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Fentanyl's toll and a troubled aircraft | Scripps News Investigates

We investigate the silent toll of fentanyl on U.S. children and the troubled history of a controversial military aircraft.
Fentanyl's toll and a troubled aircraft | Scripps News Investigates
Posted at 7:30 PM, Apr 19, 2024
and last updated 2024-04-19 19:18:11-04

Fentanyl's silent toll

The U.S. Government calls fentanyl the most dangerous drug threat the United States has ever faced. For the past year we've been investigating the silent toll it's been taking on this country's most vulnerable: Our children.

When we discovered a kindergartener overdosed on fentanyl in her own California classroom, we started digging into the shocking case. And the further we probed, the more we learned of problems that could be leaving other children at risk.

Protecting children from fentanyl

When Addison Mott started to show signs that she was sick in her classroom, no one immediately recognized that she had been exposed to fentanyl, and when she first got to the hospital, she wasn't tested for it. That's something we found multiple times in the hundreds of fentanyl cases we reviewed in the last year. Now some states are requiring hospitals to screen for fentanyl every time they run a standard test for drugs.

The troubled past of the V-22 Osprey

It's been called the most controversial U.S. military aircraft ever built. The Osprey is often considered a marvel of technology, but it has claimed the lives of more than 60 U.S. service members in 30 years. 

After a crash in Japan that killed eight airmen last year, the Osprey was grounded by the military. But this past march it was cleared to fly again — despite lingering questions about its safety.

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