Opioid Epidemic
The Fight Over Safe Injection Sites Isn’t Really About Safe Injection Sites
“Cities and counties should expect the Department of Justice to meet the opening of any injection site with swift and aggressive action.” That was Lower […]
Melania Trump Will Visit Philadelphia on Wednesday
Melania Trump will make an appearance in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The Associated Press reports that as part of a tour focusing on the opioid epidemic, the First […]
Here’s What Kenney’s Opioid Disaster Declaration Means for Kensington
Mayor Jim Kenney is getting serious about Philadelphia’s overdose epidemic — particularly in Kensington, where the crisis is most prevalent. On Wednesday, the mayor signed […]
Feds: We’ll Crack Down on a Safe Injection Site in Philly Immediately
The Trump administration is not happy with Philadelphia’s plan to open a supervised injection site. Months after the city first announced that intention, U.S. Deputy Attorney General […]
Meet Mike Newall, Poet Laureate of the Opioid Epidemic
Mike Newall, the Philadelphia Inquirer metro columnist, is 40 years old, Irish, Catholic and intense. He is pleasant and kind but doesn’t often laugh; he […]
Independence Blue Cross Announces Big Drops in Opioid Prescriptions and Use Among Members
Independence Blue Cross says it’s making headway in fighting the opioid crisis. The insurer’s efforts over the last four years have led to a dramatic […]
From Sex Offender to CEO of Recovery Homes for Women
People in recovery for opioid addiction are among the most vulnerable members of society. So when they check into a recovery home, sometimes sent there […]
Northern Liberties Man Indicted by Feds in Huge Opioid Crisis Fraud Probe
It’s not Joseph Lubowitz’s first time in the news. The 29-year-old man, who went from drug user to CEO of Humble Beginnings Recovery Centers, has […]
Report: Pa. Has Nation’s Second-Highest Rate of Opioid-Related Doctor Arrests
Opioid-related deaths in Pennsylvania are outpacing the national average, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2015 and 2016, the state saw […]
Report: Philly Drug Overdose Deaths Jumped to New Record in 2017
A report from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health on Tuesday shed some light on just how dire and damaging the city’s opioid crisis has […]
Carrying Naloxone While Black: When Saving a Life Could Cost Me My Own
Not all Good Samaritans are seen the same way. A few summers ago, high temperatures caused a wave of heat-related illnesses and deaths across Philadelphia. I was […]
Opioid-Related Deaths in Pa., New Jersey Outpacing National Average
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among the states hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, which […]
Larry Krasner Sues Big Pharma, Drops All Marijuana Possession Charges
On the same day a Philly.com op-ed was published in which Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (and Mayor Kenney) admitted the failure that was the […]
Kenney and Krasner: Criminalizing Crack Addiction Was a Mistake
Philly Mayor Jim Kenney and District Attorney Larry Krasner declared on Thursday that criminalizing crack addiction in the 1970s and ’80s was a mistake. In an […]
If Opioids Are a Public Health Crisis, Let’s Admit the Crack Epidemic Was Too
Growing up, I was taught that people addicted to drugs were criminals who should be jailed for their poor judgment. This was in the ’90s, […]