Scott Itano News Today

Ohios overdose crisis has been heavily linked to the use of prescription painkillers or heroin, but it is not the case anymore. Health officials now warn historic levels of overdose deaths are being exacerbated by the availability of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, a potent and deadly synthetic drug. Shabbir Imber Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, said fake pills are being sold as prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, the anxiety drug Xanax, and stim...

Online sales of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl are on the rise, and experts say social media apps like Snapchat and TikTok are driving the surge, including in Tennessee. Shabbir Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, said an alarming number of counterfeit prescription drug pills containing fentanyl are being bought online by teens and young adults. "And in fact, just in the last four years, weve tracked fatalities in 19 different states f...

Hundreds of Ohio teens join together today to bust myths about teenage substance use. The "We Are The Majority" rally promotes the fact that most young people do not use drugs or alcohol. Over the past ten years, thousands of young Ohioans have gathered at the Statehouse for the rally, but it will be virtual for a third year due to COVID. ...

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, highlighting serious consequences of drinking too much. Excessive alcohol use contributes to more than 95,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. ...