Latest Opioids News

Canadian province will make changes to try to stop drug use in public places, premier says

Apr. 26, 2024 19:49 PM EDT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The government of the Canadian province of British Columbia is making changes to its drug discrimination policy to stop drug use in public places. Premier David Eby told a news conference Friday the province is asking the federal government to...

Police in Washington city issue alarm after 3 babies overdosed on fentanyl in less than a week

Apr. 26, 2024 17:59 PM EDT

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — Officials are sounding alarms after a baby died and two others apparently also overdosed in the past week in separate instances in which fentanyl was left unsecured inside residences, authorities said. A 911 caller on Wednesday afternoon reported that a...

Mexico's chief detective apologizes for saying his country is the 'champion' of fentanyl production

Apr. 25, 2024 20:14 PM EDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The head of Mexico’s detective service apologized Thursday for saying his country is “the champion” of fentany l and meth production. The comments Tuesday by Felipe de Jesus Gallo, the head of Mexico’s Criminal Investigation Agency, appeared to...

More doctors can prescribe a leading addiction treatment. Why aren't more people getting help?

Apr. 24, 2024 17:06 PM EDT

It’s easier than ever for doctors to prescribe a key medicine for opioid addiction since the U.S. government lifted an obstacle last year. But despite the looser restrictions and the ongoing overdose crisis, a new study finds little change in the number of people taking the medication. ...

The head of Mexico's detective service says his country is the 'champion' of fentanyl production

Apr. 23, 2024 19:10 PM EDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The head of Mexico’s detective service acknowledged Tuesday that the country is “the champion” of fentanyl production, something that appears to run counter to past statements by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. López Obrador has hotly denied in...

House panel says China subsidizes fentanyl production to fuel crisis in the United States

Apr. 16, 2024 16:12 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — China is fueling the fentanyl crisis in the U.S. by directly subsidizing the manufacturing of materials that are used by traffickers to make the drug outside the country, according to a report released Tuesday by a special House committee focused on countering the Chinese...

Vertex Pharma scientist talks about the long road to developing non-addictive painkillers

Apr. 15, 2024 17:23 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — For decades, patients seeking medication for pain have had two choices: over-the-counter drugs like aspirin or powerful prescription opioids like oxycodone. Opioid prescriptions have plummeted over the last decade as doctors have become more attuned to the risks...

Mexico, a leading producer of illicit fentanyl, can't get enough for medical use, study finds

Apr. 12, 2024 20:17 PM EDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A report released by the Mexican government Friday says the country is facing a dire shortage of fentanyl for medical use, even as Mexican cartels pump out tons of the illicit narcotic. The paradox was reported in a study by Mexico’s National Commission on...

Police say fentanyl killed 8-year-old Kentucky boy, not an allergic reaction to strawberries

Apr. 11, 2024 14:59 PM EDT

MADISONVILLE, Ky. (AP) — An 8-year-old Kentucky boy died of a fentanyl overdose last month, not from eating a batch of strawberries, authorities said this week. The family had told police they believed the boy had an allergic reaction and took him to a hospital with a rash. Police...

Hepatitis C cases dropped in the US. Health officials aren't sure if it's a blip or a trend

Apr. 03, 2024 13:25 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — New U.S. hepatitis C infections dropped slightly in 2022, a surprising improvement after more than a decade of steady increases, federal health officials said Wednesday. Experts are not sure whether the 6% decline is a statistical blip or the start of a downward...