135 articles found
DEA announces emergency Schedule I scheduling for investigational opioid compounds SR17018, SR-14968, R-6890, and 5,6-dichloro-brorphine, raising concerns about impact on pain medication research.
South Carolina reports 1,481 drug overdose deaths in 2024, a 31.3% decrease from 2023, with fentanyl remaining the primary contributor to fatalities.
Attorney General Phil Weiser awards $12 million to 27 organizations through the Resilient Colorado Grant, investing opioid settlement funds in community-led prevention and recovery programs.
JAMA study finds most 8th-graders and one-third of high schoolers underestimate fentanyl's lethal risk, highlighting dangerous knowledge gaps as drug overdoses rank third in youth deaths.
Georgia Senate Bill 6 legalizes possession of fentanyl testing strips starting July 1, 2026, removing a key barrier to overdose prevention in a state hit hard by the opioid crisis.
Kentucky Center for Economic Policy finds 90% of opioid settlement dollars remain unspent three years after distributions began, with half of local governments reporting zero expenditures in FY 2025.
CDC reports lowest U.S. death rate in over a century, driven by 14% decline in drug overdose deaths and improved public health interventions nationwide.
Howard County, Maryland deploys free naloxone vending machines providing 24/7 anonymous access to overdose reversal medication and drug testing supplies.
Baltimore City Health Department alerts clinicians and community to rising threat of medetomidine, a veterinary sedative 100-200x more potent than xylazine, now detected across Maryland's illicit drug supply.
Hawaii's pioneering syringe exchange program sees dramatic decline in needle swaps as fentanyl users increasingly prefer smoking over injection, prompting statewide harm reduction policy shift through Act 106.
CDC informs state and local health programs they must agree to new Trump administration priorities within days, including deprioritizing harm reduction and housing-first strategies proven to reduce drug overdoses.
New York City opens first public health vending machines on Staten Island, providing free naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and harm reduction supplies around the clock using opioid settlement funds.
Oklahoma's law protecting harm reduction organizations expires July 1, 2026, halting a program that distributed 1.25 million syringes and reached 8,800 people over five years.
Chicago and suburban Cook County report largest overdose death reduction of any U.S. county, with deaths falling from 1,961 in 2022 to 1,138 in 2024 through strategic harm reduction and naloxone distribution.
Illinois reports dramatic 36% decline in opioid overdose deaths from 2023 to 2024, with synthetic opioid fatalities down 38%. The reduction reflects sustained investments in naloxone distribution, harm reduction, and treatment access.
UNODC World Drug Report 2026 reveals 1 in 16 people worldwide now use drugs, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl, nitazenes, and orphines replacing heroin and creating unprecedented public health risks.
Powerful veterinary tranquilizer medetomidine causes life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in incarcerated individuals, overwhelming jails ill-equipped to treat complex opioid dependence
Attorney General Raúl Torrez launches criminal probe into claims that DEA agents allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach Albuquerque streets as state leads nation in overdose death increases.
New CDC data reveals 9,651 overdose deaths in hotels and motels from 2022-2024, with 56% involving local residents. Report highlights critical gaps in bystander response and naloxone access.
Rural Kentucky communities are using opioid settlement money to fund comprehensive harm reduction centers that provide everything from naloxone to housing assistance, demonstrating a sustainable model for addressing addiction in underserved areas.
Los Angeles County reports 6% decline in drug overdose deaths for 2025, marking three years of progress as fentanyl fatalities drop 10% and harm reduction programs show results.
New federal guidance empowers pharmacists to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, potentially transforming access to medication-assisted treatment in underserved communities.
CDC provisional data shows New Jersey achieved a 22% decline in drug overdose deaths in 2025, outpacing the national average and marking the lowest fatalities since before the pandemic.
Virginia's Opioid Abatement Authority announces largest funding round to date, supporting prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the Commonwealth.
Michigan health officials announce 47% reduction in overdose mortality since 2021 peak, attributing success to expanded naloxone distribution, harm reduction services, and improved treatment access.
North Carolina's third mobile medication-assisted treatment program brings buprenorphine and methadone directly to underserved communities through partnership with Oak City Cares homeless services hub.
Investigation reveals super-potent synthetic opioids called nitazenes have caused over 1,100 confirmed deaths, with experts warning the true toll could reach 2,000 as these 1950s-era compounds flood the illicit market.
