Opioid epidemic

Republican vice presidential nominee Senator J.D. Vance speaks at a campaign rally in Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20, 2024.

The Tragedy of J.D. Vance The Tragedy of J.D. Vance

Vance could have been a key player in addressing the roots of the opioid crisis. Instead, he went in another direction.

Jul 23, 2024 / Gregg Gonsalves

A black and white photo of two people handing out Narcan.

In Defense of Drug Decriminalization—Yes, in Oregon In Defense of Drug Decriminalization—Yes, in Oregon

By passing Measure 110, Oregonians sought to begin undoing the harms caused by over 50 years of a failed War on Drugs. Those harms won’t be fixed overnight.

Sep 8, 2023 / Abdullah Shihipar, Alexandria Macmadu, and Brandon D.L. Marshall

A Black man holds a sign reading,

Will the Opioid Crisis Deliver Its Worst Harms to Black and Brown People? Will the Opioid Crisis Deliver Its Worst Harms to Black and Brown People?

It started as a crisis among white people. But now that overdoses are surging in Black and Brown communities, government is failing to invest in the healthcare-based approaches tha...

Aug 28, 2023 / Helena Hansen, Jules Netherland, and David Herzberg

A sign supporting the return of military troops from wars abroad is displayed in front of the White House in 2018.

War Causes Pain at Home, Not Just Abroad War Causes Pain at Home, Not Just Abroad

In the US, so many of us do feel the painful results of our disastrous distant wars of this century, whether we know it or not. 

Jun 14, 2023 / Andrea Mazzarino

Appalachia Mountains

What “Demon Copperhead” Gets Right About Appalachia What “Demon Copperhead” Gets Right About Appalachia

Barbara Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel shows the reality of the opioid and foster care crises in the region without resorting to stale stereotypes.

May 15, 2023 / StudentNation / Jessica Miller

Nan Goldin

Nan Goldin’s Life Between Art and Activism Nan Goldin’s Life Between Art and Activism

The impact of her pioneering photography and her advocacy on behalf of those harmed by Purdue Pharma is chronicled in Laura Poitras’s All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.

Mar 4, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

DEA drug container

Covid-19 Stopped Progress on the Drug Epidemic in Its Tracks Covid-19 Stopped Progress on the Drug Epidemic in Its Tracks

Bold policy changes are needed now to save lives.

Jun 17, 2021 / Joshua Barocas

Covid opioid addiction

The Other Epidemic Killing Americans The Other Epidemic Killing Americans

People are dying at record rates from opioid overdoses, and harm reduction advocates are asking the Biden administration to overhaul how it deals with the crisis.

May 28, 2021 / Michelle Chen

Why Drug Overdoses Have Gone Up During the Pandemic

Why Drug Overdoses Have Gone Up During the Pandemic Why Drug Overdoses Have Gone Up During the Pandemic

“It’s really hard to think about recovery, or putting down substances, when your basic human needs aren’t being met.”

Sep 17, 2020 / Mattea Kramer

rural pharmacy

In Rural America, Opioids Kill Many More Than Covid-19 In Rural America, Opioids Kill Many More Than Covid-19

But the pandemic has made the problem worse, too.

May 27, 2020 / Karen Rothmyer

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