Feb 23 Watch 8:07 State governments strive to curb epidemic of fatal opioid abuse By PBS News Hour Abuse of opioids such as heroin, oxycontin and methadone led to 28,000 deaths last year, according to federal agencies. Many states are taking steps to combat the epidemic, but proposed solutions have attracted their own share of controversy and criticism. Continue watching
Jan 05 Watch 9:54 On the campaign trail in NH, heartbreak over heroin addiction By Judy Woodruff, Rachel Wellford The easy availability of cheap heroin and other opiates has exploded in New Hampshire, where more than 300 people died of drug overdose deaths in 2015. The crisis has prompted state leaders to offer plans on how to improve addiction… Continue watching
Dec 22 Watch 7:42 What’s in that synthetic drug? An unknown grab-bag of toxic chemicals By PBS News Hour The synthetic drug Spice is known as "fake pot," but its effects are completely different from marijuana. The hard-to-detect substances are often made in foreign facilities with an ever-changing cocktail of chemicals, meaning you can never be sure of what… Continue watching
Dec 22 Watch What’s in that synthetic drug? An unknown grab-bag of toxic chemicals By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Oct 21 Obama says U.S. will tackle prescription drug and heroin abuse By Kathleen Hennessey, Associated Press WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will take steps to improve doctor training and ease access to drug treatment as part of an effort to help communities battling the scourge of heroin and prescription painkiller abuse. Continue reading
Jan 28 Watch 7:28 Why a promising heroin addiction treatment is unavailable in many states By PBS News Hour More than 90 percent of heroin users who detox cold turkey will relapse, but there’s a dispute over prescribing drugs to help addicts get clean and keep them from deadly overdoses. Hari Sreenivasan talks to Ryan Grim of The Huffington… Continue watching
Sep 27 New rule to ease safe disposal of unwanted prescription drugs By Carey Reed In October, a new rule goes into effect making it easier for people to safely dispose of unneeded prescription drugs throughout the year at participating retail pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, narcotic treatment programs and prescription drug manufacturers. Continue reading
Dec 12 Watch New Drug Sentencing Rules Raise Questions for 19,000 Inmates The U.S. Sentencing Commission, which sets guidelines for federal prison sentences, voted this week to make its recent reduction in sentences for crack cocaine offenses retroactive, making over 19,000 inmates eligible for sentence reductions. Legal experts examine the shift and… Continue watching
Jul 05 Watch Substance Abuse Rates Rise in Women Over Past Two Decades For decades, far more U.S. males than females have been substance abusers, but the gender gap is now shrinking. An encore report looks at the growing dependency in woman and the approaches to treat the problem. Continue watching