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The United States has the highest rate of drug overdose deaths out of 30 countries, according to a new report from the health nonprofit the Commonwealth Fund. Overdose deaths in the U.S. dipped slightly around 2018 after a years-long rise. But those deaths began to rise again in 2019 and shot up during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  (O'Connell-Domenech, 1/9)

Kentucky will receive $110 million to settle its lawsuit accusing one of the nation’s largest grocery chains of helping fuel the opioid epidemic, the state’s attorney general said Thursday. The state will use the money it is getting in its settlement with The Kroger Co. to combat an addiction that has ravaged communities and given the state some of the nation’s highest overdose death rates. (Schreiner, 1/9)

A new study questioned the clinical utility of an algorithm meant to predict opioid use disorder (OUD) risk based on 15 genetic variants. The variants are used in the AvertD test, which the FDA approved in December 2023 to predict opioid addiction risk. (George, 1/9)

Americans are drinking more as they hit midlife — and suffering the consequences. People between the ages of 35 and 50 reported record-high levels of binge drinking in 2022. One recent study found that the greatest increase in heavy alcohol use between 2018 and 2022 was among people in their 40s. Doctors are particularly concerned about rising alcohol consumption among middle-aged women, as more of them develop alcohol-related liver and heart disease. (Blum, 1/9)

Excessive alcohol use is often unrecognized and underreported by patients. To that end, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening adults for unhealthy alcohol use in primary care settings and offering those engaged in risky drinking with brief behavioral counseling interventions. Brief counseling interventions can range from feedback on the patient’s screener to a conversation about the impacts of excessive alcohol use on health to a plan to reduce alcohol use, with a referral as needed. The American Medical Association (AMA), too, makes clear that physicians should establish routine alcohol screenings. Despite this, not all doctors regularly screen—and even those who do may not intervene with patients who need it. (Gliadkovskaya, 1/9)