opioid

Doctor Gets 40 Years For Illegally Prescribing More Than Half A Million Opioid Doses

8:45pm October 02, 2019

by Brakkton Booker

Dr. Joel Smithers was convicted in May of more than 800 federal counts of illegal drug distribution. He was facing life in prison and a $200 million fine. The court ordered him to pay $86,000.

Brian Benczkowski, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's criminal division, announcing arrests for illegal opioid sales in April. On Wednesday, he revealed another 11 arrests of doctors for illegal distribution of opioids.

National

U.S. Accuses 11 Doctors Of Illegally Peddling Opioids In Appalachian States

4:02pm September 25, 2019

by Bill Chappell

"We will find you and ensure that the justice system treats you like the drug dealer you are," said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski.

State's attorney Brad Beckworth lays out one of his closing arguments in Oklahoma's case against drugmaker Johnson & Johnson at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Norman, Okla. in July. The judge in the case ruled Monday that J&J must pay $572 million to

Health & Safety

Oklahoma Wanted $17 Billion To Fight Its Opioid Crisis: What's The Real Cost?

8:18pm August 26, 2019

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The $572 million judgment against Johnson & Johnson will cover one year of addiction treatment and prevention the judge says. But health economists predict it will take decades to abate the problem.

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Drug agents last fall worked with a Minneapolis police SWAT team to seize just under 171 pounds of methamphetamine. Many U.S. states say they face an escalating problem with meth and drugs other than opioids.

Federal Grants Restricted To Fighting Opioids Miss The Mark, States Say

8:10pm June 13, 2019

The U.S. government has doled out at least $2.4 billion in state grants since 2017, specifically targeting the opioid epidemic. Yet drug abuse problems seldom involve only one substance.

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Insys Therapeutics founder John Kapoor departs federal court in Boston, Jan. 30. On Monday the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying it needs to sell its assets to pay back creditors. Kapoor, who was convicted last month of racketeering, owns mo

Insys Files For Chapter 11, Days After Landmark Opioid Settlement Of $225 Million

4:56pm June 10, 2019

by Vanessa Romo

The maker of a highly addictive fentanyl-based drug wants to sell its assets to pay some $250 million in debts. The move could let the company out of part of the settlement deal reached last week.

Teva Pharmaceuticals has reached a settlement with the state of Oklahoma over its alleged role in fueling the opioid epidemic. In March, drugmaker Purdue Pharma agreed to a $270 million settlement.

National

Teva Pharmaceuticals Agrees To $85 Million Settlement With Oklahoma In Opioid Case

5:05pm May 26, 2019

by Shannon Van Sant

Oklahoma's attorney general had filed a lawsuit against the Israel-based company for its alleged role in fueling the opioid crisis.

In Massachusetts last July, several Franklin County Jail inmates were watched by a nurse and a corrections officer after receiving their daily doses of buprenorphine, a drug that helps control opioid cravings. By some estimates, at least half to two-third

County Jails Struggle With A New Role As America's Prime Centers For Opioid Detox

3:04pm April 24, 2019

by Eric Westervelt

The National Sheriffs' Association has published a detailed guide to jail-based medication-assisted treatment. States hardest hit by opioids are moving fastest to get inmates the help needed to quit.

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One person has died and a total of 12 people were taken to the hospital after a mass drug overdose in Chico, Calif. Above, syringes of the opiate fentanyl appear at an inpatient pharmacy.

National

1 Dead And 12 Hospitalized After Mass Drug Overdose In California

6:55pm January 13, 2019

by Shannon Van Sant

Police officers administered CPR after arriving at a home in Chico, California, where the drug overdose occurred. Four people are in critical condition.

"People have to be alive to get the help that they need," said Brittney Webster, who got free naloxone at a health center in Carlisle, Pa.

Health & Safety

In Pennsylvania, People Lined Up For Free Naloxone

4:43pm December 14, 2018

by Brett Sholtis

Across the state, volunteers in Pennsylvania distributed naloxone on Thursday. The drug reverses the effects of opioid overdose. The giveaway was part of a state plan to combat the opioid epidemic.

Offering therapy to children in need at school makes sense, says Sarah Nadeau, who adopted two girls from a family that struggled with addiction, because sometimes school is the only stable place they have.

School-Based Counselors Help Kids Cope With Fallout From Drug Addiction

9:05am December 05, 2018

by Rachel Gotbaum

More than 50 Massachusetts schools are participating in a new program that brings counselors in to help children deal with the stress and trauma of living in families struggling with drug addiction.