
Addiction
Atlantic City Council votes to close the state’s first needle exchange
After nearly two-and-a-half hours of public comment, the Atlantic City Council voted to no longer allow the needle exchange at the Oasis Drop-in Center to operate.
10 months ago
Philly DA not happy with proposed opioid settlement
A settlement involving many states, including Pennsylvania, might not be good enough for city officials.
10 months ago
Listen 1:33Pennsylvania’s overdose deaths rose in 2020, CDC says
The CDC reported 5,172 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania last year, a jump of 16% from 4,444 in 2019.
10 months ago
Philly awards 20 grants to Kensington groups battling opioid crisis
City officials sent a total of $200,000 to 20 community groups dedicated to improving the quality of life in the epicenter of Philadelphia's opioid crisis.
10 months ago
U.S. overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year — a 29 percent jump
Overdose deaths in 2020 are just one facet of what was overall the deadliest year in U.S. history, with about 378,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
10 months ago
Pennsylvania would get $225M in revamped opioid agreement
Pennsylvania would receive $225 million to fight the opioid-addiction epidemic from a new agreement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma.
11 months ago
N.J.’s first needle exchange could close as Atlantic City looks to develop beyond casinos
Advocates are lobbying Gov. Murphy to save the program, which they say has helped reduce HIV infections in the area by 50% since it opened 14 years ago.
11 months ago
Listen 2:47Lawmakers renew call for stronger addiction treatment oversight as two Pa. providers charged
Two Philadelphia addiction treatment providers face criminal charges for allegedly bribing recovery homes for referrals and forcing patients into substandard care.
11 months ago
J&J agrees to pay $230M to settle New York opioid claim
Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $230 million to New York state to settle claims that the pharmaceutical giant helped fuel the opioid crisis.
11 months ago
An on-again/off-again/on-again exemption means no special training is required for medical professionals to prescribe buprenorphine to up to 30 patients each.
11 months ago
Listen 4:07Overdose deaths rose during the war on drugs, but efforts to reduce them face backlash
In recent months, elected officials in parts of the U.S. devastated by addiction have scaled back or eliminated harm reduction efforts.
11 months ago
After 50 years of the War On Drugs, ‘what good is it doing for us?’
Nixon called for an "all-out offensive" against drugs. The U.S. is now rethinking policies that led to mass incarceration and shattered families while drug deaths kept rising.
11 months ago
Kensington encampments persist after a lawsuit, a canceled sweep, and protest
Protestors, police, and encampment residents mingled on Kensington Ave., one day after a Villanova prof sued the city over its treatment of homeless people.
11 months ago
Federal court vacates Montco woman’s conviction in her friend’s overdose death
The Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled “drug delivery resulting in death” statutes were applied too broadly in this case.
12 months ago
SEPTA is testing a new way to help people struggling with addiction on the system
SEPTA is trying a new approach to keeping its stations clean and safe, while helping people suffering from addiction who take shelter in the transit system.
12 months ago
Listen 4:33