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Several advocacy groups are blasting a Food and Drug Administration proposal to work with a Denver Health surveillance system for monitoring misuse of prescription opioids over long-standing ties the operation has to the pharmaceutical industry. (Silverman, 1/4)

Massachusetts could soon become the latest state to legalize small strips of paper for detecting whether street drugs contain fentanyl, the fast-acting and highly potent synthetic opioid driving the overdose crisis. For years, those who carried or distributed fentanyl test strips could be arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. ... On Thursday, the state Senate voted unanimously to approve legislation that would legalize the test strips. (Serres, 1/4)

According to the CDC, Pennsylvania has one of the highest overdose death rates when it comes to xylazine. It's an animal tranquilizer that's being used with drugs like heroin and fentanyl. The state Department of Health said xylazine contributed to more than 640 deaths in 2022. That's a 1,000% increase from 2018.  CDC data shows Pennsylvania as one of the highest states for overdose deaths with xylazine detected. ... Xylazine, or "tranq," is presenting challenges as naloxone is not bringing people out of overdoses. (Hoffman, 1/4)

For the past 30 years, if Daniel Costa was sober for the holidays, it was because he was in jail. This year everything is different ... thanks to a new substance-use treatment program called Rewarding Recovery. The Rewarding Recovery program uses a treatment approach called “contingency management,” where drug users are rewarded with gift cards for attending counseling sessions and staying sober. Despite proof of its efficacy in treating stimulant addiction in research trials, contingency management remains controversial. (Cheng, 1/4)

Access to medical marijuana in Kentucky should expand to include a longer list of severe health conditions, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday in advocating a change that would make hundreds of thousands more people eligible for treatment when the program begins next year. The measure passed by the GOP-led legislature in 2023 specified that the eligible conditions include cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea and post-traumatic stress disorder. (Schreiner, 1/4)

A recently released study by the New England Journal of Medicine concludes that cessation of alcoholic beverage consumption reduces the risk of several cancer diseases. "Even a single glass per week is sufficient to increase the risk for several types of cancer that are not related to the liver," said Dr. Mike Cusnir, Chief Oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, in Miami Beach. He echoes the results of the recent study about alcohol and cancer, which includes beer, wine and hard liquor. Basically, the data says "No safe amount." (Taylor, 1/4)

Going sober for Dry January has been popular for years — but if you're intentionally drinking less (but not nothing) this month, there's another term for that: Damp January. Limiting alcohol can have a number of physical and mental health benefits, but Damp January isn't a fit for everyone. (Mallenbaum, 1/4)