CNN (6/29, Kounang, McPhillips) reports, “The Biden administration recently declared fentanyl laced with xylazine – an animal sedative commonly known as ‘tranq’ – to be an emerging threat facing the United States, and a new analysis of toxicology reports illustrates its sharp rise,” according to data published June 30 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report reveals that “in June 2022, xylazine was present in nearly 11% of fentanyl overdose deaths, almost a four-fold increase from January 2019, when the combination was present in about 3% of cases.”

NBC News (6/29, Edwards) reports, “Tranq is increasingly found laced in the illegal supply of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid blamed for 70,601 overdose deaths in 2021, according to the” NIDA. This past March, “the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration warned about a growing threat from the drug combination, often called ‘tranq dope,’ saying that the DEA had seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 of 50 states.”

Related Links:

— “Xylazine present in more than 1 in 10 fentanyl overdose deaths in the US,” Deidre McPhillips and Nadia Kounang, CNN, June 29, 2023

CNN (6/28, Rogers) reports, “Opioid medications are one of the most typically prescribed treatments for the worldwide problem of low back pain – but they might not work, a…study has found.” Despite current guidelines from the North American Spine Society recommending limiting their use and a lack of evidence showing “their efficacy in reducing pain, opioid pain relievers are still widely prescribed for people with lower back and neck pain in many countries,” said the study’s senior author. The findings were published in The Lancet.

Related Links:

— “A common treatment for back and neck pain may not work, study suggests,” Kristen Rogers, CNN, June 28, 2023

According to HealthDay (6/28, Murez), obesity may “delay recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury” (TBI), investigators concluded in a study that enrolled “770 patients who had experienced mTBI within 24 hours of their injury.” The participants included people of a healthy weight and those with obesity, all of whom “were followed for a year.” The study found that people with obesity had higher levels of “high sensitivity C-reactive protein” and “interleukin protein six,” both of which “are associated with increased systemic inflammation and promoting inflammation in the body, respectively.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Obesity Could Slow Recovery From a Head Injury,” Cara Murez, HealthDay, June 28, 2023

Psychiatric News (6/28) reports, “Female youth aged 12 to 24 and youth of both sexes aged 14 to 16 living in states with legalized medical marijuana or recreational marijuana between 2000 and 2019 had higher rates of death by suicide than youth in states with no such laws,” researchers concluded in a study that “analyzed data on suicide rates using the 2000-2019 National Vital Statistics System Multiple Cause of Death files for age groups 12-13, 14-16, 17-19, 20-22, and 23-25.” The findings, which included 113,512 deaths by suicide, were published online June 26 ahead of print in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Medical, Recreational Marijuana Legalization Associated With Higher Rates of Youth Suicide, Study Shows,” Psychiatric News, June 28, 2023

According to Psychiatric News (6/27), for the first time, the FDA has “issued draft guidance on conducting clinical trials with psychedelic substances such as psilocybin and MDMA (ecstasy).” The agency now “invites professional feedback to the draft guidance by August 25 to ensure consideration.” The draft guidance document was posted to the FDA’s website.

Related Links:

— “FDA Issues Draft Guidance for Conducting Clinical Trials With Psychedelic Substances,” Psychiatric News, June 27, 2023