Opioids

Travel nurse David L. Shaeffer has been accused of stealing the powerful opioid from hospitals he worked at in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Lisa Ferraro, of Hillsdale, is accused of writing over 400 prescriptions for oxycodone without ever examining most patients at her Paterson medical office.

For the second time in the last week a toddler at the Jersey Shore has overdosed on drugs found in their home, fortunately though, in this latest case a 2-year-old in Wall Township was revived.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration is seeing a rise in the number of opioids being mixed with xylazine, an animal tranquilizer.

Free naloxone kits, while supplies last, are part of the team's second annual Addiction Awareness Night at the ballpark in partnership with the state.

Raymond Catania admitted to prescribing thousands of powerful painkiller pills to a couple over the course of a year in Somerset County.

Law enforcement carried out raids at homes in Phillipsburg, Middlesex Borough and Linden, netting five arrests and recovering drugs, guns and a large amount of cash.

All 21 counties and 241 eligible municipalities agree to the settlement with pharmaceutical companies over their role in deepening the opioid crisis.

The opioid epidemic got worse in late 2019 and through the early months of COVID-19, then improved in the second half of 2020.

Death certificates would have to list the specific drug responsible for overdose deaths, under proposed legislation.