Iowa officials are stepping up the fight against opioid addiction with a new round of competitive funding totaling $10 million. The grants target various treatment gaps and recovery barriers that have left too many Iowans without help. 

Iowa already has a wide range of treatment options for residents of all ages and backgrounds. The Hawkeye State features residential centers and outpatient clinics, in addition to local Narcotics Anonymous chapters and community resources. But more help is needed. For the thousands of people and families living through the opioid crisis in this state, the announcement signals more resources may soon be within reach.

Iowa’s Opioid Crisis

Iowa’s Department of Health and Human Services is leading the new funding initiative, distributing dollars through a competitive application process. Individual projects can receive up to $1 million, with $10 million available in each funding round.

The money has a clear origin in pharmaceutical accountability. Funding is tied in part to the national settlement involving Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, through which Iowa is set to receive $37.8 million over time. State law requires that a significant portion of those dollars go directly toward opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Earlier distributions have already directed millions to programs across the state, including naloxone expansion, and this new round is intended to build on that foundation.

The New Iowa Opioid Funding Push

The opioid epidemic has not spared Iowans. Synthetic drugs like fentanyl have transformed the risk profile of opioid abuse nationwide, making overdoses more sudden and more deadly. Heroin addiction, long a driver of the crisis, increasingly involves fentanyl contamination, which has made recovery challenging.

Funded programs will be expected to expand access to medications used to treat opioid addiction and increase availability of overdose-reversal drugs. That language points directly to medications for opioid use disorder like buprenorphine and methadone, and to wider naloxone distribution to reverse overdoses.

State leaders noted that local advisory councils have helped shape the program, with feedback on region-specific challenges allowing the state to better tailor funding priorities. Officials noted that rural access remains one of the most persistent inequities in opioid addiction care so that all folks have access to clinical care.

Fentanyl’s Role in Iowa Overdose Deaths

Opioids make up a class of drugs that include fentanyl and prescription painkillers like oxycodone. They bind to receptors in the brain to produce pain relief and euphoria but also physical dependence. Opioid use disorder is a medical condition, not a moral failing, and evidence-based treatments exist. 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and remains the main culprit behind the majority of overdose deaths across the United States. Its presence in the illicit drug supply means people with any narcotic addiction face dramatically elevated overdose risk. Even a dose the size of a few grains of salt can be lethal.

The new grants require applicants to focus on identifying needs in affected communities, expanding access to proven treatment methods, and improving coordination among local service providers. The approach acknowledges that fentanyl and the broader opioid crisis require system-level responses, not just individual interventions.

Treatment Options

If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid addiction or narcotic addiction, these are the core options available:

• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT): FDA-approved medications reduce cravings and withdrawal to dramatically lower the risk of relapse and overdose death.

• Naloxone access: Iowa community organizations and many pharmacies carry naloxone without a prescription. Carry it and learn how to saves lives.

• Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings: NA meetings provide free, peer-based support for anyone dealing with narcotic addiction or opioid abuse. Meetings are available across Iowa — from Des Moines to Cedar Rapids to smaller rural communities.

Expanding treatment access and strengthening recovery support remain central goals of the Iowa initiative. Peer support through NA meetings remains a central complement to clinical treatment, whether in rural or urban location, or even online.

Enrolling in NA is often the first step toward recovery. Meet peers in your area and build fellowship around long-lasting recovery. Calling 800-934-1582(Sponsored) or browsing our directory for NA chapters across the nation today.

Kentucky’s opioid addiction crisis is showing real signs of retreat. The state recorded 1,100 drug overdose deaths in 2025, which is a 51% drop from the 2,257 lives lost in 2021. The numbers mark the fourth consecutive year of decline, according to a new report from Kentucky’s Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. 

The Bluegrass State’s slow but steady progress marks a victory for officials and residents. Kentucky communities have long had access to various substance use treatment programs, from grassroots Narcotics Anonymous meetings to more formalized care. For a state among the hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, the stats represent hard-won progress and a roadmap other states may follow.

The Opioid Crisis by the Numbers in Kentucky

The year-by-year decline tells a striking story of sustained effort:

2021: 2,257 overdose deaths

2022: 2,200 overdose deaths

2023: 1,984 overdose deaths

2024: 1,410 overdose deaths

2025: 1,100 overdose deaths

Kentucky isn’t alone. Nationally, the number of opioid-related deaths have declined dramatically, nevertheless, every death remains a tragedy.

Fentanyl Still Present in Nearly Half of All Deaths

Despite the overall decline, fentanyl’s grip on Kentucky’s overdose landscape hasn’t disappeared. Fentanyl was detected in 45.4% of overdose deaths recorded last year, underscoring why harm reduction remains critical even as total deaths fall. Fentanyl is lethal even in doses smaller than a few grains of salt, and is frequently mixed into other substances without the user’s knowledge.

