For years, the FDA has defended its efforts to intercept prescription drugs coming from abroad by mail as necessary to keep out dangerous opioids, including fentanyl.
With more than a billion in opioid settlement dollars coming to Ohio, advocates argued it must be directed to evidence-based strategies. Ohio ranked fourth among states in 2020 for drug overdose mortality, with a majority of deaths caused by opioids. Beth Macy, a journalist, wrote the best-selling book "Dopesick," which examined the origins of the opioid epidemic. .
A Louisiana corner is warning that deadly fake pills, that are often laced with fentanyl, are plaguing his community. The DEA is also reporting record rates of counterfeit pills.
A committee of the King County Council approved a resolution it hopes will eventually be the groundwork for declaring fentanyl abuse a public health crisis.