Addiction & Recovery News

Breaking developments in drug policy, overdose prevention, and addiction treatment in New York.

New York's Cannabis Treatment System Is Collapsing Just as Youth Need It Most

As New York legalizes adult cannabis use, the state's treatment infrastructure for young people struggling with marijuana addiction is shrinking. Admissions have fallen by half in eight years, emergency departments lack linkage programs, and pediatricians aren't trained to spot the problem.

April 8, 20267 min read

news cannabis treatment

New York's Cannabis Treatment Admissions Dropped 50% While ER Visits Doubled—And Young People Are Falling Through the Cracks

Cannabis treatment admissions in New York have dropped 50% since 2016, even as marijuana-related emergency department visits have more than doubled. Young people struggling with high-potency cannabis face a treatment system that wasn't designed for them—and the state is scrambling to catch up.

April 7, 20268 min read

news policy federal

White House Budget Proposes 12% Cut to Health Agency Funding Addiction Treatment Nationwide

The Trump administration's fiscal 2027 budget would slash federal health funding by 12.5%, consolidating and eliminating programs at SAMHSA that fund addiction treatment across New York. Congress has final say, but the proposal creates immediate uncertainty for providers.

April 6, 20267 min read

news naloxone harm-reduction

NYC Honors Public Health Worker Behind Naloxone Vending Machines That Distributed 4,500 Overdose Kits

New York City recognized a dozen public servants for innovative projects that improve city services. Among the winners: Roxanne Anderson, who launched vending machines that dispense free naloxone, syringes, and harm reduction supplies across the city.

April 3, 20264 min read

policy insurance federal

Federal Insurance Rule for Addiction Treatment Coverage Now Under Review—What It Means for New Yorkers

The Justice Department announced Friday that three federal agencies will reconsider Biden-era rules guaranteeing equal insurance coverage for addiction and mental health treatment. The move suspends an ERISA lawsuit indefinitely and raises questions about federal enforcement—but New York's own parity protections remain in effect.

April 1, 20268 min read

news opioid funding

New York Airs Statewide Documentary Showing Where Billions in Opioid Settlement Funds Are Going

A new 30-minute documentary produced by OASAS is airing statewide this month, revealing where hundreds of millions in opioid settlement dollars are going—and putting faces to the crisis through personal stories of loss, survival, and recovery.

March 30, 20267 min read

news naloxone policy

New York Just Became First State to Require Naloxone in Workplace First Aid Kits

Employers who maintain first aid kits under federal OSHA rules will soon be required to include naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug. The law takes effect December 13, 2026.

March 27, 20264 min read

news policy naloxone

New York Now Requires Naloxone in Workplace First Aid Kits. Here's What Employers Need to Know.

AB 9453 expands workplace safety requirements across New York, mandating naloxone in first aid supplies at thousands of worksites by the end of 2026.

March 26, 20264 min read

news policy opioid

Federal Government Moves to Ban Synthetic Opioid Sold in Gas Stations Before It Triggers the Next Addiction Crisis

Federal regulators are racing to ban a synthetic opioid that's been sold legally in convenience stores and vape shops across the country. The substance, 7-hydroxymitragynine—known as 7-OH—is a concentrated byproduct of the kratom plant that officials say is as addictive as heroin and more potent than morphine.

March 25, 20268 min read

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