newsoverdosefentanylU.S. Overdose Deaths Drop to 70,000 in 2025—Lowest Since Before COVID, But New York Faces Rising ThreatsNew federal data reveals the third consecutive year of declining overdose deaths, yet policy changes and emerging synthetic drugs threaten progress in New York.May 14, 20266 min read
newsfentanyloverdoseDEA Issues Urgent Warning to World Cup Visitors: 29% of Street Pills Contain Lethal FentanylAs the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, the DEA is warning visitors that recreational drug use in the United States carries unprecedented risks. According to federal laboratory data, 29% of pills seized nationwide contain lethal doses of fentanyl—a synthetic opioid so potent that just two milligrams can kill.May 12, 20265 min read
newsharm-reductionnaloxoneVending Machines for Naloxone Are Saving Lives in New York. A New Study Shows How.A pair of studies published in medical journals confirms that harm reduction vending machines across New York State are reaching high-risk individuals who might otherwise lack access to overdose reversal medication and drug testing supplies.May 7, 20266 min read
newsfentanyloverdoseA New Synthetic Opioid 10 Times Stronger Than Fentanyl Is Showing Up in New YorkHealth officials are tracking a new class of synthetic opioids called orphines that have begun appearing in the U.S. drug supply, including New York. The most common variant, cychlorphine, is approximately 10 times more potent than fentanyl.May 6, 20265 min read
newsfentanyloverdoseA Veterinary Tranquilizer Is Now in 1 in 4 New York Opioid Samples—and It Doesn't Respond to NarcanNew peer-reviewed research reveals medetomidine, a veterinary tranquilizer, has infiltrated New York's opioid supply. The drug doesn't respond to naloxone and was linked to 134 overdose deaths in NYC last year.April 23, 20265 min read
newsfundingfederalTrump Administration Terminates Hundreds of SAMHSA Grants, Threatening Addiction Treatment NationwideFederal funding cuts to SAMHSA grants put overdose prevention, naloxone distribution, and peer recovery programs at risk across the United States. The terminations affect programs that millions of Americans rely on.April 20, 20264 min read
newsfentanyloverdoseA Drug 100 Times Stronger Than Fentanyl Is Spreading. New York's DEA Is Racing to Contain It.Federal agents are tracking a disturbing shift in the drug supply: as fentanyl seizures decline, carfentanil—originally developed as an elephant tranquilizer—is filling the void. The DEA's New York division calls it one of the most significant threats in years.April 18, 20266 min read
newsfentanyloverdoseDEA Dismantles Three Fentanyl Mills in NYC, Seizing 90 Pounds of Deadly NarcoticsThe DEA's New York Task Force Division dismantled three unrelated fentanyl packaging mills within a six-hour operation, seizing over 90 pounds of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $7.5 million.April 16, 20264 min read
newsfentanyloverdoseFree Substance Use Summit Coming to Rochester April 18Monroe County is hosting a free Substance Use Family Summit on April 18 at East High School, bringing together families, professionals, and peers affected by addiction.April 14, 20263 min read
newsoverdosefentanylU.S. Overdose Deaths Keep Plummeting—But New York's Drug Supply Is Getting More DangerousWhile fatal overdoses drop nationwide thanks to less potent fentanyl and better care, New York faces a new threat from synthetic drugs more powerful than anything seen before.April 13, 20267 min read
newsnaloxoneharm-reductionNYC Honors Public Health Worker Behind Naloxone Vending Machines That Distributed 4,500 Overdose KitsNew York City recognized a dozen public servants for innovative projects that improve city services. Among the winners: Roxanne Anderson, who launched vending machines that dispense free naloxone, syringes, and harm reduction supplies across the city.April 3, 20264 min read
newsnaloxonepolicyNew York Just Became First State to Require Naloxone in Workplace First Aid KitsEmployers who maintain first aid kits under federal OSHA rules will soon be required to include naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug. The law takes effect December 13, 2026.March 27, 20264 min read
newspolicynaloxoneNew York Now Requires Naloxone in Workplace First Aid Kits. Here's What Employers Need to Know.AB 9453 expands workplace safety requirements across New York, mandating naloxone in first aid supplies at thousands of worksites by the end of 2026.March 26, 20264 min read
researchtreatmentoverdoseFederal Study Shows Ozempic and Weight-Loss Drugs Cut Addiction Deaths by Half—What It Means for New YorkFederal researchers report the first medication that works against addiction to alcohol, opioids, nicotine, cocaine and cannabis simultaneously. The unexpected finding came from diabetes and weight-loss drugs already prescribed to millions.March 18, 20268 min read
newspolicyfentanylDEA Just Banned Three Synthetic Opioids Stronger Than Fentanyl. Why New York Should Pay Attention.The DEA placed three nitazene-class synthetic opioids into Schedule I effective March 11, 2026. These substances are up to 40 times more potent than fentanyl and have been detected in overdose deaths nationwide.March 17, 20268 min read
opioidfentanyloverdoseFederal Lab Develops New Drug That Could Cut Fentanyl Overdose Recovery Time in HalfLawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers have developed subetadex, a new compound that cuts fentanyl overdose recovery time from 35 to 17 minutes and remains active in the body for 7.5 hours — compared to Narcan's 30-80 minutes.March 3, 20268 min read
newspolicynaloxoneNew York Workplaces Will Be Required to Stock Overdose Medication by Next YearStarting December 2026, New York employers required to maintain first aid supplies must stock naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses. The new law signed by Governor Hochul aims to combat a crisis that claimed over 4,500 lives in 2024.February 27, 20265 min read
opioidfentanylharm-reductionA New Sedative Is Showing Up in New York's Drug Supply — and Naloxone Won't Stop ItDrug checking programs at NYC syringe service programs are detecting a new sedative in the city's opioid supply. Medetomidine is more dangerous than xylazine, and naloxone has no effect on it — which changes how overdoses need to be managed.February 18, 20263 min read
overdoseopioidfentanylNew York Just Recorded Its Lowest Overdose Death Toll Since Before COVID. Here's What Changed.For two consecutive years, New York has posted dramatic declines in overdose deaths. An estimated 4,567 people died in 2024, compared to 6,688 in 2023 — a drop the state hasn't seen since before the pandemic. Here's what drove it, who's still being left behind, and why 2026 will test how durable these gains really are.February 18, 20267 min read
