In Philadelphia^[1], fatal overdoses are the No. 3 cause of death^[2] after heart disease and cancer. That’s been the case each year since 2016, except in 2020 and 2021 when COVID-19 deaths outpaced overdose deaths^[3]. The vast majority^[4] of fatal overdoses in Philly involve the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Data on overdose deaths in Philly in 2024 is not yet available. However, new research shows that drug deaths are dropping...

Since 2022, Colorado^[1] and 10 other states have passed voter initiatives^[2] to protect or expand abortion access. Yet, seven of these states^[3], including Colorado, require people under the age of 18 to get consent from or notify a parent prior to receiving abortion services.

In January 2025, my colleagues and I published research^[4] using in-depth interviews with 33 people ages 15 to 22 in Colorado who considered or...