Groups trying to reduce overdose deaths and the spread of infectious diseases are using vending machines to get clean needles, pipes, wound care kits, Narcan and other safety supplies to drug users.
Harm reduction, aimed at keeping people safe and alive, is one piece on the spectrum of addiction care that the state is ready to fund through settlements with major drug manufacturers.
The majority of drugs tested after an opioid overdose — 90% — contain fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. That's why some health experts are calling for nasal nalmefene to be available over the counter.
The justices struggled to decide whether to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to the multi-billion dollar Purdue Pharma bankruptcy deal--a deal meant to compensate victims of OxyContin.
An overdose of opioid pain medication can kill someone. And Narcan nasal spray can save a life. That's why five overdose reversal kits are now available throughout the Georgia State Capitol.
The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy named a veterinary tranquilizer an “emerging threat” for humans when mixed with the opioid fentanyl, but pharmacists say they've been warning for years about irreversible overdose and extreme morbidity risks associated with xylazine.
The city of Atlanta and six metro area counties filed a federal lawsuit this week in the U.S. District Court of North Georgia seeking compensatory and punitive damages against drug companies and pharmacies related to their role in the opioid crisis.
Two Washington Post journalists say pharmaceutical companies collaborated with each other — and with lawyers and lobbyists — to create laws to protect the industry. Their new book is American Cartel.
While white Georgians ages 25 to 54 still account for most overdose deaths from opioids, fatalities among Black Georgians are climbing fast, up more than 250% since 2019, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The strips that determine whether a substance contains fentanyl are currently considered paraphernalia in Georgia. That puts a life-saving tool in the same category as a syringe.
Legislation to bar future lawsuits against the companies involved in a $26 billion multi-state settlement must be passed before the state can collect $636 million dollars. The money will help pay for preventing and addressing the effects of opioid dependence.
