Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates, who has been concerned with drug overdoses for years, confirmed there were five suspected overdose deaths over the weekend.
Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates said drug deaths continue to climb year over year despite numerous efforts to curb the opioid crisis.
A bill passed last session to allow prosecutors to charge fentanyl distributors with felony manslaughter in connection to overdose deaths won’t be brought up in an upcoming special session, according to the bill’s sponsor.
The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) announced Tuesday that a corrections officer resigned after being arrested on three criminal charges.
The Decatur Police Department is informing the public about how bond amounts work after several citizens came forward with concerns.
On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs and therefore increase federal penalties for fentanyl dealers and users.
Carfentanil, also called Wildnil, has been identified in Walker County. The synthetic opioid is nothing new but hasn’t been a top concern for law enforcement until now.
The Drug Enforcement Administration declared May 9 National Fentanyl Awareness Day. The purpose is to spread awareness about the deadly drug and to remember those who have been impacted by its deadly consequences.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office has confirmed 488 deaths in 2022 were drug overdose fatalities.
House Bill 1 by State Rep. Matt Simpson (R-Daphne), which adds trafficking fentanyl to the list of substances subject to mandatory minimum sentences in Alabama, has passed the Alabama Senate and will go to Gov. Kay Ivey who plans to speedily sign it.
I’m certain that many of you have heard about the drug fentanyl in the news these last few years, the powerful opioid similar to morphine or oxycodone but 100 times more powerful than both of those drugs and much more addictive and deadly.
U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) was home Monday visiting with the community at the Coffee with a Cop event in downtown Mobile.
State Rep. Matt Simpson (R–Daphne) pre-filed legislation in January for the 2023 regular session that adds trafficking fentanyl to the list of substances subject to mandatory minimum sentences in Alabama.
Baldwin County Coroner Dr. Brian Pierce made a case to the Baldwin County Commission Monday during its work session. Pierce said the coroner’s office is in desperate need of a new building and he pointed out issues his office has seen with drug overdoses.
The Jefferson County Coroner reported Monday the county has reached 100 suspected drug overdose deaths so far in 2023. There is an additional death that was from a confirmed overdose.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) has joined in a number of additional legislative efforts to combat illegal immigration and trafficking at the southern border.
Fewer Alabama public high schools are keeping the opioid-countering drug naloxone on hand, even as safety concerns due to fentanyl are on the rise.
The Jefferson County Coroner is highly concerned about drug overdose, and he says while there is a homicide issue in the county, drug overdoses are much more common. He warns the impact is more far-reaching.
Moore told Newsmax that fentanyl, which is killing Americans on a daily basis, is bleeding into the United States because of insecure borders.
U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) shared federal estimates about the fentanyl crisis on the southern border on Wednesday and said the amount of fentanyl seized has jumped ninefold since 2018.
School principals in Jefferson County now know how to administer a drug that reverses the effect of opioid overdoses.
As a result of the settlements, Alabama has been rewarded $276 million.
Violent crime isn’t the only thing taking lives in Jefferson County. According to a new report from WBHM, overdose deaths exceeded homicides and vehicle-related deaths in Jefferson County in 2022 and Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said that he doesn’t see it slowing down.
Fentanyl works by binding to the body’s opioid receptors—found in the areas of the brain that control pain and emotions, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The opioid epidemic continues to claim lives nationwide, and law enforcement and lawmakers in south Alabama are working together to act.
The Department of Homeland Security seized enough fentanyl off of Birmingham streets in 2022 to kill the entire state population of Alabama. Think about that for a minute.
The Selma High School student who passed away in the school’s cafeteria had two opioids in his system, including fentanyl, according to a toxicology report released by Selma officials.