Mar 29 Here’s what Trump’s new executive order means for opioid addiction By Laura Santhanam New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will lead a commission designed to combat opioid addiction, part of Trump's plan to fight the crisis. Continue reading
Mar 13 As marijuana becomes legal, doctors worry about teen addiction By Christine Vestal, Stateline As marijuana legalization sweeps the nation, physicians and public health officials are sounding alarms about its potentially harmful effects on young people. Continue reading
Feb 28 In the war on heroin, Baltimore drug programs face an uncertain future By Laura Santhanam In 2015, Baltimore wrote a city-wide prescription for a heroin antidote. Two years later, as the city tries to expand access to addiction treatment, will the White House support its mission?… Continue reading
Feb 15 Another West Virginia town sues drug wholesalers By Jessica Yarvin and Associated Press A southern West Virginia town in the state’s poorest county has joined other communities in seeking to recoup the costs of dealing with opioid abuse. Continue reading
Jan 21 A ‘civil war’ over painkillers rips apart the medical community By Bob Tedeschi, STAT As doctors and regulators restrict access to opioid treatments, many patients who genuinely need drugs to manage their pain say they are being left behind. Continue reading
Nov 24 Watch 7:19 Surgeon general’s report calls for response to addiction crisis By PBS News Hour U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is warning Americans of the prevalence of substance abuse and the risks of not addressing it. His new report describes the lethal impact and widespread scope of addiction. William Brangham speaks with Murthy for more… Continue watching
Oct 30 Column: It’s time for primary care providers to embrace treating addiction By Julian A. Mitton, STAT Primary care doctors and nurses are well-positioned to treat addiction and champion care for those struggling with the use of opioid pills or heroin. Continue reading
Oct 07 These states are struggling with a drug addiction-fueled crisis in foster care By Teresa Wiltz, Stateline In many states in the East and parts of the Midwest, addiction to opioid painkillers and heroin is helping to drive the crisis in foster care. In other parts of the Midwest and in the West, abuse of methamphetamines is. Continue reading
Jun 02 Watch 5:44 Prince’s fentanyl overdose gives new urgency to opioid epidemic By PBS News Hour The opioid epidemic sweeping the nation once more took center stage after law enforcement officials revealed that music icon Prince’s death in April was due to an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid far stronger than morphine. Hari Sreenivasan… Continue watching
Mar 31 President’s task force aims to end discrimination in mental health coverage By Jenny Gold, Kaiser Health News Tucked in remarks the president made Tuesday on the opioid epidemic was his announcement of a new task force on mental health parity — aimed at ensuring that people with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems don’t face discrimination in… Continue reading