Jun 30 Watch 5:36 Deaths from drug overdoses surge in some Black communities amid COVID-19 By Amna Nawaz, David Coles, Mike Fritz As the pandemic filled American hospitals and brought life to a near standstill in 2020, the longstanding opioids epidemic was only intensifying, essentially out of sight. As Amna Nawaz reports, the death toll from that epidemic, once centered on rural,… Continue watching
Feb 17 Watch 9:00 Rep. Dean and her son share their family’s struggle with addiction in new memoir Rep. Madeleine Dean from Pennsylvania is perhaps best known these days for her high-profile role as a House manager during former President Trump's second impeachment trial. But in a deeply personal and revealing new book, "Under Our Roof," written with… Continue watching
Feb 10 Watch 6:34 How a powerful corporate consulting firm helped create the opioid epidemic By Stephanie Sy The opioids crisis that has taken hundreds of thousands of American lives has received less attention in the pandemic, but drug overdoses and deaths have grown during the last year. Now, one of the world's most powerful corporate consulting firms… Continue watching
Dec 28 What’s behind the historic spike in drug overdose deaths under COVID-19 By Laura Santhanam Drug overdoses were linked to more than 81,000 people’s deaths, jumping 18 percent between June 2019 and May 2020, according to recently released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continue reading
Oct 22 Watch 6:15 Conn. attorney general calls Purdue Pharma settlement ‘a mirage’ A historic settlement was announced Wednesday among the Department of Justice, Purdue Pharma and members of the Sackler family over the drug giant’s role in the national opioid crisis. The CDC estimates roughly 450,000 people died from opioid overdose between… Continue watching
Jul 22 Watch 9:29 How the pandemic is complicating America’s addiction crisis By William Brangham, Mike Fritz According to preliminary data, drug overdoses killed nearly 72,000 Americans in 2019, a record high. Now, it appears that 2020 is on track to be even worse, as the U.S. has witnessed a startling rise in overdoses during the pandemic. Continue watching
Jun 11 Watch 7:00 How Americans’ drinking habits have changed during the pandemic By William Brangham, Leah Nagy Stay-at-home orders posed a special challenge to Americans who struggle with addiction and rely on the support of in-person recovery meetings. Many others found their alcohol consumption patterns changed significantly during the pandemic. William Brangham reports on the impact COVID-19… Continue watching
Dec 17 Watch 6:12 Mass. attorney general on ‘outrageous’ Purdue Pharma settlement offer Newly released court documents reveal that the family behind Purdue Pharmaceuticals, maker of highly addictive painkiller OxyContin, withdrew over $10 billion from the company as the opioid epidemic grew worse. The developments are increasing scrutiny of the Sackler family and… Continue watching
Dec 03 Watch 6:50 What newly released emails reveal about OxyContin, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family The U.S. opioid epidemic has taken hundreds of thousands of lives. A reckoning for the manufacturers, marketers and distributors of these drugs has now begun -- but despite several multibillion dollar settlements, some states and municipalities say accountability and transparency… Continue watching
Oct 21 Watch 7:43 What does a $260 million settlement suggest for future opioid drug cases? Monday was supposed to be the start of a landmark trial against drug companies and distributors. But before arguments could start, several companies announced a $260 million settlement with two Ohio counties. With lawsuits still pending from thousands of communities,… Continue watching