Notably, methamphetamine took the top spot for leading cause of overdose deaths with 49.5% of those recorded in 2025. It’s a reminder that the broader narcotics crisis extends well beyond opioids alone, and that polysubstance use continues to complicate treatment and prevention.

Kentucky’s Decline in Opioid Addiction Deaths

Governor Andy Beshear’s administration pointed to a coordinated, multi-front strategy. Key efforts in 2025 included distributing more than $29 million in grant and pass-through funding from the Office of Drug Control Policy and distributing 182,810 doses of Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication that can restore breathing within minutes of an overdose.

Additional pillars of the effort included:

• 82 syringe exchange program sites serving 25,543 unique participants
• More than 137,000 Kentuckians receiving addiction services through Medicaid
• More than 19,100 Kentuckians receiving treatment via the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort
• More than 29,900 Kentuckians partaking in recovery services like housing assistance, employment services and transportation

Governor Beshear credited the progress to working together across Medicaid, recovery partners, and law enforcement. He called every piece of the fight critical to continued progress.

Harm Reduction and Opioid Addiction Treatment

Kentucky’s results demonstrate what a layered harm reduction approach can achieve. Syringe exchange programs reduce disease transmission and serve as a direct pipeline into treatment. 

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) using FDA-approved prescriptions reduces cravings, prevents withdrawal, and dramatically cuts overdose risk for people with opioid addiction. 

Peer recovery support, including Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings, provides the human connection that sustains long-term sobriety.

NA Meetings in Kentucky and Finding Help for Opioid Addiction

If you or someone you love is struggling with narcotic addiction in Kentucky, you’re not alone and community resources are standing by.

Narcotics Anonymous has chapters all across Kentucky. NA is often credited as one of the easiest first steps for recovery. Meetings are free, confidential, and open to anyone who wants to stop using drugs.

Just browse our listings to find NA meetings throughout the country, or dial 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to speak with an expert.

Federal health officials at the NIH have taken an unprecedented step in the fight against opioid addiction by approving the first human clinical trial of kratom as a potential treatment approach. The move has sparked both cautious optimism and pointed concern among addiction medicine specialists, harm reduction advocates and those in recovery.

The NIH Trial

The National Institutes of Health announced that its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for mitragynine, the primary compound found in kratom, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The IND paves the way for a clinical trial to evaluate mitragynine as a potential approach for opioid use disorder. 

Researchers at NIH and the University of Florida developed a purified formulation of mitragynine to be used in the trial. They plan to test a purified sample of mitragynine on 32 healthy volunteers with recent histories of opioid use.

Importantly, the trial’s main goal is to test the safety and tolerability of mitragynine, not to see if it’s a cure. This is an early-stage safety study, not a proven therapy. Anyone currently with a narcotic addiction should not attempt to self-medicate with kratom products based on this announcement and should know the risks of using kratom in the first place.

The Opioid Crisis Context

Dr. Nora Volkow, director of NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, called the clinical trial a major milestone and “a major step toward expanding treatment options.”

The urgency for the IND is real. Fentanyl-driven overdose deaths continue to devastate communities across the country, and existing medication-assisted treatment options are effective, but remain inaccessible for millions. Researchers are actively searching for new tools to expand the treatment toolkit for opioid addiction.

While kratom also interacts with opioid receptors, its potential is driven by the body’s slow conversion of mitragynine. Preclinical studies demonstrated that mitragynine administration across several doses didn’t raise significant safety concerns in animal models, which leads researchers to human testing.

Kratom Advocates Weigh In

The American Kratom Association called the NIH decision a turning point. Many critics have long regarded the natural kratom leaves as public health threats, noted Mac Haddow, Senior Fellow on Public Policy for the American Kratom Association. But the NIH’s move showed that “federal scientists believe the available evidence justifies studying kratom’s potential role” to combat “one of the most devastating public health crises in America.”

Advocates point to centuries of traditional medicines used in Southeast Asia and argue that a natural plant compound with partial opioid receptor activity may carry a lower risk profile than full opioids currently driving the fentanyl crisis.

Concerns From Researchers and Clinicians

But some serious questions remain unanswered.

In 2022, the NIH warned that nearly a third of kratom users had “kratom use disorder,” such as increased use, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Nearly 10% had “psychosocial impairments” that caused them to miss social, work or recreational activities.

Some experts worry about kratom’s addictive potential because the main kratom compounds partially activate the same receptors in the brain that opioids do. However, researchers have observed that the way kratom compounds activate these receptors may reduce the potential for addiction relative to opioids.

