Drug Deaths Dip in 2018, CDC Says

Analysis: Slight overall decline masks increases in fentanyl, cocaine, meth deaths

Charles Fain Lehman
July 17, 2019 3:00 PM

The number of drug overdose deaths fell slightly in 2018, preliminary data released Wednesday indicate, causing government officials to claim that they are "beginning to win the fight against this crisis."

Oklahoma, J&J Reach End of First National Opioid Trial

The case is widely expected to be a bellwether for future litigation, either saving big pharma or spelling its doom

Charles Fain Lehman
July 16, 2019 2:35 PM

Lawyers for the state of Oklahoma on Monday called on a judge to find pharmaceutical concern Johnson and Johnson legally culpable for the opioid crisis.

Study: Teen Opioid Users More Likely to Try Heroin

High school survey shows perils of teen opioid abuse

Charles Fain Lehman
July 10, 2019 5:00 AM

Teens who admitted to abusing prescription opioids were substantially more likely to abuse heroin later in high school, a study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association argues.

Prescription Limits May Increase Opioid Exposure

Paper assesses effectiveness of prescription length limits, monitoring systems

Charles Fain Lehman
June 26, 2019 5:00 AM

A paper released Monday found that a popular policy designed to combat opioid abuse may unintentionally expose more people to the highly addictive drugs. It looks at how two policies — initial prescription limits and must-access prescription drug monitoring programs — affect "opioid-naïve" individuals’ exposure to prescription painkillers.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Deaths of Despair

Analysis: America faces not one, but three different death crises

Charles Fain Lehman
June 24, 2019 5:00 AM

Since the turn of the millennium, the number of Americans dying from non-medical, self-inflicted causes—drug overdose, suicide, and alcohol-related illness—has exploded.

Study: Medical Marijuana Doesn’t Reduce Opioid ODs

New research refutes previous analysis

Charles Fain Lehman
June 11, 2019 12:30 PM

Legal medical marijuana does not drive down opioid overdose deaths, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, refuting an earlier study that found evidence they did.

Republican Senators Propose Harsher Sentences for Fentanyl

Charles Fain Lehman
June 5, 2019 2:17 PM

A cadre of Republican U.S. senators floated a bill Wednesday to substantially increase federal mandatory minimums for those convicted of trafficking the super-deadly opioid fentanyl.

More States, D.C. Sue Purdue Pharma

Charles Fain Lehman
June 5, 2019 11:42 AM

Three more states filed lawsuits Monday against the Purdue Pharma, maker of the opioid drug often blamed for igniting the drug crisis.

Workplace Overdoses on the Rise, New Study Says

Research highlights the link between the drug crisis and economic distress

Charles Fain Lehman
May 23, 2019 2:40 PM

The drug crisis touches every aspect of Americans' lives, with the workplace being no exception, a new study shows.

Warren Refloats $100 Billion Opioid Plan

Analysis: Big spending offers few new ideas on fighting crisis

Charles Fain Lehman
May 13, 2019 5:00 AM

Presidential contender Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) floated a proposal Wednesday to combat America's ever-growing overdose crisis.

Washington Free Beacon

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