Brian taps in the code to dispense fentanyl test strips from the new harm reduction vending machine in North Adams, MA. Anyone can get the test strips for free. But to receive drug-use supplies like needles and pipes, clients of the nearby clinic must register for an access code. The machine is cooled and heated to preserve medications like Narcan. Martha Bebinger/WBUR hide caption
The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a challenge to a deal to compensate victims of the opioid epidemic that shield the Sackler family from lawsuits. Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A bag of assorted pills and prescription drugs is dropped off for disposal during the Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 24, 2021 in Los Angeles. Patrick T. Falon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health have agreed to a $1.1 billion settlement with the state of New York over their alleged role in opioid distribution. Jeff Chiu/AP hide caption
During the War on Drugs, the Brownsville neighborhood in New York City saw some of the highest rates of incarceration in the U.S., as Black and Hispanic men were sent to prison for lengthy prison sentences, often for low-level, nonviolent drug crimes. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption
The Trump administration's decision to relax rules regarding the prescription of buprenorphine comes as record-level drug overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. in the 12 months ending in June 2020. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
Nikil Saval, a newly elected Pennsylvania state senator, speaks in support of opening a "supervised injection site" for opioid users in Philadelphia during a Nov. 16 rally outside the federal courthouse. Kimberly Paynter/WHYY hide caption
Purdue Pharma headquarters in Stamford, Conn., in 2019. Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, and its owners, the Sackler family, have faced hundreds of lawsuits over the company's alleged role in the opioid epidemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption
Doctors and other health care providers still prescribe highly addictive pain medications at rates widely considered unsafe. Critics say the practice exposes tens of millions of patients each year to unnecessary risk of addiction, overdose and death. Tracy Lee for NPR hide caption
Rosalind Pichardo advertises a daily food giveaway service in the heart of Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood, where more people die of opioid overdoses than any other area in the city. Nina Feldman/ WHYY hide caption
Judge Thad Balkman listens to statements from the defense during a hearing last month in Norman, Okla. Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman hide caption
Opium poppies in Turkey Mark Nesbitt and Delwen Samuel/Wikimedia hide caption
Family and friends who lost loved ones to OxyContin and opioid overdoses left pill bottles in protest outside the Stamford, Conn., headquarters of Purdue Pharma in August 2018. Jessica Hill/AP hide caption
Berkshire, the camp director, and other mentors spend one-on-one time with campers. One child said they feel like this is their "real" home and the other home they live in full time is a "backup." Kavitha Cardoza for NPR hide caption
Akron fire medic Paul Drouhard shows a box containing naloxone hydrochloride, a drug carried in all their department emergency response vehicles to treat opioid overdose patients. Keith Srakocic/AP hide caption
Purdue Pharma's headquarters in Stamford, Conn., seen earlier this month. The OxyContin manufacturer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but some want the company's owners to face criminal charges over the opioid crisis. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption
Purdue Pharma and other health care giants are discussing potential deals with authorities that could resolve thousands of lawsuits they are facing over the U.S. opioid epidemic. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that most new heroin addicts first became hooked on prescription painkillers, such as oxycodone, before graduating to heroin, which is cheaper. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption
Leah Esguerra (right), who is credited with being the first social worker installed directly at a public library, strolls through the fifth floor of the San Francisco Public Library's main branch, joined by the library's health and safety associates (from left to right) Sidney Grindstaff, Jennifer Keys and Cary Latham. Jason Doiy/Courtesy of the San Francisco Public Library hide caption
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter begins closing statements during the opioid trial at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Norman, Okla., on Monday, July 15. It's the first public trial to emerge from roughly 2,000 U.S. lawsuits aimed at holding drugmakers accountable for the nation's opioid epidemic. Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman hide caption
Suboxone Film strips dissolve when placed under the tongue and are used to treat patients suffering from opioid dependency. The medication is made by Indivior, which was spun off from U.K.-based Reckitt Benckiser in 2014. Charles Krupa/AP hide caption
Insys, the maker of fentanyl-based Subsys, agreed to a $225 million settlement with the federal government to resolve criminal and civil investigations of the company's role in the opioid crisis. Reuters hide caption