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A powerful veterinary sedative called medetomidine is rapidly reshaping the overdose crisis in Philadelphia and placing new strain on hospitals and treatment systems, according to the New York Times.   Unlike prior waves of the crisis, this crisis is not defined solely by fatal overdoses but by severe, life-threatening withdrawal. Medetomidine, which is increasingly mixed into the illicit fentanyl supply, causes extreme sedation shortly after use. When it wears off, withdrawa

On January 20, 2026, the Senate released a “minibus” legislation appropriation package that included four spending bills, including the  fiscal year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor HHS). The Labor HHS bill provides key funding for substance use and mental health agencies and programs across the country. The Senate proposal reflects continued bipartisan support for community-based prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts, w

You are invited to attend Responding to Addiction, an in-person training designed to deepen understanding of addiction and build practical skills to support individuals and families. The training will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, at Springfield Assembly of God on Canton Road in Akron, Ohio. Created by the Addiction Policy Forum, Responding to Addiction is a comprehensive training that equips participants with evidence-based knowledge and re

On January 14th, the White House reversed a $2 billion cut to federal grants supporting addiction treatment, overdose prevention, and mental health services, after widespread concern from lawmakers, providers, and grantees across the country. Earlier this week, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grantees were notified that their grants would be abruptly terminated, effective immediately. The notices cited “non-alignment with SAMHSA priorities”

On January 13th, the Trump administration sent letters abruptly terminating thousands of federal grants supporting addiction treatment, overdose prevention, and mental health services. These termination letters took effect immediately and apply to hundreds of programs nationwide administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). While the full scope of the cuts remains unclear, sources told NPR they estimate that more than 2,000 grants tot

Source: University of Michigan The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the University of Michigan published new data from the Monitoring the Future Study, an annual survey of drug use behaviors and attitudes among eighth, 10th, and 12th graders that has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 51 years. The latest findings  show that adolescent substance use in the United States remains at historically low levels.  The 2025 survey included 23,726