
Philly’s opioid crisis
As the opioid epidemic continues to intensify in the Philadelphia area, the debate over what steps should be taken, and by whom, is hotly contested. Will Harrisburg allow Philly to open an overdose prevention site? Does city government’s backing of one show a racist dichotomy? We’ll cover all this and more as the region battles the crisis.
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“This is a life and death situation,” said the owner of Savage Sisters Recovery, one of HER's founding members.

Health Department hiring two new specialists as ‘tranq’ infiltrates nearly all street drugs in Philadelphia
Use of xylazine, a horse tranquilizer, leads to wounds that are very difficult to treat.

‘There still is no answer’: Philly cracks down on Kensington encampments again as homelessness crisis intensifies
Many have been pushing Mayor Kenney’s administration to fix the untenable living conditions in the neighborhood.

Philly’s overdose spike in 2020 hit Black and Latino residents the hardest
Nearly three dozen departments will work together to combat the rise, which happened in totally new areas of the city.

Accidental overdose death at Philly’s COVID prevention site, which is closing in two weeks
Anthony Thomas, who previously lived at the Parkway protest camp, was discovered in his room over Thanksgiving weekend.

Safehouse drops South Philly plans, looks to Kensington after judge suspends launch
Judge McHugh hasn't changed his opinion on the injection site's public health benefits.

Coronavirus test site for Philly’s addicted and homeless populations opens in Kensington
Located next to Rock Ministries, it's available every weekday afternoon — and interested people can just show up.

When Philly paramedics arrive, many overdose victims have vanished
As Narcan’s widespread availability saves lives, it complicates treatment efforts.

Supervised injection at Prevention Point? Ahead of major ruling, Safehouse lacks location and funding
The city’s push to open in Kensington still faces resistance. Meanwhile, the nonprofit has just $200,000 in the bank.

Work in addiction recovery? You could get $100k to pay back student loans
A state program is doling out $5 million to encourage professionals to help curb the overdose crisis.

Face of Prevention Point leaves after 25 years: ‘The trauma was starting to take its toll’
Elvis Rosado was a pivotal part of the Kensington harm reduction nonprofit.

Public toilets and sinks are installed in Kensington — and were vandalized on the first day
The mobile trailers, part of an effort to combat hepatitis A, are locked up overnight.

Fentanyl cleanups can cost up to $50,000, thanks to urban legend
The likelihood of accidental OD is severely overhyped.

Philly’s injection site just picked up a ton of national support — but local opposition is also growing
Dozens of prosecutors across the country are now backing Safehouse.

Philly’s new EMS overdose team is unlike any in the nation
Will the model work? Stakeholders are hopeful.