This week, the NDEWS Weekly Briefing focuses on the NDEWS Early Warning Network, including the May 2026 Sentinel Site Directors' (SSD) report, which highlights co-use or co-occurrence of substances in recent trends observed.

As always, we welcome your input.

Our Sentinel Site Directors were asked about co-use or co-occurrence of substances in recent trends observed. Many site directors reported trends involving combination of fentanyl or other opioids with methamphetamine and/or cocaine. As the unregulated drug supply continues to evolve, increased exposure to multiple substances is more common, making it harder to distinguish intentional use in polysubstance trends.

Note: The terminology used by each site may vary. Some data are labeled preliminary, and the type of indicators also varies by site, hence reporting differences. Lack of information about a particular drug from a site director does not indicate lack of availability. Trends reported may not be representative of regional or national trends.

To read the full report click here.

Click here to learn more about the NDEWS Sentinel Sites

As gabapentin prescribing has doubled over the past decade, its nonmedical use has risen in parallel, primarily in people with opioid use disorder. Yet the assumptions driving both clinical practice and scheduling policy have largely outpaced the evidence. This webinar presents data from multiple studies spanning national surveillance surveys, Medicaid claims, urine drug testing data, and clinical interviews that together reframe the gabapentin problem and moves us forward toward understanding the role of gabapentin as friend or foe in the ongoing opioid crisis.

Register for the webinar here.

The NDEWS Weekly Briefing curates emerging data and findings from across the Early Warning Network, which includes three core components: our Scientific Advisory Group (SAG), comprised of national experts and federal partners; our Sentinel Site Directors (SSDs), who lead local surveillance in key geographic regions; and our Community-Based Health Experts, who provide on-the-ground insights from populations most impacted by drug trends. Together, these contributors generate timely, multidisciplinary and impactful information, ranging from peer-reviewed research findings to local surveillance data. These contributions inform public health and research communities.

You can share the NDEWS Weekly Briefing with friends, colleagues, and others who would benefit from information on recent and relevant news, articles, and data related to novel drug trends in the US and globally by clicking here.

Share your research, news, and events through our submission form.

Share information on drug trends in your community through our get involved form.
Share your comments on our newsletter through our feedback form.

For more information on NDEWS' efforts, visit our website.

Follow NDEWS on Twitter/X: @NDEWSnews

If you miss or want to learn more about NDEWS Original Content, you can find our archived content on the NDEWS website:

     • NDEWS Hotspot Alerts using substance-related EMS data
     • NDEWS Rapid Street Reporting (RSR) survey data reports
     • NDEWS Web Monitoring Team Reddit Alerts
     • NDEWS Sentinel Site Reports
     • Previous issues of the NDEWS Weekly Briefings

The Weekly Briefing is a newsletter published each week by the National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS) Coordinating Center, which is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (U01DA051126) to the University of Florida (MPI: Cottler (contact), Co-Is: Goldberger, Nixon, Striley), NYU Langone Health (MPI: Palamar), and Florida Atlantic University (Co-I: Barenholtz).Any item may be reproduced provided the source is acknowledged.