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Researchers are working on non-addictive pain meds to ease the opioid crisis

Opioid abuse continues to be a major problem, both in Arizona and across the country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says overdose deaths are still a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, and that the majority of those involve opioids.

Researchers like John Streicher are trying to figure out ways to bring those numbers down. Streicher is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Arizona. He studies how opioids work, with the goal of developing non-addictive opioid drugs.

Streicher joined The Show to talk about the development of drugs that do what opioids do, but in a way that's less potentially harmful way to people.

More stories from KJZZ

Mark Brodie is a co-host of The Show, KJZZ’s locally produced news magazine. Since starting at KJZZ in 2002, Brodie has been a host, reporter and producer, including several years covering the Arizona Legislature, based at the Capitol.