Drug injection fades as smoking grows more common, marking sea change in U.S. fentanyl epidemic
Stat News • 2/12/2026
Summary
Experts are observing a shift in the U.S. fentanyl epidemic from drug injection to smoking. This change is viewed as a promising development that could potentially reduce overdose deaths and lessen needle-related harms.
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Lindy Score Breakdown (V4.2)
54d
Age
1
Sources
from cluster
1301
Hours Since Seen
Final Score0/100
CategoryAntiLindy
StatusArchived
Recency Multiplier0% (0.5^1301/48)
Hero EligibleNo
Score is 0 because recency decay (0.5^1301/48 = 0.000000) reduced it below 0.5
Score BreakdownRisk 50
Source Reputation: Low-trust source (4/20 pts)
Consensus: Single source - no independent confirmation yet
Age: 54 days - proven survivor
Stories gain Lindy status through source reputation, network consensus, and time survival.
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