More than 100,000 Americans likely died from drug overdoses in 2022, marking the highest number on record, according to provisional data published May 18 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data show that the reported number of drug overdose deaths occurring in the United States decreased by 2 percent from the 12 months…

NEW YORK—Frank Vallelonga Jr., an actor who appeared in the Oscar-winning movie “Green Book,” died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl and cocaine, according to the New York City medical examiner’s office. Vallelonga, 60, was found dead in November on a sidewalk in the Bronx. A 911 caller reported seeing his body near a factory….

Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, has received federal approval to be sold without a prescription at pharmacies throughout the United States. The nasal spray form of Narcan, made by Maryland-based company Emergent BioSolutions, was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015 as a…

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy blamed the Biden administration’s border policies for the alarming rise in deaths from fentanyl overdoses in the United States at the recent California Republican Party (CAGOP) convention. “I want you to think for one moment what this fentanyl is doing, because it is killing Americans,” he told Republicans gathered in Sacramento…

“Fentanyl right now is the largest killer of individuals between the age of 18 and 45. It exceeds all other causes of death. Every 8.57 seconds, somebody dies of a fentanyl overdose.” Siyamak sits down with California Sen. Tom Umberg to discuss the impacts of fentanyl and what our state is doing about it. …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday said it has moved to restrict the illicit import of xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer that is increasingly making its way across the nation as a street drug. Xylazine is the active ingredient in a potent animal drug widely used to sedate dogs, cats, as well as…

Ed Ternan and his wife, Mary Ternan, are on a mission. They are determined to teach as many children and parents as they can about the deadly dangers of fentanyl and how easily people can die from taking just one pill. “My family was thrown into the fentanyl crisis when we lost our youngest son,…

The U.S. health regulator said on Tuesday its advisory panel will meet on Feb. 15 to review Emergent Biosolutions Inc.’s over-the-counter (OTC) nasal spray to treat suspected opioid overdoses. Emergent is seeking the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval for the prescription-free sale of Narcan, its nasal spray form of the drug naloxone. Narcan is…

An art teacher at a middle school in Westfield, New Jersey, is facing drug-related charges, among other offenses, after allegedly overdosing on opioids in front of students, according to authorities. In a Jan. 6 press release (pdf), Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro announced that a 57-year-old teacher, identified as Frank Thompson, was found unconscious inside…

News Analysis Fentanyl overdose has become the leading cause of death for young Americans since 2019. U.S. authorities say that China remains the primary source of the precursor chemicals, which are then processed and manufactured into synthetic opioids by Mexican drug cartels to bring into the United States. In response to the rising threat of…