The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - July 27, 2022
SLP is taking the month of August off. We will return in September (National Recovery Month).
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
NOTE: Sober Linings Playbook is a personal website. Any views or opinions expressed herein belong solely to the website owner and do not represent those of individuals or organizations the owner may be associated with in a professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. This website offers no advice, products or services.
Highlights
National
Black and indigenous people disproportionately affected by ODs | US Senate introduces legislation to end federal marijuana ban | Trevor Project CEO faces criticism for McKinsey consulting role with Purdue
Fentanyl
Flordia A.G. letter asks Biden to declare fentanyl “weapon of mass destruction” | Iowa AG calls for legalization of fentanyl test strips
State and Local
Montana Gov. Gianforte pursues broad mental health, substance use disorder treatment reform | Critics raise concerns about Oregon measure 110 grant awards
Studies/Research in the News
Parents’ drinking may increase children’s risk for developing eating disorders | High potency weed linked to addiction and mental health problems worldwide
Opinion
Someone not drinking? It’s none of your business | Is there really an “addictive personality”?
Books and Movies
Movie: “Fall Fight Shine” features the recovery story of Canadian martial arts film actor Jeff Wincott
Add a Comment
Have a comment about a story? A suggestion about changes to the Wednesday Weekly format? Did we miss an important story? Leave a comment. Anonymous comments welcome.
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
National
Supplies of a Drug Meant to Fight Opioid Addiction Fell During the Pandemic
The nation’s per capita supply of methadone fell 20% from the first quarter of 2020 to the second quarter of that year, according to a new analysis.
U.S. News - July 26, 2022
Laying Off The Mega Pint; A Look At Celebrity Addiction And How We Can All Find Recovery
Is it tougher for celebrities? “Not necessarily” was Maggie Jenson's direct response to whether celebrities find it tougher to avoid addictive behavior. "Mental health issues are pervasive across societal divides and are the usual precursors to addictive behavior.
Forbes - July 26, 2022
8 Black lives, gone: This is the new shape of the overdose epidemic
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noting historic increases in overdose deaths broadly, reported an “alarming” increase in disparities: the overdose death rate among Black people rose 44% in the first year of the pandemic alone, compared to 22% among white people. And while in 2010, the overdose death rate among Black people was half that of white people, in 2020, the former surpassed the latter, according to a study published in March.
Stat News - July 25, 2022
Macklemore Reveals He Relapsed Over The Pandemic, Following Near-Fatal Overdose
Throughout his longstanding career in the music industry, Macklemore has been open about his struggles with addiction and the obstacles he's faced on his path to sobriety. Sharing a video to TikTok, Macklemore wrote, "I relapsed during the first summer of Covid. Today I have 694 days clean." The video revelation is set to his new song, "CHANT," which features Australian singer Tones and I, released this past week on Friday, July 22.
ET Online - July 24, 2022
Parents play crucial role in youth substance use disorder treatment. How to support adolescents
Addiction resources for youth substance use disorders are available across the state and nation. Here’s what parents need to know to offer support.
Deseret News - July 23, 2022
Jack Wagner Speaks Out for the First Time Following Son Harrison's Death: 'Thank You All So Much'
Harrison Wagner, 27, died after he "ultimately lost his battle with addiction," his family revealed last month. Jack Wagner is speaking out for the first time following his son Harrison's death.
People - July 23, 2022
Doctor Faces Lawsuit Alleging He Caused Opioid Addiction
A Pennsylvania physician is being sued for allegedly prescribing opioids in a reckless manner that caused a former patient's addiction, according to a civil lawsuit filed earlier this month.
Med Page Today - July 22, 2022
Music mogul Master P opens up about daughter’s fatal drug overdose
In his first in-depth TV interview since his daughter's fatal overdose, music mogul and entrepreneur Master P opens up to “CBS Mornings.” He shares how her death set him on a mission to spread awareness about mental health and substance abuse.
CBS - July 22, 2022
Macklemore Says His Recovery from Addiction Means Knowing He's 'Powerless Over Drugs'
The "Thrift Shop" rapper opened up about the message behind his new single "Chant" in an interview with Rolling Stone published Friday, and explained the track's personal origins. "For me, the most important thing to learn in recovery is that I'm powerless over drugs," Macklemore, 39, told the outlet. "The disease is insidious. It's constantly telling you lies in order for you to go off and go, 'You know what? I think the best thing for me is to go off and get high' — knowing damn well that's the thing that kills me. That's the insanity portion of the disease."
Yahoo! - July 22, 2022
Drugs death taskforce chief says punishing addicts must stop
The head of Scotland's drug deaths taskforce has called for an overhaul of addiction services and reform of drugs laws to halt overdose deaths. David Strang made the comments as the Scottish government-established group published its final report.
