Despite increased access to overdose rescue kits containing opioid antidotes like naloxone, Pittsburgh paramedic James Dlutowski says the government should focus efforts on funding for addiction treatment. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

Across the state of Maine, the number of prescriptions for painkillers is dropping. But some patients who have chronic pain say they need high doses of the medication to be able to function. Fanatic Studio/Getty Images hide caption

Mayor Megan Barry shakes hands with Judge Richard Dinkins at her inauguration in 2015. Her son, Max Barry (center), died last month of a drug overdose, his parents said. Mayor Barry intends to use her platform to "inspire and encourage other parents out there." Tony Gonzalez/Nashville Public Radio hide caption

A test strip designed to help doctors check a patient's urine for fentanyl is being distributed in the Bronx to encourage users of heroin or other opioids to check what's in their syringe before they inject. Mary Harris/WNYC hide caption

Allyson and Eddie, clients at the AAC Needle Exchange and Overdose Prevention Program in Cambridge, Mass., say they carry naloxone and try to never use drugs alone to reduce the risk of overdosing. Robin Lubbock for WBUR hide caption

A pair of studies show declines in opioid use by young people, including prescription use, intentional misuse and accidental poisonings. Gabe Souza/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images hide caption

Teenagers are most at risk for opioid poisoning, but the rate more than doubled for toddlers from 1997 to 2012. Hero Images/Getty Images hide caption

Debbie Deagle holds a photo of her son Stephen and herself. Martha Bebinger/WBUR hide caption

The State Crime Lab at the Ohio Attorney General's headquarters of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation displayed a variety of different types of heroin. The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption

Bob Topmiller, chief of toxicology at the Hamilton County Coroner's Office, holds a small vial containing carfentanil extracted from a sample of blood. Jake Harper/Side Effects Public Media hide caption

First responders have found that standard doses of naloxone aren't always enough to counteract the powerful sedating effects of carfentanil. Ted Horowitz/Getty Images hide caption

Diazepam, also known as Valium, is used to treat anxiety and insomnia. But when combined with opioids, it can suppress breathing and cause death. Universal Images Group/Getty Images hide caption

Tommy, a repeat patient at the Supportive Place for Observation and Treatment in Boston, says the room has saved lives. Jesse Costa/WBUR hide caption

People in their mid-40s to mid-60s are more likely than any other group to be prescribed opioids with benzodiazepines. Both kinds of drugs can hamper breathing and mixing them is especially risky. Erwin Wodicka/iStock hide caption

Thousands of parents have lost sons and daughters across the country to an epidemic of accidental drug overdoses. Gary Waters/Ikon Images/Getty Images hide caption