka.” Flakka gets its name from Spanish slang for a beautiful woman (“la flaca”) and first became popular in Florida before surging across … Read More →

Fearing a positive result with significant consequences, participants are often willing to go to great lengths to thwart drug tests. They may embrace creative techniques or attempt to foil the results with newfangled technology. Drug test tampering (also known as adulteration) refers to the ingestion of a foreign substance or the addition of a foreign substance to … Read More →

Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2/Spice) [Sin-th-eh-dik Can-uh-bin-oidz] What is it? Synthetic cannabinoids, also known as K2 or “Spice,” are a mixture of herbs and spices that are typically sprayed with synthetic compounds chemically similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The chemical compounds typically include HU-210, HU-211, JWH-018, and JWH-073. K2 is commonly purchased in head … Read More →