The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - October 27, 2021
Highlights
National
Paris Hilton advocates for transparency and reform in the troubled teen treatment industry | Why fentanyl overdose deaths are on the rise
State and Local
Program makes opioid overdose reversal medication available at Utah public libraries | Boston declares addiction and homelessness public health emergency
Studies/Research in the News
Studies find women may be more susceptible to addiction | NIH finds buprenorphine not misused by majority of people receiving MAT for addiction
Opinion
Paris Hilton weighs in on the troubled teen industry | Why aren’t colleges offering more support for students in recovery?
Reviews
New memoir from Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx
Podcasts
RMA discusses the troubled teen industry and Syanon’s lasting influence | Rehab Confidential interviews Dr. Houman Farzin to discuss psychedelic assisted treatment | Dancer Cheryl Burke on Heart of the Matter
Legislative Updates and Advocacy
SLP weighs in on 2021 CA legislative proposals | Paris Hilton brings troubles with ‘troubled teen industry’ to Capitol Hill | Doctor calls for eliminating the X-waiver for buprenorphine prescribing
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
National
Ex-Nashville Predators NHL center Colin Wilson opens up about drug addiction: 'I got hooked'
Former Nashville Predators center Colin Wilson opened up about his addictions in a story published Monday for The Players' Tribune. Wilson, who wrote last year about his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, said he regretted not sharing his experiences with drug addiction sooner. The death of his friend, former NHL player Jimmy Hayes, in August prompted Wilson to share his struggles, he said.
USA Today - Oct. 25, 2021
Drug overdose death increases straining first responders on the scene
An increase in drug overdose deaths is putting a strain on first responders, prompting the development of new strategies to better help people with addiction and training mechanisms to teach paramedics, police and firefighters how to cope with what they experience on the job once they are off the clock.
The Hill - Oct. 25, 2021
How Samuel L. Jackson’s Battle With Addiction Inspired His Breakthrough Performance
As the 1980s came to a close, the future superstar was spending his summers acting in Spike Lee joints—and his nights freebasing cocaine. An excerpt from Bad Motherfucker: The Life and Movies of Samuel L. Jackson, the Coolest Man in Hollywood, reveals how hitting rock bottom inspired him to change his life, and shaped his game-changing performance in Jungle Fever.
Vanity Fair - Oct. 21, 2021
Transcript: The Troubled Teen Industry with Paris Hilton, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) & Caroline Cole
Each year, thousands of young people are sent to congregate care settings to address behavioral concerns or to receive psychiatric support. Advertised as a solution for troubled teens, these facilities have become fraught with abuse and mistreatment. But the inattention to that mistreatment ended when Paris Hilton, who endured abuse at four such facilities, not only went public but also lent her voice and her powerful following to raise awareness. This week, Hilton brought her message to Capitol Hill, and she has a powerful ally in California Congressman Ro Khanna.
Washington Post - Oct. 21, 2021
Cheryl Burke Opens Up About Her Alcohol Addiction And Sobriety
Dancing with the Stars pro Cheryl Burke has been sober for three years—and she just opened up about her journey in a new eye-opening interview. Cheryl, 37, shared during the Heart of the Matter podcast that she used to drink seven days a week. “I am definitely an alcoholic and addict, yes, 100%,” she said.
Womens’ Health - Oct. 21, 2021
Paris Hilton Recounts Being ‘Strangled,’ ‘Slapped,’ and ‘Watched in the Shower’ While Calling for Troubled Teen Industry Reform
Every year, thousands of teenagers are shipped to boarding schools, boot camps, and other facilities against their will. Some may call it tough love, but the “troubled teen industry,” which generates billions of dollars annually, is reportedly a hotbed of psychological and physical abuse that traumatizes young people for the rest of their lives. And Paris Hilton, a self-described victim of this industry, wants it to stop. The entrepreneur and reality star was in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to advocate for accountability alongside survivors, advocates, and group of Democratic lawmakers including Senator Jeff Merkely (D-Ore.) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).
Yahoo.com - Oct. 20, 2021
From the depths of addiction to helping attorneys overcome their own, lawyer and author Brian Cuban has made his mark
Brian Cuban was an alcoholic while a student at Penn State University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Afterward, he moved to Dallas to practice law—and did so for years as a coke addict. He has long since recovered from his addictions and moved on to become the author of a memoir, a speaker on substance abuse and now a first-time novelist.
