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Research challenges political rhetoric about the tie between drugs and immigration

The Surgeon General recommends more Americans carry naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote.
Jake Harper/Side Effects Public Media
New research from the University of Cincinnati suggests overdoses have actually dropped as immigration has increased.

Heated political rhetoric has tied rising immigration to an increase in drug trafficking and overdoses.

The idea has become a talking point among conservative politicians seeking stricter immigration laws and enforcement.

But new research suggests that overdoses have actually remained steady or dropped in places where immigration has increased. We’ll talk to a University of Cincinnati researcher who worked on the study.

Joining Cincinnati Edition to discuss that research and data on overdoses more generally are University of Cincinnati School of Criminal Justice Assistant Professor and Ph.d. Graduate Program Director Ben Feldmeyer; and University of Cincinnati and UC Health James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy Assistant Professor of Pain Stewardship Dr. Dan Arendt.

Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.

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