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NOTE: Amendment to last week's article about X-Waiver.
 Data has shown that polysubstance use is common practice among people who use illicit substances. A study by the Bureau of Justice Assistance Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) reports it is inadequately understood and poorly defined. In a national sample, 96 percent of people who were using opioids reported using at least one other non-opioid substance i.e. methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol. The number of opioid overdoses involving an opioid and another narcotic increased 200-fold since 2010 and polysubstance deaths surpassed heroin-only overdoses in 2017 with the trend continuing in 2018. Polysubstance use is reportedly being used to mitigate the effects of stimulants i.e. using alcohol or opioids to counteract the effects of methamphetamine. Other reasons for polysubstance use are to intensify the effects of the drug and/or managing withdrawals from opioids by using substances, such as alcohol or benzodiazepines, to buffer the symptoms. The scarcity of illicit substances in the market due to the COVID-19 pandemic is also an emerging cause for polysubstance use. People are reaching for cheaper more widely available substances in conjunction to hard-to-find expensive drug products. These trends highlight the need for outreach and treatment centers to address the use of multiple substances and produces a call for more research and evaluations to inform effective interventions.
In a settlement with nearly 50 states and the District of Columbia, the consulting giant McKinsey & Company will be paying nearly $600 million for its role in pushing the sale of high-risk opioids. The company is also being forced to make public all documents detailing their work with Purdue Pharma and other opioid producing companies. The majority of the funds will be devoted to harm reduction, treatment and rehabilitative efforts states have employed to combat the opioid epidemic. Indiana will be receiving $12.5 million of the settlement.
 Get Naloxone Now is virtual resource to train people on effectively responding to an opioid overdose crisis. The training is a short and concise 20-minute session. In addition, the website has beneficial information for individuals or anyone who has a loved one experiencing an opioid use disorder.
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