Fentanyl’s wide availability in the drug supply has led to an increase in unintentional overdoses. While prevention strategies are available, limited availability stymies their use.
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Articles on Fentanyl
Displaying 1 - 20 of 31 articles
People are dying from using a toxic drug supply. Safer supply and other approaches that listen to the needs of people who use drugs are critical to saving lives and addressing the opioid crisis.
The number of fatal drug overdoses in the US over a 12-month period has surpassed 100,000 for the first time. Fentanyl is the main driver of the spike in deaths.
False narratives about drug addiction and policies that are not supported by research are deepening the overdose epidemic in the US.
Fentanyl adulteration led to the replacement of heroin in the unregulated drug supply of British Columbia. Now that benzodiazepines are present in many opioids, are we headed towards a ‘new normal?’
While the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, the opioid epidemic got worse as drug overdose deaths soared. New research proposes a way to chemically modify opioids to reduce the risk of addiction.
Across the country, overdose deaths have spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Social media makes it easy to spread ‘fake news’.
COVID-19 plagues an overtaxed opioid addiction treatment system.
Illicit and legitimate trade are closely connected, so how come one seems to be rising while the other has plunged?
Prices are surging amid shortages and panic-buying – and we could soon be facing a public health disaster.
Fentanyl has been a prime culprit in the opioid crisis in the United States. It’s now turning up in cocaine and methamphetamine in New South Wales.
From colonial poppy fields to pharmatrash, southern Africa offers a fascinating history of drug regimes – one that helps us make sense of drug policies and legislation today.
In the midst of a public health crisis, with increasing rates of death from opioid overdose, the Ontario government is clawing back life-saving measures.
A policy response focused on reducing prescription opioids will not resolve North America’s opioid crisis. And it is hurting many adults who live with otherwise unbearable chronic pain.
Most medical historians agree that one of the most important advances in medicine was the use of ether to numb pain during surgery. Just who deserves credit for this has been another story.
In the wash-up of the G20 meetings, it seems China has come away with the better deal – at least for now.
Canadian hospitals are ill-equipped to deal with the inpatient opioid crisis. Lack of specialist addictions care puts patients and staff at risk.
Many people may misunderstand the basics about opioids. That prevents researchers from understanding the full scope of the epidemic.
One study argues that naloxone increases opioid use because it protects against death from overdose. But a closer analysis shows Narcan is the number one public health tool to fight the overdose epidemic.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Addiction, University of York
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Senior lecturer, University of Wollongong
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Research Scientist, BC Centre on Substance Use and Assistant Professor in the Division of AIDS, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia
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Emeritus Professor, Australian National University
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Associate Professor of the Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney
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Associate Professor of Population Health, New York University
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Senior lecturer, Australian National University
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Director Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee
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Honorary Professor in History, University of KwaZulu-Natal
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Professor in Substance Use, Liverpool John Moores University
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Tony Walker is a Friend of The Conversation.
Vice-chancellor's fellow, La Trobe University
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Postdoctoral Fellow and clinician-scientist with the BC Centre on Substance Use and UBC Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
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Associate Professor of Medicine, Insitute for Work and Health, University of Toronto
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Senior Lecturer in Forensic Chemistry, University of Dundee
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Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research, Brandeis University
