Nation Aug 14 Why Baltimore is seeing more drug overdose deaths than any other American city By Christopher Booker, Mike Fritz
Health May 15 Overdose fatalities fell last year, but the full picture is more complicated While these national figures offer a rare glimmer of good news on this grim issue, outcomes vary greatly in different states. By Laura Santhanam
Nation Feb 13 Watch 7:21 FDA warns addictive ‘gas station heroin’ supplement widely available in U.S. The Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings about a potentially addictive dietary supplement that’s widely available in the U.S. "Neptune’s Fix" is often sold as a supplement and features an ingredient called tianeptine, popularly known as "gas-station heroin." Ali… By Ali Rogin, Courtney Norris
Nation Jan 24 Watch 5:27 Alcohol-related deaths surge in Colorado with a higher mortality rate than opioids Alcohol remains one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the U.S. Every year, more people die of alcohol-related causes than drug overdoses. While states have focused their attention on fighting the opioid epidemic, the problems with alcohol have… By William Brangham, Dorothy Hastings
Nation Dec 08 Watch 8:47 Racial disparity in addiction treatment access highlights inequities of opioid epidemic The CDC says synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, contributed to about 75,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2022. It's a crisis that hits every demographic group, but there are large racial disparities between who is offered the most effective… By William Brangham, Dorothy Hastings, Mike Fritz
Aug 01 Watch 10:02 How opioid settlement money led to a legal battle in Ohio By Cat Wise, Mike Fritz In Ohio, a state with one of the highest overdose death rates in the nation, a private foundation has been set up to distribute opioid settlement funds over several years. But as special correspondent Cat Wise and producer Mike Fritz… Continue watching
Apr 21 Watch 5:52 White House will push ‘harm reduction’ in latest fight against drug overdoses By William Brangham, Karina Cuevas While the country is still wrestling with the COVID-19 pandemic, deaths from drug overdoses have been spiking -- and are expected to top 100,000 for 2021. On Thursday, the White House released its plan to address the crisis. Continue watching
Jan 13 Overdose deaths hit a historic high in 2020. Frustrated experts say these strategies could save lives By Laura Santhanam The Biden administration has embraced harm reduction strategies to prevent more people from fatally overdosing. But in order to avoid further catastrophic losses, public health experts say more bold strategies must be pursued. Continue reading
Dec 24 Watch 5:53 Why a judge rejected a settlement with the Sackler family for their role in opioid crisis By William Brangham, Courtney Norris Experts link a record number of overdoses this year from black market opioids back to the original marketing and distribution of legal opioids made by Purdue Pharma, the company owned by the Sackler family that made OxyContin. Last week, a… Continue watching
Dec 13 Watch 8:23 Do safe drug consumption sites save lives? Here’s what we know about NYC’s new venture By William Brangham, Mike Fritz, Leah Nagy Since last spring, more than 100,000 Americans have died of drug overdoses — many caused by the opioid, fentanyl. Officials are searching for solutions to try to save lives, including setting up authorized centers where people can use illegal drugs… Continue watching