Separately, research has flagged product safety concerns. The FDA and CDC have raised concerns regarding the contamination of some kratom products with toxic metals and microbes such as Salmonella. The NIH trial uses a specially purified laboratory version, not the commercially available kratom sold at gas stations and online retailers, which vary widely in alkaloid content and quality.

There’s also the regulatory gap to consider. Kratom still falls under the Controlled Substances Act. The FDA hasn’t approved kratom at all, and uses Import Alert 54-15 to seize shipments at the border. The DEA tried to schedule kratom as Schedule I in 2016 but withdrew the proposal after public backlash. It now lists kratom as a “drug of concern.”

Opioid Addiction Treatment Now

For people currently battling heroin addiction, fentanyl dependency or prescription opioid abuse, this trial doesn’t change what is available today. Proven, FDA-approved treatments for opioid use disorder include:

• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): Buprenorphine (Suboxone), methadone, and naltrexone (Vivitrol) remain the gold standard for opioid addiction treatment and are available now through licensed providers.

• Naloxone (Narcan): Every person at risk for opioid overdose should have naloxone on hand. Folks can pick it up without prescriptions at most pharmacies.

• Harm Reduction Resources: Ask your local pharmacy for naloxone. Many health departments also distribute fentanyl test strips and naloxone at no cost.

• Narcotics Anonymous: NA meetings provide peer support, accountability, and community for people in recovery from narcotic addiction. Most meetings are free and open to all.

If you or someone you love has an opioid addiction or narcotic addiction, support is available right now. It’s as simple as dropping by a local NA meeting. Support groups demonstrate that you’re not alone, and that others have your back for whatever steps you take for a better health. 

Dial 800-934-1582(Sponsored) or use our NA meeting locator to find Narcotics Anonymous meetings anywhere in the country.

Maryland officials reported a historic breakthrough in its battle against opioid addiction and related overdose deaths. The state recorded 1,315 overdose deaths in 2025, the lowest total in a decade and a 53% drop from Maryland’s all-time high of 2,800 deaths in 2021. The numbers offer both hope and a stark reminder of how much damage the opioid epidemic has inflicted.

In large part, Marylanders can thank the wide array of programs available to support local communities, from neighborhood clinics and NA meetings to modern inpatient medical complexes. But while optimism is infectious,  for families and communities still living with the weight of narcotic addiction, the data marks a turning point—but not a finish line.

The Opioid Crisis in Maryland 

Opioid-related overdose deaths in Maryland fell 57% from their pandemic-era peak> Numbers dropped from more than 2,500 deaths in 2020 to just over 1,000 last year, which matches a national trend.

The county-level picture shows uneven but widespread progress. Baltimore County recorded 129 opioid-related deaths in 2025, while Prince George’s County had 81; both down sharply from 2020. Anne Arundel County saw a 70% decline, falling from 226 deaths to 69. Meanwhile, 11 counties reported fewer than 10 opioid-related overdose deaths last year, compared to just two counties at that low level in 2020. 

The Decline in Opioid Addiction Deaths 

State health officials credit a coordinated multi-front strategy. The reduction reflects expanded access to fentanyl test strips, substance use treatment and naloxone, which is the medication that reverses opioid overdoses. 

Naloxone and fentanyl test strip distribution has more than doubled since 2020. The state distributed more than 440,000 naloxone doses in 2025 alone. Maryland’s Rapid Analysis of Drugs initiative also helps health officials track changes in the illicit drug supply in real time. It’s a critical tool when opioid abuse patterns shift rapidly.

Pharmaceutical accountability is also playing a role. Maryland recently secured more than $90 million through the Purdue Pharma and Sackler family settlement, which ended decade-long litigation over the companies’ role in fueling the opioid epidemic. So far in 2026, the Opioid Restitution Fund has received $245 million, with $34 million already expended on prevention, treatment and recovery programs. 

Fentanyl Remains Dominant in Opioid Deaths 

Despite the progress, fentanyl continues to dominate the overdose landscape. Fentanyl-related overdose deaths fell 31% in 2025, dropping from 1,314 in 2024 to 906, but fentanyl still accounted for the overwhelming majority of all opioid fatalities in the state.

Baltimore‘s experience illustrates the persistent danger. Of the 568 overdose deaths recorded in the state’s capital in 2025, 425 involved fentanyl. The city also experienced mass overdose events, including one in July that hospitalized 27 people and an October event linked to medetomidine, a powerful animal sedative found in the drug supply and growing in nearby New York.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine. Even a trace amount that’s invisible to the naked eye can cause fatal respiratory depression. Its presence in the street supply of heroin, counterfeit pills and other drugs makes fentanyl test strips and naloxone essential for anyone at risk.

