Oregon has reversed its drug decriminalization law after three years, as rising homelessness, overdoses, and the influx of powerful synthetic drugs like fentanyl and xylazine threatened to overwhelm the state. The new law recriminalizes most drugs and aims to push users into treatment or impose penalties, signaling a shift in policy to address the growing crisis.

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Awareness of adolescent overdose deaths is crucial to save young lives. Despite a decline in drug use among teens, overdose deaths have more than doubled due to the millions of counterfeit pills laced with lethal doses of fentanyl. Parents, teachers, and communities must work together to educate and protect youth from the dangers of illicit drugs and ensure safe prescription practices.

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The CDC recently published its most current provisional data regarding total U.S. drug overdoses for the 12 months between May 2022 and April 2023. According to the new data, 112,024 people across the U.S. died from drug overdoses in that period, compared to 110,394 deaths in the May 2021 to April 2022 period.

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Fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is anywhere from 50–100 times more potent, has become the leading cause of drug overdose fatalities in the United States. Its widespread use is extremely grim because even as some people who struggle with addiction try to avoid the drug, dealers increasingly add fentanyl to their drug supplies to make each batch more potent, addictive, and dangerous.

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A news story broke recently of an Arizona drug bust in which, unlike most drug busts, the agents did NOT seize fentanyl that had been trafficked from Mexico or China. Rather, the agents seized batches of chemicals intended to produce fentanyl right here in the United States.

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Certain drug combinations, habits, and even mental or physical health conditions greatly increase the risk of fatal drug overdose. Learn the factors that create the biggest risks.

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“I won’t overdose on that drug—it’s not an opioid.” For decades, people who have become addicted to mind-altering substances like methamphetamine and other non-opioid drugs have used this line to justify using their drug of choice.

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A new study has shown that fentanyl is so potent it can stop the user’s breathing and cause death while the user is still conscious. That is different from other opioid overdoses that typically involve the user going unconscious before experiencing halted breathing and cardiac arrest. Such a development means emergency responders and concerned individuals now have even less time to respond to an opioid overdose, thus heightening the risk of death.

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Illicit fentanyl has been a leading cause of fatal overdoses in the United States for some years. Adding to the concern, recent reports by the Drug Enforcement Administration suggest that new strains of “rainbow fentanyl” could be spreading through American cities. The drug, colored to look like candy, is particularly risky to young adults, teens, and children.

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Many public health experts believed that, partially because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was going to be the worst year yet for drug overdoses. They were right, and final numbers for the death toll exceeded even the most gloomy predictions.

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