(Statewide) These are stories of the people affected by Pennsylvania’s opioid crisis. They are strong, caring, brave individuals who are part of the fabric of the communities across our state. Opioid addiction does not define them or their lives, and they are proof that people do recover with treatment to lead full and productive lives - just like anyone else. By giving their voices and stories a platform, we can help others see that it’s time to replace outdated stigma with support, encouragement, and understanding...(lifeunitesus.com)

(Philadelphia) The strategy includes plans to expand harm reduction across the country — and to help communities where such measures are hard to implement or banned outright...(Philadelphia Inquirer)

(Statewide) It’s a problem when Gov. Tom Wolf claims he’s not sure “how anyone would see [marijuana] as something that is addictive.” The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that one in ten adult marijuana users will become addicted and one in six if they started as a minor. It’s also a problem when the chairman of the PA Senate Law and Justice Committee, Sen. Mike Regan (R-Cumberland) organizes three hearings that leave out health and safety experts who see the harm of the commercial sale of marijuana for recreational use...(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

(Statewide) Now, counties across Pennsylvania are set to receive their first payments for rehab-related services from a multi-billion-dollar settlement with pharmaceutical distributors...(WJAC 6 News)

(National) President Joe Biden is sending his administration’s first national drug control strategy to Congress as the U.S. overdose death toll hit a new record of nearly 107,000 during the past 12 months.

The strategy, released Thursday, is the first national plan to prioritize what’s known as harm reduction, said White House drug czar Dr. Rahul Gupta. That means it focuses on preventing death and illness in drug users while trying to engage them in care and treatment...(PA HomePage)

(National) The administrator of the DEA is warning of an alarming new trend of mass overdoses caused by synthetic opioids like fentanyl....(ABC 23 News)