Initially developed in the 1950s, nitazenes are a type of synthetic opioid that has reappeared in Philadelphia’s street drug supply.

An overdose death in Boulder County, Colorado, was linked to a powerful new formulation of a designer drug never approved for use in humans.

Among adolescents, boys are more likely to die of an overdose than girls, and using combinations of drugs substantially raises the risk of an overdose.

Xylazine, or tranq, is increasingly being mixed with drugs like fentanyl or heroin and can be difficult to detect. Most people who use drugs are unable to tell if they have been exposed to it.

Pennsylvania has long had one of the highest death rates from drug overdose in the US. But new studies suggest counties throughout the state have different rates of opioid deaths.

Fentanyl’s wide availability in the drug supply has led to an increase in unintentional overdoses. While prevention strategies are available, limited availability stymies their use.

The number of fatal drug overdoses in the US over a 12-month period has surpassed 100,000 for the first time. Fentanyl is the main driver of the spike in deaths.

False narratives about drug addiction and policies that are not supported by research are deepening the overdose epidemic in the US.

While the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, the opioid epidemic got worse as drug overdose deaths soared. New research proposes a way to chemically modify opioids to reduce the risk of addiction.