Each week the Office of the Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging releases a Friday newsletter with information relevant to activities, issues and events for older Pennsylvanians and persons with disabilities across the Commonwealth.
Overdose deaths are soaring among women over 30
“Drug overdose deaths among women ages 30 to 64 are soaring, according to a new CDC analysis of data from 1999 to 2017. Here’s a look at the findings:
- The drug data: The rate of drug overdose deaths involving any opioid rose 492 percent during that time. Deaths involving heroin rose 915 percent; benzodiazepines 830 percent; cocaine 285 percent; and antidepressants 176 percent.
- The age breakdown: Overdose deaths climbed most dramatically — nearly 500 percent — among women ages 55 to 64. In 2017, overdose deaths rates were highest among women ages 50 to 54.
- The takeaway: “Overdose deaths continue to be unacceptably high, and targeted efforts are needed to reduce the number of deaths in this evolving epidemic, including those among middle-aged women,” the authors write.
SOURCE: STAT | Morning Rounds
Drug Overdose Deaths Among Women Aged 30–64 Years — United States, 1999–2017
“What’s behind our appetite for self-destruction?” – The Conversation
“There seems be an attractive quality to things that are ostensibly unhealthy or dangerous.” Alisusha/Shutterstock.com
“Each new year, people vow to put an end to self-destructive habits like smoking, overeating or overspending.
“And how many times have we learned of someone – a celebrity, a friend or a loved one – who committed some self-destructive act that seemed to defy explanation? Think of the criminal who leaves a trail of evidence, perhaps with the hope of getting caught, or the politician who wins an election, only to start sexting someone likely to expose him.
“Why do they do it?”
Click here to continue reading this Conversation article about the nature of destructive behaviors.
“A visual journey through addiction” – The New York Times
PHOTO: Center on Addiction.org
“THE FINAL TRAP of addiction is laid when you muster the courage to stop. You may not even realize you are physically dependent until you experience withdrawal for the first time.
“There might be crippling pain, vomiting, insomnia, spasms, hot and cold flashes, goosebumps, congestion and tears. All this on top of debilitating anxiety and depression.
“You might feel like you’re having the worst flu of your life, or like a demon is crawling out of your skin.
“This misery could last for weeks.
“Dying from withdrawal is uncommon, but it doesn’t feel that way at the time. These harsh symptoms can make quitting seem impossible.”
Click here to read and experience the “A visual journey through addiction” at The New York Times
Friday Wrap-Up, December 14, 2018 | a message from the Secretary of Aging
Each week the Office of the Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging releases a Friday newsletter with information relevant to activities, issues and events for older Pennsylvanians and persons with disabilities across the Commonwealth..
Click here download the newsletter as a .pdf file.
“Pennsylvania sees significant rise in heroin overdoses among people 55 and older” – The Morning Call
“More and more older Pennsylvanians are hospitalized for heroin overdoses, according to a state report released Wednesday.” (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)
by Binghui Huang, Contact Reporter of The Morning Call
“A survey released Wednesday shows a troubling rise in the number of Pennsylvanians 55 and older being hospitalized for heroin overdoses, an increase that several public health officials linked to the deadly opioid epidemic sweeping the state.
“But, they cautioned, additional study needs to be done to explain why more older adults are resorting to heroin.
“According to the survey by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, the heroin overdose hospitalization rate among those 55 and older increased 36 percent from 2016 to 2017, the greatest increase of any age group.”
Click here to read this Morning Call article in its entirety.
“Child pornography may make a comeback after court ruling guts regulations protecting minors” – The Conversation
“The porn industry has long placed an emphasis on young girls. Reuters/Russell Boyce”
“A federal appeals court judge just made it a lot easier for the pornography industry to abuse and exploit children for profit.
“The Aug. 3 legal decision, which has received far less media attention that it deserves, represents the most significant blow to opponents of child porn in decades. We believe it could lead to a sharp increase in the number of underage performers being exploited due to the removal of legal oversight and penalties for uploading or distributing images that feature minors.
“We’ve been studying the business of porn for years, as scholars, advocates and experts in legal battles. In fact, we provided expert testimony in 2013 in a related court case and endured two hours of grilling from the judge and porn industry lawyers.
“The industry is now celebrating its landmark victory.”
Click here to read this article in its entirety at The Conversation.
Friday Wrap-Up, August 10, 2018 | a message from the Secretary of Aging
The Secretary opens this week’s Wrap-Up with discussion about grandparents coping with children affected by the opioid crisis … their grandchildren.
She and the Governor the governor met with “several area grandparents who have, quite unexpectedly and very unceremoniously, found themselves parenting for the second time around as a direct result of the opioid epidemic. An estimated 82,000 grandparents are the sole caregivers for nearly 89,000 grandchildren in Pennsylvania, and that number is increasing across the commonwealth due to the opioid crisis.”
Each week the Office of the Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging releases a Friday newsletter with information relevant to activities, issues and events for older Pennsylvanians and persons with disabilities across the Commonwealth.
Click here download the newsletter as a .pdf file.
“Study links opioid deaths to workplace injuries” – The Boston Globe
“A construction worker atop scaffolding next to the Southeast Expressway.” – JONATHAN WIGGS\GLOBE STAFF
By Felice J. Freyer
“A Massachusetts study released Wednesday sheds light on an overlooked factor driving the opioid crisis: on-the-job injuries.
“The report found that construction workers, farmers, fishermen, and others employed in workplaces where injury is common die of opioid overdoses at rates five or six times greater than the average worker.
“Having little job security or sick pay — as is often the case in high-injury occupations — was also linked to higher rates of overdose deaths, according to the study by the state Department of Public Health.”
