7 inmates taken to hospital after apparent fentanyl overdoses

Authorities said they responded to "a medical emergency" involving multiple inmates at a jail north of Seattle on Wednesday night.

• May 18, 2023

Pennsylvania classifies xylazine as a controlled substance

Pennsylvania is not the first state to classify xylazine as a controlled substance. Some legislators are pushing for a similar nationwide decision.

• Apr 19, 2023

Drug dealer pleads guilty in overdose death of actor Michael K. Williams

In September of 2021, "The Wire" star was found dead at the age of 54 in his home in Brooklyn, New York.

• Apr 5, 2023

FDA approves Narcan for over-the-counter sales

The FDA on Wednesday approved Narcan, a nasal spray that helps reverse opioid overdoses, for over-the-counter sales without a prescription. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan joins CBS News to discuss how this could help curb opioid deaths.

• Mar 29, 2023
• 4:12

FDA approves Narcan for over-the-counter sale

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the overdose-reversing drug Narcan for over-the-counter sales. Jan Hoffman, a health reporter for the New York Times, joins CBS News to discuss what the move means.

• Mar 29, 2023
• 4:27

Teachers learn to administer Narcan amid opioid crisis

Fatal overdoses in teens ages 14 to 18 jumped 123% from 2019 to 2021, according to data from the CDC.

• Mar 2, 2023

Opioid crisis settlements total over $50 billion. How is that money being used?

Advocates say they hope to see the money spent on evidence-based treatment options, including overdose prevention centers.

• Mar 1, 2023

How Alaska became one of fentanyl's deadliest frontiers

An influx of the synthetic opioid in the last two years has vexed law enforcement, overwhelmed health systems and affected struggling Native communities.

• Mar 1, 2023

Fentanyl seizures rise at U.S.-Mexico border — here's why

GOP lawmakers have incorrectly blamed the spike in fentanyl overdoses on migrants, whom they blame for bringing the drugs across the border.

• Feb 3, 2023

Canada province decriminalizes hard drugs in bid to ease opioid crisis

Adults found with small amounts of cocaine, heroin and other drugs will get information on addiction treatment rather than jail time.

• Jan 31, 2023

Easing rules for opioid treatment meds did not increase overdose deaths, study finds

During the coronavirus pandemic, federal agencies changed rules to allow qualified clinicians to remotely prescribe buprenorphine, even to new patients.

• Jan 20, 2023

Art teacher arrested after overdosing on fentanyl in front of students

The teacher faces various charges for alleged possession as well as endangering the welfare of children.

• Jan 9, 2023

Omnibus bill includes changes to federal drug treatment programs

Several provisions in the spending bill aim to make substance use disorder treatment more accessible.

• Dec 22, 2022

TikTok star Cooper Noriega died from multiple substances, coroner says

The 19-year-old was found dead in a Burbank, California, parking lot over the summer.

• Dec 21, 2022

Confronting America's fentanyl crisis

Fatal overdoses linked to the synthetic opioid fentanyl have been steadily climbing in the United States. "CBS Evening News" managing editor and anchor Norah O'Donnell reports on how teens are buying the drug on social media. Then Desilynn Smith, the clinical supervisor with Gateway to Change rehabilitation center, joins CBS News' Vladimir Duthiers to discuss the loss of her husband to a fentanyl overdose and her work to prevent drug-related deaths in her community.

• Dec 15, 2022
• 9:59

Drug overdose deaths slow after reaching record highs in 2021, CDC data shows

This is the ninth month in a row that the rate of increasing overdose deaths has slowed, preliminary CDC data shows.

• Dec 14, 2022

DOJ official calls on social media companies to do more as teens die from fentanyl

Deaths from fentanyl among teens have more than tripled since 2019.

• Dec 14, 2022

Middle school students treated for suspected overdoses

Panicked parents and first responders rushed to Van Nuys Middle School in Los Angeles, where 10 students were treated for suspected drug overdoses on Thursday. Danya Bacchus reports.

• Dec 1, 2022
• 1:16

California mother arrested after toddler dies from fentanyl overdose

Jennifer Mae Niemann is being held on four charges including child endangerment and possession of controlled substances.

• Nov 11, 2022

Overdose deaths surge as fentanyl floods Colorado

"It is a poison that is continuously infecting, not only Colorado, but every community throughout this country."

• Sep 21, 2022

Social media challenge prompts FDA warning against cooking chicken in NyQuil

Boiling certain medications can be harmful to breathe, let alone eat, the agency warned.

• Sep 20, 2022

U.S. life expectancy drops again, marking worst 2-year decline in a century

The CDC said the drop in life expectancy was largely driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Aug 31, 2022

DEA chief: Cartels are killing Americans with fentanyl at "catastrophic" rates

The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration said two Mexican cartels are behind the deadly influx of fentanyl in the U.S.

• Aug 19, 2022