Brian Mann
Stories
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National
Needle Exchanges, Access To Safer Narcotics Could Save Lives — But It's A Tough Sell
Researchers and doctors say they know how to curb harm caused by addiction and the spread of dangerous drugs. But lawmakers are reluctant to allow needle exchanges and access to safer narcotics.
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National
Sackler Family Empire Poised To Win Immunity From Opioid Lawsuits
A federal bankruptcy judge cleared a plan for final vote by Purdue Pharma's creditors that would release members of the Sackler family and their financial empire from liability for the opioid crisis
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National
Opioid Trial In West Virginia Comes Amid National Reckoning For Big Pharma
Drug distributors have faced embarrassing revelations about their internal practices. One email shared by corporate executives described rural Americans addicted to opioids as "pillbillies."
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Latin America
U.S.-Mexico Efforts Targeting Drug Cartels Have Unraveled, Top DEA Official Tells NPR
A diplomatic row has frozen U.S.-Mexican efforts to target drug cartels. American officials say illicit fentanyl from labs in Mexico is driving a surge in overdose deaths.
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Health
As Opioid Deaths Surge, Biden Team Moves To Make Buprenorphine Treatment Mainstream
With the deadly opioid fentanyl pushing overdose deaths to record levels, federal officials hope buprenorphine will save lives in parts of the country where the drug is rarely prescribed.
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National
Critics Say Chauvin Defense 'Weaponized' Stigma For Black Americans With Addiction
Derek Chauvin's defense has suggested George Floyd's drug use might have made him more "volatile" and unpredictable, justifying the use of force. Critics say Floyd needed health care and compassion.
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National
White House Says Drug Overdose Deaths Spiked To 88,000 During The Pandemic
The Biden administration points to fentanyl as the major culprit for the increase in deaths. Officials unveiled a new one-year strategy to reduce the number of fatalities from drug overdoses.
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National
NY Lawmakers Legalize Marijuana, Hoping To Avoid Racial Pitfalls Of Decriminalization
Critics say in many states the legal pot boom hasn't benefited people of color. Lawmakers in New York say their approach, which Gov. Cuomo says he will sign, avoids those mistakes.
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Race & Identity
What Marijuana Legalization Means For Those Who Have Been Hurt By The War On Drugs
More states including New York and Virginia are on the brink of legalizing marijuana. What does that mean for people of color who faced high rates of arrest for marijuana possession?
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Business
As Costly Lawsuits Hit Opioid Makers, CEOs Collect Bonuses
Companies that sold or distributed opioid medications face huge legal, financial and public relations peril. Critics say shareholders, not CEOs, will pay the price.