Opioids
Trump Says Pain Pills Are 'So Highly Addictive.' He's Wrong.
The president wants to sue pharmaceutical companies for telling the truth about the addictive potential of their products.
New CDC Numbers Show the Drug War Continues to Make Opioids Deadlier
Deaths involving pain pills and heroin are falling, while deaths involving fentanyl and its analogs continue to rise.
Mom of Newborn Reported to State for Eating a Poppy Seed Bagel
"I said, 'Well, can you test me again? And I ate a poppy seed bagel this morning for breakfast,' and she said, 'No, you've been reported to the state.'"
Up Close and Personal With Philadelphia's Heroin Crisis
Journalist Christopher Moraff talks about a better way to report on drug culture in America.
A Chicago Tribune Columnist Thinks Helping Opioid Users Is 'Accommodating' Them
It's time to stop punishing people for their addictions.
When a Baby's Accidental Drug Death Leads to a $3 Million Bail Order, It's Time to Ask Questions
Is a mom who passed drugs along to her infant via breastfeeding a real community threat?
Thank Drug Warriors for the Escalating Death Toll From Superpotent Synthetic Opioids
New data show the share of opioid-related fatalities involving fentanyl analogs is rising.
Sessions' Escalating Drug War Causing Cold Feet Over Safe Injection Centers
San Francisco was supposed to have sites up and running this month. It does not.
New Study Shows Drug War Sends Users to Dark Web
A new British study shows that rescheduling hydrocodone, a powerful opiate painkiller, just forced users onto the darknet to get their fix.
Nan Goldin's Misleading OxyContin Story Feeds the Myth of 'Highly Addictive' Pain Pills
Like most people who become addicted to prescription opioids, the famous photographer had a history of substance abuse.
This Is Your Hand on Opioids: Trump's 'Very Bad Commercials' Rely on Dishonest and Pernicious Scare Tactics
The anti-drug ads exaggerate the risk of addiction and falsely portray pain treatment as a highway to hell.
The Opioid Crisis Isn't What You Think It Is—and It Can't Be Stopped by More Drug War: Podcast
Reason's Jacob Sullum and Zach Weissmueller talk about the human toll on patients and their doctors.
Rhode Island Wants to Treat Drug Dealers Like Murderers
The Democrat-controlled Rhode Island state Senate agrees with President Donald Trump that harsher punishments are needed for drug dealers. Wrong!
The Government's Cure for the Opioid Epidemic May Be Worse Than the Disease
When the cure for the "epidemic" proves worse than the disease, it's time to try something new.
AMA Castigated for Rightly Opposing a National 3-Day Limit on Opioid Prescriptions
The doctors' lobby is right that the arbitrary rule is medically unsound and misconstrues the CDC's guidelines.
An Overdose Is Not a Murder
Treating opioid-related deaths as homicides is unjust and may deter bystanders from seeking help.
Nevada Records Show 'Opioid-Related' Deaths Usually Involve Illicit Drugs or Mixtures
Deaths attributed solely to pain pills are rare in Clark County.
FDA Head Acknowledges Suffering Caused by Opioid Crackdown
Scott Gottlieb announces a public meeting focused on the concerns of chronic pain patients.
Opioid Death Rates Are Not Correlated With Prescription Rates Across States
More reason to doubt that pain pill restrictions will save lives
Walmart's 7-Day Opioid Prescription Limit Is Medically Unsound and Could Backfire
Like state legislators, the chain is taking its cue from the CDC's guidelines.
The Lethal Success of Pain Pill Restrictions
A new study provides more evidence that the opioid crackdown is driving people toward deadlier drugs.
New York's Mayor Backs Supervised Injection Facilities to Reduce Opioid Deaths
Bill de Blasio's plan includes four privately funded and operated "overdose prevention centers" in three boroughs.
To Save Lives, Make Naloxone an Over-the-Counter Drug
The FDA should facilitate access to the the opioid-overdose antidote.
The New York Times Suggests Opioids Should Be Reserved for Terminal Patients
An editorial calling for further restrictions on pain pills grossly exaggerates their dangers.
The War on Opioids Probably Helped Kill Prince
His fentanyl overdose came from counterfeit Vicodin, and he likely didn't know what he was ingesting.
As Opioid Prescriptions Fall, Opioid Deaths Rise
The latest data underline the folly of tackling the "opioid crisis" by restricting access to pain pills.
Scott Gottlieb Is Not a Free Market Firebrand
The FDA chief's mixed, moderate record has surprised both his champions and his critics.
Former House Speaker John Boehner Once Opposed Marijuana Legalization. Now He's a Pot Lobbyist.
He's doing it for the vets. And probably for the potential new customer base.
Medicare Agency Retreats From Arbitrary Limit on Pain Medication
Under the final rule, pharmacists may fill high-dose opioid prescriptions as long as they verify them.
Surgeon General Advises Greater Use of Naloxone to Help Save Lives
Surgeon General Adams says "Research shows that when naloxone and overdose education are available to community members, overdose deaths decrease in those communities."
New Medicare Rule Promises Needless Suffering for Pain Patients
Taking a cue from the CDC, the proposed regulation imposes an arbitrary cap on opioid prescriptions.
Trump's 'Tough' Drug Policies Are Not Smart
The president's anti-opioid plan is heavy on tactics that have already failed.
Does the 'Moral Hazard' of Lifesaving Naloxone Justify Making It Hard to Get?
A study suggests that easier access to the overdose-reversing medication encourages opioid use.
Nan Goldin's Back Story Complicates Her Anti-Opioid Narrative of Accidental Addiction
The photographer's long history of substance abuse predates her OxyContin prescription by more than four decades.
Does That JAMA Study Really Show That Advil Is Just As Effective As Opioids?
Since responses to pain treatment vary widely, it is hazardous to draw broad conclusions from a single study.
America's War on Pain Pills Is Killing Addicts and Leaving Patients in Agony
The government's efforts to get between people and the drugs they want have not prevented drug use, but they have made it more dangerous.
When Fixing the Problem Makes It Worse
Our best hope is that commercial and cultural change will overcome the tendency to force top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions onto complicated problems.
Trump, Slayer of Pushers
If drug dealers have blood on their hands, so do drug warriors.
The 2010s Have Been a Banner Decade for Unintended Consequences
The war on drugs looks crueler by the day.
Trump and Trial Lawyers Target Drug Companies Over Opioid Addiction
Making drug-company shareholders foot the bill for a public health crisis is flaky and counterproductive.
When It Comes to Pot, Pain, and Cancer, Jeff Sessions Is An Idiot
Our top federal law enforcement officer has no idea what real pain is really like-or what doctors do to manage it.
Jeff Sessions' Cruel Prescription for Pain
The attorney general does not seem to understand how the drive to minimize opioid use hurts innocent people.
Jeff Sessions' Advice to Pain Patients: 'Take Some Aspirin' and 'Tough It Out'
The attorney general thinks people should suffer needlessly, just like John Kelly.
Jeff Sessions Says Opioid Addiction Starts With Marijuana. Here Are 6 Studies That Say Otherwise
Sessions: "We think a lot of this is starting with marijuana and other drugs, too."
Legal Limits on Opioid Prescriptions May Increase the Number of Pills Dispensed
When initial prescriptions are too short, refills are more likely.