BBC - July 21, 2022
How Older Adults Can Get Help With Addiction
“Addiction in [older adults] is concerning for the same reasons that addiction is concerning with anyone,” says Joseph Gorordo, a licensed chemical dependency counselor in Austin, Texas. “It leads to a deteriorating quality of life that can cause a whole host of physical and social problems up to—and including—premature death.”Developing a substance use disorder in older age might seem counterintuitive, but it’s often triggered by common changes that occur during that life stage. “As individuals get older, they begin to lose what had previously been big parts of their identity and purpose,” says Gorordo. “Children grow up and become self-sufficient. Careers that took up so much time and contributed so much structure end. Social supports, such as friends and family [members], begin to pass away.”
Forbes - July 21, 2022
How crypto trading can become a life-consuming addiction
Residential rehabilitation centers around the world are starting to see a new kind of patient with an old problem: gambling addiction focused on crypto trading.
Forkast - July 21, 2022
Long-awaited bill to end federal ban on marijuana introduced in U.S. Senate
Long-awaited U.S. Senate cannabis legislation that would end the federal ban on marijuana while encouraging research and taking steps to help minority communities hardest hit by the war on drugs was introduced Thursday. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would leave it to the states to decide whether to legalize the drug.
NJ.com - July 21, 2022
How The CEO Of A Leading LGBTQ Rights Group Played A Role During The Opioid Crisis
Amit Paley, CEO of The Trevor Project, was part of a team advising Purdue Pharma on how to boost sales of opioids during his time at McKinsey & Co., according to a trove of documents reviewed by HuffPost. “Seven years ago, when I was a consultant at McKinsey, I was assigned to a project for Purdue,” Paley said as part of a statement to HuffPost. “If I knew then what I know now, I would not have agreed to do any consulting for that company, and I regret that I did.”
HuffPost - July 21, 2022
Psychosis, Addiction, Chronic Vomiting: As Weed Becomes More Potent, Teens Are Getting Sick
Although recreational cannabis is illegal in the United States for those under 21, it has become more accessible as many states have legalized it. But experts say today’s high-THC cannabis products — vastly different than the joints smoked decades ago — are poisoning some heavy users, including teenagers.
New York Times - July 20, 2022
U.S. death toll from drug overdoses is rising fast among Black and Indigenous people
Historic rises in drug overdose deaths are disproportionately affecting Black and Indigenous people in the United States. A new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention using data from 25 states finds that fatal overdoses increased by 44% among Black people in 2020 compared with the year prior. "The disproportionate increase in overdose death rates among Blacks and American Indian/Alaska Native people may partly be due to health inequities like unequal access to substance use treatment and treatment biases," Dr. Debra Houry, acting principal deputy director at the CDC, told reporters on Tuesday.
NPR - July 20, 2022
Pandemic overdose deaths spiked among people of color
Overdose death rates in the U.S. increased dramatically in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, especially among Black, American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as deadly synthetic opioids flooded the nation and access to treatment remained elusive for millions of Americans.
POLITICO - July 19, 2022
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Comments
Fentanyl
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller calls to legalize fentanyl test strips as overdoses rise
Attorney General Tom Miller said he wants Iowa to legalize and expand access to resources that could help prevent fentanyl overdoses as the state sees a rising number of drug-related deaths.
Des Moines Register - July 21, 2022
Moody calls on Biden to classify illicit fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is calling on President Joe Biden to classify illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. She sent a letter to President Biden on Monday demanding that he take immediate action to stop the fentanyl crisis in America. Last year, 75,673 adult Americans died from opioids, primarily fentanyl. Over the past two years, more than double the number died from synthetic opioids than were killed in the Vietnam War, Moody noted. “Fentanyl has flooded into the country, and Joe Biden continues to look the other way as Mexican drug cartels smuggle massive amounts of this deadly opioid across our southwest border,” Moody said.
Washington Examiner - July 19, 2022
State / Local
Montana’s push for inpatient mental health and addiction treatment
The Gianforte administration’s approach could have sweeping impacts for Montana State Hospital and private providers across the state. Montana’s health department received approval in July for part of a plan it submitted to the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) last October. That proposal would help implement Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s signature HEART Initiative, a far-reaching set of reforms meant to improve mental health and substance use treatment in Montana partly funded by recreational marijuana tax revenues.