Boston Public Health Commission reports 120 opioid overdose deaths in 2025, a 29% decline from 2024 and 56% drop from the 2023 peak, marking the lowest fatalities in ten years.
FDA approves Rextovy, expanding OTC naloxone options to three products. The new 4mg nasal spray broadens access to overdose reversal medication amid declining but still elevated overdose deaths.
Mayor Greenberg's proposal to redirect $8 million in opioid settlement money to cover 911 call center and jail costs draws criticism from advocates who call it 'blood money' diversion.
Amneal Pharmaceuticals' generic 4mg naloxone nasal spray receives FDA approval for over-the-counter sales, expanding access to life-saving overdose reversal medication amid ongoing opioid crisis.
CDC and White House issue urgent health advisory as veterinary sedative medetomidine surges 3,000% in two years, creating naloxone-resistant overdoses across 18 states
Rhode Island reports 50% decline in overdose deaths since 2022, surpassing state's 2030 goal four years early and marking lowest mortality since before the fentanyl crisis began.
Scripps Research Institute develops experimental vaccine that blocks fentanyl and multiple dangerous variants by training immune system to recognize broad molecular signatures shared across the drug class.
Trump administration policy change eliminates SAMHSA funding for fentanyl test strips, forcing Ohio health departments to rely on dwindling state and local resources as overdose deaths decline nationally.
A novel class of synthetic opioids called orphines is appearing in the U.S. illicit drug supply with potency exceeding fentanyl, challenging detection and overdose reversal efforts.
North Carolina's most populous county reports largest overdose decline in five years after tripling naloxone distribution and expanding harm reduction infrastructure.
Missouri's updated 2026 naloxone standing order explicitly includes individuals under 18, as Medicaid claims exceed 11,000 annually and overdose deaths fall 23%.
Massachusetts opioid overdose deaths fell to 978 in 2025, a nearly 60% decline from the 2022 peak of 2,364 deaths. The state credits comprehensive harm reduction, expanded treatment access, and community partnerships.
A powerful synthetic opioid 10 times stronger than fentanyl has emerged in East Tennessee, claiming more than 50 lives and spreading to multiple states.
Landmark UC San Diego research finds U.S. overdose deaths fell 24.4% in 2024, marking the first decline across all four waves of the addiction crisis, though stimulant-only deaths and racial disparities persist.
Colorado's latest round of opioid settlement grants targets Western Slope communities with mobile crisis teams, secure transport services, and expanded recovery housing to address geographic barriers to addiction care.
Black Lives Matter Paterson partners with city officials to install free overdose reversal medication kiosks across high-need areas, reporting significant reduction in overdose deaths since rollout began.
CDC data shows New York State overdose deaths fell 44.9% over three years, saving more than 5,000 lives, with opioid fatalities down nearly 52% since 2022.
FDA extends Narcan nasal spray shelf-life from 3 to 4 years, reducing replacement costs and improving stockpile reliability for harm reduction programs nationwide.
National overdose deaths decline for third consecutive year, yet Alaska, New Mexico, and other western states see rising mortality amid fentanyl crisis
The DEA issues urgent warnings about fentanyl mixed with xylazine and medetomidine—animal sedatives that complicate overdose reversal and create new dangers for people who use drugs.
Philadelphia reports significant progress in reducing overdose deaths, particularly among Black residents who saw a 27% decrease, even as stimulant-related fatalities continue rising.
Xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer increasingly mixed with fentanyl, is creating unprecedented challenges for overdose reversal and wound care across the United States.
Anthem HealthKeepers Plus partners with Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition to install free naloxone vending machines in Roanoke, Martinsville, and Henry County, where overdose rates exceed state averages.
Oregon Health Authority announces $90 million in opioid settlement funding distributed over two years to support prevention, treatment, and recovery services as overdose deaths decline for the second consecutive year.
Attorney General Alan Wilson announces $256 million recovered in opioid litigation settlements, marking a major milestone for addiction treatment and prevention efforts across South Carolina.
BGSU researchers analyzing syringes from Ohio needle exchange programs discovered dangerous Candida fungus in 86% of samples, plus a soil bacterium that could lead to new treatments
Florida reports dramatic 42% decline in opioid-related overdose deaths and 46% drop in fentanyl fatalities, outpacing national improvements and marking significant progress in the state's battle against synthetic opioids.
