opioid overdoses
Overdose deaths in Kentucky drop for first time since 2018
Kentucky recorded fewer overdose deaths in 2022 than in 2021, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday. Beshear cited preliminary numbers from the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, which showed 2,127 overdose deaths in 2022, down from 2,257 in 2021. “That number is still far too high,” Beshear said. “One is too many.” But, he said, […]
Kentucky governor signs bill decriminalizing fentanyl test strips
FRANKFORT – Fentanyl test strips will no longer be considered drug paraphernalia in Kentucky. Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday signed a bipartisan bill decriminalizing fentanyl test strips in Kentucky after it easily passed both chambers. The Kentucky Senate passed House Bill 353 Thursday night. The House concurred unanimously in the final hours of the 2023 legislative […]
As opioids overdose deaths keep rising, report urges lawmakers to develop new approaches
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers should view America’s staggering opioid crisis, including the rise of illicit fentanyl, through an “ecosystems” approach, argues a massive RAND Corporation report published last week. That means they should examine the gaps and interconnections among emergency response, data collection, education, treatment, housing and law enforcement, the report advises. The 600-page volume — […]