Opioid Epidemic
Follow the latest Opioid Epidemic news, videos, and analysis from ABC News.
October 9, 2024 at 8:06 PM

Hot days and methamphetamine are now a deadlier mix

Increasingly hot summers and methamphetamine are a deadly mix
October 9, 2024 at 8:06 PM
A fake watermelon, used to disguised a shipment of methamphetamines, is shown after a bust by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, in Otay Mesa, Calif. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection via AP)
October 4, 2024 at 8:54 PM

Over 300K kids have lost a parent to an overdose. At this camp, they heal together

Madi lost her dad to an overdose when she was 11 years old. Now 14, she finds solace at Camp Mariposa, where she can be a kid again and connect with others who know her pain.
October 4, 2024 at 8:54 PM
VIDEO: Over 300K kids have lost a parent to an overdose. At this camp, they heal together
September 27, 2024 at 5:10 PM

State sues Express Scripts, alleging it had role in deadly opioid addiction crisis

Kentucky's attorney general has sued pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts
September 27, 2024 at 5:10 PM
FILE - Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman speaks in Frankfort, Ky., Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
September 19, 2024 at 10:06 PM

Overdose deaths now at their lowest level in 3 years, data shows

Overdose deaths have continued to drop, now at their lowest level in 3 years, data shows, but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
September 19, 2024 at 10:06 PM
September 16, 2024 at 11:58 PM

Naloxone prescriptions increase in 10- to19-year-olds, study shows

Prescriptions for naloxone, the medicine that can reverse opioid overdose, increased 669% for those 10-19 years old from 2017 to 2022, according to CDC researchers. Dr. Darien Sutton explains.
September 16, 2024 at 11:58 PM
VIDEO: Naloxone prescriptions increase in 10- to19-year-olds, study shows
3 months ago

SCOTUS blocks Purdue Pharma opioid settlement

The 5-4 opinion was authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch.
3 months ago
SCOTUS blocks Purdue Pharma opioid settlement
4 months ago

Man pleads guilty after fentanyl kills baby at day care

In September 2023, Felix Herrera Garcia was seen fleeing the day care out a back alley, carrying two heavy shopping bags while children were suffering from the effects of fentanyl, officials said.
4 months ago
In September 2023, Felix Herrera Garcia was seen fleeing the Bronx day care out a back alley, carrying two heavy shopping bags while children were suffering from the effects of fentanyl, officials said.
4 months ago

Man pleads guilty after fentanyl kills baby at day care

The husband of the owner of the New York City day care where a 1-year-old died of fentanyl poisoning pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges.
4 months ago
*FILE* - Bronx Daycare owner Grei Mendez and her husband Felix Herrera-Garcia (pictured in yellow) and her cousin Carlisto Acevedo-Brito appeared in Court today with the parents of deceased 1yr old boy Nicholas Dominici in the Bronx Oct. 5, 2023.
5 months ago

Overdose deaths decreased for 1st time in 5 years

Drug overdose deaths decreased slightly last year, marking the first decline since 2018, according to early data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
5 months ago
VIDEO: Overdose deaths decreased for 1st time in 5 years
5 months ago

Drug overdose deaths fell in 2023, 1st decrease in 5 years: CDC

New provisional CDC data published Wednesday shows drug overdose deaths in the U.S. fell from 2022 to 2023, marking the first annual decline in five years.
5 months ago
New provisional CDC data published Wednesday shows drug overdose deaths in the U.S. fell from 2022 to 2023, marking the first annual decline in five years.
5 months ago

Drug overdose deaths fell in 2023, 1st decrease in 5 years, CDC data shows

New provisional CDC data published Wednesday shows drug overdose deaths in the U.S. fell from 2022 to 2023, marking the first annual decline in five years.
5 months ago
Oxycodone pain pills prescribed for a patient with chronic pain in Norwich, Connecticut, March 23, 2016. Communities nationwide are struggling with the unprecedented opioid pain pill and heroin addiction epidemic.
5 months ago

