Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it’s just the first step : Consider This from NPR

Elena (left) and Vadim live on the street in Kensington, a neighborhood of Philadelphia that has long struggled with fentanyl and other drug use. Both told NPR they have survived their drug use, in part, due to naloxone, or Narcan, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. NPR agreed not to use their last name because street drug use is illegal.

Rachel Wisniewski/NPR

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Rachel Wisniewski/NPR

Elena (left) and Vadim live on the street in Kensington, a neighborhood of Philadelphia that has long struggled with fentanyl and other drug use. Both told NPR they have survived their drug use, in part, due to naloxone, or Narcan, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. NPR agreed not to use their last name because street drug use is illegal.

Rachel Wisniewski/NPR

The deadliest phase of the U.S. fentanyl crisis appears to be over. That’s according to new research showing fatal overdoses from fentanyl and other street drugs continue to plunge and have now dropped from their peak in all 50 states.

But with that good news comes with challenges including caring for a larger population of people, who are surviving, but may be deeply unwell.

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This episode was produced by Taylor Haney, Brianna Scott and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Arthur Laurent.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Andrea De Leon.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.