Fights over methadone, harm reduction, and more: 3 addiction stories to watch in 2024
The U.S. drug crisis is as bad as it’s ever been, and there are few signs things are getting better.
About 110,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2023, about the same as in previous years. Fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid that now dominates the illicit drug market, remained the main culprit. Xylazine, the veterinary sedative known as “tranq,” only became more common. And more and more Americans are using other drugs — namely methamphetamine and cocaine — alongside opioids.
