Mexican cartels are turning to meth and fentanyl production
Cartels are increasingly turning to huge, industrial-scale labs to churn out synthetic drugs as they shift away from naturally grown drugs like opium and marijuana.
fentanyl
Overdose deaths are so high that the Biden team is embracing ideas once seen as taboo
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra told NPR the U.S. has to do more to help people using illegal drugs survive. "If we want to keep people alive we've got to try everything the evidence says might work."
The DEA Is Warning Of A Rise In Overdose Deaths From Fake Drugs Laced With Fentanyl
In its first public safety alert in six years, the Drug Enforcement Administration says many counterfeit prescription drugs sold online contain a potentially lethal dose of the opioid.
Methamphetamine Deaths Soar, Hitting Black And Native Americans Especially Hard
Newly published U.S. data finds overdose deaths from methamphetamine use more than doubled in recent years. Use of the stimulant among Black Americans surged nearly tenfold.
'We Are Shipping To The U.S.': Inside China's Online Synthetic Drug Networks
China banned fentanyl last year, but an NPR investigation reveals how Chinese vendors continue to market the chemicals used to make the drug on e-commerce and social media sites.
Street Fentanyl Surges In Western U.S., Leading To Thousands Of Deaths
New research shows the use of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl spreading fast in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle. Chinese companies are routing the street drug through cartels in Mexico.
Some Health Workers Suffering From Addiction Steal Drugs Meant For Patients
The Drug Enforcement Agency relies on hospitals to identify nurses and doctors who misuse drugs such as morphine and fentanyl. But "only a fraction of those who are diverting drugs are ever caught."
U.S. Sees Deadly Drug Overdose Spike During Pandemic
"During the pandemic, basically everything is pointed in the wrong direction," says one federal health official, who calls the convergence of COVID-19 and America's addiction crisis "a nightmare."
Built For Counterterrorism, This High-Tech Machine Is Now Helping Fight Fentanyl
Public health officials are adopting a law-enforcement tool, the mass spectrometer, to instantly identify potentially deadly levels of opioids in local drug supplies.
China Jails 9 In Fentanyl Trafficking Case That Began With A Tip From The U.S.
The traffickers were caught with 11.9 kilograms of fentanyl — enough to kill nearly 6 million people, by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's standard.