Pharmaceuticals end up in water supply, AZ experts suggest better tracking

PHOENIX – The Arizona health community distributed 305 million pain reliever pills last year – enough to provide 24-hour medication for every adult in the state for two weeks straight, according to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.


AZ health official: $3.6 million federal grant jump starts opioid awareness efforts in six counties

PHOENIX – State officials said federal funding has helped jump start awareness campaigns and drug monitoring efforts to combat the prescription drug epidemic in six of Arizona’s 15 counties.


State excludes veterinarians from prescription drug database requirement

PHOENIX – Veterinarians must register with the Drug Enforcement Administration before they can prescribe narcotics. They must go through extensive training on how to treat animals in pain. And they must keep tight controls on the narcotics they keep in the office.


January 3, 2017: Health Special

Cronkite News special: Protecting your health and your way of life


Hundreds of sober living homes in Prescott face new rules

PRESCOTT – Their three-bedroom house in Prescott is nearly empty: a blank slate for three young men looking to start over. At night, they work restaurant jobs. During the day, they sit on the front porch, smoke cigarettes and try to resist a relapse.


Alternative treatments to painkillers making inroads

PHOENIX - Joyce Rash, who lives in Canada but spends her winters in Arizona, was using muscle relaxers and traditional physical therapy to help with her leg pain, but they weren’t working.


Trainers turn focus to preventing injuries, not treating them with painkillers

FLAGSTAFF - Joshua Johnson’s title at Northern Arizona University reads athletic trainer. But he calls himself a “performance enhancer.”


Former NFL players seek game-changer to painkillers

BOULDER, Colo. – It’s been nearly 10 years since Jake Plummer retired from football. He still experiences soreness and pain from his neck and shoulders to the soles of his feet.


In his own words: Former Sun Rex Chapman opens up about his battle with addiction

LEXINGTON, Ky. – “When you’ve made the decision to go to rehab, you’re gonna go in there guns blazing,” said Rex Chapman, a Phoenix Suns guard from 1996 to 2000 who later spent time in the team’s front office. “Meaning you’re gonna take probably more (drugs) than you normally take because this is your last hurrah for a long time, maybe ever.”


If Obamacare goes away, coverage will stay – for the moment

WASHINGTON - More than 100,000 people rushed to sign up for Obamacare on the day after the election, despite President-elect Donald Trump's promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act in his first 100 days in office - or perhaps because of it.


Football participation in Arizona high schools on the rise despite concussion concerns

PHOENIX - In many parts of the country, high schools are shutting down football programs because of falling participation numbers. Growing concern about concussions is believed to be one reason for the drop, according to Bob Gardner, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations.


Helmet improvement not perfect solution to concussions

PHOENIX - A Cronkite News survey of high schools in Maricopa County found that many are willing to invest in the highest-quality football helmets in order to ensure the safety of their players.