Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com

Rehab.com
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

From Rehab.com, Addiction News Weekly breaks down the most important stories in addiction and recovery. Each episode covers new research, drug trends, and policy changes in a way that’s clear and easy to follow.

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    Alcohol Liver Deaths, a VA Drug Trial, and Mobile Care That Finds You | Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com

    A JAMA review published August 4, 2026 documents that US deaths from alcohol-related liver disease nearly doubled between 1999 and 2022, a figure that complicates recent survey data showing declining alcohol use disorder rates. Rehab.com Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sylvie Stacy explains what the VA's new semaglutide trial actually represents, why three FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder remain underused, and how a network of mobile clinics in Massachusetts is reaching people conventional treatment has missed. Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42406571/ https://www.va.gov/minneapolis-health-care/news-releases/minneapolis-va-medical-center-named-one-of-18-va-sites-to-test-efficacy-of-glp-1-as-treatment-for-alcohol-use/https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/press-releases/expanding-mobile-addiction-clinics

  2. Aug 11

    Cannabis and Youth Trends, According to NSDUH | Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com

    SAMHSA's 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health finds that 21.4 million Americans used cannabis daily or near-daily last year, now surpassing the number who drink at the same frequency. Rehab.com Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sylvie Stacy explains what the absence of FDA-approved medications for cannabis use disorder means for people seeking care, and what the encouraging trends in youth data are missing.Sources: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/nsduh-national-survey-drug-use-and-health/national-releases/2025https://abcnews.com/Health/alcohol-drug-declining-young-americans/story?id=135240157

  3. Aug 4

    Addiction at Work - Testing, Careers, and Job Protections | Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com

    New workplace drug testing data puts close to one in five tested workers positive for drug use in 2025, a University of Pennsylvania study tracks how a first opioid prescription reshapes military careers, and a fast-moving cannabis policy debate is leaving employers without clear guidance on how to act. Rehab.com Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sylvie Stacy explains how opioid-related cognitive changes tend to show up as attendance and conduct problems before any physical symptoms appear, and what that pattern means for clinicians trying to start the right conversation. Sources: https://newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/2026-07-10-One-in-Five-American-Workers-Tested-Had-a-Positive-Hair-Drug-Test-in-2025,-Signaling-Persistent-Long-Term-Substance-Use-Patternshttps://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/opioid-prescriptions-can-lead-to-misuse-and-poor-job-performance/https://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/opioid-prescriptions-can-lead-to-misuse-and-poor-job-performance/https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2026/04/06/cannabis-laws-quietly-creating-6-surprising-workplace-changes-in-2026/

  4. Jul 28

    The Treatment Picture Is Changing | Addiction News Weekly Ep 1.9

    In this episode of Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com, we look at new federal data showing fentanyl overdose deaths fell 22% between 2024 and 2025, new research that reframes what actually drives relapse, and an AI tool already cutting drug test turnaround times in clinical addiction programs. We break down what the numbers mean for people seeking treatment today, then hear from Rehab.com medical officer Dr. Sylvie Stacy on why craving, not mood, is the direct predictor of substance use, and what that means for how treatment should be designed. Sources:https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/releases/20260513.htmlhttps://www.rehab.com/fentanyl-deaths-fell-22-nationwide-cdc-data-showshttps://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2850599

  5. Jul 21

    Fentanyl Tolerance and Teen Awareness | Addiction News Weekly Ep 1.8

    In this episode of Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com, we cover three new developments in the fentanyl crisis. A UCLA-led study puts the first hard numbers on how much illicit fentanyl regular users are actually consuming each day, and the figures go well beyond what addiction treatment protocols were designed to handle. New nationally representative survey data shows that most eighth graders do not see fentanyl as dangerous, even as it drives the majority of adolescent overdose deaths. And SAMHSA has announced more than $281 million in new funding to expand medication-assisted treatment and first responder training. But what does extreme fentanyl tolerance actually mean for patients trying to start treatment? We break down all three stories, then hear from Rehab.com medical officer Dr. Sylvie Stacy on how the tolerance findings play out in clinical practice, why standard methadone doses often fall short today, and what it takes to adapt care as the drug supply keeps shifting. Sources: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037687162600205Xhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42412427/https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/20260706/samhsa-announces-more-than-281m-funding-address-addiction-overdose-mental-illness-promote-recovery

  6. Jul 14

    How Opioids Take Hold, and What Helps People Stay in Treatment | Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com

    In this episode of Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com, three new opioid studies land in the same week: the largest review of opioids for acute pain finds they work less than expected, brain scans reveal memory-related changes in people with opioid use disorder, and a major cohort study shows why serious mental illness makes staying in treatment harder. Rehab.com Medical Officer Dr. Sylvie Stacy breaks down what the findings mean in practice. Sources: Mathieson S, et al. Efficacy and harms of opioid analgesics for acute pain. Drugs. 2026. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40265-026-02284-3Gisev N, et al. Severe mental illness and opioid treatment retention. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2025.

