overdoses

Law enforcement, firefighters and paramedics can apply to get free naloxone at select Walmart pharmacies in Florida.

Researchers hope to enroll 1,000 adult drug users to study the effects on overdoses, to estimate their costs and to gauge potential savings for the health care and criminal justice systems.

The Florida Department of Health has issued thousands of free Narcan kits but is still trying to make more available to the public.

With the number of overdose deaths exploding, there are calls in Congress for a national emergency declaration similar to the one at the start of COVID. Such a declaration could lead to tougher sanctions.

The White House says drug deaths linked to a mix of synthetic drugs including fentanyl and xylazine — also known as tranq — are a major public health threat. The drug cocktail is spreading fast.

Advisers to the FDA put the opioid overdose-reversal drug a step closer to being sold without a needing a prescription. Even if approved, the medication may not reach many people who need it.

The CDC released the new numbers, saying the official number was 106,699. That’s nearly 16% higher than the nearly 92,000 overdose deaths in 2020. Earlier data suggested there were more than 107,000.

Emergent BioSolutions has applied to the FDA to sell the opioid overdose-reversal drug over the counter. Addiction experts say it may be a key step to lower fentanyl deaths.

The Biden administration will use data from EMS first responders to track overdoses. The focus will be on improving response to a public health crisis that kills more than 100,000 Americans annually.

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