NARCAN

The Cleveland Independent School District will host town hall meetings throughout the month of October regarding drug use in its schools and community, according to a release.

An effort to destigmatize the use of overdose reversal drugs that started as a pilot in two West Virginia counties has expanded to all thirteen states in Appalachia this year.

I was having a discussion with some coworkers, and the topic of Narcan got brought up as a potential solution to drug overdoses. My initial reaction was quite literally, “What in the world is Narcan?”

Prosecutors in Georgia want rapper Quando Rondo back in jail after he crashed a car while awaiting trial on gang and drug charges.

San Francisco could become the first city in the country to require every pharmacy within its boundaries to always carry naloxone, a drug that reverses overdoses caused by fentanyl and other opioids.

Vending machines that have long been stocked with snacks are getting repurposed to distribute life-saving supplies to fight the opioid epidemic.

The “One Pill Kills” campaign is funded with the help of a federal grant, and the statewide Narcan distribution is being paid for with funds from Texas’ settlement agreement with opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies.

Montgomery County Overdose Prevention Endeavor, known as M-COPE, teaches people how to use Narcan, a nasal spray made to reverse an opioid overdose.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved selling overdose antidote naloxone over-the-counter, marking the first time an opioid treatment drug will be available without a prescription.

Texas is attempting to address the fentanyl crisis gripping schools by having staff learn how to administer lifesaving medication.

A doctor breaks down the opioid crisis and its presence in Houston.

Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans have expressed support for legalizing fentanyl test strips, which help users identify whether the drugs they are planning on taking contain the deadly synthetic opioid.

While not detailing how the distribution might be funded, Abbott said the medication, Narcan, should be distributed to law enforcement agencies as well as some hospitals and schools.

A Montgomery County teenager who spent two nights in the hospital earlier this year after overdosing on a pill she didn’t know was laced with fentanyl is warning others about the dangers and spreading the message that it’s not worth it.

Abbott directed the Department of Public Safety to boost efforts to collect intelligence on cartels and investigate gangs in Texas that support drug and human smuggling.

Community activists in South Florida sprang into action after West Point cadets on spring break were sickened by fentanyl-laced cocaine at a house party.

The state of Texas has reached a $225 million opioid settlement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, according to Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The death of a Connecticut seventh grader from an apparent fentanyl overdose has renewed calls for schools to carry the opioid antidote naloxone.

FILE - In this April 26, 2018, file photo, a man lies on the sidewalk beside a recyclable trash bin in San Francisco. A record 621 people died of drug overdoses in San Francisco so far this year, a staggering number that far outpaces the 173 deaths from COVID-19 the city has seen thus far. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)SAN FRANCISCO – A record 621 people died of drug overdoses in San Francisco so far this year, a staggering number that far outpaces the 173 deaths from COVID-19 the city has seen thus far. The crisis fueled by the powerful painkiller fentanyl could have been far worse if it wasn't for the nearly 3,000 times Narcan was used from January to the beginning of November to save someone from the brink of death, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday. The data reflects the number of times people report using Narcan to the Drug Overdose Prevention and Education Project, a city-funded program that coordinates San Francisco’s response to overdose, or return to refill their supply.

HOUSTON September is National Recovery Month and while the focus has been on fighting the spread of coronavirus in Houston, officials said the city is also working to address the worsening opioid addiction crisis. According to a news release, Houston first responders have reported a 17% increase in overdoses in the months of April, May and June compared to last year. According to the release, Narcan has already been used over 1,000 times in 2020 alone. Now, more than ever, the entire Houston community needs to be aware that opioid misuse is a growing problem that could touch the lives of anyone including their own, said Dr. David Persse with the Houston Health Department. Anyone can legally possess and administer naloxone if they or someone they know is at risk of an opioid overdose.