Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is the term used to describe newborn experiences of withdrawal after exposure to opioids or other substances in utero (Kondili & Duryea, 2019). An urgent need exists for trained practitioners to serve children with NAS and their families (e.g., Gregory, 2014; Hancock et al., 2017; Health care Cost and…

Because of the long history of anti-drug policing in the United States and the criminalization of substance use, clients who use substances are vulnerable to direct and vicarious experiences of police violence. Consequently, those who use substances may face a greater risk of experiencing symptoms of trauma that counselors should address in…

Objective: Little is known about the extent of student awareness about collegiate recovery communities (CRCs) and of peers in recovery. Participants: A convenience sample of 237 undergraduate students from a diverse major at a private university participated in an anonymous online survey in Fall 2019. Methods: Participants reported whether they…

The opioid epidemic has become a public health crisis; it is important to understand practices Extension educators can use to support affected families. We explored the benefits of a parenting program delivered by Extension educators, the Strengthening Families Program (SFP), for families involved in family treatment court services. Data came from…

Using a case example from a mid-sized town in East Central Indiana, this article illustrates the development and implementation of a community-academic partnership (CAP), a novel approach to addressing substance misuse in local communities. A CAP can be defined as a formal, strategic partnership between the local community and university faculty,…

Higher education leaders and staff have long expressed concern about the impact of student drug use. This includes its effects on learning and mental health and on future job prospects, as well as the serious consequences of addiction and avoidable deaths. However, there has historically been limited understanding of the prevalence of student drug…

Community health workers (CHWs) and peer recovery specialists (PRSs) can play an important role in meeting the health care needs of people with opioid use disorder. Registered apprenticeship programs, an "earn while you learn" approach, can help build a certified workforce of CHWs and PRSs by providing classroom and on-the-job training.…

Adolescence, a transition between childhood and adulthood is viewed as a phase of increased decision making, pressure and understanding one's self. In search of their identity, adolescents experienced peer pressures and tend to engage in social problems such as drug abuse which leads them to believe in expressing their inner selves. Research on…

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs in United States costs over 740 billion yearly (https://www.drugabuse.gov/relatedtopics/trends-statistics, accessed March 2018). However, statistics like this rarely include the toll that alcohol tobacco, and illegal drugs takes on family members,…

Andresen discussed vulnerability as an analytical category in childhood studies and reflected on how the concept could be linked to structural, systemic and individual factors. This article starts by asking what vulnerability is and by examining its relation to agency. It suggests conceptualising agency as a dynamic experience rather than as a…

Using pharmacologic and genetic approaches targeting actin or the actin-driving molecular motor, nonmuscle myosin II (NMII), we previously discovered an immediate, retrieval-independent, and long-lasting disruption of methamphetamine- (METH-) and amphetamine-associated memories. A single intrabasolateral amygdala complex infusion or systemic…

Background: Opioid use has reached epidemic proportions in rural communities in the United States and injection of drugs is commonly used. As a result of shared or reusing needles and syringes, the risk for contracting blood-borne diseases is significantly increased. Rural areas face many social and attitudinal barriers regarding syringe exchange…

Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) are university-sanctioned initiatives for students in recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction. Given the ever-rising rates of alcohol and opioid use and misuse, a great need exists to understand how to provide support for those who are considering recovery or who choose a recovery lifestyle in college.…

Parental substance use disorders negatively impact a child's development both prenatally and postnatally. Caregivers struggling with substance use disorders, and Opioid Use Disorder in particular, often have difficulty accessing appropriate holistic clinical interventions and are at high risk of losing custody of their children due to abuse and…

The progression from prescription opioid (RXO) abuse to RXO addiction is not well understood in adolescents, nor is the progression from RXO addiction to heroin abuse. The purpose of this pilot study was to characterize the development of RXO drug abuse, RXO drug addiction, and heroin abuse in a small cohort of adolescents recovering from opioid…