ABA Journal - Oct. 20, 2021
Fentanyl is one reason why the U.S. drug addiction crisis is roaring back
Nationwide deaths related to black market fentanyl pills are rising. Many victims are people who got hooked on pain pills following medical procedures.
NPR - Oct. 19, 2021
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge says addiction can 'happen to any of us'
Addiction can "happen to any of us," Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge warned while launching an awareness campaign in London on Tuesday. The duchess gave a speech at the launch of the "Taking Action on Addiction" campaign by the Forward Trust, a British charity of which she is a patron, about the reality of addiction as a "serious mental health condition." "Addiction is not a choice. No one chooses to become an addict," she said. "But it can happen to any one of us. None of us are immune."
CNN - Oct. 19, 2021
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
State / Local
Massachusetts: Experts in public health and addiction rebuke Boston officials over actions at Mass. and Cass.
Leaders and advocates working in public health, housing, and addiction are denouncing the steps Boston officials are taking to handle the humanitarian crisis in the area of the city known as Mass. and Cass. This week, city officials began what they described as a “general cleanup” of the area, posting notices on some streets that all belongings needed to be removed.
Boston.com - Oct. 26, 2021
Massachusetts: Boston begins clearing homeless camp, citing opioid crisis
Last week, Acting Mayor Kim Janey declared addiction and homelessness a public health emergency and said the roughly 150 tents that have been set up in the area, mostly along Theodore Glynn Way, will be removed. Workers with the Boston Public Health Commission’s Homeless Services Bureau on Monday helped people living in the encampment near the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard — an area commonly known as Mass and Cass — pack up their belongings and breakdown makeshift living spaces.
AP - Oct. 25, 2021
Press Release: Results from North Dakota Addressing Addiction survey revealed at Recovery Reinvented
Gov. Doug Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Burgum today shared the results from the North Dakota Addressing Addiction survey at Recovery Reinvented. The study found that stigma across the state has improved over the last three years, with 74% of North Dakota residents reporting that addiction is a health condition. Data collected from a previous 2018 survey on attitudes and beliefs around addiction among North Dakota residents showed that 63% of respondents agreed that addiction is a disease and needs to be treated as a health condition.
Office of the Governor - Oct. 25, 2021
Rhode Island set to be first state to pilot safe-injection sites for drug users
Rhode Island plans to create supervised spaces for users to inject illegal drugs, in a big test of the idea that reducing harm to drug users is more effective than criminalization.The two-year pilot, a first for a state, would establish sites where users could also have drugs tested for potentially fatal doses of fentanyl, the potent synthetic opioid that drove overdose deaths to a nationwide record in 2020. States including Massachusetts and California are considering similar sites. Some cities have attempted to legalize supervised-injection sites, including Philadelphia, where one was blocked from opening under a legal challenge from the Trump administration.
Fox Business - Oct. 24, 2021
Ohio man shares story to help others struggling with addict
An open and honest confession from a man, who once lived a life full of deception. Sworn to uphold the law, Kyle Overmyer knowingly broke it. Falling from sheriff to inmate. “I was diagnosed with arthritis, with a multitude of problems. I used the opioids I was prescribed for the physical pain, for my mental pain," claims Overmyer. At 34-years-old, Overmyer was the youngest sheriff in Ohio when he was appointed in Sandusky County back in 2008. He said the stress of the job combined with the physical pain he tried to manage snowballed into a full opioid addiction.
10 WBNS - Oct. 21, 2021
Pennsylvania: Just Five offers six easy courses on substance abuse disorder
”Just Five,” a free online tool from the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and Department of Labor and Industry, raises awareness about substance use disorder (SUD), which includes alcohol and drug addiction. Together with the nonprofit Shatterproof, the departments released Just Five during National Prevention Week in May. Just Five is completely confidential. No course registration is required and no personal information is shared.
