Overdose Deaths Fall Nationwide But Surge in Western States, CDC Data Shows
While U.S. overdose deaths dropped 14% in 2025, Arizona, New Mexico and North Dakota saw sharp increases amid evolving drug supply threats.
May 31, 20265 min read
Articles tagged “harm-reduction”
20 articles found
Browse Rainier Rehab's editorial coverage of Harm-reduction. Our writers track federal and state policy, peer-reviewed research, treatment innovations, and frontline reporting from the addiction recovery field. Each article in this collection cites primary sources — government datasets (SAMHSA, NIH, CDC), Medicaid and Medicare bulletins, JAMA and Lancet studies, and on-the-record statements from clinicians, regulators, and people in recovery — so readers can verify claims and dig deeper.
We update this tag whenever new harm-reduction reporting publishes. If you're a researcher, journalist, or family member trying to make sense of substance use disorder treatment, this is the working archive. For a directory of accredited treatment facilities, visit our facilities directory; to compare modalities, see our treatments overview and levels of care guide.
DEA Warns 'Synthetic Soup' of Fentanyl Mixtures Is Overwhelming Naloxone and Reshaping Overdose Response
Federal drug enforcement officials warn that illicit fentanyl increasingly mixed with veterinary sedatives and ultra-potent synthetic opioids is creating unprecedented challenges for overdose reversal.
May 30, 20267 min read
New Mexico Fentanyl Incident Exposes Growing Danger of Para-Fluorofentanyl to First Responders
Three dead and 25 exposed including 18 first responders in Mountainair, New Mexico, revealing the escalating risks of potent fentanyl analogs
May 28, 20266 min read
Colorado Overdose Deaths Defy National Trend, Rising 13% in 2025
While overdose deaths fell 15% nationwide, Colorado and several Western states saw increases driven by fentanyl-methamphetamine combinations.
May 21, 20266 min read
US Overdose Deaths Fall 14% in 2025, Marking Third Consecutive Year of Decline
CDC reports nearly 70,000 overdose deaths in 2025, a 14% drop and the longest sustained decline in decades, though challenges remain in several states.
May 14, 20266 min read
Opioid Overdose Survivors Face Triple the Risk of Repeat Overdoses, JAMA Study Finds
New research reveals 21% of opioid overdose survivors experience repeat overdoses within a year—far exceeding previous estimates—as fentanyl transforms the crisis landscape.
May 10, 20265 min read
White House Proposes Wastewater Testing and AI to Track Drug Use in Real Time
Trump administration's new drug control strategy includes national wastewater monitoring, artificial intelligence cargo screening, and expanded faith-based treatment options.
May 2, 20267 min read
U.S. Overdose Deaths Fell 14% in 2025, Marking Third Straight Year of Decline
Preliminary CDC data shows approximately 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2025, the lowest since before the pandemic, though experts caution the crisis is far from over.
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Cannabis for Opioid Withdrawal Linked to Reduced Opioid Use in Study
A study of 197 people who use unregulated opioids found those using cannabis to ease withdrawal had over twice the odds of reporting reduced opioid use.
July 24, 20266 min read
Floods Linked to 1,368 Opioid Overdose Deaths Across Rural Appalachia
A Penn State study in PNAS found opioid overdose deaths rose 26% in Appalachian counties after severe floods and stayed elevated for as long as a decade.
July 21, 20267 min read
Fentanyl Carries Triple the Respiratory Risk of Codeine, Hospital Study Finds
A University of Manchester study of 32,909 hospital patients ranked opioids by respiratory depression risk, finding fentanyl 3.36 times riskier than codeine.
July 19, 20266 min read
Heavy Marijuana Smoking Linked to Higher Cancer Risk, USC Study Finds
New research from USC Keck Medicine reveals heavy marijuana smokers face 3.5 to 5 times higher risk of lung and head and neck cancers, raising questions as cannabis legalization expands.
July 12, 20265 min read
Illinois Sees Dramatic Drop in Opioid Overdose Deaths, Bucking National Trends
New state data reveals significant decline in opioid overdose deaths across Illinois, with Cook County and Chicago leading the reduction through expanded treatment access and harm reduction initiatives.
July 1, 20265 min read
Medetomidine-Laced Opioids Trigger Severe Withdrawal Crisis in Jails Nationwide
A powerful veterinary tranquilizer mixed with fentanyl is causing excruciating, complex withdrawal symptoms that many correctional facilities are unprepared to handle.
June 29, 20265 min read
Nearly 10,000 Overdose Deaths Occurred in Hotels and Motels Over Three Years, CDC Finds
New CDC data reveals 9,651 drug overdose deaths in U.S. hotels and motels from 2022-2024, with bystanders present but failing to respond in most cases.
June 26, 20266 min read
Los Angeles County Overdose Deaths Fall for Third Consecutive Year, Marking Longest Decline in Decades
LA County reports 2,298 accidental drug overdose deaths in 2025, down 6% from previous year and 29% from 2022 peak, driven by harm reduction investments
June 25, 20265 min read
Wake County Seeks Community Input on $67 Million Opioid Settlement Spending Plan
North Carolina's Wake County invites residents to help shape how opioid settlement funds will be invested over 17 years to combat the overdose crisis
June 25, 20265 min read
DEA Whistleblower Alleges Agency Allowed 300,000 Fentanyl Pills to Flood New Mexico Streets
As New Mexico records the nation's highest overdose death increase, a whistleblower reveals DEA agents permitted massive fentanyl shipments to build larger cases.
June 24, 20266 min read
Nitazenes: The Synthetic Opioids 40 Times Stronger Than Fentanyl Are Spreading Across America
Super-potent synthetic opioids called nitazenes are flooding the U.S. drug supply, causing hundreds of deaths and overwhelming harm reduction efforts.
June 20, 20265 min read
Rhode Island Overdose Deaths Drop 50% Since 2022, Reaching Lowest Level in Over a Decade
Rhode Island overdose deaths fell to 219 in 2025, a 50% decline from 2022, surpassing the state's 2030 reduction goal. Learn how harm reduction and naloxone distribution contributed.
June 15, 20264 min read