Opioid Addiction Treatment Makes the Difference 

Maryland’s four-year streak of declining deaths reflects what public health advocates have long argued: harm reduction saves lives. Naloxone is available without a prescription at most pharmacies, and many community organizations distribute it for free. Fentanyl test strips allow people to check substances before use, reducing fatal exposure.

Beyond harm reduction, medication-assisted treatment — including buprenorphine and methadone for opioid use disorders — remains one of the top evidence-supported interventions available. Peer recovery and Narcotics Anonymous meetings provide the community-based support that clinical treatment alone cannot replicate.

“Every Marylander can be an important part of our efforts to reduce overdoses,” said Maryland Special Secretary of Overdose Response Emily Keller. She added that each year, “hundreds of lives are saved by everyday people who thankfully know what to do in a crisis.”

Finding Help for Opioid Addiction in Maryland 

Recovery from opioid addiction is possible, and Maryland has expanded the resources available to get there.Narcotics Anonymous meetings are free, peer-led, and open to anyone struggling with narcotic addiction. Call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) or look through our comprehensive directory to find NA meetings anywhere in the country, no matter your location.

A new class of diabetes and weight-loss drugs is drawing attention from researchers, and the early data on opioid addiction may be the most compelling signal yet. GLP-1 receptor agonists, the drug class that includes semaglutide (sold as Ozempic and Wegovy), appear to reduce cravings, lower overdose risk and decrease substance use disorder diagnoses in real-world studies. But experts urge caution before the hype outpaces the evidence.

Introducing GLP-1 Drugs

GLP-1 receptor agonists were developed to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity by mimicking a hormone that regulates blood sugar and appetite. They’re typically administered once a week by injections. What researchers didn’t expect was that patients consistently reported reduced cravings—not just for food, but for alcohol, nicotine and opioids.

The leading theory is that GLP-1s modulate the brain’s reward pathways. These are the same neural circuits implicated in narcotic addictions. If confirmed, that mechanism would represent a genuinely novel approach to treating substance use disorders.

Opioid Addiction Data

The most striking evidence comes from a 2026 observational study of more than 600,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 use correlated with lower risk of developing substance use disorders involving cannabis, cocaine and opioids. Among those with preexisting substance use disorders, GLP-1 takers had lower risks of hospitalization, overdose and suicidal ideation.

For those misusing opioids, the overdose finding is particularly significant. And the research is growing.

A separate randomized Phase 2 clinical trial focused on alcohol use disorder. It found that once-a-week semaglutide reduced drinking frequency and cravings over nine weeks compared to placebo. A recent systematic review also identified 33 registered clinical trials examining GLP-1s for substance use disorders, with growing interest in opioid and stimulant dependencies.

Fentanyl & the Stakes of New Treatment Options 

The urgency behind this research is major. The opioid epidemic is now dominated by illicitly manufactured fentanyl and death tolls continue to mount. Fentanyl is 50x more potent than heroin, and accidental overdoses are common even among experienced drug users. 

Current FDA-approved medications for opioid addiction are effective but fall victim to stigma, access barriers and treatment dropout. A non-opioid option like GLP-1 that reduces cravings can really expand the treatment toolkit, particularly for those who haven’t responded to existing therapies.

Some Gaps in the Science 

Addiction specialist Dr. Lynn Webster is careful to distinguish between “promising” and “proven.” For instance, the large veteran study is observational and doesn’t establish that GLP-1s directly caused the reductions in opioid cravings. Patients prescribed GLP-1s may differ from those who aren’t in ways that affect the results.

Researchers note that the consistency of effects across multiple substances and outcomes provides a strong rationale for dedicated clinical trials. But those trials haven’t yet been completed for opioid use disorder specifically.

Safety considerations also matter for people in addiction recovery. Common side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and appetite suppression can persuade folks to stop therapy altogether, and many GLP-1 benefits fade when treatment stops. 

In addiction care, insurance gaps and supply disruptions are common, which can lead participants to stop treatment if they can’t afford it. A 2026 analysis found that even brief interruptions in GLP-1 therapy were associated with elevated cardiovascular risk.

Seeking Help for Opioid Addiction Today 

GLP-1 drugs aren’t yet an approved or available treatment for opioid addiction. They’re still classified as diabetes and weight-loss medications, so doctors don’t prescribe them off-label for substance use disorders. The clinical trials needed to establish safety and efficacy in this population are still underway.

That means the most effective and evidence-based options for opioid addiction today remain prescriptions like buprenorphine or methadone, combined with counseling and peer support through programs like Narcotics Anonymous.

NA meetings provide community, accountability, and lived experience that no drug can replicate. For many people in recovery from opioid addiction, the combination of medication, therapy, and peer support through NA meetings make lasting recovery possible.

