119 articles found
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.
Maryland's highest court rejects 'public nuisance' theory in opioid litigation, forcing Baltimore to dismiss case against McKesson and Cencora while keeping $400 million in earlier settlements.
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.
New Hampshire will receive nearly $30 million from the $7.4 billion Purdue Pharma and Sackler family settlement as the historic deal takes effect.
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.
New data shows medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder reached 69% among Medicaid beneficiaries by 2023, yet 180-day treatment retention declined from 62.6% to 57.7%.
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.
Arizona secures $108 million from the $7.4 billion Purdue-Sackler settlement, bringing the state's total opioid recovery to $1.2 billion amid rising overdose deaths.
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.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announces $200 million state allocation from $7.4 billion Purdue-Sackler settlement, bringing state's total opioid recovery past $2 billion milestone
Attorney General Jeff Jackson announces North Carolina's share of $7.4 billion national settlement, bringing state's total opioid recovery funds to $1.6 billion for addiction treatment and prevention.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announces $286.5 million state allocation as $7.4 billion Purdue Pharma settlement takes effect, bringing Texas opioid recoveries past $3 billion milestone
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.
Nevada expects $57.9 million over 15 years from the $7.4 billion Purdue Pharma and Sackler family settlement, bringing the state's total opioid settlement recovery to over $1.2 billion.
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.
South Carolina to receive $72.8 million over 15 years as $7.4 billion Purdue Pharma and Sackler family settlement takes effect, bringing total state recovery to over $750 million.
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.
The historic $7.4 billion Purdue Pharma and Sackler family settlement becomes legally effective May 1, 2026, with states beginning to receive funds for addiction treatment and prevention programs.
Trump administration proposes national wastewater monitoring and artificial intelligence to track drug use patterns, alongside faith-based treatment expansion and integrated addiction care.
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.
Nebraska will require Medicaid expansion enrollees to work 80 hours monthly, raising concerns about addiction treatment access for vulnerable populations.
Federal court sentences OxyContin maker to historic penalties, clearing path for bankruptcy settlement that includes $865 million for victims—but many will be shut out under tightened eligibility rules.
Researchers analyze 569,000 TikTok comments to demonstrate social media data can forecast synthetic opioid mortality with 37% greater accuracy than traditional surveillance methods.
Eden Village uses $140,000 in opioid settlement grants to provide permanent supportive housing and peer counseling for chronically homeless individuals recovering from addiction.
Georgia's Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust opens applications for Year 3 funding, allocating $20 million to address addiction and overdose across the state.
Local governments in South Dakota struggle to deploy opioid settlement dollars while the state moves faster with grants and programs, highlighting challenges rural areas face in addressing the addiction crisis.
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.
New JAMA Network Open study shows MOUD access among Medicaid beneficiaries rose from 60% to 69% between 2019-2023, with 45 states seeing increases.
DEA identifies carfentanil 1,400 times in 2025 drug seizures as the ultra-potent synthetic opioid 100 times stronger than fentanyl kills hundreds across 42 states.
In a region flooded with 17 million prescription opioids, proposed Medicaid work requirements and funding cuts threaten to dismantle the safety net that has helped hundreds achieve recovery from addiction.
Albertsons and Safeway parent company agrees to $773 million national settlement, with Oregon receiving up to $38.2 million over nine years to expand addiction and recovery services.
JAMA research letter reveals 24.3% decline in long-term opioid therapy from 2015-2023, even as co-prescribing with gabapentinoids rises sharply, raising new safety concerns for chronic pain patients.
South Dakota distributes second round of transformative grants to 10 organizations, funding mobile street medicine, recovery coaching for incarcerated individuals, and primary care addiction training.
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.
The Trump administration abruptly canceled hundreds of SAMHSA grants funding overdose prevention, naloxone distribution, and peer recovery support, putting addiction services at risk nationwide.
Twenty Kentucky counties join forces through the KACo Opioid Solutions Network to share best practices and strategically deploy nearly $1 billion in settlement funds
White House budget request would slash drug prevention grants, consolidate SAMHSA into new agency, and merge NIDA with alcohol institute while cutting $200 million from research.
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
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services opens applications for up to $10 million in opioid settlement funds to expand behavioral health services and strengthen recovery systems across the state
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.
Michigan's MDHHS accepting applications through April 30 for loan repayment up to $30,000 to SUD providers as state confronts workforce shortage limiting treatment access for 1.3 million residents.
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.
Northwestern University researchers debunk 2025 drug overdose surge reported by CDC, finding the apparent spike was a modeling error caused by rapid epidemic shifts, not data manipulation or political interference.
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.
