As the nation battles a deadly opioid and substance use epidemic, Emily’s Hope believes prevention begins with information. That’s why our team publishes weekly headlines aimed at keeping the public informed about changes to the illicit drug supply, emerging teen trends and new mental health research.
Here’s a look at the most-read Emily’s Hope headlines of 2025.
Two of the top 10 stories centered on the fentanyl-related death of 15-year-old Kelcy Orr of Vermillion. Prosecutors say Udda Kobaba sold fentanyl-laced pills to Evan Nelson in December 2023, knowing they contained the deadly synthetic opioid. Nelson later resold some of the pills to Kelcy, who died after taking just one. Her death occurred on Dec. 23, 2023, just two days before Christmas.
In 2025, a federal judge sentenced Kobaba to 20 years in prison for his role in Orr’s death, marking one of the first cases in South Dakota in which a teen’s fentanyl poisoning resulted in a dealer being sentenced.
Another widely read case involved the death of a person from a single pill, split in half, in Aberdeen. Carlin Mellette of Mandan, North Dakota, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl that led to a deadly overdose.
In Feb. 2023, Mellette arrived at an Aberdeen home and gave a co-defendant three fentanyl-laced pills. Inside the residence, both the co-defendant and the victim ingested the drugs. The victim took only half of one pill, but it proved deadly. Court documents state the victim was told the pills were Percocet, not fentanyl.
From South Dakota teenagers to celebrities, drugs continue to play a role in hundreds of deaths each day. One of those deaths this year was Food Network star Anne Burrell.
Emily’s Hope reported that Burrell, 55, was found unresponsive in the shower of her New York City home on June 17. A police report said she was surrounded by approximately 100 assorted pills. The New York City medical examiner later ruled her death was due to “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine.” Diphenhydramine and cetirizine are antihistamines, ethanol is a compound found in alcohol, and amphetamine is commonly prescribed to treat ADHD.
Two other top-trending stories involved viral social media posts.
One focused on the dangerous TikTok paracetamol challenge, in which teenagers intentionally overdosed on paracetamol to see who could remain hospitalized the longest. Paracetamol is the same medication known as acetaminophen or Tylenol. While the term acetaminophen is used in the United States and Japan, paracetamol is used in Europe and much of the rest of the world.
Another viral story examined claims that business cards were being coated with a dangerous drug known as burundanga. Fact-checkers say the claims are likely false.
The warning alleged that criminals in the U.S. were using business cards laced with burundanga — also known as scopolamine or “devil’s breath” — to incapacitate victims before robbing or assaulting them. Often framed as a police warning to women, the story described an alleged incident at a gas station in which a woman became dizzy after touching a card and narrowly escaped harm.
However, no U.S. police department has reported such an incident, and fact-checking website Snopes said the claims fall apart under scrutiny.
This year also brought significant attention to Operation Vape Trail, a nationwide DEA-led crackdown that seized millions of illegal vape devices and cartridges, along with more than 100 firearms and millions of dollars in cash and assets.
In South Dakota, headlines about five smoke shop owners being indicted on drug charges drew heavy readership. The operation, led by the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation in coordination with local law enforcement, involved undercover purchases at five shops between June 11 and June 13.
Investigators said they purchased products containing psilocybin mushrooms and high-THC items. Under South Dakota law, hemp products are legal only if they contain less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight. In 2024, lawmakers passed House Bill 1125, which imposed stricter limits on hemp products and banned items containing chemically derived cannabinoids such as Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC, THC-O and HHC.
Drug overdose deaths in South Dakota prisons were another major focus in 2025.
Attorney General Marty Jackley said charges have been filed in three of the eight suspected inmate overdose deaths investigated this year by the Division of Criminal Investigation. Five additional deaths remain under investigation, with more charges expected.
State officials also uncovered a drug smuggling operation within the prison system following the deaths. The South Dakota Department of Corrections said an internal investigation, conducted with DCI, revealed multiple methods used to bring drugs into correctional facilities. Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko said the contraband led directly to overdose deaths behind bars.
Public safety alerts also drew significant attention. Earlier this year in Watertown, police issued a warning after responding to two suspected overdoses in a single weekend involving what’s believed to be powder fentanyl.
In response, Emily’s Hope expanded its free naloxone distribution program to Watertown, installing two new naloxone boxes at Prairie Lakes Hospital and the Watertown Regional Library. Emily’s Hope now operates naloxone boxes across South Dakota, using repurposed newspaper boxes stocked with free naloxone kits and available during business hours.
