According to the latest report, suicide “was the leading cause of death” among Alaskans aged 10 to 64 years old. From 2012 to 2017, Alaska has alternated in having either the first- or second-highest rates of suicide nationwide.
Alcohol & Substance Abuse
Report: Arrest rates for most drug crimes down for last three decades
According to a recent fact sheet released by the Alaska Justice Information Center, arrest rates for most drug crimes in Alaska have fallen over the past three decades.
Is testing Juneau’s student athletes for drugs and alcohol effective?
Random drug testing has been mandatory for Juneau School District’s high school athletes since 2009. But among administrators, students, parents, and coaches, there doesn’t seem to be a consensus about its purpose or its effectiveness.
When a step back into prison is really a jump forward on the road to recovery
Alexandria Niksik has been in and out of prison for seven years. Her most recent return home only lasted 16 days. But what might look like failure from the outside is actually a key step toward success and recovery from alcohol misuse.
Medicaid decision allows more beds for substance abuse treatment
Medicaid has an old rule that says it won’t pay for substance abuse treatment if a facility has more than 16 beds. Now, as it faces an opioid epidemic, Alaska can ignore that restriction.
State asks for new housing units to help Alaskans in recovery
Alaska has seen a dramatic rise in opioid abuse over the last several years, with over 100 fatal overdoses attributed to opioids last year.