By Richard Halstead rhalstead@marinij.com Marin officials are hoping that analysis of local wastewater will become an effective tool in addressing a surge of drug overdoses in the county, just as it was in stemming the spread of COVID-19. In early February, the Marin public health office began testing samples collected weekly at the Central Marin…
By Adithi Ramakrishnan | The Dallas Morning News To combat the fentanyl epidemic in the United States, researchers at the University of Houston have created a fentanyl vaccine that could help prevent overdoses. They aim to test the vaccine in a human trial within the next year. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug that kills…
By: Nikki Silverstein | Jan 31, 2023 Trevor Leopold would have turned 22 on Jan. 30. Instead, he’s “forever 18,” his mother says. When Greenbrae resident Michelle Leopold received the news that her 18-year-old son died in his Sonoma State University dorm room, she didn’t need to wait for the coroner’s report to know what…
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) applauds provisions included in the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-328) that will significantly expand access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The act, signed into law by President Biden on Dec. 29, 2022, amended the Controlled Substances Act to eliminate the requirement for qualified…
Helping those you care about during challenging times TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 5:30-7:00 PM at the Mill Valley COMMUNITY CENTER (free event) Heart of the Village in partnership with the Marin County Suicide Prevention Collaborative invites you to join in this unique, transformative experience. An evening of discussion and role playing on peer-to-peer support with mental…
The animal tranquilizer xylazine, which has been linked to severe wounds and amputations, has been detected in nearly 40 states. VICE | Manisha Krishnan November 15, 2022 After two years of sobriety, Allie Gramlich began using drugs again in April. This time around, Philadelphia’s street opioid supply was infiltrated with tranq or tranq dope, a…
NBC 4 | December 27, 2022 A new law that takes effect Jan. 1, 2023 aims to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths at public colleges and universities in California. The Campus Opioid Safety Act Senate Bill 367 requires the California Department of Public Health to provide updated life-saving education and federally approved opioid overdose reversal medication –…
By Josh Campbell | CNN Wed December 28, 2022 It was every parent’s worst nightmare. Two days after Christmas 2020, Chris Didier went into his son Zach’s bedroom in their home near Sacramento. The accomplished student, school theater actor and athlete was unresponsive at his desk – his head lying on his arm. “I could feel…
BY ALEX N. GECANAGECAN@MARINIJ.COM Marin County has opened its emergency shelter for homeless residents as a series of storms descends on the Bay Area. Emergency agencies have begun passing out sandbags and warning residents in low-lying areas that more flooding could be on the way. A flood watch will be in effect from Friday evening…
Names are read at annual San Rafael remembrance By Richard Halstead rhalstead@marinij.com Marin’s homeless community paused this week to remember those who died while living on the streets. A memorial hosted by the San Rafael-based Street Chaplaincy held Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael featured a reading of the names of 21 people…