  7. Jul 7

    Catching It Earlier: Screening, Detection, and the Treatment Gap | Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com

    This week: a clinical trial in Nature Medicine finds an NIH-funded AI screening tool cut 30-day hospital readmissions for people with opioid use disorder by 47%, with an estimated $108,000 in savings over eight months at a single Wisconsin hospital. A new $3.5 million NIDA grant to WashU Medicine will study how prenatal opioid exposure shapes long-term brain development in mouse models, comparing two standard treatment approaches head to head. Dr. Sylvie Stacy explains why abruptly stopping opioids during pregnancy is dangerous, and why medication-assisted treatment is the standard of care, not the exception. And a 2026 study in Scientific Reports finds medical students who screened positive for probable gambling disorder reported suicidal thoughts at more than double the rate of their peers, pointing to a treatable condition that rarely shows up in suicide prevention conversations. Sources: ⁠https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03603-z⁠⁠https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/ai-screening-opioid-use-disorder-associated-fewer-hospital-readmissions⁠⁠https://source.washu.edu/2026/06/nih-grant-supports-research-on-brain-development-after-opioid-exposure-in-the-womb/⁠⁠https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-37805-3⁠

  8. Jun 30

    Stimulant Misuse, Teen Cannabis Risk, Psilocybin Use | Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com

    This week: the CDC flags prescription stimulant misuse among college students as an overdose risk, not just an academic shortcut, as counterfeit pills increasingly carry lethal doses of fentanyl. A UC San Diego study of more than 175,000 California students finds teens rank cannabis as the least worrying substance they use, even as high-potency products flood the market and risk perception keeps dropping by twelfth grade. Dr. Sylvie Stacy breaks down what that perception gap means clinically, plus a new national analysis estimating more than 8 million Americans used psilocybin in the past year, mostly outside any clinical setting. And brief hits on a new NIH grant for rural addiction treatment, an NIH-cleared opioid use disorder trial, vaping and cancer risk, and rising depression among young people and lower-income Americans. Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/han/2024/han00510.htmlhttps://today.ucsd.edu/story/teens-view-cannabis-as-less-harmful-than-alcohol-vapes-and-cigaretteshttps://news.illinois.edu/study-millions-in-the-us-report-past-year-psilocybin-use/

  9. Jun 23

    Funding, Access, and What Treatment Looks Like in 2026 | Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com

    This week: SAMHSA announces $40 million in new behavioral health grants, but the money arrives as the agency faces its own staffing and budget questions. A University of Cincinnati study finds that training doctors to treat addiction inside primary care clinics builds confidence and could help close a treatment gap that leaves three out of four people with a substance use disorder without care. Dr. Sylvie Stacy breaks down new research showing that using cannabis in multiple ways, such as smoking, vaping, and edibles in combination, is strongly associated with cannabis use disorder regardless of product type. And a Mayo Clinic protocol achieved zero heavy alcohol relapses in the first year after liver transplant. Plus brief hits on nitrous oxide risks, gaming disorder in kids with ADHD, and addiction risk among unemployed men. Sources: https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/samhsa-announces-funding-opportunities-prevent-addiction-child-trauma-suicide-mental-illness.htmlhttps://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2026/05/n21409116.htmlhttps://doi.org/10.1111/add.70474https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-study-finds-new-post-liver-transplant-protocol-results-in-0-heavy-alcohol-relapse-rate/

  10. Jun 17

    GLP-1 Drugs, Opioids, and Your Brain: What New Research Actually Shows | Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com

    In this episode of Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com, we cover two major studies, both drawn from veteran health records, that are reshaping how we think about addiction treatment and long-term risk. First: could GLP-1 medications like semaglutide reduce the risk of developing a substance use disorder? Then: new research links opioid use disorder to a 56 percent higher risk of dementia, and what that means for treatment today. Dr. Sylvie Stacy breaks down what both studies actually show, who the findings apply to, and what the responsible clinical takeaway is for each. Sources: journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.70163https://www.tfah.org/report-details/pain-in-the-nation-2025/

  11. Apr 28

    New “Less Addictive” Opioid? What the Research Actually Shows | Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com

    In this episode of Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com, we look at new research suggesting a synthetic opioid may provide pain relief with a lower risk of addiction. But what does “less addictive” actually mean? We break down the study and what it shows, then hear from Rehab.com medical officer Dr. Sylvie Stacy on how these findings translate to real-world care, what people often misunderstand, and what risks still remain. Source:https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/new-pain-relief-opioid-could-be-much-less-addictive-than-morphine-rodent-study-finds

  12. Apr 21

    Overdose Deaths Decline, Drug Supply Shifts, Kratom Risks Rise | Addiction News Weekly

    In this episode of Addiction News Weekly by Rehab.com, we break down the latest data showing a decline in U.S. overdose deaths, along with new concerns about an increasingly unpredictable drug supply. We also look at rising kratom-related poisonings and what’s driving the debate around regulation and safety. Sources: https://www.ama-assn.org/health-care-advocacy/advocacy-update/april-10-2026-national-advocacy-update https://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/experts-warn-addiction-policy-is-weak-despite-falling-overdose-deaths/ https://knpr.org/2026-04-12/drug-overdose-deaths-drop-sharply-in-the-u-s-even-as-new-street-drugs-emerge https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/04/06/opioid-overdose-deaths-drug-supply-addiction/ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/13/kratom-poisonings-increase

  • 12 Episodes

About

From Rehab.com, Addiction News Weekly breaks down the most important stories in addiction and recovery. Each episode covers new research, drug trends, and policy changes in a way that’s clear and easy to follow.

Information