opioid epidemic
'F*** the Job': Fury As Worker Fired for Lateness After Saving Man's Life
The internet has praised a man for administering life-saving first aid on his way to work—and slammed his employer's decision to let him go.
Fentanyl Released Through Air Vents in Child Detention Center Injures Seven
The remaining juvenile residents have been temporarily moved to an adult facility while the investigation continues.
White House Says Crack Pipes Never Included in Safe Smoking Kits
The safe smoking kits are part of a grant program that will distribute $30 million to support community-based overdose prevention programs.
Biden is Latest President to Confront Rising Opioid Deaths
Provisional CDC data shows more than 53,000 Americans died of opioid-related drug overdoses in 2021.
Sackler Family Could Be Swamped With Lawsuits Over Opioid Epidemic
Purdue Pharma said it would appeal a federal judge's ruling to toss out a roughly $4.5 billion settlement that shielded the Sackler family from lawsuits.
Met Removes Sackler Family Name From Museum Following Opioid Controversy
The Sackler name will be stripped from seven exhibition spaces in the famous New York City museum.
Oklahoma Court Overturns $465M J&J Settlement, Cites Law Misinterpretation
"The court has allowed public nuisance claims to address discrete, localized problems, not policy problems," said the written opinion.
How the Pandemic Is Making the Opioid Crisis Worse
As the covid crisis fuels a surge in overdoses, scientists race to halt addiction at its source: the brain.
Air Pollution Linked to Increased Risk of Death From COVID-19 in U.S.
"Long-term exposure to air pollution increases vulnerability to experiencing the most severe COVID-19 outcomes," a team of Harvard scientists wrote.
Drugs Used to Replace Opioids Linked With Increase in Suicide Attempts
"We are seeing a worrying increase in harmful exposures to gabapentin and baclofen in U.S. adults over recent years," an expert told Newsweek.
States to Accept Millions from Purdue Pharma—for Lawyers, Not Victims
Purdue Pharma and hundreds of tribes have yet to distribute $200 million in emergency funding to mitigate local opioid crises, but quickly organized around paying states' attorneys.
Texas Jail to Give out Anti-Overdose Drugs to Departing Inmates
"We know that many individuals are going to be detoxing while they're in our custody, and we know that people are highly susceptible to overdose upon release," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told the Houston Chronicle.
Lax Opioid Settlements Helped Boost This Drugmaker's Stock
Teva Pharmaceuticals will pay less than 0.014 percent of its annual revenue as of 2018 over a 10 year period and will produce free drugs at just a slice of their operating cost.
Victims of Opioid Crisis Won't See Any Money From Major Ohio Settlement
"Of course states need to be compensated. But the concern is that very little money actually filters down to those who have been most deeply affected," Kate Nicholson, civil rights attorney and patient advocate, told Newsweek in an interview.
Doctors Are 'Under-Prepared' to Treat Patient Misuse of Opioids: Report
More than four out of five doctors are reluctant to take on patients using prescribed opioids, according to a survey of 500 physicians conducted by Quest Diagnostics and the Center on Addiction.
Dems Addressed the Opioid Crisis for the First Time. Why That Matters
Civil rights attorney and pain patient advocate Kate Nicholson said she was "thrilled" to see Democratic primary candidates talk about the opioid epidemic Tuesday night. "It matters because we do have a crisis," she said.
Trump Admin Tackling Wrong Problems on Opioid Overdoses: Bioethicist Q&A
"We're focusing really heavily on restricting access to prescription opioids, but that's because it's what we're comfortable doing," Travis Rieder said. "There's not actually any evidence that these cuts save lives."
DEA Responds to Backlash From Pain Victims Amid Proposed Opioid Cuts
After hundreds of chronic pain patients begged the Drug Enforcement Administration to reconsider its proposed cuts to opioid production, the agency told Newsweek it's not responsible for their inability to get prescriptions.
Chronic Pain Sufferers Beg the DEA to Reconsider Prescription Opioid Cuts
The DEA proposed reducing the manufacturing of prescription opioids for the fourth year in a row, but chronic pain patients are begging the agency to reconsider.
Fox News Contributor Has 'Concerns' Sesame Street Will Normalize Drug Abuse
The story of a Sesame Street character's struggle with her mother's substance abuse is not age-appropriate, the Fox News contributor said.
Could Cannabis Combat the Opioid Crisis?
Researchers say cannabis appears to treat both pain and insomnia—but urge caution about use of the drug.
Madison County Breaks Own Grim Record for Opioid Deaths
So far there have been 92 fatal overdoses in the county this year.
Almost All Online Pharmacies Are Illegal
Buying opioids on the internet isn't just illegal: it's usually a scam.
GOP Senator: Make Drug Cartels Pay for Border Wall
"It won't be the Mexican government [paying for the wall]; it will be the Mexican cartels, and that's probably the better party to bill there."
Canada's Liberal Party Wants to Decriminalize All Drugs
Canada's Public Health Agency estimated that around 4,000 people died from opioids last year.
Trump Admits Melania's Life Is 'Not So Easy'
"We put Melania and other people on this blue ribbon committee," the president said about efforts around the opioid epidemic.
Opioid Epidemic: Overdoses Up 30 Percent, CDC Reveals
"This fast-moving epidemic does not stay within state and county lines."
Trump Budget to Include Billions for Opioid Crisis
The president's proposed budget indicates that the White House will focus on addressing opioids as it plans to devote nearly $13 billion toward the epidemic.