A study of people who use illicit opioids or misuse prescription opioids found 80 percent said they fear and dislike fentanyl, but it is difficult to avoid, HealthDay reports.
The opioid crisis is being fueled by anonymous online sales on the dark web, where buyers purchase fentanyl and other drugs using special browsers and virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, The New York Times reports.
Drug overdose deaths increased 19 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to a preliminary analysis of data by The New York Times. Evidence suggests the problem, driven by opioid addiction, has continued to worsen this year.
Two senators on the Judiciary Committee are preparing a bill that would create tough new penalties for people caught with synthetic opioids, NPR reports.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning police officers and firefighters about the dangers of overdosing on the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl if they accidentally touch or inhale the drug while on the job.
A police officer in Ohio accidentally overdosed on fentanyl while on the job, NBC News reports. He was recovering, but reportedly “still miserable” several days later.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is reporting a strain of fentanyl, resistant to the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, has caused several overdose deaths in Western Pennsylvania.
Newly released court documents related to the investigation into Prince’s death reveal he hid some opioid pills in over-the-counter vitamin and aspirin bottles.
Fentanyl, the opioid that is up to 50 times as potent as heroin, is presenting law enforcement with complex challenges, according to Richard Baum, Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
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