Observer-Reporter - Oct. 20, 2021
Books, internet, naloxone? How Utah libraries created a ‘culture shift’ around opioid addiction
Walking into a public library and requesting naloxone feels a bit like being in on a secret. But the experience is as normal as picking up a book on hold — except you leave with the ability to reverse an opioid overdose. Utah’s 2014 naloxone access law, along with an amendment passed in 2016, made it legal for any individual to provide naloxone to another person or administer it if they believed that person was overdosing. But the law alone wasn’t enough to get naloxone into the hands of people who needed it, according to Dr. Jennifer Plumb, medical director of the nonprofit organization Utah Naloxone. That’s where libraries came in.
Salt Lake Tribune - Oct. 19, 2021
Idaho: Boise Vertical Farm strives to help workers develop, recover from addiction
The Boise Vertical Farm is helping create opportunities for individuals struggling with drug addiction by helping create jobs for them. Since 2018, the Boise Vertical Farm strives to help those in recovery with drug addiction by not only providing employment but also a healthy environment.
Idaho News 2 - Oct. 19, 2021
Massachusetts: Boston declares addiction, homelessness emergency
Boston declared addiction and homelessness a public health emergency on Tuesday, a move that will help the city clear a sprawling homeless camp at the epicenter of the city’s opioid crisis.
AP - Oct. 19, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Studies/Research in the News
Women may be more vulnerable to drug addiction and addiction-like behaviors than men
The results of several new studies focusing on sex differences in pain and addiction indicate females could be more susceptible to drug addiction and addiction-like behaviors than males. Researchers also explored the role of lack of sleep on the likeliness to relapse. This is due in part to hormone differences in females and males.
Medical Life Sciences News - Oct. 20, 2021
Buprenorphine misuse decreased among U.S. adults with opioid use disorder from 2015-2019
NIH study highlights the need to expand buprenorphine-based treatment while monitoring and reducing misuse. Data from a nationally representative survey indicate that in 2019, nearly three-fourths of U.S. adults reporting buprenorphine use did not misuse the medication in the past 12 months. In addition, buprenorphine misuse among people with opioid use disorder trended downward between 2015-2019, despite increases in the number of people receiving buprenorphine treatment.
National Institutes of Health - Oct. 15, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Opinion
Death, addiction, grace: a year as chaplain in New York’s toughest hospital
It was July 2020, and I had just started my year as a chaplain-in-training on the Bellevue’s psychiatric ward. Since 1736, the New York hospital has cared for the city’s poorest residents – people living on the streets; those in the grips of a mental health crisis, addiction and withdrawal; families who lack insurance and choices; immigrants without papers and resources for preventative care. An entire floor treats detainees from Rikers Island jail. In a city of exorbitant wealth, the hospital has long stood as an open door to the outcast and marginalized.
The Guardian - Oct. 25, 2021
Addiction isn’t shameful – so why aren’t more universities offering students the support they need to recover?
I’ve noticed a reluctance from universities to acknowledge the issue, as though students experiencing addiction are themselves the problem.
Independent - Oct. 24, 2021
'Addiction's not a crime': Family loss leads to U.S. Rep. Trone's fight against opioid abuse
Through a lifetime of success and loss, David Trone has learned to maintain his focus amidst the multitasking required by the busy schedule of a U.S. congressman. he was working the floor of the House, tracking down Republicans to co-sponsor another bill, a reauthorization of the legislation known as CARA 3.0. That would build on previous efforts by increasing funding for prevention, education, research, treatment and recovery to deal with the effects of COVID on addiction. It's one of several bills Trone has introduced with members of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force, which he helped launch.
Frederick News Post - Oct. 21, 2021
Paris Hilton: America’s ‘troubled teen industry’ needs reform so kids can avoid the abuse I endured
Like countless other parents of teens, my parents had searched for solutions to my rebellious behavior. Unfortunately, they fell for the misleading marketing of the “troubled teen industry” — therapeutic boarding schools, military-style boot camps, juvenile justice facilities, behavior modification programs and other facilities that generate roughly $50 billion annually in part by pitching “tough love” as the answer to problematic behavior. Few people are aware of the abuses and tragedies that occur within the walls of some facilities.
Washington Post - Oct. 18, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Reviews
Former Harvard fellow discusses ‘Dopesick’ adaptation
Beth Macy, a journalist and former Nieman Fellow explained how her time at Harvard contributed to her development as a reporter, detailed her work on the screen adaptation of ‘Dopesick,’ and shared her reaction to the bankruptcy settlement that granted the Sackler family, owners of OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma, immunity from opioid lawsuits.
