Members phkrause Posted April 22, 2025 Author Members Posted April 22, 2025 Walgreens to pay up to $350 million in U.S. opioid settlement Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, which said that it illegally filling millions of prescriptions in the last decade for opioids and other controlled substances. https://apnews.com/article/walgreens-settlement-opioid-crisis-lawsuit-daf1cf197d0c04156d70e287ce2d62c1? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted April 23, 2025 Author Members Posted April 23, 2025 Fentanyl Pipeline: How a Chinese Prison Helped Fuel a Deadly Drug Crisis in the United States China’s vast security apparatus shrouds itself in shadows, but the outside world has caught periodic glimpses of it behind the faded gray walls of Shijiazhuang prison in the northern province of Hebei. https://www.propublica.org/article/china-fentanyl-prison-yafeng-illegal-drug-trade? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted May 16, 2025 Author Members Posted May 16, 2025 US overdose deaths fell 27% last year, the largest one-year decline ever seen There were 30,000 fewer U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before — the largest one-year decline ever recorded. Experts say more research needs to be done to understand what drove the reduction, but they mention several possible factors. Among the most cited: increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone; expanded addiction treatment; shifts in how people use drugs; and the growing impact of billions of dollars in opioid lawsuit settlement money. Read More. ? Overdose deaths plummet Data: CDC; Note: 2024 may be underreported due to incomplete data; Chart: Axios Visuals Drug overdose deaths last year dropped to their lowest annual level since 2019, Axios' Rebecca Falconer reports from preliminary CDC data. The drop is partly due to the wider availability of naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose, per CBS News. Narcan, the best-known version of the drug, was made available over the counter in 2023. It is standard issue for first responders and available in other public places. Go deeper. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted May 22, 2025 Author Members Posted May 22, 2025 Exclusive: Opioid use disorder costs almost $700K per case Opioid abuse is as much an economic problem as a public health one, according to a comprehensive analysis provided first to Axios that concludes the total average annual cost associated with each case is nearly $700,000. https://www.axios.com/2025/05/20/opioid-use-disorder-costs? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted June 8, 2025 Author Members Posted June 8, 2025 Synthetic opioids Overdoses and drug poisonings are now the third-leading cause of death in people younger than 20 in the US, behind firearms and motor vehicle crashes. An emergency room doctor explains why opioids are so dangerous. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted June 18, 2025 Author Members Posted June 18, 2025 ‘Gas station heroin’ is technically illegal and widely available. Here are the facts WASHINGTON (AP) — Health officials want you to think twice before buying one of those brightly colored little bottles often sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops. https://apnews.com/article/tianeptine-gas-station-heroin-fda-poison-4c8f6b98c9c615c9236ac950ce34850c? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted July 6, 2025 Author Members Posted July 6, 2025 America's new obsession Data: Philip Morris International. Chart: Axios Visuals It's not food, it's not chewing tobacco and it's not gum — though it might look like it when you see it — but it is becoming America's new addictive obsession. Why it matters: Sales of Zyn nicotine pouches are soaring, prompting the tobacco company that makes them to scramble to boost U.S. production to meet demand. U.S. shipments of Zyn pouches surged 177% in the last two years, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports. How it works: Zyn pouches are placed between the gum and lip, gradually releasing nicotine over time. The pouches are discreet and don't produce smoke or odors like cigarettes. Threat level: The product is addictive because nicotine is addictive. But it doesn't cause cancer because it doesn't contain tobacco, whose harmful chemicals are carcinogenic. As a result, advocates say nicotine pouches can serve as a safer alternative to smoking. Still, tobacco industry watchdogs say products that contain nicotine can serve as a gateway to smoking, especially for teens. Keep reading. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 20, 2025 Author Members Posted August 20, 2025 Beshear bans drug in Kentucky that’s being targeted by attorneys general across the nation FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear took emergency action Monday to ban the sale of “designer Xanax,” responding to a request from his state’s attorney general who is leading a broader effort to combat the highly potent synthetic drug linked to dozens of overdose deaths last year in the Bluegrass State. https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-designer-xanax-drug-enforcement-administration-e8a49e9cca5de545968556b2eaf31023? