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Needle exchange programs have long been recognized as an effective tool to prevent illness and death associated with drug use. But the practice remains illegal throughout most of Pennsylvania.
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On today’s episode of The Confluence: Health reporter Sarah Boden explains why some families are suing Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration and UPMC over difficulties in obtaining mask exemptions for children in public schools; more than 4,400 truancy cases were filed in Allegheny County courts in 2020 and the first half of this year, and a PublicSource investigation looks into how these cases impact students; and Prevention Point Pittsburgh’s Alice Bell explains how the state could reduce drug overdoses and infections by legalizing the distribution of clean syringes and other items deemed “drug paraphernalia.”
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Deaths from drug overdoses accelerated during the pandemic, according to preliminary data published earlier this month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more than 87,000 overdose-related deaths, the highest number ever recorded in a 12-month period. Western Pennsylvania groups that help people struggling with substance use disorder say they have had to adjust the ways they offer treatment and support over the past year.
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Long before the coronavirus jumped from an animal to a human to start the global pandemic, western Pennsylvania was already grappling with another health…
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The Allegheny County Board of Health on Wednesday held its first meeting since the stay-at-home order was put in place by Gov. Tom Wolf due to the novel…
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An Allegheny Health Network chemist is developing a longer-lasting version of naloxone, to stop people from slipping back into overdose.Naloxone is the…
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Most overdose fatalities in Pennsylvania continue to be opioid related, but deaths associated with methamphetamine and other stimulants are also on the…
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The public health community has long called for a needle exchange in south Pittsburgh, as fatal overdose data indicates high opioid use in this area. On…
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Hulking German Shepherd Dogs are a ubiquitous part of many police forces -- sniffing for drugs, bombs and all manner of bad guys -- but another breed…
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A clean needle exchange that provides free syringes to drug users could soon open in the Carrick neighborhood, making it the first needle exchange in the…