Montana Free Press - July 25, 2022
Colorado: Pawsitive Recovery needs volunteers to foster pets
As tens of millions of Americans battle addiction, a Colorado nonprofit is asking for help. PAWsitive Recovery aims to make it easier for people struggling with addiction to get the help they need, whether it's going into detox for a few days or moving into a sober living program for several months. The organization's focus is on removing a barrier that keeps people from getting that help. Finding a safe place for their pets.
9News - July 22, 2022
Ohio: Opioid settlement funds heading to Ohio communities
Ohio communities should get a boost in fighting opioids as the first round of payments in an $800 million settlement with the largest opioid distributors will be sent to local governments across the state. The first round of payments total more than $8.6 million and local governments will continue to receive payments from the settlement over the next 18 years. Local governments must use OneOhio funds according to the approved Ohio Abatement Strategies.
Washington Examiner - July 21, 2022
Survey on substance use disorder, harm reduction services launched
The Healthy Community Coalition of the Greater Franklin County Area (HCC) has launched an anonymous survey on substance use disorder and harm reduction services as the organization continues to expand its services. The intent of HCC’s survey is to help the organization “gauge how well the people of Franklin County understand harm reduction services, and what their opinions, perceptions and concerns are,” Ashley McCarthy, Sabrina Keene and Tracy Harty of HCC wrote together over email.
CentralMaine.com - July 21, 2022
Oregon: Established Providers Say Biased and Illogical Grant Awards Could Waste Millions in New Addiction Treatment Funding. The rollout of Measure 110 continues to be bumpy.
Some of Portland’s largest providers of substance abuse disorder treatment are furious at the way tens of millions of dollars in new funding are being allocated in Multnomah County. There’s a lot of cash at stake: $59 million of new funding from Measure 110 for Multnomah County providers alone. The council is charged with distributing $265 million over the next two years. It is also, by design, different from public bodies that have sway over large amounts of taxpayer cash: Its members are mostly people in recovery who work in the treatment field. That means they bring a lot of lived experience, but limited budgetary and management skills.
Willamette Week - July 20, 2022
Pennsylvania: Philadelphians who died of a drug overdose often had sought help for addiction, report finds
A new report from Philadelphia’s OD Stat program, which analyzes a handful of deaths per quarter, details the lives and deaths of 17 people who died of an overdose in 2021. The city has not released finalized overdose numbers for 2021, but according to preliminary data from the state, which tallies deaths from every county, Philadelphia saw at least 1,274 deaths in 2021, the city’s highest count on record. Though far from comprehensive, the OD Stat report offers a snapshot of an overdose crisis compounded by other health, economic and structural challenges that, for many, make overdoses almost unavoidable despite their efforts to get help.
Philadelphia Inquirer - July 19, 2022
Washington: New unit at Good Samaritan Hospital supports pregnant patients with substance use disorder in getting much-needed care
MultiCare announces the opening of the new Substance Treatment and Recovery Training (START) inpatient unit at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital to address the needs of pregnant patients who have had issues with substance use. The START unit will begin providing service July 19, 2022 to help fill this outstanding need for one of the communities most vulnerable populations.
Multicare.org - July 19, 2022
North Carolina: McDowell Mission Ministries embeds substance use disorder program within homeless shelter
McDowell Mission Ministries is addressing substance use within its shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness through an innovative program. The Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Program within the Friendship Home for Women and Children in Marion is “cutting down those systematic barriers that leave people in addiction on the street.”
WLOS ABC13 - July 19, 2022
Pennsylvania: State court system accused of discrimination against people with opioid use disorder
The state Supreme Court is under scrutiny after some county court judges banned or limited the use of opioid addiction medication. The U.S. Department of Justice claims Pennsylvania’s top court has authority over county courts, alleging they have responsibility in what’s being seen as discrimination.
WESA - July 18, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Feeling addicted to food? Your parents' drinking habits may impact your risk
People with a parent with a history of alcohol problems are at greater risk for showing signs of addiction to highly processed foods, a new University of Michigan study found.
Science Daily - July 26, 2022
Highly potent weed creating marijuana addicts worldwide, study says
Higher concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC -- the part of the marijuana plant that makes you high -- are causing more people to become addicted in many parts of the world, a new review of studies found. Compared with people who use lower-potency products (typically 5 to 10 milligrams per gram of THC), those who use higher-potency cannabis are more likely to experience addiction and mental health outcomes, according to the study published Monday in the journal Lancet Psychiatry.
CNN - July 25, 2022
Addictive-like use of social media associated with sexual distress and poorer sexual functioning
The addictive-like use of social networking sites like Facebook might be a risk factor for impaired sexual function, according to new research published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. The study provides evidence that frequent and compulsive use of social media is linked to a number of sexual problems among both women and men.
