The opioid epidemic in 6 essential reads
Drug deaths are rising faster than ever. How did we get here and what to do about it?
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Heroin
Displaying 1 - 20 of 35 articles
Why South Africa should follow Portugal and decriminalise drug use
Portugal won the war on drugs by giving up. What lessons can South Africa learn from their approach?
Southeast Asia’s war on drugs doesn’t work – here’s what does
As in other parts of the world, the war on drugs in Southeast Asian countries has huge social, moral and medical costs. Now, an approach that places harm reduction at its centre is gaining support.
First UK ‘fixing room’ could be turning point in approach to treating addicts
Safer drug consumption rooms can cut overdose deaths and reduce public nuisance. Other countries use them – isn't it time the UK did too?
Drugs fatalities overtake car fatalities for the first time
Opiates have emerged as a significant threat to public health in the UK.
Despite national efforts to fight addiction, states can tailor – and trim – programs
The Senate passed a bill July 13 to address the opioid epidemic. Georgia recently passed a bill that would limit rather than expand the number of treatment centers. Could others follow suit?
Opioid crisis: How did we get here?
As congressional leaders today discuss legislation to curb the opioid epidemic, we look at three articles that explain how it happened and one that suggests some solutions.
Weekly Dose: methadone, the most effective treatment for heroin dependence
Methadone is used mainly to treat dependence on heroin, but also other prescription drugs. It is sometimes used to treat severe chronic pain.
Junk – the book that launched the young adult novel
A book about drug addiction and prostitution aimed at 'young adults' was a very daring thing 20 years ago.
Weekly dose: treating heroin dependence with heroin
Heroin was used medically in Australia for coughs and pain relief until 1953.
Should the UK legalise cannabis?
The UK may have signed the UN drugs convention – with its emphasis on prohibition – but that doesn't mean it can't legalise the drug.
Not everyone who takes painkillers for fun is an addict; some have just found a different way to cope
We don't know enough about the people who use painkillers non-medically to make the judgement that there is a natural transition from legal to illicit drug use.
Humanizing the heroin epidemic: a photo essay
Hoping to avoid the pitfalls and tropes of drug genre photography, documentary photographer Aaron Goodman spent a year following three addicts enrolled in a heroin-assisted treatment program.
Roots of opioid epidemic can be traced back to two key changes in pain management
We are witnessing widespread abuse of legal, prescribed drugs that, while structurally similar to illicit opioids such as heroin, are used for sound medical practices. So how did we get here?
The five most addictive substances on Earth – and what they do to your brain
Be careful: many of us have tried at least two of them.
Why Australia needs drug consumption rooms
With use of drugs such as ice on the rise, drug consumption rooms are now being set up in Europe to provide supervised inhalation.
From the clinic to the street: How the explosion in prescription painkillers has created more heroin users
Why have the demographics of heroin use changed so much? For that, we can look to dramatic increase in prescriptions for opioid painkillers, such as Oxycontin or Vicodin.
Explainer: what is naloxone and how can it help save drug users who overdose?
Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, is a medicine that temporarily reverses the effects of opioid drugs such as heroin, morphine and oxycodone.
Choose life, choose a job, choose a sequel … do we need Trainspotting 2?
Danny Boyle's pop heroin fable defined an era and made the careers of everyone involved. Here are a few reasons to be wary of the sequel - and a possible happy ending.
The stigma against people who use heroin makes it harder for them to get help
Stigma toward heroin use might prevent a lot of people from using the drug, but these attitudes don't help people who are dependent.
Top contributors
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Emeritus Consultant, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst
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Associate Professor of Sociology, Bentley University
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Lecturer in Mental Health, University of York
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Lecturer in Crimimology and Social Policy, Loughborough University
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Professor and Director of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW
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Emeritus Professor, University of Melbourne
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Professor and Director, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University
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Professor of Criminology, Western Sydney University
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Professor at the National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW
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Doctor in Politics at University of Oxford and Visiting Fellow at the American University of Beirut, University of Oxford
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Executive Director, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute
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Professor of Emergency Medicine and Community Health Sciences, Boston University
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Hon. Professor Drug Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
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Assistant Professor of Population Health, New York University Langone Medical Center
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Professor of Social Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
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