Addiction & Recovery News

Breaking developments in drug policy, overdose prevention, and addiction treatment in New York.

A New Sedative Is Showing Up in New York's Drug Supply — and Naloxone Won't Stop It

Drug 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

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New 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