While GLP-1 remains in the testing stage, attending NA meetings can be a head start toward recovery. Call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to speak with an expert or browse our directory to find meetings organized by location across the country.

A peer-reviewed clinical trial offers new evidence that mindfulness yoga can meaningfully reduce relapse risk in narcotic addiction. It works not through a prescription pad, but through breath, movement and awareness practiced three times a week over six months.

The findings arrive as researchers continue searching for affordable and doable non-pharmacological tools to support people in recovery from substance use disorders. It’s long been proven that Narcotics Anonymous and peer support groups offer fellowship, and activities like yoga can supplement recovery without resorting to medications. For users and their families, the study points to a promising adjunct treatment that costs little and carries no side effects.

Starting Yoga

Eighty people meeting clinical criteria for methamphetamine use disorder were randomly assigned to either a 24-week mindfulness yoga program or a standard relaxation and stretching control group. Both groups met three times per week for sessions that lasted 40 minutes each.

After 24 weeks, participants in the mindfulness yoga group showed a significant reduction in relapse intention scores that dropped from an average of 29.12 to 18.45. In contrast, no meaningful change was seen in the control group.

That’s a large effect. But relapse intention was only one piece of the story.

Narcotic Addiction & the Brain Chemistry of Relapse

These results matter for narcotic addiction broadly because of the way opioids damage the brain. Long-term stimulant and opioid use both disrupt the same core neurotransmitter systems that govern reward, mood and stress response.

These systems are crucial for everyday functioning. Dopamine depletion reduces the feeling of natural rewards and reinforces drug-seeking to compensate. Serotonin deficiency worsens emotional disorders and impairs impulse control. Norepinephrine overactivation enhances stress and cravings.

These chemical imbalances aren’t unique to methamphetamine. Anyone with heroin dependence and the broader pattern of substance use disorders are affected. People keep going back to drugs despite wanting to stop.

After the 24-week mindfulness yoga intervention, participants showed significant increases in dopamine and serotonin levels alongside a marked decrease in norepinephrine. Basically, the brain chemistry associated with craving and relapse shifted measurably toward recovery.

Mindfulness Yoga Works

The intervention wasn’t complicated. Each session included a prep phase with breathing regulation, body scans, meditation, gentle yoga postures performed with synchronized breathing and mindful walking.

In general, yoga improves mitochondrial function and reduces inflammation, while aiding the brain region responsible for executive control and impulse regulation. Mindfulness training strengthens self-awareness and reduces cravings.

Chronic inflammation is increasingly recognized as a symptom of stimulant addiction and mental health comorbidity. Reducing it through accessible mind-body practice is a clinically meaningful outcome.

Beyond Relapse Intention

The improvements in narcotic addiction recovery markers extended well beyond brain chemistry. Compared to the control group after 24 weeks:

• Sleep quality scores improved substantially, with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores dropping from an average of 14.32 to 8.41 in the mindfulness yoga group, while the control group showed no significant change.

• Reaction time to impulses improved significantly in the yoga group, from 0.59 seconds to 0.48 seconds on average, compared to a marginal improvement in controls.

• Motor function scores, fatigue levels, anxiety and autonomic nervous system balance all improved significantly in the yoga group as well. Heart rates showed signs of reduced stress reactivity and better emotional regulation, compared to no major change in the control group.

Opioid & Narcotic Addiction Treatment

Medication-assisted treatment remains the gold standard for opioid addiction. Prescribed buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone save lives and the evidence base is strong. This study doesn’t challenge that. What it adds is evidence that mind-body practices can work alongside peer-based treatment.

Traditional interventions for addiction mainly include prescriptions and cognitive-behavioral therapy. But limitations to these approaches include side effects, high cost and difficulty maintaining long-term effects. Complementary approaches like mindfulness yoga can help fill that gap.

For people attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings, in outpatient treatment programs, or navigating early recovery, adding mindfulness yoga practice may strengthen how you approach sobriety. It’s low-cost, widely accessible through community centers and online platforms and carries no medical risk for most people.

The researchers note the study’s limitations. It’s only one study with a small sample size and no follow up after the study ended. But the effects were consistent and covered a wide range of outcomes. It’s definitely something worth thinking about for future care.

Harm Reduction and Treatment Resources

If you or someone you love is struggling with narcotic addiction or opioid abuse, help is available.

Call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to speak confidentially with an addiction treatment specialist about opioid treatment programs, medication-assisted treatment. You can also easily find NA meetings in almost every community in the nation. Narcotics Anonymous offers free, peer-led support for anyone struggling with narcotic addiction. Simply browse our directory and start finding peer support groups today.

Arkansas is putting opioid settlement money directly into classrooms. The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP) has awarded $1.4 million in opioid prevention funding to four school districts. This targeted move is intended to stop the opioid crisis in The Natural State before it starts among young people.

