Feb 08 Watch 9:36 This grieving family wants pharmaceutical companies held accountable for opioid deaths An estimated 400,000 Americans have died as a result of opioid use. But grieving families say the national response to the health crisis is inadequate. In her coverage of the epidemic, Associated Press reporter Claire Galofaro profiled Cheryl Juaire, who… Continue watching
Dec 28 Art is a lifeline for this Appalachian community hit hard by opioids By Laura Santhanam This music workshop helps to keep two things alive -- the region’s arts and culture and residents' ability to recover from addiction. Continue reading
Mar 12 Watch 6:49 To solve opioid epidemic, governors say there need to be federal dollars behind pledges By PBS News Hour The governors of Maryland and Oregon are making an urgent call for greater federal help to deal with the opioid epidemic in their hard-hit states. Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., and Gov. Kate Brown, D-Ore., sit down with William Brangham to… Continue watching
Dec 11 Fentanyl is so potent doctors don’t know how to fight it By Nsikan Akpan Russia once used fentanyl as a biological weapon. Now, illicit use of the lethal opioid is hindering therapy. Continue reading
Oct 04 Twitter chat: Americans are pessimistic about the opioid crisis. What does that mean for a solution? By Lora Strum The PBS NewsHour will host a Twitter chat on the opioid crisis at 1 p.m. ET Oct. 5. Continue reading
Jul 03 Watch 5:27 Opioid addiction rates far exceed growth of medically assisted treatment, report finds By PBS News Hour A new report offers striking revelations about opioid use in the U.S. When insurance giant Blue Cross Blue Shield analyzed 30 million medical records, it found that roughly 20 percent of patients filled at least one prescription for opioid painkillers… Continue watching
Feb 21 Facing pressure, insurance plans loosen rules for covering addiction treatment By Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News The change comes as addiction to opioids, which include heavy-duty painkillers and heroin, still sweeps the country. Continue reading
Jan 15 Watch 10:39 If kratom helps opioid addicts, why might DEA outlaw it? By Saskia de Melker, Melanie Saltzman The national epidemic of opioid abuse has claimed more than 300,000 lives in the U.S. over the last 16 years -- and some researchers claim that kratom, an herbal psychoactive drug that is currently unregulated, could help people struggling with… Continue watching