New CDC data shows drug overdose deaths fell to approximately 70,000 in 2025, marking three consecutive years of decline from the 2022 peak of nearly 110,000 fatalities.
Preliminary 2025 data shows Oregon overdose deaths fell to approximately 1,100 from 1,544 in 2024, marking the state's first year-over-year decline since 2016.
DEA advisory highlights escalating threat from fentanyl combined with cychlorphine, medetomidine, nitazenes, and xylazine—substances that resist naloxone and are driving overdose deaths across multiple states.
Milwaukee Public Safety and Health Committee moves forward with comprehensive plan to distribute $17.1 million in opioid settlement funds across prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
US authorities issue urgent warning to international visitors ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup about fentanyl contamination in street drugs, as DEA reports 29% of seized pills contain lethal doses.
A deadly synthetic opioid called cychlorphine, estimated to be 10 times more potent than fentanyl and undetectable by standard test strips, has been linked to dozens of overdose deaths across Tennessee, Arkansas, California, and other states.
Michigan achieves a 35% reduction in opioid overdose deaths since 2023, with preliminary 2024 data projecting fewer than 2,000 fatalities through strategic harm reduction investments and naloxone distribution.
Maryland reports a dramatic 57% reduction in opioid overdose deaths since the pandemic peak, reaching a 10-year low through expanded naloxone distribution, fentanyl test strips, and community-based treatment access.
Holyoke, Massachusetts announces inaugural distribution of opioid settlement funds, awarding nearly $1 million to five organizations for recovery coaching, harm reduction, job training, and emergency support.
Healey-Driscoll Administration announces Mosaic Municipal Matching Grants to expand prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services in communities disproportionately impacted by overdose crisis.
Colorado Opioid Abatement Council distributes infrastructure grants to 24 organizations, with demand exceeding available funding nearly four to one.
Wyoming becomes the latest state to adopt digital harm reduction tools, launching an interactive map that connects residents with free naloxone across 22 of 23 counties.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announces $90 million state allocation from $7.4 billion Purdue-Sackler settlement effective May 2026, with funds directed to treatment, prevention, and recovery services.
Colorado classrooms are embracing harm reduction strategies and naloxone training, moving away from decades of abstinence-only messaging as fentanyl crisis reshapes youth drug education.
Trump administration ends federal support for fentanyl, xylazine, and medetomidine test strips through SAMHSA grants, reversing Biden-era harm reduction policies amid declining overdose deaths.
Austin-area officials credit free naloxone distribution through vending machines and community partnerships for dramatic reduction in fentanyl fatalities.
Kentucky reports fourth straight year of declining overdose deaths with 22.9% reduction in 2025, marking 50.8% decrease from 2021 peak as comprehensive state strategy shows sustained results.
New CDC data shows U.S. overdose deaths fell 15.9% in the past year, but emerging synthetic drugs like medetomidine threaten continued progress
While overdose deaths fell 18% nationally, Colorado saw a 10% increase in fentanyl-related fatalities, with Denver reporting a 25% spike. DEA data reveals the state's unique challenges.
Eden Village uses $140,000 in opioid settlement grants to provide permanent supportive housing and peer counseling for chronically homeless individuals recovering from addiction.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announces $9 million in opioid settlement grants for community prevention and treatment programs, with funds flowing through state legislature-approved distribution framework.
Rural Oklahoma faces barriers accessing opioid settlement grants due to lack of grant-writing expertise and community partnerships, while metro areas and schools secure most funding.
Trump administration's SAMHSA announces major policy reversal, banning federal funds for fentanyl test strips and sterile syringes while urging limitations on methadone and buprenorphine prescribing.
Milwaukee County reports dramatic 42.5% decline in drug overdose deaths since 2022, driven by harm reduction expansion, medication-assisted treatment, and $111 million opioid settlement investment.
Vermont reports dramatic 25% reduction in drug overdose deaths, marking the state's first significant decline in fatal overdoses in 20 years amid national mortality improvements.
West Virginia reports 48% drop in fatal drug overdoses, exceeding the national decline of 44%, as enforcement and public health efforts converge in the state hardest hit by the opioid crisis.
Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission distributes record $34 million to 100+ organizations, bringing total community investment past $100 million since 2021.
