Health

The head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy visited Indiana this week to talk with state leaders about the opioid crisis. Drug Czar Jim Carroll says that he wants to share with other states and the federal government what led to a recent drop in overdose deaths in Indiana. 

U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) says he supports President Donald Trump’s proposal to import low-cost prescription drugs from Canada.

Meth – this is the drug the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse says needs more attention.

The commission met Thursday to discuss the emerging drug, in a shift that comes after years of statewide focus on the opioid epidemic. A recent preliminary Centers for Disease Control report shows promising signs that the opioid epidemic may be slowing.

An Indiana scientist has been awarded $21 million from the U.S Department of Veteran Affairs to study chronic low back pain in veterans. Researchers say they hope to find innovative solutions to a widespread issue. 

The National Federation of the Blind filed a lawsuit in federal district court against the Indiana state agency that handles Medicaid benefits. The lawsuit alleges the state agency has committed “systemic violations of the civil rights of blind Indiana residents.” 

Four Midwestern states have infant mortality rates “significantly higher” than the U.S. average, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control says.

On Aug. 1, Indiana began a new state policy to help people stop smoking. Now, most Hoosiers can now get smoking cessation medications straight from a pharmacist. State leaders hope this will combat Indiana's high smoking rate.