Spurred by opioid epidemic, new pain drugs may lower the risk of overdose and addiction

As the opioid crisis continues to ravage U.S. communities, scientists and drug companies have intensified their efforts to develop safer and less addictive pain medications. Now, multiple research groups are claiming progress in devising novel opioids—or alternatives—that seem to offer pain relief with far less risk of addiction or of the opioi...

Eli Lilly employees visit for day of service

A group of employees from Eli Lilly and Company visited Fairbanks on Thursday, Sept. 27, for a day of service. Their work included a deep cleaning of Fairbanks’ Recovery Center and cafeteria, as well as at Hope Academy, the recovery high school at Fairbanks. Check out their work in the accompanying photos. Thank you to Eli Lilly and Compan...

For the elderly, when is opioid prescription worth the risk?

Jordyn Hermani of the Indianapolis Star reports that in Indiana, less than 1 percent of Hoosiers age 65 and older — 115 of the 18,312 diagnosed opiate use disorder patients in 2017 — suffer from opiate use disorder. Addiction is defined by continuously taking an opioid for more than three months. While that number is smaller than among oth...

It’s time to measure addiction recovery rates, not just addiction rates

Lost among the headlines of opioid addiction and overdose deaths are the many quiet stories of recovery. An estimated 22 million Americans— that includes the three of us — are in recovery from opioid and other addictions. We say “estimated” because states and the federal government don’t track recovery like they track addiction rates or ...

Fact or fiction? Five myths about addiction

As National Recovery Month, now in its 29th year, comes to an end, Fairbanks Treatment and Recovery Center continues its work to shatter the myths about substance abuse disorders and addiction. With a spotlight on addiction, it is no surprise that over time the public’s perceptions and understanding of this disease have morphed to include several...