Opioids

Both Kansas and Missouri have seen the number of overdose deaths attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl increase dramatically in the last several years. The U.S.'s drug czar urged people to carry Naloxone to counteract opioid overdoses in a visit to the Midwest last week.

In 2021, more than 2,600 people died of a reported drug overdose in Kansas and Missouri. A Kansas City peer support group is bringing together friends and families who have lost loved ones to substance abuse and addiction.

Data points to a nearly 75% increase in overdoses in Missouri since 2019, and last year was the second consecutive year that fentanyl accounted for over two-thirds of overdoses in Missouri.

Republican state Sen. Holly Thompson of Scott City sponsored legislation to decriminalize the harm reduction tool. She hopes this will help lower opioid overdoses.

KFF Health News obtained documents showing the exact dollar amounts — down to the cent — that local governments have been paid in 2022 and 2023 in lawsuit settlements from the opioid crisis. For Missouri, that's $458 million.

Possession of fentanyl test strips will no longer be a crime in Kansas. The new state law also means pharmacies, online retailers and harm-reduction programs will be able to legally distribute the strips.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that the overdose-reversing drug Narcan was approved for over-the-counter sales. Missouri residents can already get the drug without a prescription from a pharmacy.

As part of the new county budget, five social services organizations will receive funding for their work with unhoused people, drug rehabilitation and behavioral health programs. The groups say the money will help them serve hundreds more people suffering from substance abuse.

Opioid overdoses spiked during the pandemic and recovering from addiction can take years and involve multiple relapses. One Kansas man explains how access to medical care has played a pivotal role on his path to recovery.

Thirty-four-year-old Tanner first tried opioids as a teenager. Since then, he says doctors have helped him by prescribing medications that reduce cravings.

Kyrie Fields is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and tampering with a motor vehicle in connection with her alleged involvement in a hit-and-run accident that left Charles Criniere dead.

Those in favor of the ordinance said the current system through the city’s municipal courts negatively impacted younger people caught with marijuana, and could hurt their future employment opportunities.