drug abuse - NewBostonPost

Maura Healey

Opioid battle takes a new direction thanks to local police

BOSTON – As opioids are killing Massachusetts residents at an alarming rate, the state's top leaders like Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat, have encouraged local law enforcement agencies to pick up their efforts against drug abuse. Several agencies have taken the fight beyond

opioids

Bay State steps up fight against drug abuse epidemic

BOSTON – Massachusetts is rising up against drug addiction after deaths due to heroin and painkiller dependency climbed 8 percent over the past year. Gov. Charlie Baker has made the issue a priority, as have many lawmakers from across the state. As a result, new laws will come into effect that

Opioid

Prince died of opioid overdose, tests reportedly show

CHICAGO (AP) — Tests show that Prince died of an opioid overdose, a law-enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday. The 57-year-old singer was found dead April 21 at his Minneapolis-area estate.

marijuana

Marijuana may help break addiction to painkillers, heroin

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – The growing number of patients who claim marijuana helped them drop their painkiller habit has intrigued lawmakers and emboldened advocates, who are pushing for cannabis as a treatment for the abuse of opioids and illegal narcotics like heroin, as well as an alternative to painkillers. It&

addiction

Prince battled painkiller addiction, help sought too late

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Prince's representatives arranged for the musician to meet a California doctor to help him kick an addiction to painkillers shortly before his death, according to a newspaper report published Wednesday. Prince's representatives called Dr. Howard Kornfeld on April 20, the day before the musician

new hampshire

Ayotte welcomes Obama’s turn to drug abuse fight

MANCHESTER, N.H. – When President Barack Obama turned his attention last week to the opioid and heroin overdose epidemic that has ravaged families across the country, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte may well have wondered what took him so long. In 2014, Ayotte, a Republican, was a co-sponsor in 2014

Massachusetts

Most Bay State employers oppose legal pot sales

BOSTON – Almost two-thirds of Bay State employers oppose legalizing retail marijuana sales, according to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, one of the largest business advocacy groups in the region. Of the employers who responded to the organization's monthly Business Confidence Index Survey, 62 percent said they would vote

Massachusetts

Most Americans see illegal drugs as a big problem

LYNN, Mass. (AP) – Sharon Johnson calls herself an addict, although she's been sober for three years now. She started by smoking pot and eventually moved to crack cocaine. Her daughter has tried heroin and "I believe I'm going to pull her out of the gutter