Harvard Gazette - Oct. 20, 2021
Nikki Sixx: Mötley Crüe rocker talks new memoir, 21 years of sobriety
“The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx” (Hachette, 224 pp., out now) lists both Sixx and Frank Feranna – the musician’s real name – as its authors. It’s a fitting duality for the superstar Mötley Crüe bassist, who centers his memoir on the formative years of his life.
USA Today - Oct. 19, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas – Cheryl Burke of “Dancing with the Stars” on therapeutic honesty, addiction in the family and life in the spotlight
To the fans who watch her on their TV screens, Cheryl Burke leads the picture-perfect life, dancing her way across countless stages and starring on national broadcasts. However, there is more to the “Dancing with the Stars” competitor than may meet the eye: Beneath the impressive veneer is someone who is unafraid to open up about her struggles with alcohol, mental health and abuse.
Recovery in the Middle Ages – Recovery horror documentary, ‘The Last Stop’ and Synanon’s Lasting Influence
The Last Stop, an award-winning documentary film currently streaming on Amazon Prime, takes a deeper look into the controversial therapy methods used at this school, methods that developed from the Synanon recovery cult. Synanon spawned hundreds of copycat programs like Daytop and Phoenix House, that used confrontational therapy and other abusive tactics with no scientific basis to treat teens with substance abuse and behavioral issues. Erin Moore joins Mike and Nat this week to share her experience as a survivor of the Phoenix House program, and to join in reviewing The Last Stop.
Rehab Confidential – Dr. Houman Farzin, psychedelic assisted therapy expert
Joe and Amy sit down with Dr. Houman Farzin to talk about his work with indigenous people struggling with trauma and addiction. Dr. Farzin is an expert in all psychedelic assisted therapy including ketamine, psilocybin and MDMA. They discuss addiction, PTSD, depression and how psychedelic therapy can be helpful with many types of mental health disorders as well as its pending commercialization.
Dopey – Langhorne Slim and the Dopey Blues: Pills, Booze, Relapse, Music, Recovery
This week on Dopey! We are joined by the soulful singer-songwriter, Langhorne Slim! He lays down his story of finding music, while his addiction and alcoholism found him. Listen to some of Langhorne's greatest highs and lows, on the road and all over the world. This interview would have taken place at the Park City Song Summit, but we’re doing it here, now, Wow! Plus Linda gets stung by a bee, Dopey email and much much more on a super anti-folk new episode of Dopey!
The Addicted Mind Podcast - Understanding The Trauma Map with Dr. Karol Darsa
On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Dr. Karol Darsa about how to recognize trauma as well as some of the first steps you need to take to deal with trauma. Karol is the author of the book, The Trauma Map: Five Steps to Reconnect With Yourself. She dives deep into how trauma impacts us in our everyday life as well as what we can do to deal with our traumatic histories so we can heal and feel better.
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Legislative Updates and Advocacy
Progress, if not perfection? SLP’s end-of-year summary of 2021 California substance use disorder (SUD) legislative proposals
2021 California SUD legislative proposals advance the public policy discussion in the areas of harm reduction, treatment industry reform and patient/client rights.
Sober Linings Playbook - Oct. 26, 2021
Paris Hilton calls on Biden, Congress to take action against the ‘troubled teen industry’
Paris Hilton is calling on President Biden and Congress to take action against the “troubled teen industry.” Hilton has become an advocate for youths who are placed in congregate-care facilities by either their parents or their state’s government after previously coming forward with her own story of abuse and trauma as a misbehaving teen in the documentary “This Is Paris.”
NY Post - Oct. 19, 2021
Eliminate the X Waiver for Buprenorphine Prescribing?
The federal government has eased restrictions on the "X waiver" that physicians need to prescribe buprenorphine and other medication-assisted treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD), but Kristin Mack, DO, wants more -- she'd like to see the waiver eliminated entirely. "This needs to be treated just like any other chronic medical condition," said Mack, a family physician in Ticonderoga, New York, speaking in a phone interview. Requiring the waiver "reduces our patients' access to this type of treatment, which has good evidence behind it."
Med Page Today - Oct. 15, 2021