addiction

Marlene Shay's (right) son Adam overdosed on heroin when he was 21 years old. His kidney and pancreas went to Karen Goodwin, a recovering addict herself.

After He Died From An Opioid Overdose, She Got A New Chance At Life

5:00am November 17, 2017

When Marlene Shay lost her son Adam to an opioid overdose, his organs went to Karen Goodwin, who was in treatment for drug addiction. If it wasn't for him, Goodwin tells Shay, "I wouldn't be here."

The contents of a drug overdose rescue kit at a May 13, 2015, training session in Buffalo, N.Y., on how to administer naloxone, which reverses the effects of heroin and prescription painkillers.

To Save Opioid Addicts, This Experimental Court Is Ditching The Delays

2:26pm October 05, 2017

by Eric Westervelt

Underscoring the severity of the U.S. overdose crisis, a first-of-its kind opioid intervention court aims to get drug-addicted criminal defendants into recovery before their criminal case is heard.

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Jeff England, director of the Trinity County Food Bank, delivers items in remote Zenia, Calif. The closest large grocery store is 100 miles away.

One Man's Quest To Feed A Hungry, Isolated California County

12:11pm October 03, 2017

by Lisa Morehouse

The harsh terrain lacks farmland. And the nearest large grocery store is 100 miles away with sometimes no way to get there. So more residents have come to rely on Jeff England's food bank delivery.

Third-year students at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine learn how to trim crowns and prep a tooth for a crown. They're also learning to deal with the aftereffects, studying alternatives to opioids for pain relief.

Dental Schools Add An Urgent Lesson: Think Twice About Prescribing Opioids

7:20pm September 08, 2017

Opioid painkillers prescribed by dentists have helped fuel the nation's addiction epidemic. Dental schools are teaching the next generation of dentists that there are other ways to treat pain.

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The shelter at Houston's Convention Center, seen here Aug. 29, isn't equipped to provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid abuse.

Houston Methadone Clinics Reopen After Harvey's Flooding

9:36am September 06, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Hurricane Harvey disrupted treatment for people addicted to opioids. Many need to get connected to a specialty clinic that can provide medication-assisted treatment.

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Health & Safety

Report: Opioid Abuse Plagues The Rural South, Including North Carolina

4:33pm August 07, 2017

by Sean Bueter

A new study suggests North Carolina is home to four of the top 25 cities for opioid abuse, and the vast majority of cities on the list are located in the South.

Andrea Towson used heroin for more than three decades. After a near-death experience with fentanyl, she sought help.

'That Fentanyl — That's Death': A Story Of Recovery In Baltimore

6:36pm August 03, 2017

Andrea Towson was known in West Baltimore as the go-to person for help getting high. Last year, she nearly died from a fentanyl overdose. "Thank God for another day," she says.

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Some medical professionals say declaring a national emergency could make Naloxone, a drug that treats opioid overdoses, more readily available.

Should The Opioid Crisis Be Declared A National Emergency?

10:13am August 02, 2017

by Greg Allen

Addiction treatment professionals are praising many of the recommendations of a White House commission on the opioid crisis. But some question the recommendation to declare it a national emergency.

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The morphine-like pain killer Oxycontin is just one of a number of opioids fueling a substance use crisis in the U.S. federal health officials say. And successful treatment for the substance use disorder can be costly.

Opioid Treatment Funds In Senate Bill Would Fall Far Short Of Needs

10:13am July 20, 2017

by Ben Allen

A Senate proposal to repeal Obamacare includes $45 billion to treat opioid addiction. But it wouldn't make up for deep cuts to Medicaid in that same bill that has funded much of that treatment.

Babies exposed to opioids in utero may experience withdrawal symptoms at birth, but these symptoms are treatable. Typically, the babies can go home after a few days or a couple weeks.

For Newborns Exposed To Opioids, Health Issues May Be The Least Of Their Problems

4:12pm June 30, 2017

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein says worry less about the short-term withdrawal symptoms of babies exposed to opioids in the womb, and much more about the lives and mothers they go home to.