Walgreens announces it will sell a generic version of over-the-counter Narcan

Walgreens announced Wednesday it will be selling a generic version of over-the-counter naloxone, a drug that can reverse overdoses.
5 months ago
A Walgreens store is seen, March 9, 2023, in Richmond, Calif.
5 months ago

DEA warns of 'deadliest drug threat the US has ever faced'

Agents said they have seized more than 16 kilograms of Fentanyl powder and 60,000 Fentanyl pills while still working to break up other drug trafficking rings.
5 months ago
VIDEO: DEA warns of 'deadliest drug threat the US has ever faced'
5 months ago

More than 320,000 children lost a parent to drug overdose, study shows

A new study shows that more than 320,000 children lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011 to 2022. ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jen Ashton explains.
5 months ago
VIDEO: More than 320,000 children lost a parent to drug overdose, study shows
5 months ago

Calls for fentanyl exposure have increased in kids nearly 54-fold since 2016

Calls to poison centers for fentanyl exposures in kids increased nearly 54-fold since 2016.
5 months ago
DEA warns about fentanyl mixture
5 months ago

Jelly Roll delivers testimony before Congress pushing for anti-fentanyl legislation

Grammy-nominated musician Jelly Roll delivered an impassioned testimony before senate as lawmakers push for new anti-fentanyl legislation.
5 months ago
Jason "Jelly Roll" DeFord testifies before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs committee, Jan. 11, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
5 months ago

4 dead, more than 50 suspected drug overdoses in Austin 'outbreak': Officials

The overdoses were concentrated downtown before spreading across the city.
5 months ago
The overdoses were concentrated downtown before spreading across the city.
5 months ago

4 dead, more than 50 suspected drug overdoses in 'outbreak' in this city: Officials

Officials in Austin, Texas, are investigating an "outbreak" of drug overdoses with more than 50 suspected cases and at least four people dead.
5 months ago
6 months ago

Increase in prescription-opioid overdoses in the US, study reveals

ABC News’ Dr. Jen Ashton discusses how the number of emergency visits among children for prescription opioids had decreased for a decade but increased between 2019 and 2020.
6 months ago
VIDEO: Increase in prescription-opioid overdoses in the US, study reveals
7 months ago

US citizen arrested crossing border from Mexico in taxi with $130,000 of fentanyl

A U.S. citizen has been arrested crossing back into the U.S. from Mexico after authorities found an estimated $130,000 of fentanyl hidden in the taxi they were riding in.
7 months ago
El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents seized 9.7 pounds of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $130,000.
8 months ago

Health secretary weighs in on sky-high drug prices, efforts to combat them

ABC News' "Start Here" spoke with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra about the start of Medicare drug price negotiations.
8 months ago
ABC News' "Start Here" spoke with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra about the start of Medicare drug price negotiations.
8 months ago

Publicis Health agrees to $350M settlement over claims it helped fuel opioid crisis

Publicis Groupe SA agreed Thursday to pay $350 million to settle claims it helped OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma fuel the opioids epidemic in the United States.
8 months ago
In this Feb. 19, 2013, file photo, OxyContin pills are shown at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt.
8 months ago

Oregon officials declare state of emergency to address fentanyl crisis

Oregon officials declared a 90-day state of emergency to address Portland’s fentanyl crisis as fatal synthetic opioid overdoses there have risen 533% since 2018.
8 months ago
Fentanyl drug with warning label.
8 months ago

Studies suggest experimental drug could be alternative to opioids: What to know

A pharmaceutical company says their new experimental drug could be an alternative to opioid-based painkillers.
8 months ago
A sign hangs in front of the world headquarters of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston., Oct. 23, 2019.
9 months ago

