As more teens overdose on fentanyl, schools face a drug crisis...
Photo illustration by LA Johnson/Getty Images/NPR Photo illustration by LA Johnson/Getty Images/NPR Before the overdose, Griffin Hoffmann was a sophomore, about to lead his Portland, Ore., high school's tennis team. Sienna Vaughn was a junior in Plano, Texas, who participated in Girl Scouts and cheerleading. Laird Ramirez was 17 years old living near Charlotte and…
Overdose deaths involving street xylazine surged years earlier than reported
A nurse treats a man's skin wounds in a community outreach storefront in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia in May. Xylazine, a powerful animal sedative that's moving through the illicit drug supply in the U.S., is causing gruesome skin wounds and scrambling longstanding methods for treating addiction and reversing overdoses. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption toggle…
Sacklers gave $19M to National Academies amid influential pain, opioid reports
Enlarge / Protesters holding banners outside the courthouse. Members of P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now) and Truth Pharm staged a rally and die-in outside New York's Southern District Federal Court in White Plains, where Purdue Pharmaceuticals bankruptcy hearing is being held. Members of the Sackler family—the infamous, mega-wealthy family largely seen as sparking the nationwide…
The opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan has been approved for sale...
The FDA approved Narcan for sale without a prescription. The opioid overdose reversal drug would be available at pharmacies and convenience stores nationally, increasing access as opioid deaths climb. JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: The opioid overdose-reversal drug Narcan will now be available over the counter. The Food and Drug Administration decided to make the nasal spray…
Overdose reversal drugs gain support at music festivals, but not fentanyl...
A team of volunteers with an Ohio-based nonprofit handed out 2,500 doses of a nasal spray version of naloxone, an overdose reversal drug, at this year's Bonnaroo music festival. Amy Harris/Invision via AP hide caption toggle caption Amy Harris/Invision via AP A team of volunteers with an Ohio-based nonprofit handed out 2,500 doses of a…
Drug overdose deaths are at a record high. Here’s what the...
A drug overdose rescue kit is pictured in Buffalo, N.Y. The Biden administration plans to increase access to clean needles, fentanyl test strips and naloxone to combat drug overdose deaths. Carolyn Thompson/AP hide caption toggle caption Carolyn Thompson/AP A drug overdose rescue kit is pictured in Buffalo, N.Y. The Biden administration plans to increase access…
Teen drug overdose deaths rose sharply in 2020, driven by fentanyl-laced...
Teens started dying in greater numbers from fatal drug overdoses in 2020, raising alarm that the trend could continue or worsen. tillsonburg/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption tillsonburg/Getty Images Teens started dying in greater numbers from fatal drug overdoses in 2020, raising alarm that the trend could continue or worsen. tillsonburg/Getty Images For the first…
Teen overdose deaths rose recently, largely due to fentanyl
A new study says that even though teen drug use in the U.S. went down during the pandemic, overdose deaths rose significantly during 2020-21. The vast majority of these deaths were caused by fentanyl. DANIEL ESTRIN, HOST: Drug use among teens has decreased in the past couple of years, but a new study finds that…
To save lives, overdose antidote should be sold over-the-counter, advocates argue
Louise Vincent, executive director of the North Carolina Survivors Union, holds a vial of the overdose reversal drug naloxone. "Almost everyone that comes here is alive because of naloxone," Vincent says. Aneri Pattani/KHN hide caption toggle caption Aneri Pattani/KHN Louise Vincent, executive director of the North Carolina Survivors Union, holds a vial of the overdose…
For the first time, drug overdose deaths have surpassed 100,000 in...
For the first time more than 100,000 people have died from a drug overdose in a 12-month period. Experts say the rise is driven by the pandemic and by fentanyl and methamphetamines brought to the U.S. AILSA CHANG, HOST: To the U.S. now, where it has been a devastating year for drug overdoses. Today marks…