Health officials confirm first fatal overdose involving N-Propionitrile chlorphine, a potent synthetic opioid undetectable by standard fentanyl test strips.
Utah joins $773.7 million national settlement with Albertsons Companies, directing funds to opioid abatement programs for treatment, recovery services, and prevention efforts.
New Child Trends analysis shows youth overdose deaths dropped 37% since 2023, with rates now lower than before the pandemic despite fentanyl's continued spread.
Mayor Brandon Scott unveils first annual report and public dashboard tracking how Baltimore invests settlement dollars from opioid litigation into harm reduction, treatment, and community services.
UC San Diego and SDSU study of 2.8 million students finds local flavor bans reduce e-cigarette use by 20% with no increase in cigarette smoking, challenging industry arguments.
DEA reports 1,400 carfentanil identifications in 2025, up from just 54 in 2022. The veterinary tranquilizer, 100 times stronger than fentanyl, is killing unsuspecting users as China cracks down on fentanyl precursors.
ONDCP, SAMHSA and HUD launch two-day summit to develop national toolkit for treating substance use disorders among homeless individuals, marking a shift toward integrated care models
Federal health officials warn about medetomidine, a veterinary tranquilizer increasingly mixed with illicit fentanyl, causing complex withdrawal syndromes and complicating overdose responses
New Anesthesiology research reveals that conventional naloxone doses may not fully reverse respiratory depression from potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl and sufentanil, urging updated emergency protocols
NPR analysis reveals sustained decline in overdose mortality since August 2023 peak, marking longest decrease in four decades despite emergence of more potent street drugs
Wisconsin Department of Health Services announces comprehensive $31 million opioid response strategy combining treatment access expansion, harm reduction, and law enforcement education.
Central Health plans 45 free naloxone units by September as Travis County overdose deaths drop 22%, expanding vending machines and community partnerships to sustain decline.
Rhode Island becomes first state to reverse kratom ban while Kansas, Connecticut move toward Schedule I classification, creating fragmented regulatory landscape for substance used by millions for pain and opioid withdrawal.
NCDHHS awards federal block grant funding to twelve community organizations targeting rural areas, youth prevention, and criminal justice-involved populations as state battles 1.4 million struggling with substance use.
Federal initiative targets individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders through outcomes-based approach, but faith-based inclusion and punitive policy context raise concerns among public health advocates.
Two competing bills represent fundamentally different approaches to kratom policy—one seeks complete prohibition while the other acknowledges harm reduction uses for addiction recovery and pain management.
Senator Patty Murray announces funding for Tacoma-Pierce County mobile medical services while highlighting successful pushback against Trump administration's proposed $2 billion SAMHSA grant terminations.
Ann Arbor-based online addiction provider now treats kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine dependence through app-based platform, addressing regulatory gap as FDA restricts potent derivatives but leaf products remain unregulated nationwide.
Georgia county awards settlement dollars to programs ranging from peer support to residential treatment as officials confront third-highest opioid death toll in the state.
New report profiles eight alternative mental health crisis programs removing police from response while Trump administration restructuring threatens federal funding infrastructure.
Indiana University's MACRO-B initiative reduced opioid overdose mortality among Black Indianapolis residents by 45% in two years, now expanding statewide.
Cychlorphine, a novel opioid resistant to standard naloxone doses, has been detected in over a dozen states. Oklahoma confirmed its first death as experts warn the drug may require multiple Narcan doses to reverse overdoses.
Governor Josh Stein announces expansion of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion programs to seven counties, offering treatment alternatives to incarceration for low-level offenses involving substance use.
CDCR documented over 7,000 overdose reversals since 2019 and became the only U.S. state prison system allowing incarcerated individuals to carry naloxone inside facilities.
Opioid deaths fell 12% in Washington last year while innovative programs expanded access to life-saving treatment. But new Medicaid work requirements and federal funding cuts are already disrupting care.
Psychostimulants, primarily methamphetamine, overtook opioids as Iowa's leading overdose cause in 2024. Without a Narcan equivalent, public health officials confront new treatment challenges.
Veterinary sedative 300× more potent than xylazine spreads through illicit opioid supply, causing life-threatening withdrawal and evading standard drug tests.