New Hampshire voters who've lost children to opioids say crisis being neglected

Advocates feel presidential candidates have not discussed substance use disorder much – when, they believe, it should be highlighted both during and beyond the primary.
9 months ago
Anne Marie and Jim Zanfagna hold a poster about their organization, Angels of Addictions, in their Plaistow, N.H. home, Jan. 22, 2024.
9 months ago

Poisoned: America’s Fentanyl Crisis

America’s illicit drugs are being laced with one of the deadliest opioids ever created, killing in record numbers. ABC News' Bob Woodruff travels to uncover the epidemic of fentanyl poisoning.
9 months ago
VIDEO: Poisoned: America’s Fentanyl Crisis
9 months ago

Jelly Roll makes emotional plea to Congress to fight fentanyl overdoses

The musical artist got candid about his own personal addiction story and former life as a drug dealer during an emotional testimony to a Senate committee.
9 months ago
VIDEO:  Jelly Roll makes emotional plea to Congress to fight fentanyl overdoses
9 months ago

Jelly Roll testifies in Congress about fentanyl dangers

Jason DeFord, known by his stage name Jelly Roll, gave an emotional opening statement Thursday on overdoses at a Senate hearing on fentanyl.
9 months ago
VIDEO: Jelly Roll testifies in Congress about fentanyl dangers
9 months ago

Jelly Roll delivers testimony on fentanyl bill

Singer Jelly Roll speaks at the Senate hearing on a fentanyl bill, saying 190 people in America die daily from a drug overdose.
9 months ago
VIDEO: Jelly Roll testimony on fentanyl bill
10 months ago

Christie calls for renovation to nation's addiction treatment, recovery programs

Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie outlined his national drug crisis plan earlier this week.
10 months ago
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie delivers a speech about drug addiction at Hope on Haven Hill, Dec. 20, 2023, in Rochester, N.H.
10 months ago

Reality TV couple charged with illegally obtaining opiates

Dr. Francis Martinis and his wife Jessica both plead “not guilty” to their charges on Long Island.
10 months ago
VIDEO: Reality TV couple charged with illegally obtaining opiates
10 months ago

2 arrested after gummy bears brought to school in fentanyl-laced bag: Authorities

Several Virginia elementary school students needed medical attention Tuesday after eating gummy bears from a bag that tested positive for fentanyl, authorities said.
10 months ago
Central Elementary School is shown in Amherst, Va.
10 months ago

Supreme Court wrestles with Purdue Pharma settlement, legal shield for Sackler family

A settlement with Purdue Pharma hung in the balance at the Supreme Court as victims of the opioid epidemic urged justices to approve a deal with the company's owners.
10 months ago
Family members of those who have died of opioids gather outside the Supreme Court during a protest in Washington, Dec. 4, 2023.
10 months ago

Supreme Court reviews opioid settlement

Justices will review a $6 billion bankruptcy settlement between Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, and the victims and communities ravaged by the opioid crisis.
10 months ago
VIDEO: Supreme Court reviews opioid settlement
10 months ago

Border officials seize a lot of fentanyl but say it's a complicated problem to solve

As tens of thousands of Americans die each year from synthetic opioids, namely fentanyl, federal officials say the illicit narcotics trade remains a critical problem
10 months ago
Fentanyl drug with warning label.
1 year ago

Officials announce 11 new arrests in 'massive' fentanyl investigation

The U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia announced that 11 additional suspects, out of 23 total in custody, have been arrested in connection with a fentanyl distribution conspiracy.
1 year ago
 Officials announce 11 new arrests in 'massive' fentanyl investigation
1 year ago

Probe of 'massive' fentanyl ring leads to 23 in custody, 250K pills seized: Officials

New details of a federal investigation into a "massive" fentanyl ring in D.C. and elsewhere were released Monday with 11 additional arrests -- out of 23 total
1 year ago
United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves speaks during a press conference after 11 additional suspects were arrested in connection with the sale and distribution of fentanyl, Nov. 20, 2023.
1 year ago

