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DC opioid overdose deaths hit record high
A new report from the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shows opioid overdose deaths in the District hit a record high last year. News4’s Jackie Bensen reports.
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Opioid overdose deaths in DC reached new high in 2023, report says
A new report from the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shows opioid overdose deaths in the District hit a record high last year. The medical examiner’s office studied 2,595 opioid-related deaths from 2017 through 2023. In 2023, there were 518 opioid overdose deaths in the District, according to the report. That marked a 12% increase from 2022, amounting to 43 deaths…
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Mothers who lost children to fentanyl lobby for tougher penalties in Maryland
Two Maryland mothers are sharing the pain of losing their teens to fentanyl, advocating for a bill that calls for tougher punishments for fentanyl and heroin dealers. News4’s Mauricio Casillas spoke to them about how they’re honoring their children’s legacies.
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Loudoun County will use drug-sniffing dogs to keep fentanyl, other drugs out of high schools
Loudoun County Public Schools will conduct random, unannounced searches with drug-sniffing dogs to prevent fentanyl and other drugs from getting into high schools. Starting next month, a sheriff’s office dog handler, the school resource officer and an administrator will scan a school’s hallways and common areas. The school district says it plans to notify the school community immediately after...
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Loudoun County Public Schools will use drug-sniffing dogs in schools
Loudoun County Public Schools will begin doing random, unannounced searches with drug-sniffing dogs to prevent fentanyl and other drugs from getting into high schools. Northern Virginia Bureau Reporter Drew Wilder explains.
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The top doctor for CBP tried to order fentanyl lollipops for a helicopter mission in New York, whistleblowers say
The whistleblowers also allege Dr. Alexander Eastman was already under investigation for trying to procure narcotics for a friend who worked as a chopper pilot for the border agency.
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Arlington parents seek $2M for afterschool programs after fatal suspected fentanyl overdoses
Parents and community groups in Arlington, Virginia, want more money for afterschool programs after two students died from suspected fentanyl overdoses.
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Arlington moms want better afterschool programs in fight against fentanyl
Parents and a community group in Arlington are pushing for more money for afterschool programs after two students died from suspected fentanyl overdoses. Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey spoke with some of the mothers fighting to make a difference.
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Fentanyl state of emergency declared in downtown Portland, Oregon
Elected leaders in Oregon have declared a state of emergency for downtown Portland over the public health and public safety crisis fueled by fentanyl.
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One pill can kill: Virginia leaders work to raise awareness of fentanyl dangers
In Prince William County, more than 100 people attended a town hall to learn about the dangers of fentanyl and receive Narcan training. News4’s Walter Morris reports.
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Virginia parents tell their son's story to help others avoid fentanyl overdoses
Fairfax County Public Schools hosted community conversation to raise awareness about fentanyl, and the statistics are disturbing. News4’s Walter Morris reports.
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New syndrome in newborns exposed to fentanyl possibly found
At least 10 babies — possibly more than 12 — have been identified with what doctors believe to be a new syndrome related to exposure to fentanyl in the womb.
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Feds bust cross-county fentanyl ring in investigation that started with DC mother's death
More than 20 people from California to D.C. were indicted in a fentanyl distribution ring after a two-year investigation that started with the fatal overdose of a young mother in Washington. Federal officials seized thousands of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, cash and guns as part of the multiagency investigation into what prosecutors say was a nationwide conspiracy to sell…
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Feds bust cross-country fentanyl distribution ring
More than 20 people from California to D.C. were indicted in a fentanyl distribution ring after a two-year investigation that started with the fatal overdose of a young mother in Washington. News4’s Mark Segraves reports while D.C.’s escalating homicide rate is in the headlines almost every day, many more people are dying from fentanyl overdose.
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Fighting fentanyl: A woman's journey to save other addicts
It took years for Denise Chiarotti to be as honest as she is today when it comes to talking about her addiction. But the journey has cost her too many friends and loved ones to count gone because of fentanyl. “A lot of shame. And in certain places I go, I feel I can’t tell people I’m an addict because...
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Recovering addict's journey to save others from fentanyl
Fentanyl has a grip on the country many worry can’t be broken. A Virginia woman fighting for her life spoke with Investigative Reporter Ted Oberg and the News4 I-Team about her journey to recovery and why she’s not giving up on herself or others.
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Fighting fentanyl: Families and feds fight flood of $1-per-pill opioid killing loved ones
When Sara Lowry thinks about her son Aiden, she doesn’t think about the addiction he fought but about the boy whose goals of fancy jobs, fancy cars and one day life as a successful businessman in London were all lost to the powerfully addictive drug. “I can see the addiction,” she told the News4 I-Team, “but I know that...
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Why fentanyl is so hard to contain
Opioid overdoses are affecting every community, experts say, and the D.C. region has seen an explosion of cases involving fentanyl. Investigative Reporter Ted Oberg and the News 4 I-Team found a wave of increasingly cheap drugs flooding neighborhoods.
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Loudoun County parents attend session on fentanyl dangers after overdoses
A string of recent fentanyl overdoses at a high school in Loudoun County is prompting new warnings. News4’s Derrick Ward has more on authorities’ message, encouraging the community to take an active role in trying to save lives.
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Loudoun County to host community meeting on fentanyl in light of student overdoses
The meeting will be held Saturday morning at Park View High School. Nine students at the school have overdosed in recent weeks. News4’s Juliana Valencia reports.