opioid crisis

Activists participate in a candlelight vigil calling for an end to the nation's opioid addiction crisis at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., in August 2017.

More than a million Americans have died from overdoses during the opioid epidemic

6:15pm December 30, 2021

by Brian Mann

New research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found roughly 932,000 fatal overdoses from 1999-2020. Preliminary data shows another 100,000 deaths this year.

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Shell neurons (green) project to the breathing center and core neurons (red) project to the pain/emotion center. Brain scientists have found the two are linked, shedding new light on opioid overdoses

Science

A brain circuit linking pain and breathing may offer a path to prevent opioid deaths

6:00am December 22, 2021

by Jon Hamilton

Opioids can kill because they reduce breathing along with pain. Now brain scientists have made a discovery that could lead to potent pain drugs that don't affect breathing.

A drug user prepares to inject himself with heroin inside VANDU's supervised injection room in Vancouver, Canada. Similar sites to the ones implemented in New York have proven successful in Canada.

National

New York City allows the nation's 1st supervised consumption sites for illegal drugs

3:54pm November 30, 2021

Mayor Bill DeBlasio says these overdose prevention centers will "protect the most vulnerable people" in New York City. Similar efforts in other U.S. cities face legal challenges.

Betsy, played by Kaitlyn Dever, and Dr. Samuel Finnix, Michael Keaton, discuss her first Oxy prescription for back pain from a workplace injury.

So you've watched 'Dopesick'. Here's what you can do to help ease the opioid crisis

7:00am November 18, 2021

The Hulu series Dopesick depicts the start of the opioid addiction crisis in the U.S. As the crisis continues to grow, here's how you can help those affected in your community.

Bridget Meyer, played by Rosario Dawson, is in the field investigating pill mills in a recent episode of Hulu's Dopesick.

'Dopesick' casts the Sacklers as villains of the opioid crisis. Reality is complex

4:40pm November 12, 2021

by Brian Mann

Hulu's limited series Dopesick provides a cathartic piece of storytelling for those with connections to the opioid crisis.

In a ruling issued late Monday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter J. Wilson found the companies, including Johnson & Johnson, aren't "legally liable" for the opioid crisis.

National

A California court says drug companies aren't liable for the state's opioid crisis

10:54pm November 01, 2021

by Brian Mann

In a ruling issued late Monday, state superior court Judge Peter J. Wilson found the companies, including Johnson & Johnson, aren't "legally liable" for the opioid crisis.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. says the opioid crisis had disproportionately affected people in his community.

National

The Cherokee Nation Has Agreed To A $75 Million Settlement With Opioid Distributors

4:37pm September 28, 2021

by Brian Mann

Cherokee Nation officials say their community has been disproportionately harmed by the opioid crisis. The drug companies deny any wrongdoing.

Demonstrators scattered fake money and prescription bottles of OxyContin outside of The United States Bankruptcy Court in response to the overdose crisis.

National

The Purdue Pharma Deal Would Deliver Billions, But Individual Payouts Will Be Small

5:00am September 28, 2021

by Martha Bebinger

People who were addicted to OxyContin or lost loved ones who were addicted to the drug expect very little in compensation from the multibillion-dollar Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement.

Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy with a more than $10 billion plan to settle claims that it fueled the U.S. opioid epidemic by illegally pushing sales of its addictive OxyContin painkiller. The company's headquarters in Stamford, Conn., is shown here in

The DOJ Moves To Block The Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Deal That Shields The Sacklers

1:54pm September 16, 2021

by Brian Mann

The DOJ is seeking to block implementation of any part of the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy deal until legal challenges are settled. The deal granted Sackler family members immunity from opioid lawsuits.

New research shows racial disparities in opioid overdose rates, with the rate of deaths among Blacks growing faster than in other groups. The researchers are calling for expanding access to drug treatment and to education on how to prevent overdoses using

Black Opioid Deaths Increase Faster Than Whites, Spurring Calls For Treatment Equity

5:23pm September 10, 2021

by Marisa Peñaloza

Black communities face a growing share of overdoses, but addiction treatment resources and attention are still focused on white communities.