Biden meets with Mexico’s president to discuss fentanyl, migrant crisis

ABC News’ Selina Wang and Mick Mulroy talk about the meeting between President Joe Biden and Mexico’s president and what the leaders will discuss.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Biden meets with Mexico’s president to discuss fentanyl, migrant crisis
1 year ago

US and China to discuss solutions to fentanyl crisis

Pres. Biden and Pres. Xi will discuss the escalating opioid crisis while at the APEC Summit.
1 year ago
VIDEO: US and China to discuss solutions to fentanyl crisis
1 year ago

'It's very challenging': Inside the fentanyl fight at the border

Senior government officials are concerned that Congress may not pass enough funding to secure the border, as federal authorities work to stop illegal narcotics smuggling.
1 year ago
A sign welcomes visitors to the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, Nov. 6, 2023.
1 year ago

The effect of opioid use after surgery

ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jen Ashton talks about a new study that discovered that limiting the use of opioids after surgery does not impact patient outcomes.
1 year ago
VIDEO: The effect of opioid use after surgery
1 year ago

'We trusted this day care': Father of boy who died from fentanyl speaks out

Two of the three suspects arrested in the death of a 1-year-old boy from fentanyl exposure at a Bronx, New York, day care center pleaded not guilty Thursday.
1 year ago
Police and crime scene investigators work at a Bronx day care center, Sept. 21, 2023, in New York City, after a 1-year-old child died and three other children were injured from alleged exposure to the drug fentanyl.
1 year ago

El Chapo's sons purportedly ban fentanyl in Mexico's Sinaloa state

The machine-printed banners were purportedly signed by a faction of the Sinaloa cartel led by the sons of jailed Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
1 year ago
DEA warns about fentanyl mixture
1 year ago

NYC Health Commissioner says residents should carry Narcan

NYC’s Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan has advised residents to carry lifesaving Narcan and know how to use it as fentanyl deaths are on the rise.
1 year ago
VIDEO: NYC Health Commissioner says residents should carry Narcan
1 year ago

Owner of day care where baby died pulled her child out over fentanyl concern: Sources

Felix Herrera Garcia, the husband of the owner of the Bronx day care where a 1-year-old died of suspected fentanyl poisoning, returned Thursday to the United States.
1 year ago
Felix Herrera Garcia was seen running out the back of the day care with garbage bags where a 1-year-old died of fentanyl exposure on Sept. 15, 2023.
1 year ago

Alleged fentanyl drug mill found in NYC apartment

The apartment was just six blocks from the day care where a 1-year-old died, and three other children had to be revived with Narcan after exposure to fentanyl, authorities said.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Alleged fentanyl drug mill found in NYC apartment
1 year ago

Overdose crisis reaches historic levels in NYC, and fentanyl is to blame

The overdose crisis reaches historic levels in New York City, according to new data from the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
1 year ago
A DEA Agent look at posters showing victims of Fentanyl overdose during the National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day Times Square takeover to raise awareness and share education about the deadly drug, Aug. 21, 2023.
1 year ago

Child exposed to Fentanyl and weapons in NYC: police

Police say the drugs and weapons were discovered in a room across the hall from where a 10-year-old slept.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Child exposed to Fentanyl and weapons in NYC: police
1 year ago

Kilo of fentanyl stored at day care where 1-year-old died

A kilogram of fentanyl was stored on top of children’s play mats used for napping at the New York City day care where a one-year-old boy died from exposure to the drug, a criminal complaint stated.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Kilo of fentanyl stored at day care where 1-year-old died
1 year ago

Woman charged in baby's fentanyl death allegedly deleted more than 20K messages

Two people in custody over the death of a 1-year old boy at a New York City day care are facing federal charges.
1 year ago
Flowers and candles placed at the scene of the day care center where a child died in the Bronx section of New York, Sept. 17, 2023.