In 2015, about 9% of fentanyl-related deaths among people 65 and over also included a stimulant. By 2023 nearly half did, most commonly cocaine. That’s in line with youth trends in the so-called fourth wave of the opioid epidemic.
After Nabarun Dasgupta lost a close friend to an overdose, he dedicated himself to addiction research and trying to empower drug users with lifesaving information.
U.S. drug deaths dropped by roughly 40% last year among people under the age of 35. It's a welcome pivot for families and communities devastated by fentanyl.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration has seen its staff cut by more than a third, and it's facing deep budget cuts. Progress on overdose deaths could be lost, experts warn.
Georgia Senate Bill 79 or the Fentanyl Reduction and Eradication Act, takes Austin's Law to the next step, establishing mandatory minimum sentences for drug crime.
If the downward trend holds, this year is expected to be the first since 2020 to see overdose deaths fall below the 100,000 mark. However, Black and Native American communities remain vulnerable.
Street fentanyl has long been viewed as unstoppable. Now many experts say the supply of the deadly synthetic opioid is suddenly drying up in many parts of the U.S. and fatal overdoses are dropping.
Five people, including two California doctors, have been charged in connection with the 2023 death of the Friends actor, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As the fentanyl crisis grows, Georgia lawmakers have set their eyes on holding someone accountable, pushing forward a bill that will make it easier to charge drug dealers with murder if their supply causes an overdose.
Vending machines carrying opioid-overdose reversal drugs are the center of a bill moving through the Georgia House that aims to make more drugs available to combat deaths from overdose.
The majority of drugs tested after an opioid overdose — 90% — contain fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. That's why some health experts are calling for nasal nalmefene to be available over the counter.
Renae was so desperate to keep her child alive when so many others have died from overdose that she resorted to extreme measures — and extreme risks. She now supervises drug use in her own home.
