Doctors pressured for opioid prescriptions seek alternatives
The medical profession is re-examining its extensive use of opioid painkillers under the glare of an addiction crisis that is killing tens of thousands of Americans each year.
America's Opioid Addiction
A look inside America's opioid epidemic: How it is impacting our communities, and what medical professionals and policymakers are doing to stamp out the addiction.
Recent Stories
States, tribes sue opioid makers over addiction epidemic
States, counties and Indian tribes that sued opioid makers over their role in the overdose crisis are poised to have their day in court in a make-or-break 2019, as pretrial wrangling gives way to showdowns before judges and juries.
Fentanyl secondary exposure can kill in small amounts
Exposure to less than 2 grams of fentanyl -- a substance 25 to 50 times stronger than heroin -- could kill an unsuspecting person who thinks it is merely sand.
Fentanyl test strips help drug users detect deadly doses
Health care advocates want to put a cheap drug test in the hands of users to combat soaring rates of overdose deaths from the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, which is contaminating nearly every illegal drug on the street.
Gary Mendell's Shatterproof nonprofit helps other families cope with addiction
Gary Mendell founded Shatterproof, a nonprofit that combats the stigma of addiction and works to improve treatment, after his son, Brian, died of an opioid-related overdose in late 2011.
Opioid addiction treatment includes other drugs
Only 17.5 percent of those with addictions use one of the three medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration that help stop cravings and prevent opioids from working during relapses.
Opioid battle takes time, funding
Those on the front lines of southern Massachusetts' opioid crisis are trying to solve the problem by connecting to one addict at a time. It is a slow, painful process with few victories and scarcer funding. It is also a story playing out across the country, with the need for addiction treatment accelerating beyond the available resources.
Opioid crisis adds social work to police duties
The surge of powerful opioids and record number of deadly overdoses are forcing law enforcement to change the way they do their jobs, adding social work and education to their traditional role of crime-fighting as they scramble to combat the threat.
Opioid addiction hits all demographics
Opioid addicts no longer fit any specific profile. People across all age, racial and economic demographics are falling victim to drug addiction.
Opioid abuse numbers show health crisis worsening
Accidental overdose, heroin, struggle with addiction -- those words follow the loving remembrances by families to describe their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. They plead that others don't suffer the same fate.
HHS recommends prescribing naloxone alongside opioids
The Trump administration on Wednesday said it wants doctors to co-prescribe naloxone to patients who use opioids and could be at high risk of overdosing.
