White House To Push For Better Access To Naloxone
Reuters reports that White House officials will try to meet with makers of the opioid overdose reversal drug, with the goal of improving access and reducing costs. Meanwhile, the University of Oxford will cut ties with the Sackler family after criticism over their links to the opioid crisis.
Reuters:
White House Wants To Improve Access To Opioid Overdose Reversal Medication
President Joe Biden's administration is seeking to meet with the makers of the life-saving medication naloxone used to reverse opioid overdoses, in an effort to increase access and reduce cost, a spokesperson for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said. (5/17)
The Guardian:
Oxford University Cuts Ties With Sackler Family Over Links With Opioids
The University of Oxford will cut its ties with the Sackler family, whose wealth came from addictive opioid drugs, removing the family’s name from buildings, galleries and positions funded through their donations. ... The move follows sustained criticism of Oxford’s retention of the names, as major institutions such as the British Museum and the V&A removed Sackler titles after recognition that the funding was connected with the family’s ownership of the now bankrupt Purdue Pharma, manufacturers of the addictive OxyContin painkiller. (Adams, 5/16)
AP:
Nevada Secures $152 Million Opioid Settlement With Pharmacy Chain CVS
Nevada and pharmacy chain CVS have reached a nearly $152 million settlement to be paid over the next decade to end a lawsuit over opioid claims, state Attorney General Aaron Ford announced Tuesday. “CVS negotiated in good faith,” Ford said at a news conference in Carson City. “Their work with the state of Nevada ... will help our state tackle the opioid problem.” (Stern, 5/16)
AP:
Vending Machines Are The Latest Tool For Fighting Opioid Overdoses
Vending machines that have long been stocked with snacks are getting repurposed to distribute life-saving supplies to help fight the opioid epidemic. A growing number of cities and local governments are making so-called “harm reduction” items, including the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, available for free via machines. (Perrone, 5/15)
Also —
AP:
New Washington Law Keeps Drugs Illegal, Boosts Resources For Housing And Treatment
Washington lawmakers approved and Gov. Jay Inslee quickly signed a major new drug policy Tuesday that keeps controlled substances illegal while boosting resources to help those struggling with addiction. A compromise reached a day earlier by Democratic and Republican leaders sought to bridge a gap between liberals who believe drugs should be decriminalized and conservatives who insist the threat of jail is necessary to force people into treatment. (Komeda and Johnson, 5/17)
Billings Gazette:
Mandatory Minimums For Fentanyl Dealers Signed Into Law
Gov. Greg Gianforte this week signed a bill into law establishing mandatory minimums and higher criminal penalties for drug dealers trafficking specifically in fentanyl. State law enforcement officials who testified in support of House Bill 791 during the legislative session described fentanyl's proliferation since 2019 as "meteoric" and approaching methamphetamine's place as the state's most vexing substance. Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, a freshman Republican from Kalispell, carried the bill. (Larson, 5/16)
San Francisco Chronicle:
SF Drug Crisis: New Ads Slam City's Response To Fentanyl Epidemic
A provocative new advertising campaign that seeks to lambaste City Hall’s response to San Francisco’s fentanyl epidemic has arrived in some of the neighborhoods most affected by public drug markets. (Morris, 5/16)
NPR:
Cops Say They're Being Poisoned By Fentanyl. Experts Say The Risk Is 'Extremely Low'
Last December, Officer Courtney Bannick was on the job for the Tavares, Fla., police department when she came into contact with a powder she believed was street fentanyl. The footage from another officer's body camera shows Bannick appearing to lose consciousness before being lowered to the ground by other cops. (Mann, 5/16)