ARORP deployed the funding to hire Prevention Recovery Coordinators (PRCs) in the Fayetteville, Hot Springs, Watson Chapel and Springdale school districts that span K–8. The initiative represents one of the state’s most direct investments in school-based opioid prevention to date.

Arkansas enjoys a reputation as the Land of Opportunity, and this includes choices for improving your personal health. From grassroots organizations like Narcotics Anonymous chapters to inpatient facilities, Arkansans can find personalized treatment options that best suit their circumstances.

The Opioid Crisis Persists in Arkansas

In many respects, the scale of this program arrives just in time. The $1.4 million will reach 27,000 students across 57 schools, with 10 Prevention Recovery Coordinators embedded across the four participating districts.

The backdrop is alarming. Arkansas reported 306 opioid overdose deaths between 2022 and 2023. It’s a 13.8% decrease from the prior year, according to the state’s Department of Health. While officials find that decline encouraging, the state continues to face one of the worst opioid prescription burdens in the nation. State officials reported Arkansas had the second-highest opioid prescription rate in the nation in 2022, at 72.2 per 100 persons, surpassed only by Alabama.

Fentanyl’s Role in the School-Based Crisis

Opioid abuse is no longer confined to adults, and fentanyl contamination is a driving reason why. ARORP Deputy Director Tenesha Barnes emphasized that fentanyl is now showing up in virtually everything, making a narrow opioid-only approach insufficient. The program addresses alcohol, tobacco, vaping and other drugs alongside narcotic addiction because the fentanyl threat has made every substance potentially lethal.

This is why school-based opioid prevention matters, and programs are now springing up all across the nation, including neighboring Oklahoma. Students encountering counterfeit pills or contaminated substances may not know the risk until it’s too late.

Prevention Recovery Coordinators Act Now

The PRC model is designed to be student-led, not top-down. Rather than positioning coordinators as authority figures, the program is one of several throughout the country that empowers youths themselves to build safe spaces and guide peers toward recovery resources. PRCs merely provide guidance toward prevention, treatment and recovery support.

The program also incorporates counselors and mental health professionals to create a wraparound model where students can openly discuss substance misuse and any underlying causes. 

The program’s reach can extend beyond school walls. Barnes noted that the typical opioid user falls in the 18–52 age range. This means the community impact of school-based prevention can ripple outward into families and neighborhoods.

Notably, the Hot Springs School District pointed out that 25% of children live with a parent who has a substance use disorder, and that early prevention protects brain development, improves recovery outcomes, and addresses co-occurring issues.

Opioid Settlement Funds Recovery

This $1.4 million comes directly from Arkansas opioid settlement dollars. These funds originated from pharmaceutical companies and distributors held responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic. 

ARORP is among the more aggressive state partnerships in deploying these funds. Since November 2022, ARORP has funded 142 projects in all 75 Arkansas counties, distributing $26 million total with over $3m specifically dedicated to prevention efforts.

The results have been astonishing. National data shows that every dollar that states spend on prevention can save $11 in future care and costs. This means ARORP’s prevention investment could potentially avoid more than $33 million in future treatment expenses. 

Naloxone Access & Harm Reduction in Arkansas

Even as prevention expands, harm reduction remains critical. As of March 2025, ARORP expanded its Naloxone Hero Program to include city and county first responder agencies as well as school systems, providing training resources and naloxone kits for distribution.

Since 2022, the Arkansas Naloxone Bank has supported community organizations and law enforcement in distributing over 86,000 naloxone doses totaling more than $2 million in life-saving medication. 

Naloxone (brand name Narcan) is an opioid antagonist that rapidly reverses overdose. It is safe, effective, and increasingly available without a prescription in Arkansas. Anyone living with or near someone with opioid addiction or narcotic dependency should have naloxone on hand and know how to use it.

Getting Help for Opioid Addiction in Arkansas

If you or someone you love has an opioid addiction, narcotic dependency or substance use disorder, recovery resources are available in Arkansas right now.

NA Meetings in Arkansas Narcotics Anonymous meetings are free, peer-led, and available across the state, including in Fayetteville, Little Rock, Hot Springs, Springdale and surrounding communities. NA meetings offer a space to connect with others in recovery from opioid addiction and other substance use disorders.

To find an NA meeting in any location, browse our comprehensive directory or call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to speak to an expert for guidance. Whether in Arkansas or anywhere else in the country, help is always standing by right in your own community.

Opioid overdose deaths in Oregon dropped for the second consecutive year, offering a fragile but meaningful sign of progress in one of the hardest-hit states of the fentanyl crisis. However, health experts warn the epidemic is far from over.

