Suffolk County Grand Jury Addresses Prescription Painkiller Abuse
The panel has offered several solutions and recommendations to address the epidemic after hearing testimony from 38 witnesses and considering 123 exhibits.
Watch CBS News
The panel has offered several solutions and recommendations to address the epidemic after hearing testimony from 38 witnesses and considering 123 exhibits.
Major pharmaceutical companies saw dollar signs when they first began to push doctors to freely prescribe powerful opiate-based painkillers for just about anything, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported. Now there is a major public health crisis.
Maria Basmas just experienced her first Mother's Day without her son Christopher. He died in October after overdosing on prescription painkillers. He was only 29-years-old.
Recovering painkiller addict Michel Green told WCBS 880's Irene Cornell he was shocked when, after experiencing knee pain, a doctor offered him another addictive painkiller.
"The sales for these medications continue to skyrocket, to a point at which the U.S. is now consuming more than 80 percent of the entire world's opioid supply," Dr. Andrew Kolodny told WCBS 880's Irene Cornell.
It usually takes a celebrity death to grab the headlines, but there have been 100,000 fatal overdoses in this country in the past 10 years because to narcotic painkillers, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
Narcotic painkillers and the doctors who prescribe them illegally have become a new focus for law enforcement, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
He lost his dream job with the Boston Celtics and nearly lost his life to Oxycontin and heroin, but now he's a man on a mission, traveling the country telling his powerful story to vulnerable kids, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
At 21-years-old, Chris Herren was a huge talent in professional basketball, but his drug addiction proved to be even bigger.
Highly addictive opiate based painkillers are with us because they do have legitimate uses. But things can go very wrong, as Gregg Dworkin, now an ex-addict, found out, reported WCBS 880's Irene Cornell.
Veteran narcotics detectives, accustomed to shutting down heroin mills and tracking cocaine cartels, have had to learn some new tricks and drug overdose deaths rival those from car crashes, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40 Americans a day die from prescription drug abuse -- more than heroin and cocaine combined.
An Oxycodone epidemic is running rampant through New York State, according to State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
A U.S. senator is warning that a new batch of super painkillers now under review could lead to violent robberies.
Dr. Frank Telang was arrested at his home in Port Jefferson Station at 8:15 a.m., according to federal authorities.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says the counterfeit prescriptions were filled in 20 counties throughout the state.
His attorney, James McElhone, says Dr. Frank Telang is a "widely respected doctor" and has "absolutely" done nothing wrong.
Burglaries are on the rise all across North Jersey, and the source is in the sky.
DA Kathleen Rice said Dr. Martin Roginsky sold painkillers like oxycodone and roxycodone to anyone who walked into his Rockville Centre, Long Island office.
The DEA is taking action against what it calls an epidemic, hosting the first ever nationwide prescription drug take-back program in hopes of stemming teen prescription drug abuse.
There's more evidence Friday that a common over-the-counter medication may be linked to both asthma and eczema in children.
A Harlem doctor once known for her work with drug addicts was accused on Thursday of writing phony prescriptions for about 11,000 painkiller pills.
The FBI says nine people, including a doctor, are charged with running a Manhattan drug ring.
The Intrepid Museum's ceremony marking 84 years since the Pearl Harbor attack includes a wreath-laying in the Hudson River.
The construction of a bike lane along 31st Street in Astoria, Queens, has had local businesses and cyclists at odds for months.
New York beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 on Saturday night.
The Boston Bruins beat New Jersey 4-1 on Saturday night, sending the Devils to their season-high fifth straight loss.
The Brooklyn Nets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 119-101 on Saturday.
The Intrepid Museum's ceremony marking 84 years since the Pearl Harbor attack includes a wreath-laying in the Hudson River.
The construction of a bike lane along 31st Street in Astoria, Queens, has had local businesses and cyclists at odds for months.
A 68-year-old father of five was struck by moped driver and killed in Queens on Friday, leaving his family heartbroken right before the holidays.
New York has no plans to change hepatitis B vaccine guidance after a Centers for Disease Control advisory panel voted to stop recommending a first dose for newborns.
The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup schedule has been released, including the slate of matches coming to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
If you're heading out, brace yourself — it's the coldest day of the season so far.
CBS News New York has learned Jed Parkington, who died by suicide during a standoff with law enforcement on Tuesday, was fascinated with Nazi Germany.
"Driven Into Debt," CBS News New York's latest investigative series, has uncovered a simple truth -- unpaid tolls can quietly spiral into crushing debt.
First Alert Weather Days have been declared in the NYC area as the arctic chill could bring record low temperatures.