Baltimore's finalized Overdose Response Strategic Plan ups its target to a 50% reduction by 2040, backed by nearly $600 million in opioid settlement funds and community-driven priorities.
Eastern Shoshone Tribal Health launches Wyoming's first harm reduction vending machines offering free naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and suicide prevention tools through anonymous PIN access to address overdose crisis on Wind River Reservation.
Bipartisan DETECT Nitazenes Act introduced in Congress would enhance detection technology for emerging class of synthetic opioids linked to over 1,000 deaths in UK.
Columbia adds twelve public naloxone boxes as Missouri House proposes $8M cut to statewide distribution, threatening 800 agencies and 7,500 documented overdose saves since 2017.
New federal data reveals historic decline in opioid deaths across all demographics, driven by expanded naloxone access, weaker fentanyl supply, and medication treatment—though Arizona and four other states buck the trend.
ACLU challenges West Virginia's 2007 moratorium on methadone clinics, arguing the state's unique restriction violates disability law while forcing 54,000 residents with opioid use disorder to navigate impossible treatment logistics.
Mayor Daniel Lurie announces Proposition 1 funding for 100 new psychiatric and addiction treatment beds across three sites, even as the city faces $900 million deficit and federal funding cuts.
Parents who lost children to overdoses are urging Pennsylvania to use settlement money to create a comprehensive bereavement support system modeled on Philadelphia's Philly HEALs program.
SAMHSA's termination and rapid restoration of $2 billion in mental health grants in January exposed fragility of addiction infrastructure as overdose deaths decline for first time in decades.
AG Kris Kobach and DCCCA deploy free overdose reversal kits across Kansas universities and community colleges as state battles 2,000+ fentanyl deaths.
New transparency tool shows municipalities spent just 12% of available settlement funds in latest fiscal year, while state officials emphasize accountability in managing $1 billion expected through 2039.
Cychlorphine, an emerging synthetic opioid more potent than fentanyl, has been connected to at least 16 overdose deaths in East Tennessee since October. Federal authorities track 22 samples nationwide as harm reduction officials warn naloxone may require multiple doses.
CDC data shows overdose deaths fell to 68,000 in 12 months ending October 2025, the lowest since 2019, driven by a dramatic decline in fentanyl purity from 25% to 11% as all four waves of the epidemic enter simultaneous decline.
Eight new mental health and drug treatment facilities will receive Proposition 1 funding, including sobering centers and residential programs across the Bay Area
New CDC data reveals West Virginia and Virginia achieved the steepest opioid death declines in America, with drops approaching 49% and outpacing the national 44% reduction.
Indiana city's first round of settlement funding prioritizes community organizations meeting people at every stage of recovery, including grief counseling for families navigating substance use loss.
Sen. John Keenan proposes expanding subway naloxone access after 2024 pilot ended prematurely, leaving empty and broken cabinets across Boston's transit system.
New state transparency dashboard reveals municipalities spent just 12% of available settlement funds in FY2025 while communities await critical addiction services and harm reduction programs.
City Council approves five-year opioid settlement funding plan targeting overdose prevention through community-based Narcan distribution, HIV testing, and integrated harm reduction services.
Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego failed to pay subcontractors and staff for months while COO allegedly misappropriated over $200,000 in public funds for personal expenses.
MDHHS distributes free naloxone kits at local offices statewide, funded by $1.8 billion opioid settlement. State reports 35% decline in overdose deaths since 2023.
House Bill 487 allocates $43M from opioid settlements to prevention, treatment, and recovery programs, with unanimous bipartisan support as Alabama reports 30% reduction in overdose deaths.
State legislators advance $5.7 million appropriation to sustain 988 Mental Health Lifeline after federal funding expires in September, citing success in diverting crisis calls from emergency services.
New federal legislation would require OSHA guidance on workplace naloxone access amid rising employer reports of opioid impact and uneven emergency preparedness.
The Maternal Overdose Matters Initiative delivered naloxone kits to over 2,500 families at 107 hospitals, helping reverse a crisis where overdose became the leading cause of maternal mortality statewide.
California's CalRx program cuts naloxone costs by more than half while the state's distribution initiative crosses a staggering milestone in overdose reversals.
As cocaine and methamphetamine become contaminated with fentanyl, researchers argue that contingency management and culturally adapted harm reduction are essential—yet remain vastly underutilized across the United States.