Jul 06 Prescription opioids tripled between 1999 and 2015, CDC says By Laura Santhanam The amount of opioids prescribed in 2015 was enough for every American to be medicated around the clock for three weeks, according to a new CDC report. Continue reading
Jun 16 WATCH: Trump’s opioid commission launches new look at health crisis By Laura Santhanam https://youtu.be/dzg-WhYGSe4 New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he never felt uncomfortable telling people about his mother’s lung cancer after she smoked cigarettes for decades. But he wonders if he would have been as open if she instead consumed heroin instead… Continue reading
Jun 14 5 important stories that have nothing to do with the Russia investigations By Laura Santhanam, Erica R. Hendry, Joshua Barajas, Iman Smith, Andrew Wagner Here are five important stories that were overlooked in the media frenzy. Continue reading
May 05 Draft proposal shows the Trump administration may gut the drug czar’s office By Laura Santhanam The Trump administration is considering drastic cuts that would all but eliminate the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a White House official and agency email confirmed to the NewsHour Friday. According to a draft proposal obtained by NewsHour,… Continue reading
Mar 29 Here’s what Trump’s new executive order means for opioid addiction By Laura Santhanam New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will lead a commission designed to combat opioid addiction, part of Trump's plan to fight the crisis. Continue reading
Mar 28 McCaskill launches investigation of opioid drugmakers By Kevin Freking, Associated Press Sen. Claire McCaskill said prescription opioid sales have quadrupled since 1999, taking a financial toll on the government and a deadly toll on consumers. Continue reading
Mar 02 How will the Trump administration change the war on opioids? By Laura Santhanam With an historic rise in fatal drug overdoses nationwide and a new president in the White House, the future is uncertain for programs trying to combat a growing public health crisis: opioid addiction. Continue reading
Mar 01 Watch 7:41 Baltimore turns to a life-saving opioid overdose antidote, but it’s no cure for the crisis By PBS News Hour, Frank Carlson With overdose deaths from opioids on the rise across the country, Baltimore has begun training everyday citizens to use a life-saving antidote as one tool to combat the crisis, and the approach is catching on. But while many more states… Continue watching
Feb 28 In the war on heroin, Baltimore drug programs face an uncertain future By Laura Santhanam In 2015, Baltimore wrote a city-wide prescription for a heroin antidote. Two years later, as the city tries to expand access to addiction treatment, will the White House support its mission?… Continue reading
Oct 31 Opioid poisoning tripled among toddlers as U.S. painkiller crisis ballooned By Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News A study published Monday highlights a surprising group of patients suffering from opioid poisoning: adolescents, children and even toddlers. Continue reading