A decomposed body and pipe bombs were found inside a Stamford, Connecticut, home after a shootout between the homeowner and police officers Tuesday, officials say.
The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup schedule has been released, including the slate of matches coming to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
An apartment building fire in Jersey City, New Jersey, displaced about 30 people Friday, sending them out into frigid temperatures.
A judge ruled Menendez, the former U.S. Senator, is no longer eligible for public employment after a bribery conviction.
If you're heading out, brace yourself — it's the coldest day of the season so far.
"Driven Into Debt," CBS News New York's latest investigative series, has uncovered a simple truth -- unpaid tolls can quietly spiral into crushing debt.
A man is now in custody in Florida in connection to the 1997 murder of Tanya Denise Jackson on Long Island.
Nassau County Police charged Vito D'Ambrosio, of Seaford, with murdering his parents at A&A Italian Deli and Pizza in Bethpage.
If you're heading out, brace yourself — it's the coldest day of the season so far.
"Driven Into Debt," CBS News New York's latest investigative series, has uncovered a simple truth -- unpaid tolls can quietly spiral into crushing debt.
Two people were killed in a stabbing in Bethpage on Long Island, Nassau County police said.
"We're reviewing the process, and we'll see," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. "Whatever we were to decide to release, we'd have to be very responsible about reviewing that right now."
President Trump presented medals to the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees during an Oval Office ceremony.
A judge ruled Menendez, the former U.S. Senator, is no longer eligible for public employment after a bribery conviction.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition fundraising effort is paying off.
The principal of a Brooklyn middle school created controversy this week by turning down the opportunity to have a Holocaust survivor speak to students.
New York has no plans to change hepatitis B vaccine guidance after a Centers for Disease Control advisory panel voted to stop recommending a first dose for newborns.
In New York alone, there have already been more than 17,000 flu cases and nearly 1,000 hospitalizations, and doctors anticipate it's only going to get worse as more people gather for the holidays.
Colette Smith of the Bronx was diagnosed with lung cancer, despite never smoking. Her survival story is central to her push for early detection.
Some New Yorkers want the mayor-elect to appoint a new "rat czar" when he takes office after an uptick in rat sightings.
Gio's Law would establish a $25 million grant program to equip law enforcement nationwide with EpiPens and train officers how to use them.
President Trump presented medals to the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees during an Oval Office ceremony.
The iconic Wythe Diner was physically moved Saturday from its location in Williamsburg to Steiner Studios in Brooklyn's Navy Yard.
Japanese officials said Jeremy O Harris, known for his Tony-nominated "Slave Play" and his role in the series "Emily in Paris," was arrested on the island of Okinawa on Nov. 16.
Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has been sentenced to three more months in prison for violating his supervised release terms in a New York gang case.
Frank Gehry was known for designing the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
New York beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 on Saturday night.
The Boston Bruins beat New Jersey 4-1 on Saturday night, sending the Devils to their season-high fifth straight loss.
The Brooklyn Nets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 119-101 on Saturday.
The Colorado Avalanche topped Artemi Panarin and the New York Rangers 3-2 on Saturday.
The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup schedule has been released, including the slate of matches coming to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Neighbors in Brooklyn's Victorian Flatbush are expressing frustration after the city designated only part of their area as a historic district.
Brooklyn's Prospect Park is getting financing for a long-term project to battle the impacts of climate change, city leaders say.
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music plans a 12,000-square-foot campus at One Prospect Park West, aiming to serve thousands more with music therapy and education programs.
Some residents at NYCHA's Eastchester Gardens in the Bronx say they've been shivering on and off all week.
The Brooklyn Nutcracker returns to Downtown Brooklyn with diverse cultural influences, community outreach, and a fresh take on Tchaikovsky's iconic score.
The Halloween tradition strolled through Manhattan's East Village on Sunday, with furry friends dressed in colorful costumes.
A suspect was taken into custody after an attack on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on June 1 in which there were 15 people and a dog who were victims. The suspect threw Molotov cocktails that burned some of the victims, who were part of a march for Israeli hostages.
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
Dogs got decked out for the annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in New York City's East Village on Saturday.
Cosplayers flooded New York City's Javits Center in October 2024 for the annual New York Comic Con convention.
The robotics team at Cedar Grove High School just advanced after winning an event in Cleveland.
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is an iconic New York City holiday sight that has stood the test of time.
The Intrepid Museum in NYC will commemorate the day with remarks and a wreath-laying ceremony in the Hudson River.
The 2025 honorees include Michael Crawford, Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor and KISS. CBS News' Wendy Gillette reports.
A series of home burglaries has New Jersey homeowners on high alert. CBS News New York's Noëlle Lilley reports.