opioids

The Mission to Save Lives by Deciphering Philly’s Volatile Drug Supply

Conditions in the Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia, where I’ve reported for years, stand as a rebuke to a litany…

April 15, 2021

Harm Reduction at Sea: Tight-Knit Fishing Communities Navigate Drugs

The setting sun shines a crown of pink light through the windows of a loud bar on the Massachusetts coast,…

April 8, 2021

Exclusive: ACLU Sues NY County Over Methadone Access in Prison

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against Jefferson County in…

April 5, 2021

Illinois Methadone Patients Could Be First to Have Privacy Rolled Back After SAMHSA Rule-Change

An Illinois Senator appears to be the first state lawmaker to push for a bill that would make a controversial…

March 29, 2021

Our Adulterated Supply: Underreported Complications for Opioid Users

When I began using heroin on the West Coast in the late 2000s, it came in the form of a…

March 9, 2021

As People Who Use Drugs, We Urge Biden to End the Buprenorphine X-Waiver

In late January, the Biden Administration walked back one of the biggest steps toward opening access to medications for opioid…

March 3, 2021

Marijuana Legalization Could Curb West Virginia’s Overdose Crisis, Governor Says

If West Virginia lawmakers send a bill to legalize marijuana to his desk, he will sign it, Gov. Jim Justice…

March 3, 2021

How a Smartphone App Could Help Communities Respond to Overdoses

A smartphone app that activates civilian emergency responders to 911 calls has the potential to save the lives of people…

February 18, 2021

The Last Days of Heroin: Fentanyl’s Rise and the Pattern It Represents

Five years ago, British Columbia saw a change. People who use drugs in the Canadian province started overdosing in higher…

February 18, 2021

Why I Think We Need to Move Beyond “Harm Reduction”

I walked around the park grounds checking out the jubilant crowd of young partygoers. A gospel-sounding, organ-dominated groove played in…

February 10, 2021