Martha Bebinger
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
-
Salem Hospital has addiction specialist on call, and that came in handy when a patient got help after coming in for a different problem. (Story aired on Weekend Edition Sunday on Oct. 5, 2022.)
-
Most hospitals don't have addiction specialists on call. But Salem Hospital in Massachusetts does. We hear about one patient who got addiction help after coming in for a different problem.
-
U.S. overdose deaths have exceeded 100,000 a year, yet few hospitals are equipped to treat patients with addiction. A new kind of treatment team connect patients with help before they're discharged. -
The veterinary sedative xylazine is being mixed into illegal drugs and could be contributing to a rise in overdoses. (Story first aired on Weekend Edition Saturday on July 30, 2022.)
-
The sedative xylazine is starting to permeate illegal opioids and cocaine. It does not respond to naloxone, an overdose reversal medication, and may be to blame for grisly injuries and infections. -
Worried about the proliferation of plastic trash in the environment and her own body, a journalist tried to shop plastic-free for 7 days. She found plastic in a lot of sneaky and surprising places. -
Harm reduction is one of four policies the Biden administration says must be immediately implemented in order to address the record high number of overdose deaths. -
Drug overdose deaths are at a record high — more than 100,000 in the latest single year. And the Biden administration has a plan to slow that epidemic by emphasizing harm reduction.
-
The deal, hashed out over weeks of intense negotiations, raises the amount paid by the Sacklers by more than $1 billion. In exchange, the family members win immunity from civil opioid lawsuits. -
A beloved pizzeria owner in Brimfield, Mass., had COVID-19 and needed dialysis, but it wasn't available at the hospital where he died. The health system is "breaking down," a hospital CEO says.
