News & Updates
Reducing harm, saving lives
Somerville is forging ahead on the work to open a supervised consumption site - a safe, clean space where people can use drugs - within city limits. To everyone involved, it comes down to one thing: saving lives. Read more about the why Somerville wants to host the first safe consumption... More
Mandatory Reporting Law Is Harmful for Pregnant People with Substance Use Disorder
Currently in Massachusetts, healthcare providers are mandated to report a person to the Department of Children & Families for suspected abuse or neglect when they give birth to a baby who was exposed to substances designated as "addictive drugs" prenatally. Included in this list of substances are methadone and buprenorphine, More
CARE Unit Faculty Receives Two Awards for Leadership in Substance Use Research, Education
CARE Unit faculty, Dr. Richard Saitz, received the 2021 Educator of the Year Award from the American Society of Addiction Medicine, as well as the trust-funded 2020 James H. Tharp Award. Read more about this accomplishment here.
Polysubstance Use Driving Overdose Deaths in Adolescents and Young Adults
Adolescents and young adults have experienced a nearly 300 percent increase in opioid-related mortality in recent decades due to polysubstance use. Results from a new study by the CARE Unit's Drs. Hadland and Bagley point to the fact that interventions need to start factoring in the growing use of stimulants with... More
Teens, Young Adults With Opioid Addiction Need Greater Access to Medication
Only 1 in 4 young adults and 1 in 21 adolescents receive medications for opioid use disorder. The CARE Unit's Dr. Scott Hadland highlights the need for greater to access to treatment for youth with opioid use disorder. Click here to read more.
Saying It Nicer: Why Language Matters For People With Addiction
Read more about the importance of person-first language in this article featuring CARE Unit's Dr. Rich Saitz here.
New Funding Awarded
Congratulations to the following CARE Unit Faculty who have been awarded new funding between June-October, 2020. A $160,369 award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for a project entitled, “Competitive revision to Stigma, Risk Behaviors and Health Care among HIV-infected Russian People Who Inject Drugs.” Karsten Lunze from... More
Post-coronavirus pandemic, methadone should be just as easy to get
Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, addiction medicine has been transformed and expanded. Read more about this article featuring CARE Unit's Dr. Alex Walley here.
The Pandemic Has Changed Addiction Treatment, Some Hope For Good
WBUR | May 21, 2020 When the coronavirus pandemic hit, 51-year-old Gigi Geary decided to move from Boston to stay with family in a remote area of New Hampshire. She's particularly at risk because she's undergoing cancer treatments, so she wanted to isolate herself as much as possible. Moving to New... More
Daring Origins: Sarah Bagley, MD
Dr. Bagley's work in addiction medicine led to the creation of the groundbreaking CATALYST Clinic. More