Jan 24 Chinese opioid dealers exploit U.S. postal service flaw to ship illegal drugs, investigators say By Desmond Butler, Erika Kinetz, Associated Press China said Thursday it is ready to work with the United States in fighting these illicit opioid shipments. Continue reading
Jan 10 WATCH: Trump signs bill to give border agents better opioid screening technology By Associated Press Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said the bill is “a significant step forward” in the fight against powerful opioids such as fentanyl. He calls it “our new big scourge.”… Continue reading
Dec 23 Watch 4:51 Filmmaker chronicles impact of opioids on his hometown By Christopher Booker, Connie Kargbo An ongoing opioid epidemic in the U.S. killed 42,249 people in 2016 and has lowered national life expectancy. Journalist and filmmaker Alex Hogan has lost many of his childhood friends to opioid misuse in Somerville, Massachusetts, and in the new… 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
Nov 29 Watch 9:13 For this doctor, a son’s recent death by overdose inspires his mission to rescue others By Miles O'Brien Dr. Jim Baker dreaded getting that call for years: his son had fatally overdosed from opioids. He had watched Max go through the downward spiral of addiction, then recover and get sober, but a hospitalization for a car crash made… Continue watching
Nov 20 White House says opioid crisis cost $504 billion in 2015, much higher than once thought By Darlene Superville, Associated Press The figure is more than six times the most recent estimate. The council said that its estimate is significantly larger because the epidemic has worsened, with overdose deaths doubling in the past decade, and that some previous studies didn’t reflect… Continue reading
Nov 19 Long-awaited study finds monthly Vivitrol as effective as daily pill for opioid addiction By Max Blau, STAT The finding from the largest head-to-head study to date between two leading drugs to treat opioid addiction could dramatically change prescribing habits. Continue reading
Nov 18 FDA clears electronic earpiece to block opioid withdrawal symptoms By Max Blau, STAT A wearable device claiming to block the pain of opioid withdrawal has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration under a new expedited review process. Continue reading
Oct 26 Watch 7:51 Trump calls for new action, not new money, to tackle opioid crisis By PBS News Hour President Trump on Thursday declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency and announced several initiatives to reduce the nation's overdose problem. But critics said these actions don’t go far enough and that more funding is needed. William Brangham reports,… Continue watching
Oct 26 Watch 7:34 What happens now that the opioid crisis is officially a public health emergency? By PBS News Hour President Trump has officially designated the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency. Besides the symbolism, what does the declaration mean for tackling the crisis? William Brangham speaks with Bertha Madras of the President’s Commission on Combatting the Opioid Crisis… Continue watching