One New York Police Chief Is Upending Conventional Drug Enforcement
The police chief of Chatham, New York, has a revolutionary strategy for policing the opioid epidemic.
Opioids
How Easy Is It to Get Naloxone in Your State?
Here's how states have made it easier for bystanders to administer naloxone to overdose victims.
The Surgeon General Urges More Americans to Carry Naloxone
Advocacy groups have long pushed for making more naloxone available to the public as a way to prevent overdoses. The surgeon general's advisory gives that effort a big boost.
The NIH Just Announced a Billion-Dollar Initiative to Combat Opioid Addiction
On Wednesday, federal science and policy speakers outlined their plans for combating opioid addiction.
New CDC Data Shows a Jump in Opioid-Related Overdoses
Over 63,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2016.
Many E.R. Doctors Underestimate How Many Opioids They Prescribe
New research finds presenting them with actual numbers can change their behavior.
The Research Behind Trump's Anti-Drug Proposals
Is condemning drug dealers to death really a wise strategy?
Trump's Plan to 'Solve' the Opioid Crisis Will Include the Death Penalty for Drug Dealers
The plan's law enforcement strategies have been met with skepticism by some lawmakers.
Emergency Room Visits for Opioid Overdoses Went Up 30 Percent Last Year
It seems few corners of America have been spared the ravages of opioid misuse.
Is the Secret to Solving the Opioid Crisis More Opioids?
Medication-assisted treatment in Rhode Island's prisons is preventing overdose deaths among the recently incarcerated.
An Off-Label Use of Cheap Strips—to Test for Deadly Contaminants in Drugs—Gets the Backing of Science
Research is beginning to show that cheap strips can accurately detect deadly fentanyl, and encourages people to get high more cautiously.
The Edit, Episode #1: A Conversation About New Treatment Options for Opioid-Addicted Moms
On the latest episode of Pacific Standard's podcast about how our stories are made, staff writer Francie Diep discusses her experiences covering the opioid epidemic and a promising new treatment program at the University of Kentucky.
Philadelphia Clears the Way for Supervised Injection
Philadelphia has the highest opioid-overdose death rate of any American city.
Trump Is Allegedly Set to Propose Potential Budget Cuts to Drug Policy Office
Trump's apparent plan would result in cutting 95 percent of the Office of National Drug Control Policy's budget.
Want to Fix America's Opioid Problem? Start With Its Doctors.
New research finds a majority of opioids prescriptions came from office-based doctors, not emergency departments.
The VA Is Prescribing Fewer Opioids—but Not for the Reason You Think
American medical institutions created the opioid crisis. The VA is showing how the establishment can help make amends.
In Heroin's Heartland
As the opioid epidemic spins out of control, a grassroots network of activists is fighting it at the source.
The Caregivers of the Opioid Epidemic Are Going It Alone
Across the country, people are becoming unexpected caregivers of children whose parents have become addicted to opioids. In most states, they're doing it with little to no help at all.
Life Expectancy Fell in the United States Again, Mostly Because of Drug Overdoses
Spanish flu, HIV/AIDS, drug overdoses: Epidemics that affect the young often show up dramatically in the data.
How America's War on Opioids Underscores the Racial Legacy of the Crack Epidemic
It seems compassion is an effective drug deterrent. Too bad there wasn't any during the crack epidemic.
The FDA Just Approved a New Injection for Treating Opioid Addiction. Will Drug Courts Actually Let Defendants Take It?
The new treatment may help overcome some courts' lingering—and dangerous—aversion to medication-assisted treatment.
How One Surgery Department Cut Its Opioid Prescriptions by 7,000 Pills in Five Months
A new study reports doctors in at least one hospital were prescribing far more pills than patients used.
FDA Approves Monthly Injection to Treat Opioid Addiction
Buprenorphine has long been considered a gold-standard treatment for addiction to prescription painkillers or heroin.
Is Telemedicine a Feasible for Rural America's Opioid Epidemic?
Remote treatment options make addiction care more accessible, but it's no panacea for the opioid epidemic.