Congressional bill H.R. 5629 threatens to roll back SAMHSA's permanent methadone take-home flexibilities as Pew Charitable Trusts submits testimony defending COVID-era reforms that reduced travel burdens without increasing diversion or deaths.
National coalition urges Congress to maintain SAMHSA, NIH, and addiction program funding in FY2027 appropriations amid proposed 12.5% HHS budget cuts.
World Health Organization updates treatment guidelines adding monthly buprenorphine injections to methadone oral medication recommendations addressing epidemic killing three-quarters million people yearly
Longleaf Lodge launches with 50 residential and 10 detox beds, addressing Alabama's crisis where 19% need substance use treatment but only 5% receive it. Integrated care model tackles co-occurring conditions as wait times stretch weeks to months.
Second round of 'transformative grants' prioritizes youth treatment expansion, school prevention programs, and mobile crisis response as state officials emphasize building complete care continuum
Deal flow in substance use disorder treatment hits six-year low as investors pull back amid quality concerns, Medicaid uncertainty, and volatile federal grants—leaving safety-net providers facing potential closures.
Despite receiving $800 million since 2023, more than 40% of Michigan counties have yet to distribute opioid crisis mitigation funds while overdose deaths continue claiming nearly 2,000 lives annually.
Governor Rhoden announces funding for 10 organizations as Attorney General Jackley pushes for direct allocation to Sioux Falls and Rapid City treatment centers.
State lawmakers advance plan to distribute nearly $60 million in opioid settlement money, sidestepping the independent council created just last year to oversee spending.
University of Pennsylvania researchers develop first brain-targeted gene therapy that mimics morphine's pain relief without triggering reward pathways, offering potential breakthrough for 50 million Americans living with chronic pain.
WVU leads 18-month statewide assessment to guide how three-quarters of West Virginia's opioid settlement funds will be spent, creating public dashboard to identify gaps and maximize impact.
Kentucky Senate Bill 77 nears final passage, creating framework to research ibogaine for opioid addiction and PTSD despite Schedule I status. Four states already funding trials.
Congressional oversight hearing exposes chaotic federal response to addiction crisis as $2 billion in treatment grants remain uncertain and agency staff cut by half
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.
New Wisconsin Policy Forum report reveals dramatic expansion in MOUD access across state correctional facilities from 2021 to 2025, coinciding with substantial decline in overdose deaths.
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.
National opioid overdose deaths fell to 46,066 in October 2025, down from 86,075 in June 2023. CDC data reveals declines across all racial groups as weaker fentanyl supply and expanded treatment efforts reshape the crisis.
Federal $750K investment establishes Pennsylvania Addiction Action Network to coordinate data-driven opioid settlement spending across all 67 counties
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.
Survey of 212 U.S. jails, prisons, and detention centers finds stark regional and facility-type disparities in MOUD access, with post-release mortality 40 times higher than national average.
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.
West Virginia First Foundation introduces Regional Contingency Allocation Program allowing six regions to respond to immediate community needs outside traditional grant cycles, managing nearly $1 billion in settlement funds.
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.
Federal funding establishes Pennsylvania Addiction Action Network to coordinate data-driven allocation of settlement funds across all 67 counties as state confronts 4,719 annual overdose deaths.
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.
A new survey of 212 jails and prisons finds only 58% provide FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder, with stark regional disparities and treatment gaps putting released inmates at 40-times-higher overdose risk.
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.
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.
Maine city finally distributes nearly all available settlement money to 16 organizations, three years after receiving first payments, as Penobscot County sees rising overdose deaths.
State lawmakers unanimously approve evidence-based mandates and conflict-of-interest safeguards for $400M+ opioid settlement fund after investigative reporting exposed governance failures.
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.
While Mississippi sits on over $400 million in opioid settlement funds, the state has spent almost none of it on treatment or family services — even as it leads the nation in children living with grandparents and foster care tied to parental substance use.
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.
Local governments in Maine allocated $3 million from opioid settlements in 2025 toward treatment, prevention, and law enforcement programs, with $19 million remaining and new reporting requirements now in place.
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.
DEA and HHS codify pandemic-era flexibility, allowing providers to initiate and maintain buprenorphine treatment entirely via telehealth through the end of 2026, a move experts say could save lives and reshape addiction care nationwide.
California's CalRx program cuts naloxone costs by more than half while the state's distribution initiative crosses a staggering milestone in overdose reversals.
The Food and Drug Administration moves forward with controversial regulations to limit common painkillers, sparking national debate over balancing opioid crisis response with patient access to pain management.
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.
Washington University study finds that uMAT-R digital platform reduced substance use by 50% among participants with housing instability, challenging assumptions about technology access in vulnerable populations.