Documenting the escalating phenomenon of US opiate dependence
25 June 2017
Life after opioid addiction: three survivors tell how they got clean
Each overcame her addiction in different ways, but their paths highlight issues with how the disease is treated
19 June 2017
She was the town’s leading heroin dealer. She was 19 years old
In West Virginia, a young woman and a privileged physician lived very different lives. But they shared a crushing addiction
30 March 2017
Trump misses the mark with opioid crisis plan, health advocates say
Commission to tackle painkiller addiction is being called redundant, as Trump plays catch up with an issue that’s been a priority concern for years
18 November 2016
US addiction statistics are dire. Small changes won't solve the problem
Maia Szalavitz
A new Surgeon General report tries to push reform, but it doesn’t dismantle the basic assumptions about immorality that hamper drug and alcohol treatment
31 October 2016
US child opioid overdoses increased over past two decades, research finds
America’s opioid crisis has taken top slot as a public health concern a little more than a year after the FDA approved Oxycontin for use among children
5 October 2016
DEA reduces opioid production in US amid painkiller addiction epidemic
The federal government’s new quotas for 2017 will cut the manufacturing of prescription painkillers by 25% as overdose deaths increase
24 July 2016
Pills laced with deadly opioid infiltrating drug market, DEA says
The illegal drugs look like known prescription painkillers and contain high amounts of fentanyl as law enforcement says problem is expected to escalate
14 July 2016
Congress passes opioids bill to address addiction and support recovery
Extensive anti-addiction bill has passed the Senate 92-2 and leaders say the comprehensive plan is a first for Congress – but it still needs funding
12 July 2016
War on prescription drugs: what if you depend on opioids to live a decent life?
In the debate over opioid addition, there’s one group we aren’t hearing from: chronic pain patients, many of whom need to use the drugs on a long-term basis
5 July 2016
Why we should de-criminalize all drugs
Maia Szalavitz
It’s impossible to remove the stigma of addiction while drug use remains illegal – the two concepts are completely at odds with one another
28 June 2016
Heroin killed my brother 38 years ago. Too many still suffer in its clutches
Eugene Paul
The heartbreak of losing a loved one to a drug overdose never goes away. I hope the trend toward treatment instead of punishment prevents future suffering
22 June 2016
I take opioids to treat chronic pain. Stigmatizing them will harm me
Sonya Huber
The push to blame the nation’s epidemic on too many prescriptions could have negative ramifications for patients who rely on them for pain management
10 June 2016
North Carolina reverses thousands of drug overdoses amid opioid crisis
A state initiative focused on getting drugs into the hands of current users is receiving national attention for stopping more than 3,000 deaths
9 June 2016
Opioids are a bipartisan issue because they've become a mainstream, white one
Celine Gounder
Our lawmakers don’t agree on much, but they do agree on needing to give more funds to fighting the US painkiller epidemic now that it’s hit white people
8 June 2016
What opioid hysteria leaves out: most overdoses involve a mix of drugs
Chelsea Carmona
The rising opioid death rate is alarming, but it’s time they didn’t take sole blame for fatalities
3 June 2016
What is fentanyl? The little-known but deadly drug that killed Prince
One of the most dangerous drugs is a synthetic opioid ‘so potent and that even a microgram amount can kill’ – and it’s up to 50 times more powerful than heroin
1 June 2016
Addictions are harder to kick when you're poor. Here's why
Maia Szalavitz
Most addictions end by the time users hit age 30 – unless they lack stable, middle-class jobs
27 May 2016
FDA approves anti-addiction implant to prevent opioid dependence
The implant, Probuphine, dispenses a low dose of buprenorphine over a six-month period and proponents hope it would reduce the chances abuse
26 May 2016
FDA to announce whether it will approve implant for opioid addicts
'It's beyond pain': how Mormons are left vulnerable in Utah's opiate crisis
