Police and public health leaders in Alabama are trying to deal with a spike in heroin use in recent years. Naloxone — or narcan — is a drug that, when administered correctly, can reverse the effects of a heroin overdose. A bill passed the Alabama Legislature this week that would allow first responders to give narcan to someone dying from an overdose. But some don’t think the bill goes far enough. UAB researchers are working on a crowd-funded study that puts narcan directly in the hands of users’ and family and friends. The study met its fundraising goal this week. UAB psychologist Karen Cropsey, who heads the program, spoke to Les Lovoy and explained how narcan works.
Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.
Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.
The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.
This year looked to be different for lottery and gambling legislation, which has fallen short for years in the Alabama legislature. But this week, with only a handful of meeting days left, competing House and Senate proposals were sent to a conference committee to work out differences.
