overdose

New England “Strike Force” to Target Opioid Prescribers for Prosecution

On June 29, a group of agencies announced the “New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force” (NEPO). It will target physicians,…

July 7, 2022

Vermonters Overwhelmingly Back Drug Decriminalization. Will Lawmakers Listen?

A large majority of people in Vermont—84 percent—support removing criminal penalties for low-level drug possession, according to a poll released…

July 1, 2022

Protests Urge NY Gov. to Roll Out Safe Consumption by Executive Action

On June 29, simultaneous protests in Manhattan and Albany urged New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) to use her executive…

June 30, 2022

My Overdose on “Benzo Dope” Was Part of a Current Wave

It’s hard to write a story about events of which you have almost no recollection. But as the days pass,…

June 22, 2022

Vermont Gov. Vetoes Safe Consumption Sites, Along With the Harm Reduction He Claims to Support

On June 7, Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R) vetoed House Bill 728, which would have created an Overdose Prevention Site…

June 17, 2022

The Nationwide Reach of Harmful Drug “Paraphernalia” Laws

A new report published by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, examines how federal and state drug “paraphernalia” laws…

June 8, 2022

British Columbia Will Decriminalize Drug Possession

British Columbia has become the first jurisdiction in Canada to receive the federal green light to decriminalize drug possession. On…

June 1, 2022

Why “Drug-Induced Homicide” Doesn’t Have to be Prosecuted

Over the past five years, five more states have passed drug-induced homicide (DIH) statutes, reflecting the country’s ever-increasing investment in…

May 27, 2022

Ohio Bills Seek to Decriminalize Fentanyl Test Strips

Ohio lawmakers are—slowly—considering legislation to decriminalize fentanyl test strips. On May 19, state Representative Kristin Boggs (D) testified before the…

May 24, 2022

The Methadone Clinic System Needs Abolition, Not a Tepid Reform Bill

Peter Vanderkloot’s groundbreaking article—Methadone: Medicine, Harm Reduction or Social Control—hit me hard. As a social worker, I helped people who…

May 23, 2022