logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2020
46m 23s

403. The Opioid Tragedy, Part 2: “It’s N...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode
One prescription drug is keeping some addicts from dying. So why isn’t it more widespread? A story of regulation, stigma, and the potentially fatal faith in abstinence. 
Up next
Nov 21
654. Is the Public Ready for Private Equity?
<p>A Trump executive order is giving retail investors more access to private markets. Is that a golden opportunity — or fool’s gold?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://law.duke.edu/fac/defontenay/">Elisabeth de Fontenay,</a> professor of law at D ... Show More
1h 3m
Nov 14
653. Does Horse Racing Have a Future?
<p>Thoroughbred auction prices keep setting records. But tracks are closing, gambling revenues are falling, and the sport is increasingly reliant on subsidies. Is that the kind of long shot anybody wants? (Part three of a series, “<a href="https://freakonomics.com/the-horse-is-us ... Show More
1h 1m
Nov 12
What Happens When You Turn 20
<p>The world has changed a good bit since <i>Freakonomics</i> was first published. In this live anniversary episode, Stephen Dubner tells Geoff Bennett of <i>PBS NewsHour </i>everything he has learned since then. Happy birthday, <i>Freakonomics.</i></p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOU ... Show More
1h 2m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
CLASSIC: Who created the opioid epidemic?
In the U.S. doctors often prescribe opioids for pain management, and it's no secret that these substances are a big business for pharmaceutical companies -- and, increasingly, it's no secret that exposure to these legal pills are turning patients into unwilling addicts. So how ex ... Show More
1h 7m
Apr 2023
BBC OS Conversations: Fentanyl in the United States
Fentanyl is a potentially deadly synthetic opioid. The other month, a drug enforcement official in the country described it as the single deadliest drug threat the US has encountered. It’s been around since the 1960s and small doses are used safely every day by medics for pain re ... Show More
24m 37s
Jul 2021
What causes opioid addiction, and why is it so tough to combat? | Mike Davis
<p>In the 1980s and 90s, pharmaceutical companies began to market opioid painkillers aggressively, while actively downplaying their addictive potential. The number of prescriptions skyrocketed, and so did cases of addiction, beginning a crisis that continues today. What makes opi ... Show More
8m 41s
May 2022
101. Are You Really "Addicted" to Diet Coke?
<p>Where’s the line between an addiction and a bad habit? Why do definitions of mental illnesses change over time? And what’s the most addictive thing in the world?</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for ... Show More
38m 36s
Jan 2024
What to know about opioids
There have been drastic changes made in the regulation of opioids for medical treatment in the past few decades. However, with advent of fentanyl and carfentanil addiction, overdose-related death continues to increase. In this episode, our guests discuss continued regulation of o ... Show More
26m 12s
Feb 2021
Opioids, COVID-19 And Racism: A Deadly Trifecta
Drug overdose deaths are on the rise all around the country, including in Chicago, Illinois. ProPublica Illinois reporter Duaa Eldeib explains how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the opioid epidemic, and the challenges that public health officials are facing as they work ... Show More
12m 59s