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 27, 2025 Author Members Posted August 27, 2025 The Coast Guard seized a record 76,000 pounds of drugs this summer off Central and South America MIAMI (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than 75,000 pounds (34,000 kilograms) of illegal drugs this summer from boats far out to sea in the Pacific and Caribbean, which the service called its largest-ever haul worth nearly half a billion dollars. https://apnews.com/article/coast-guard-florida-drug-bust-cocaine-772901e26b884217a54ef74e1b724064? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted September 19, 2025 Author Members Posted September 19, 2025 > Fentanyl Falls, Cocaine Rises WSJ | Staff. As the US cracks down on the fentanyl trade, cocaine consumption has increased—up 154% in the western US since 2019. Meet a Mexican drug lord capitalizing on the changing landscape. (Read) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted October 31, 2025 Author Members Posted October 31, 2025 US appeals court overturns West Virginia landmark opioid lawsuit decision CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday overturned a landmark decision in West Virginia that had rejected attempts by an opioid-ravaged area to be compensated by U.S. drug distributors for a influx of prescription pain pills into the region. https://apnews.com/article/general-news-west-virginia-courts-opioids-lawsuits-eadf5d967b7670d7d9af2ee5047925e3? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted November 16, 2025 Author Members Posted November 16, 2025 Judge says he’ll approve opioid settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue and Sackler family NEW YORK (AP) — A federal bankruptcy court judge on Friday said he will approve OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma’s latest deal to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids that includes some money for thousands of victims of the epidemic. https://apnews.com/article/purdue-pharma-bankruptcy-sackler-settlement-a8c9ae5427b3195096aec8d54b17a054? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted January 12 Author Members Posted January 12 ? "Pink cocaine" sweeps nightclubs Bags containing a powder known as "pink cocaine" are pictured in Medellín, Colombia. Photo: Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP via Getty Images A drug marketed as "pink cocaine" is turning up more often in U.S. nightclubs and busts, Axios' Russell Contreras reports. Why it matters: No two batches are the same. The potent powder is a dangerous cocktail of drugs, commonly ketamine and ecstasy, sometimes mixed with methamphetamine or fentanyl. That unpredictability sharply raises the risk of overdose. ⚡ Catch up quick: Authorities from Los Angeles to Miami have reported busts or issued strong warnings involving pink cocaine, also known as tuci or tusi, in recent months. New York City investigators last year seized pink cocaine along with dozens of guns in a Tren de Aragua-linked trafficking case. "There is no antidote for pink cocaine," says Kaitlyn Brown, clinical managing director for America's Poison Centers. "All responders can do is support the patient while the drugs clear their system." Read on. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 20 Author Members Posted February 20 💊 New wave of mutating drugs Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios Overdose deaths are falling. But America's illicit drug supply is evolving into lethal cocktails: fentanyl plus stimulants, sedatives and novel synthetics that hide in party powders and pressed pills, Axios' Russell Contreras reports. 🧬 Why it matters: Those polydrug blends — with nicknames "pink cocaine," "rhino tranq," "benzo-dope" and others — are harder to detect, reverse and warn against. Some can even result in the loss of limbs. That makes recent overdose declines fragile and public-health victories reversible if policy, testing and treatment don't catch up. "When we crack down on one drug, the market innovates," Sheila Vakharia, managing director of the Department of Research and Academic Engagement at the Drug Policy Alliance, tells Axios. Catch up quick: The Trump administration has highlighted record fentanyl seizures at the southern border and credited tougher enforcement with helping drive overdose deaths down. Yes, but: Experts say the domestic drug market is adapting in real time. Targeting fentanyl has incentivized illegal drug suppliers to experiment with other compounds that bypass detection, creating what Vakharia describes as a "whack-a-mole" cycle. Keep reading. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
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