opioid crisis

Aaron Broussard was sentenced to life in prison for 11 deaths that were tied to controlled substances he sold. Those who died thought they were taking Adderall, but they actually ingested fentanyl.

The plan is for health departments in all 67 counties to have kits with two Narcan nasal sprays that can be administered without a health care provider.

Families in Palm Beach County hoped protesting would convince Sheriff Ric Bradshaw to equip his deputies with Narcan. Their pleas haven't worked — until now.

Walgreens was the 12th and final defendant in the state's legal battle against opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmaceutical companies it holds responsible for the epidemic.

Attorney General Ashley Moody issued an emergency rule to outlaw eight synthetic drugs known as nitazenes. The order said the drugs are commonly available online and through illicit drug markets.

After inking $2.4 billion in settlements with prescription drug manufacturers, distributors and retailers, the state is set for a courtroom showdown with Walgreens over the pharmacy giant’s role in the opioid epidemic.

The settlements left Walgreens as the sole defendant in a lawsuit that targeted businesses involved in all aspects of the opioid industry. A Pasco County judge is scheduled to begin jury selection next week.

A new wave of opioid deaths, often mixed with psychostimulants, is raising old fears in Palm Beach County. And now families are urging the sheriff's office to carry Narcan.

The Sacklers, who own Purdue Pharma, maker of Oxycontin, have maintained they did nothing wrong. People who lost loved ones and years of their lives to opioid addiction believe otherwise.

The deal, hashed out over weeks of intense negotiations, raises the amount paid by the Sacklers by more than $1 billion. In exchange, the family members win immunity from civil opioid lawsuits.

The companies, including Johnson & Johnson and McKesson, will admit no wrongdoing. Billions of dollars in payouts will fund drug treatment and harm reduction programs.

Companies at the center of the deadly prescription opioid epidemic are close to deals that would cap their liability while funding drug treatment and recovery programs.