Dec 12 Watch 6:39 How multiple presidential administrations failed to stop fentanyl’s rise in the U.S. By William Brangham More than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year and the same toll is expected this year. Two-thirds of those deaths are tied to fentanyl, but the federal government has been slow to recognize the rise of the highly-potent… Continue watching
Dec 06 Watch 8:16 Schools stockpile medication to combat rise in fentanyl overdoses By Stephanie Sy, Karina Cuevas, Lena I. Jackson Overdose deaths caused by fentanyl are on the rise across the country. It’s especially grim for young people, with more than 75 percent of adolescent overdose deaths in 2021 involving the powerful synthetic opioid. In response, many schools have stocked… Continue watching
Oct 28 Myths about fentanyl persist as opioid continues to cause overdose deaths By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press Fentanyl and other potent synthetic opioids ingrained in the nation's illicit drug supply are killing more people in the U.S. than any other drug has. Continue reading
Oct 14 Why this expert says ‘rainbow fentanyl’ is no real threat to your Halloween this year By Joel Best, The Conversation Trends in recreational or illicit drug use often make the jump to exaggerated Halloween warnings. Continue reading
May 11 CDC says more than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, setting ‘staggering’ record By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic U.S. record. Continue reading
Apr 20 Doctor who prescribed enough painkillers to ‘kill an elephant’ found not guilty in 14 patient deaths By Associated Press A jury on Wednesday acquitted an Ohio doctor in the deaths of multiple hospital patients. Continue reading
Feb 09 Watch 7:28 New report details the scale of the U.S. opioid crisis and its link to drug trafficking By William Brangham, Laura Santhanam The opioid overdose crisis that killed more than 100,000 Americans in a year is being called one of the most pressing national security and public health challenges facing the U.S. A majority of the overdoses are driven by the potent… Continue watching
Feb 08 Bipartisan congressional commission recommends new approach to combatting overdose epidemic By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press The U.S. needs a nimble, multipronged strategy and Cabinet-level leadership to counter its festering overdose epidemic, a bipartisan congressional commission advises. Continue reading
Nov 17 U.S. surpassed 100,000 overdose deaths in first year of COVID-19 By Laura Santhanam Experts believe the top drivers are the growing prevalence of deadly fentanyl in the illicit drug supply and the COVID-19 pandemic, which left many drug users socially isolated and unable to get treatment or other support. Continue reading
Sep 16 Watch 11:15 Ordinary people are taking the law into their own hands to counter cartel threat By Monica Villamizar In the mountain top village of Ayahualtempa in Guerrero state Mexico, children are learning how to use firearms and preparing for an attack by a nearby drug cartel. In our third and final story on the ravages of the cross-border… Continue watching