Arizona's Opioid Epidemic

Arizonas Opioid Epidemic
Tucson, Pima County Sue Opioid Companies
Pima County and the City of Tucson are the latest to sue opioid companies for their role in the country’s addiction and overdose crisis.
Jan. 17, 2019
Combating Opioid Addiction In Native Communities A Challenge
Opioid addiction is a dramatic problem that is affecting the entire country, and efforts are underway to try to prevent the issue and treat those with the problem. The prevalence of the challenge is even more dramatic among Native Americans.
Dec. 12, 2018
Reports Of Fentanyl Found In All Kinds Of Drugs
Concerns about the highly potent opioid fentanyl are on the rise in Arizona. But Arizona appeared to be holding off the “tidal wave” of deaths compared to places like the Midwest and New England. That could be changing.
Nov. 15, 2018
FDA Approves New Opioid Amid Addiction Crisis
The opioid addiction crisis is a reality across the country. It’s led to — among other steps — increased regulation. It’s in this reality that the Food and Drug Administration has approved of a new opioid called Dsuvia, which is intended to be used specifically by the Department of Defense.
Nov. 8, 2018
Where To Dispose Of Unused Prescription Medication
On Saturday police officers and public health officials across the country are putting out large, metal bins in parking lots, under tents and in the lobbies of public libraries. By the end of the day they hope the bins are filled to the brim with an assortment of pills.
Oct. 26, 2018
Where Has The Opioid Treatment Money Gone?
In the final days of the Obama administration, a bipartisan Congress passed the 21st Century Cures Act. Part of that bill authorized nearly a billion dollars to the states in emergency money to help get people into treatment for opioid addiction.
Oct. 23, 2018
Expert: Alcohol Leads To More Deaths Than Opioids
Nationally, there were 42,000 deaths from opioid overdoses in 2016. But, as bad as those numbers are, David Jernigan points out alcohol is responsible for more than 100,000 deaths every year.
Sept. 26, 2018
Opioid Crisis Hits Home In Arizonas Neonatal Units
As the opioid epidemic continues to grip our state and nation, there is another population that’s being negatively affected by this crisis — the babies born to addicted mothers.
Sept. 21, 2018
Arizona Receives $20M To Combat Opioid Crisis
States across the country will get over $1 billion dollars to help combat the opioid crisis, and Arizona will received $20 million of those funds.
Sept. 20, 2018
Group Distributes 100K Doses Of Overdose Reversal Drug
The Arizona Department of Health Services says 1,723 people in the state have died from opioid overdoses since last June.
Sept. 17, 2018
AZ AG Takes Action Against Purdue Pharma Again
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich Monday took legal action against Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the prescription opioid painkiller OxyContin.
Sept. 10, 2018
ADOT Training Officers To Respond To Opioid Overdoses
The Arizona Department of Transportation announced it has started training some of its officers who work at ports of entry to respond to opioid overdoses.
Aug. 16, 2018
State Gets $10 Million To Combat Opioid Crisis
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona steps up with millions of dollars to help combat opioid addiction and deaths.
Aug. 15, 2018
Arizona Officials Tout Opioid Progress
Gov. Doug Ducey said on Monday that between June 2017 and June 2018, the number of opioid prescriptions filled in Arizona declined 40 percent and the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed fell 43 percent.
Aug. 13, 2018
Arizonas Opioid Death Rate Still Climbing
Deaths from opioid overdoses rose nearly 20 percent last year in Arizona. In 2017, 949 people died from opioids according to state numbers released this month. That marks a 20 percent increase from the year before.
Aug. 8, 2018
Arizona Likely To Overprescribe Opioids For Ankle Sprains
Opioid overdoses kill 90 Americans each day according the CDC, and more data on overprescribing is needed. Now, a new study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine identifies nine states where opioid prescriptions rank well above average, and Arizona is among them.
July 26, 2018
How Is The Opioid Crisis Affecting Children?
The opioid crisis has been devastating to a generation of Americans. In Arizona alone, 790 people died of opioid overdoses in 2016. But what about the effects on their children? What do we know about their life trajectory and how it affects their development and cognitive skills?
July 13, 2018
Report: USPS Should Do More To Protect Workers From Opioids
Overseas producers of powerful synthetic opioids are peddling their products online and shipping them to the U.S. Lawmakers are working to tighten United States Postal Service policy and require it to collect more data about who sends international packages.
More Coverage Of The Opioid Crisis
July 3, 2018
School Counselors Find Crossroads In Opioid, Budget Crises
The opioid epidemic in Arizona takes a toll on children throughout the state. In most cases, children witness their parents abuse drugs, and even some school age children have turned to drugs. Counselors increase in students affected by opioid epidemic but struggle to help.
June 20, 2018
How Does The Opioid Epidemic Affect Schools?
The opioid epidemic is ravaging communities across America. One of the many places it’s having an impact is the nation’s schools. Politico reporter Kimberly Hefling has taken a look at how cash-strapped schools are struggling to help children.
June 18, 2018
AZ Opioid Law Meant To Help A Crisis — But Who Is It Hurting?
Faced with rising drug overdose deaths, states like Arizona have focused on limiting the number of opioid pills doctors can prescribe. But now some worry the new rules are creating another crisis — and patients are becoming collateral damage.
More Coverage Of Arizona's Opioid Epidemic
June 18, 2018

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