Oregon enjoys a wide variety of grassroots programs and support groups like Narcotics Anonymous that have helped drive those numbers down. The Beaver State also features many inpatient and outpatient services. The results show: the state reported 1,015 confirmed or suspected opioid overdose deaths in the 12 months prior to August 2025, down from 1,272 deaths the previous year and a decline of nearly 20%. 

Opioid Overdose Numbers in Oregon

The drop marks more than 30% below Oregon’s peak recorded in May 2024. But context is critical: Oregon’s opioid death rate remains almost 3x that of May 2020, when 351 people died from overdoses. 

Dr. Todd Korthuis heads the department of addiction medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. He urged continued vigilance as people are still dying at higher rates than a decade ago. “This is progress,” Korthuis noted, “but we’re not out of the woods.” 

Fatal overdoses account for only a fraction of the numbers. Oregon had close to 4,200 inpatient hospitalizations associated with drug overdose and 10,300+ overdose-related emergency department visits in 2024 alone. These figures are actually much higher because they exclude overdoses that were reversed with naloxone.

Driving the Decline in Opioid Deaths

Health experts point to several overlapping factors behind the downward trend.

• Supply disruption: The most significant contributor is disruption in the illicit fentanyl supply chain, beginning with a crackdown on manufacturers in China. Researchers link this disruption to weaker fentanyl potencies reaching the market, resulting in fewer overdoses. 

• Expanded treatment access: Korthuis credited wider availability of medication-assisted treatments, including buprenorphine and methadone. Methadone has become a popular option for people seeking relief from fentanyl withdrawal. 

• Naloxone distribution: Oregon’s Save Lives Oregon program, run by the Oregon Health Authority, now distributes naloxone to 380+ organizations statewide for emergency departments, health care settings and school-based clinics. 

Fentanyl Remains the Dominant Threat

Most Oregon deaths involved fentanyl, often in combination with methamphetamine. For anyone with an opioid addiction or watching a loved one fight it, the numbers represent both hard-won progress and the ongoing weight of this crisis.

Because of fentanyl’s extreme potency and low production cost, it is frequently mixed into counterfeit pills or combined with heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine in unknown amounts. These combos dramatically increase overdose risk for users.

Korthuis emphasized the fragility of current gains: “It could turn on a dime, and those same factors that seem to be contributing to declines in overdoses could reverse.” He called for sustained support for naloxone distribution and evidence-based prevention targeting young people before exposure to opioids occurs.

As Korthuis explained, progress has been uneven among certain groups. Communities of color that have disproportionately faced systemic racism and socioeconomic inequity continue to experience the highest rates of both fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses in Oregon. Any sustainable response to the opioid crisis must address these underlying disparities.

Harm Reduction and Treatment Options in Oregon

Oregon’s declining overdose numbers reflect coordinated harm reduction and treatment efforts that often start at the ground up. Peer support and NA meetings provide free, community-based peer recovery support for people dealing with narcotic addiction. They occur daily and in cities big and small.
To get started, feel free to call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) or glance through our comprehensive directory of NA groups today.

A recent clinical trial has produced the strongest evidence yet that a common generic antidepressant can help reduce methamphetamine use. This is a significant development in narcotic addiction treatment as no FDA-approved medication currently exists for the disorder.

An impressive array of programs and services already addresses many facets of addiction, from grassroots Narcotics Anonymous peer support groups to inpatient care. However, these new findings offer a potential foothold in treating stimulant use disorder without a single approved pharmacological option.

The Opioid Crisis & the Broader Narcotics Epidemic

While fentanyl and opioid addiction have dominated public health headlines for over a decade, methamphetamine use has surged in parallel. Indeed, the two even overlap as illicit drug markets regularly involve polysubstance use. Deaths involving both methamphetamine and synthetic opioids like fentanyl have become alarmingly common in overdose data.

Yet unlike available medication assisted treatment for opioid addictions, methamphetamine use disorder has had no equivalent. Instead, providers have opted for psychosocial counseling, behavioral therapy and peer support. These approaches are effective, but limited.

The Mirtazapine Trial’s Findings

That’s where this new study comes in. From November 2022 to May 2025, six outpatient alcohol and drug clinics in Australia enrolled 339 adults with moderate to severe methamphetamine use disorder. These participants had used methamphetamine for around 24 days out of a month.

Led by Dr. Rebecca McKetin of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales Sydney, the team learned that those who took mirtazapine stayed off meth for around 7 days, two days longer when compared to those who took the placebo.

“The exciting thing about our finding is that we’re able to confirm that mirtazapine, this generic antidepressant that’s widely available and quite cheap, can actually help people to reduce their methamphetamine use,” McKetin noted, adding that the drug has a “well-established safety profile.”

