Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
DEA Seized 379 Million Doses Of Fentanyl This Year In Record Haul
ABC News: DEA Seized Enough Fentanyl To Kill Every American In 2022
The Drug Enforcement Administration on Tuesday said it has seized more than 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl this year, as the country continues to struggle with an epidemic of drug overdose deaths. The seizures include 50.6 million pills laced with the ultra-deadly synthetic opioid and 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, the DEA said. (Owen, 12/21)
The New York Times: U.S. Drug Agency Doubles Its Catch Of Fentanyl-Laced Pills In 2022
Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing the country, the agency said. It is a highly addictive man-made opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Two milligrams of fentanyl, an amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. Fentanyl, which is 100 times more powerful than morphine, was linked to the deaths of more than 70,000 Americans in 2021. (Diaz, 12/20)
More on the opioid crisis —
MPR News: Minnesota Opioid Treatment Clinics Overwhelmed As Needs Rise, Staffs Shrink
Duluth’s Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment is the only licensed opioid treatment program across Minnesota’s Arrowhead, a territory roughly the size of Massachusetts. Its ClearPath Clinic has space for 475 people; some drive for hours to meet with a counselor or re-up on methadone. It’s a lifeline for those trying to break free of addiction.Now, though, the clinic is full. About 40 people sit on a waiting list with few alternatives other than waiting and hoping. Even if they could make it to Brainerd, St. Cloud or the Twin Cities for treatment, many clinics are in similar straits — pushed to near or above their limits amid a nationwide opioid crisis. (Wiley, 12/19)
Bay Area News Group: Fentanyl On Campus: One Bay Area School Saved A Student’s Life. Another Missed The Signs Of An Overdose. Is Your School Ready?
The student gasped for breath. Her eyes widened. Her pupils shrunk. Slumping in a chair in a conference room at W.C. Overfelt High School in late October, she was showing all the signs of overdosing on the powerful opioid fentanyl. Principal Vito Chiala’s safety team had rushed her in when they encountered her walking to class and knew something was off. But now, she was slipping in and out of consciousness. They had all been trained to administer the nasal spray Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdoses. But that was last summer. Did they remember everything? Were they supposed to squirt it into one nostril or two? Was there a safety latch? (Nickerson and Sulek, 12/19)
KTLA: California Toddler Overdoses On Fentanyl-Laced Marijuana, Police Say
A central California man faces felony charges after his 2-year-old son overdosed on fentanyl, authorities said. Marvin Thomas, 34, was arrested Sunday after Merced police responded to Mercy Medical Center. “The parents transported the child to the emergency room after he experienced life-threatening symptoms consistent with a fentanyl exposure,” police said in a news release. (Sternfield, 12/20)
