Maia Szalavitz
Maia Szalavitz is a reporter and author who focuses on science, public policy, and addiction treatment. She's the author of the New York Times bestseller Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction.
The Mysterious Consequences of Repeatedly Overdosing on Opioids
Experts are concerned we'll see a rise in brain damage among people who survive multiple ODs in the age of fentanyl.
After Leaving Thousands in Agony, the CDC Is Finally Clarifying Its Painkiller Restrictions
The agency is addressing the widespread suffering caused by the crackdown on opioids—the result of predictable misapplication of its guidelines.
Fentanyl Speedballs Are the Latest Disturbing Trend in America's Opioid Crisis
Deliberately mixing the powerful and deadly drug with stimulants like coke and meth is one (dangerous) way users are adjusting to a new market.
Big Pharma’s Millions Won’t Solve the Opioid Crisis
Money from the first big opioid addiction settlement is being spent in the wrong places.
How One Group Is Expanding Access to Overdose-Reversing Drugs Through the Mail
Since people can already order fentanyl and other harmful drugs via the darknet, NEXT wants to make obtaining items that reduce harm just as easy to get.
The Deadly Worst-Case Scenario for America's Xanax Obsession
Cracking down on the legal supply is not a solution. In fact, it could spell disaster.
Addictive Drugs Should Not be Marketed, Period
New findings about the pressure to sell OxyContin reveals a lot about the opioid crisis.
All the Things the New Anti-Weed Crusade Gets Horribly Wrong
It's Reefer Madness all over again, somehow.
An Influential Think Tank Suggested That Harm Reduction Doesn't Work
The Brookings Institution claimed that syringe exchange programs and overdose-reversing drugs will make the addiction crisis worse—ignoring decades of public health data. With record opioid overdose deaths, getting these recommendations right matters.
Insurance Is Supposed to Cover Addiction Treatment, But It's Still a Nightmare
The barriers insurance companies place in the way of treatment are killing people.
The Radical New Fentanyl Trend That Could Save Lives and Screw Dealers
One $5 or $10 fatal dose could become dozens or even hundreds of nonfatal highs.
This Is How to Get Health Insurance to Cover Treatment for Opioid Addiction
Although the Affordable Care Act is supposed to guarantee addiction treatment to anyone with insurance, people with opioid addictions still face a dysfunctional system.