May 1, 2018 The National Institute on Drug Abuse announce that an analysis of opioid-related overdose deaths found that synthetic opioids, such as illicit fentanyl, have surpassed prescription opioids as the most common drug involved in overdose deaths in the U.S. A research letter
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Cleveland.com By Jackie Borchardt COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio is suing five drug companies for flooding the state with prescription painkillers that gave rise to the state’s opioid addiction and overdose crisis. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the lawsuit during a Wednesday news conference. Ohio is the second state to sue drug manufacturers, following Mississippi. The lawsuit, filed in Ross County Common Pleas Court, seeks an injunction and damages from five major opioid manufacturers: Purdue Pharma. Endo Health Solutions. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and subsidiary Cephalon. Johnson & Johnson and subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Allergan, formerly known as Actavis. The lawsuit alleges the companies overstated benefits of prescription opioids and understated the risks. DeWine said the evidence will show the companies did so to boost profits and deceived physicians who prescribed the drugs. “This lawsuit is about justice, it’s about fairness. It’s about what is right,” DeWine said during a news conference. “It…
New York Times By JOSH KATZ June 5, 2017 New data compiled from hundreds of health agencies reveals the extent of the drug overdose epidemic last year. AKRON, Ohio — Drug overdose deaths in 2016 most likely exceeded 59,000, the largest annual jump ever recorded in the United States, according to preliminary data compiled by The New York Times. The death count is the latest consequence of an escalating public health crisis: opioid addiction, now made more deadly by an influx of illicitly manufactured fentanyl and similar drugs. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50. Although the data is preliminary, the Times’s best estimate is that deaths rose 19 percent over the 52,404 recorded in 2015. And all evidence suggests the problem has continued to worsen in 2017. UPDATE The first governmental account of nationwide drug deaths shows roughly 64,000 people died from drug…