Health May 08 Effectiveness of safe injection sites to be evaluated in government-backed study By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press
Health Apr 05 Watch 9:04 Wider access to Narcan helps rural communities fight overdose deaths The FDA recently made it easier for people to obtain a powerful overdose-reversing medicine. Narcan previously required a prescription, but soon will be sold over the counter. Communities are already using it to fight overdose deaths. With support from the… By William Brangham and Caleb Hellerman, Global Health Reporting Center
Health Jul 19 Watch 6:47 Why overdose deaths spiked among people of color during the pandemic A CDC report finds overdose deaths rose significantly for people of color from 2019 to 2020. The synthetic opioid fentanyl is largely to blame, combined with a disruption in treatment and prevention programs during the pandemic. Dr. Edwin Chapman, who…
Health Nov 18 Watch 6:44 How the pandemic is contributing to alarming rise in opioid overdose deaths The nation’s opioid epidemic has never been deadlier. The Centers for Disease Control Prevention says 100,000 people died of drug overdoses over the last year — a 30 percent increase from the year before and an all-time high. As William… By William Brangham, Leah Nagy
Health Mar 23 Amid COVID-19, a new push for telehealth to treat opioid use disorder The medical community has been working to provide accessible treatment for opioid use disorder to those who are in hard to reach areas. As COVID-19 sweeps across the U.S., telehealth, or the use of videoconferencing, texting and mobile apps, may… By Zoe Rohrich
Nov 02 A drug counselor sees the perils of jailing her son for addiction By Sam Weber Massachusetts is the only state in the country where men who are involuntarily committed for substance abuse treatment can be treated in jails. Continue reading
Oct 30 White House launches website aimed at addiction treatment By Zeke Miller, Associated Press FindTreatment.gov is the latest development in the administration's effort to address the nation's opioid crisis. Continue reading
Nov 24 Watch 7:19 Surgeon general’s report calls for response to addiction crisis By PBS NewsHour U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is warning Americans of the prevalence of substance abuse and the risks of not addressing it. His new report describes the lethal impact and widespread scope of addiction. William Brangham speaks with Murthy for more… Continue watching
Dec 14 California to increase addiction treatment for Medicaid recipients By Anna Gorman, Kaiser Health News California is overhauling its substance abuse treatment system for low-income people, embarking on a massive experiment to create a smoother path for addicts from detox through recovery. Continue reading
Nov 04 Watch 8:02 Has despair led to a stunning hike in mortality rates for some Americans? By PBS NewsHour While U.S. death rates have been declining steadily over the past few decades, a study this week found that the trend does not apply to some middle-aged white Americans. Causes behind the reversal included suicide, liver diseases and drug overdoses. Continue watching