JUDY WOODRUFF:

But first: The drug crisis in America today is killing more people each year than AIDS, gun deaths or car crashes did at their peaks.

Tonight, we look at the role of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid increasingly driving that high mortality rate, pushing law enforcement, health professionals and lawmakers to search for new solutions.

William Brangham visited Massachusetts, a state that's seen a dramatic rise in opioid deaths, more than 2,000 people just last year.

It's the focus of our weekly segment on The Leading Edge, and part of our series America Addicted.