Martha Bebinger
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Most hospitals don't have addiction specialists on call. But Salem Hospital in Massachusetts does. We hear about one patient who got addiction help after coming in for a different problem.
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The veterinary sedative xylazine is being mixed into illegal drugs and could be contributing to a rise in overdoses. (Story first aired on Weekend Edition Saturday on July 30, 2022.)
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The sedative xylazine is starting to permeate illegal opioids and cocaine. It does not respond to naloxone, an overdose reversal medication, and may be to blame for grisly injuries and infections.
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Worried about the proliferation of plastic trash in the environment and her own body, a journalist tried to shop plastic-free for 7 days. She found plastic in a lot of sneaky and surprising places.
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A single block in Chelsea, Mass., may offer a template for cities looking at what works — or doesn't — to cope with longer, hotter summers because of the warming climate.
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Drug overdose deaths are at a record high — more than 100,000 in the latest single year. And the Biden administration has a plan to slow that epidemic by emphasizing harm reduction.
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A beloved pizzeria owner in Brimfield, Mass., had COVID-19 and needed dialysis, but it wasn't available at the hospital where he died. The health system is "breaking down," a hospital CEO says.
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Skyrocketing omicron case numbers in some states have hospitals nationwide trying to prepare for another big surge. Here's how things look in the Northeast, South and Midwest.
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People who were addicted to OxyContin or lost loved ones who were addicted to the drug expect very little in compensation from the multibillion-dollar Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement.
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A growing body of research shows the many ways trees improves our mental and physical health. There's a push to understand more.