Latest Opioids News
More doctors can prescribe a leading addiction treatment. Why aren't more people getting help?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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...
2 men charged with providing fentanyl-laced heroin that killed a prominent NYC transgender activist
NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities charged two men with providing the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed prominent New York city transgender activist Cecilia Gentili in February, federal prosecutors said Monday. Text messages, cell site data, and other evidence showed that 52-year-old...
Oregon governor signs a bill recriminalizing drug possession into law
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon's Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek on Monday signed into law a bill that recriminalizes the possession of small amounts of drugs, ending a first-in-the-nation experiment with decriminalization that was hobbled by implementation issues. The new law rolls back a...
Children's author Kouri Richins hit with new charges alleging earlier attempt to kill her husband
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah woman who authorities say fatally poisoned her husband in 2022, then published a children’s book about grief, now faces another attempted murder charge for allegedly drugging him weeks earlier on Valentine's Day. Kouri Richins, 33, is accused of...