Narcotic Addiction Treatment & the FDA Approval Gap

Mirtazapine is already approved as an antidepressant and widely available as a low-cost generic. The medication addresses a key driver of relapse. Patients who attempt to quit methamphetamine often face severe mood swings, depression, and insomnia that push them back toward use and discourage them from trying to quit again. Mirtazapine’s sedating and mood-stabilizing properties may blunt those withdrawal symptoms enough to interrupt the cycle.

“At the moment, all of the treatment options we’ve got are psychosocial, and can be difficult to access,” McKetin noted. For general practitioners, she said, they can use mirtazapine “to help people who want to reduce their methamphetamine use, in addition to using it for depression, and they can do that fairly safely.”

Important Limitations

The trial’s authors were candid about the modest scope of the effect. McKetin acknowledged it showed “quite a small effect” on methamphetamine use, and noted that secondary depression, insomnia, HIV risk behavior, and quality of life showed no significant improvement.

Treatment effects were also impacted by side effects. Almost 25% of the mirtazapine participants stopped taking the drug due to side effects, compared to 15% on placebo. The most common adverse effects were drowsiness and weight gain.

“As researchers, we need to come up with something that has a stronger impact and a larger treatment effect,” McKetin observed.

What This Means for People in Recovery

For individuals navigating narcotic addiction, this research underscores how recovery is a medical process, not a moral failure, and the science of treating it continues to evolve. The most durable recoveries typically combine pharmacological support with peer connection, behavioral therapy, and community.

Narcotics Anonymous meetings offer exactly that kind of sustained peer support. Meetings are free, accessible, and available every day. For anyone with methamphetamine or opioid addiction, NA meetings provide a space to build the human connections that make long-term recovery possible.

To find an NA meeting near your location, take a look through our directory or call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to get started and to explore options for recovery.

A team at Virginia Commonwealth University is flipping the script on how we fight the opioid crisis, not by fixating on where it’s worst, but by studying “bright spots” where communities are quietly winning. For the millions affected by opioid addiction across the country, their findings could offer a replicable path forward.

Virginia’s proud history has enabled residents to be resilient no matter what the circumstances. Indeed, the Old Dominion boasts a wealth of grassroots programs and peer support groups like Narcotics Anonymous and other support groups. 

The Opioid Crisis by the Numbers

Nevertheless, more than five Virginians die each day from an opioid overdose, making fatal overdoses the state’s leading cause of unnatural death since 2013.

However, these aren’t just statistics. Behind every stat is a family shattered by fentanyl, heroin addiction, or prescription opioid misuse. They represent parents who won’t come home, children growing up without a guardian, and neighbors lost to a disease that does not discriminate by zip code.

The Bright Spots Research Model’s Findings

Rather than concentrating solely on overdose hot spots, VCU’s Dr. Jacqueline Britz and her team are identifying “positive deviants.” They find communities that are mitigating substance misuse much better than expected despite facing the same social and economics as their neighbors.

The methodology is data-driven and rigorous. For instance, by analyzing the Virginia All-Payer Claims Database alongside census data, Britz’s team has built a statistical model that looks beyond raw mortality and overdose rates. They identify which communities consistently outperform their expected opioid mortality over several years.

The concept draws on a public health framework called Positive Deviance, which was famously used to combat childhood malnutrition in Vietnam by finding low-income families whose children were nonetheless thriving. They then scaled what those families were doing differently and applied them to a broader area to change the surrounding environment. Today, Britz is applying the same logic to opioid addiction by replacing “what is wrong” with “what is already going right.”

A Toolkit Built for Communities Fighting the Opioid Crisis

The research isn’t sitting in a journal. Britz and her team developed the Virginia Opioid Abatement Toolkit, a first-of-its-kind, state-specific, evidence-based guide for cities and counties on how to deploy opioid abatement funds and coordinate with various partners. Thousands of visitors and users across Virginia have already accessed the toolkit’s guidelines.

The toolkit team has attended 100+ national and community events and participated in 67 city and county task force meetings. They assured that those in under-resourced communities have access to strategies proven to reduce opioid-related deaths.

The goal is for smaller communities who might lack resources to “feel like they have a seat at the table,” said Tyler Burton, the toolkit manager and a former health department opioid response coordinator. The toolkit is publicly accessible here.

What This Means for Opioid Addiction Treatment

The bright spots model reinforces what recovery advocates and Narcotics Anonymous members have known for decades: community-driven solutions work. For people in active opioid addiction, that community can start with a single NA meeting. Peer support, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and naloxone access remain the most immediate life-saving tools available. Research like this helps communities invest in them more effectively.

If you or someone you love is struggling with narcotic addiction, proven options are available right now. You can look for an NA meeting in your area or call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to meet with peers and take the first step towards a healthier future.