A report recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that kratom, a widely available herbal supplement, was found to be the a cause of at least 91 overdose deaths in the U.S. between 2016 and 2017.Kratom, which has been marketed...
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a new study1 that confirms an increase in drug overdose deaths in 2017 compared with the previous year. The study reveals that of the 70,237 drug overdose deaths in 2017, 47,600 (67.8 percent) involved opioids, representing...
Read MoreThe Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that a person on probation with a condition to remain drug-free may be put in jail after one positive drug test. This case has been watched closely by many who work with people struggling with substance use disorder,...
Read MoreMuch of drug testing, particularly in the criminal justice arena, relies on classic urine testing. These tests are the historical go-to tests because they are quick and can check for a large number of illicit and abused substances. However, there is a tendency to over-interpret...
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The use of plant materials to relieve suffering, treat illness or in religious ceremonies has a long history. Occasionally, the Industry News section will look more closely at the history of a substance to help create context around pharmaceuticals that are a standard drug of...
Read MoreClinical toxicology testing helps clinicians and case workers help patients by providing critical information about substances in a patient’s system. There are two main testing platforms: qualitative (meaning the test is either positive or negative) and quantitative (meaning the test measures drug concentration). Screening (also...
Read More1. Ethyl glucuronide is a direct, minor metabolite that can be used as a biomarker for ethanol exposure. Like any other toxin, ethanol is excreted from the body in a variety of ways. These include:Direct excretion of ethanol (5–10%) in urine, sweat and breathMetabolic excretion by...
Read More[vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text disable_pattern="true" align="left" margin_bottom="0"]According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 1.2 million people reported using methamphetamine in the year leading up to the survey, and 440,000 people reported using it within the past month. As methamphetamine use in the...
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