NPR: overdose https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=172496798 overdose en Copyright 2024 NPR - For Personal Use Only Story API Shim 1.2.24 Thu, 03 Apr 2025 05:57:40 -0400 https://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/primary/npr_generic_image_300.jpg?s=200 NPR: overdose https://www.npr.org/tags/172496798/overdose Trump administration extends opioid emergency as fentanyl deaths drop U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the Trump administration will continue to treat opioid overdoses as a "national security" emergency even as fentanyl deaths decline. Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:57:18 -0400 https://www.npr.org/2025/03/19/nx-s1-5333651/opioid-trump-fentanyl-emergency-overdose https://www.npr.org/2025/03/19/nx-s1-5333651/opioid-trump-fentanyl-emergency-overdose

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the Trump administration will continue to treat opioid overdoses as a "national security" emergency even as fentanyl deaths decline.

(Image credit: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

]]> Brian Mann Deadliest phase of fentanyl crisis eases, as all states see recovery In some parts of the U.S., drug deaths have plunged to levels not seen since the fentanyl crisis exploded. Addiction experts say communities still face big challenges. Mon, 10 Mar 2025 04:12:06 -0400 https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/nx-s1-5295618/fentanyl-overdose-drugs https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/nx-s1-5295618/fentanyl-overdose-drugs

In some parts of the U.S., drug deaths have plunged to levels not seen since the fentanyl crisis exploded. Addiction experts say communities still face big challenges.

(Image credit: Rachel Wisniewski for NPR)

]]> Brian Mann In a decade of drug overdoses, more than 320,000 American children lost a parent New research documents how many children lost a parent to an opioid or other overdose in the period from 2011 to 2021. Bereaved children face elevated risks to their physical and emotional health. Wed, 08 May 2024 10:59:49 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/08/1249918051/drug-overdose-orphans-opioids-cdc-nida https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/08/1249918051/drug-overdose-orphans-opioids-cdc-nida New research documents how many children lost a parent to an opioid or other overdose in the period from 2011 to 2021. Bereaved children face elevated risks to their physical and emotional health.

]]> Rhitu Chatterjee Blinken warns deadly fentanyl crisis will spread globally Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says the U.S. is "a canary in the coal mine" as deadly synthetic street drugs spread. Fri, 15 Mar 2024 13:05:44 -0400 https://www.npr.org/2024/03/15/1238809405/fentanyl-blinken-global https://www.npr.org/2024/03/15/1238809405/fentanyl-blinken-global Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says the U.S. is "a canary in the coal mine" as deadly synthetic street drugs spread.

]]> Brian Mann How Portugal eased its opioid epidemic, while U.S. drug deaths skyrocketed Portugal cut drug deaths by 80%, using free health care and addiction treatment. The U.S., meanwhile, focused on drug busts and tough crime laws. Overdose deaths keep rising catastrophically. Sat, 24 Feb 2024 08:13:38 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2024/02/24/1230188789/portugal-drug-overdose-opioid-treatment https://www.npr.org/2024/02/24/1230188789/portugal-drug-overdose-opioid-treatment

Portugal cut drug deaths by 80%, using free health care and addiction treatment. The U.S., meanwhile, focused on drug busts and tough crime laws. Overdose deaths keep rising catastrophically.

(Image credit: Brian Mann)

]]> Brian Mann In 2023 fentanyl overdoses ravaged the U.S. and fueled a new culture war fight Fentanyl fueled unprecedented carnage with 112,000 fatal overdoses. The nation is increasingly divided over how to respond. Thu, 28 Dec 2023 08:51:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2023/12/28/1220881380/overdose-fentanyl-drugs-addiction https://www.npr.org/2023/12/28/1220881380/overdose-fentanyl-drugs-addiction

Fentanyl fueled unprecedented carnage with 112,000 fatal overdoses. The nation is increasingly divided over how to respond.

(Image credit: April Laissle)

]]> Brian Mann Cops say they're being poisoned by fentanyl. Experts say the risk is 'extremely low' Police officers regularly report being poisoned or overdosing after encountering trace amounts of fentanyl on the job. Experts say it's not happening. Tue, 16 May 2023 18:15:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/2023/05/16/1175726650/fentanyl-police-overdose-misinformation https://www.npr.org/2023/05/16/1175726650/fentanyl-police-overdose-misinformation

Police officers regularly report being poisoned or overdosing after encountering trace amounts of fentanyl on the job. Experts say it's not happening.

]]> Brian Mann Police Offering Drug Recovery Help: 'We Can't Arrest Our Way Out Of This Problem' Police departments are toning down the law enforcement, and offering drug users recovery help instead. But convincing drug users to accept the help is not easy. Sat, 08 Feb 2020 07:00:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2020/02/08/802318886/police-offering-drug-recovery-help-we-can-t-arrest-our-way-out-of-this-problem https://www.npr.org/2020/02/08/802318886/police-offering-drug-recovery-help-we-can-t-arrest-our-way-out-of-this-problem

Police departments are toning down the law enforcement, and offering drug users recovery help instead. But convincing drug users to accept the help is not easy.

(Image credit: Karen Brown)

]]> Karen Brown Built For Counterterrorism, This High-Tech Machine Is Now Helping Fight Fentanyl Public health officials are adopting a law-enforcement tool, the mass spectrometer, to instantly identify potentially deadly levels of opioids in local drug supplies. Wed, 27 Nov 2019 07:17:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/11/27/780794194/built-for-counterterrorism-this-high-tech-machine-is-now-helping-fight-fentanyl https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/11/27/780794194/built-for-counterterrorism-this-high-tech-machine-is-now-helping-fight-fentanyl

Public health officials are adopting a law-enforcement tool, the mass spectrometer, to instantly identify potentially deadly levels of opioids in local drug supplies.

(Image credit: Jesse Costa)

]]> Martha Bebinger Life, Death And The Lazarus Drug: Confronting America's Opioid Crisis More than 70,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2017 — many of them from heroin and other opioids. One of the most widely-used tools to confront this crisis is a drug called naloxone. It can reverse an opioid overdose within seconds, and has been hailed by first responders and public health researchers. But in 2018, two economists released a study that suggested naloxone might be leading some users to engage in riskier behavior — and causing more deaths than it saves. This week, we talk with researchers, drug users, and families about the mental calculus of opioid use, and why there's still so much we're struggling to understand about addiction. This episode originally aired in October 2018. Mon, 24 Jun 2019 17:35:01 -0400 https://www.npr.org/2019/06/24/735423620/life-death-and-the-lazarus-drug-confronting-americas-opioid-crisis https://www.npr.org/2019/06/24/735423620/life-death-and-the-lazarus-drug-confronting-americas-opioid-crisis More than 70,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2017 — many of them from heroin and other opioids. One of the most widely-used tools to confront this crisis is a drug called naloxone. It can reverse an opioid overdose within seconds, and has been hailed by first responders and public health researchers. But in 2018, two economists released a study that suggested naloxone might be leading some users to engage in riskier behavior — and causing more deaths than it saves. This week, we talk with researchers, drug users, and families about the mental calculus of opioid use, and why there's still so much we're struggling to understand about addiction. This episode originally aired in October 2018.

]]> Shankar Vedantam