The AP (4/29, Balsamo) reported from Los Angeles, CA that “the Twin Towers Correctional Facility is home to about 4,000” inmates with mental illness, about 30% of the inmate population there. That increase in prisoners with mental illness “has led the sheriff’s department to adapt its policies as deputies and clinicians work to treat people dealing with both psychiatric disorders and substance abuse.”

In fact, “over the past year,” the Los Angeles County “sheriff’s department has rolled out new training programs that focus on de-escalating potentially violent situations and teach deputies to handle mentally ill inmates…said” Kelly Harrington, “the assistant sheriff in Los Angeles who oversees the county jail system.” What’s more, “county officials have launched a program to transition” inmates with mental illness and comorbid “substance abuse problems to continue their treatment in community programs so they don’t return to a life of crime to get quick cash to buy drugs.”

Related Links:

— “SPIKE IN MENTALLY ILL LA JAIL INMATES LEADS TO NEW POLICIES,” MICHAEL BALSAMO, Associated Press, April 29, 2017.

The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Shellenbarger, Subscription Publication) reports it can be beneficial for parents to talk with their children about their own experimentation with drugs or alcohol. According to Marcia Lee Taylor, president of the non-profit Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, children who learn about the dangers of risky behavior from their parents are less likely to engage in that behavior themselves. While some parents avoid the topic at all, another common mistake is offering too many details. In addition, Wendie Lubic, an instructor for the Parent Encouragement Program, advises parents to avoid glorifying their experiences or overemphasizing the dangers.

Related Links:

— “Should You Tell Your Teen You Tried Alcohol or Drugs?,” Sue Shellenbarger, Wall Street Journal, April 25, 2017.

Healio (4/25, Miller) reports, “The likelihood of chronic opioid use in patients increased with each additional day of medication supplied starting with the third day and saw sharper increases as time went on,” researchers found after studying some “1.2 million patient records randomly chosen from the IMS Lifelink+ database.” The findings were published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Related Links:

— “Risk for chronic opioid use can be triggered in as little as three days,” Shah A, et al., Healio, April 25, 2017.

The Huffington Post has published a guide for parents preparing to send their children off to college for the first time. As stated in the article, over four million new students enroll each year, and, considering mental illnesses peak at the ages of 18-21, it’s good for parents and children to know resources and options at this critical time. The checklist includes preparation, planning, staying in touch, confronting stigma, and more.

We feel this is an important checklist and have featured it on our Links and Publications page.

Related Links:

— “College Mental Health: A Checklist for Parents,” Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, PhD, Huffington Post, March 3, 2017.

NBC News (4/24, Fox) reports online that opioid deaths may be higher than report because opioids suppress the immune system and can result in infection deaths, researchers suggested at a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meeting on Monday. CDC field officer Victoria Hall found 59 examples of such cases in Minnesota’s Unexplained Death surveillance system. According to Hall, 22 of the “deaths involved toxic opioid levels.”

CNN (4/24, Scutti) reports online that Hall conceded the data could not indicate “what percent we are underestimating,” but she insisted that “we know we are missing cases.”

Related Links:

— “http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/deaths-infections-may-be-masking-opioid-deaths-n750336,” MAGGIE FOX, NBC News, April 24, 2017.