PsyPost - July 20, 2022
A new approach to opioid addiction
UCI professor advocates easier access to medication-assisted treatment – and eradicating the social stigma. “Opioid use disorder is a brain disease, not a character defect or personality flaw, and evidence-based, effective treatment of OUD requires medication. Access to treatment is the major issue, and stringent federal and state laws and regulatory policies present substantial obstacles for patients and providers,” says Jonathan Watanabe, UCI professor of clinical pharmacy practice. “We also have to change the public perception of what achieving and maintaining recovery looks like, so that as a society we can overcome the stigma associated with taking legally prescribed medications for OUD.”
University of California, Irvine - July 18, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Opinion
Is there really such a thing as an 'addictive personality'?
We’ve all heard of someone referred to as having an “addictive personality”. Some even say it about themselves. But you may be surprised to know there is no such thing. Despite decades of research, no-one has been able to identify a consistent set of personality traits or a single personality type that can reliably predict whether someone will have problems with alcohol or other drugs.
The Conversation - July 25, 2022
Loving an Addict, While Caring for Myself. Readers react to a guest essay critical of the concept of codependency and tough love.
Tough love is not actually what these codependency programs suggest. Instead, the suggestion is to stop living a life focused on someone (anyone) else’s well-being. These programs advocate detachment with love — that is, to put love and caring at the forefront of the relationship, but without losing oneself in the process.
New York Times - July 23, 2022
Someone not drinking alcohol? It's none of your business.
Hundreds of reasons can explain why someone chooses not to drink alcohol – but they don’t owe you an explanation. Whatever the reasons, none of them are our business, says Trish Caldwell, senior vice president of clinical services with Recovery Centers of America. "We don’t have to know the reasons why somebody is choosing to engage in a behavior that they find to be a part of their wellness practices to support them." If someone does ask, they could be forcing that person into a painful conversation they aren't ready to have, like a struggle with addiction, infertility, or other personal reasons. They could be in recovery or working toward recovery, Caldwell says, or they could be in a "contemplative stage of change," where they "recognize they're struggling with something but they're not sure exactly the problem they feel they have with it."
USA Today - July 22, 2022
In a time of crisis, treating substance use disorders by sharing knowledge
“Your patients are using drugs, whether you know it or not.” That was the message from Oluwole Jegede, MD, addiction psychiatrist at Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC), at a session of his Addiction Education Seminar this spring. “Substance use disorder is a chronic disease,” reflected Dr. Jegede. “Many people can have this cycle many times in a single day. Clinicians really want to have tools to be able to provide better care.” Dr. Arbelo Cruz agreed. “We need to keep talking about addictions,” she said. “People want to hear it. They have questions. For me, just knowing there were questions at the end of every presentation—that made me happy. We all want to help our patients.”
Yale School of Medicine - July 21, 2022
Rocky Mountain PBS journalist shares her story of addiction and recovery
I’m not anonymous anymore. I’ve taken my story out of dark church basements to shine a light on my experiences. I’ve given keynote speeches in ballrooms filled with hundreds of counselors and health care workers. I’ve participated in public service campaigns. I’ve shared my story with friends and family in person and over social media. Next month I will have six years in recovery from opiate pain killers and alcohol.
Rocky Mountain PBS - July 20, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Books and Movies
Former NY Daily News reporter pens memoir detailing addiction, incarceration and redemption as a criminal justice writer
From the Ivy League to a prison block to the newsroom, reporter Keri Blakinger has chronicled her drug-fueled fall from grace to her rise as a hard-hitting journalist fighting for society’s underdogs in her new memoir, “Corrections in Ink.” Here are excerpts from the book.
NY Daily News - July 24, 2022
Hollow Metropolis Films Announces Release of Addiction Documentary ‘Fall Fight Shine’
“Fall Fight Shine” features the recovery story of Canadian martial arts film actor Jeff Wincott. By the age of 41, Wincott had starred in the hit TV series “Night Heat” and appeared in a dozen films including “Martial Outlaw” and “Mission of Justice” before overdosing off of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Wincott entered treatment and has since been in recovery, reinventing his career with appearances in numerous television shows (“The Wire,” “24,” “The Night Of,” “Sons of Anarchy”) and independent films (“Lake City,” “Kringle Time,” “The Issue with Elvis”).
AP - July 24, 2022
Trailer for ‘Sharknado’ Director’s ‘Nix’ Deals With Trauma and Addiction
Nix is said to be “a modern-day horror movie dealing with trauma and addiction and how a tragedy twenty years prior tears apart a family.” “Once we landed on the concept of Nix and realized its potential, I was excited to return to my horror roots with this elevated, original horror movie,” said Ferrante.
Bloody Disgusting - July 21, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments