The Wednesday Weekly - Addiction + Recovery News Clips, May 25, 2022
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
Parents respond to OD crisis with call for harsh penalties | Biden Administration announces $1.5 bln opioid response grant program | Concerns raised about FindTreatment.gov treatment locator platform
Fentanyl
Salon: toxicologist explains fentanyl | Social media linked to rise in youth drug-related deaths
State and Local
CA’s SB 57 would authorize safe injection sites | FL Gov. DeSantis signs bill to increase penalties for drug dealers
Studies/Research in the News
Alcohol (still) bad for heart | Skin grafts to treat addiction? | Women who suffer with SUDs more likely to be affected by domestic violence
Opinion
Housing and other services should be considered in addressing addiction | Is the opioid crisis a poison control issue? | Fentanyl has changed the way we view and address addiction
Books and Movies
Cindy House memoir, “Mother House,” explores how we talk to kids about our pasts
Podcasts
High Truths podcast examines cannabis and youth
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National
Bipartisan lawmakers target addiction crisis by boosting non-opioid pain management
As drug overdose deaths in the U.S. continue to skyrocket, advocates and lawmakers are working to pass key legislation to help prevent opioid addiction before it starts. The measure would expand access to Food and Drug Administration-approved, non-opioid pain management treatments, such as nerve block injections, to those enrolled in Medicare who undergo an outpatient surgery.
The Hill - May 24, 2022
Everything Steven Tyler Has Said About Addiction and Sobriety
Less than a month before Aerosmith was set to re-launch their Las Vegas residency, the band shared a surprising message with fans: after more than 10 years of sobriety, frontman Steven Tyler had relapsed. The "Dream On" rockers said in a statement on Tuesday that Tyler, 74, has entered a treatment program to "concentrate on his health and recovery" following a relapse spurred on by foot surgery and its subsequent pain management. Tyler has long been candid about his sobriety journey.
People - May 24, 2022
Naloxone helps prevent opioid deaths. Here’s how to find and use it
Naloxone is an “opioid antagonist,” according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which means it blocks chemicals in the opioid family (such as heroin, oxycodone, morphine and fentanyl) from attaching to receptors in the nervous system. If administered soon after someone goes into an opioid-related medical emergency, it is remarkably effective at reversing the drug’s effects. And it’s safe too. The key, though, is making sure that people have it when they or someone around them needs it.
Los Angeles Times - May 23, 2022
Inaction on gambling addiction will bring more grief, says bereaved mother
The mother of a young man who killed himself after becoming addicted to gambling says more parents will grieve like her and her husband because the government is not doing enough to take on the industry. The coroner at his inquest in March described the government’s treatment and warnings about gambling as “woefully inadequate” and ordered it to set out how it would prevent future deaths.
The Guardian - May 23, 2022
The New MADD Movement: Parents Rise Up Against Drug Deaths
The suburban dad who once devoted all his time to running his print shop and raising his four daughters, launched a group called Drug Induced Homicide and traveled from his home to Sacramento in April to lobby for legislation known as “Alexandra’s Law.” The bill would have made it easier for California prosecutors to convict the sellers of lethal drugs on homicide charges. Capelouto’s organization is part of a nationwide movement of parents-turned-activists fighting the increasingly deadly drug crisis — and they are challenging California’s doctrine that drugs should be treated as a health problem rather than prosecuted by the criminal justice system.
California Healthline - May 19, 2022
Press Release: Biden Administration Announces $1.5 Billion Funding Opportunity for State Opioid Response Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is announcing a State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding opportunity that will provide nearly $1.5 billion to states and territories to help address the Nation’s opioid addiction and overdose epidemic.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - May 19, 2022
Press Release: Webinar to Examine Stigma's Impact on the Opioid Crisis
The webinar, "The Opioid Epidemic: A Focus on Vulnerable Populations Part II," will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 26. The presentation will feature former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey, Executive Director of the New Jersey Reentry Corporation; Barrett Young, Chief Executive Officer of the Rescue Mission of Trenton; and Brian McGovern, Chief Executive Director of North Jersey Community Research.
Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey - May 19, 2022
New documents reveal how drug companies targeted doctors to increase opioid prescriptions
Twelve years ago, ProPublica set out to build a first-of-its-kind tool that would allow users, with a single search, to see whether their doctors were receiving money from an array of pharmaceutical companies - Dollars for Docs. A trove of recently released documents offers the public an unvarnished look inside those relationships from the perspective of drug companies themselves. The material shows company officials worked to deflect the media scrutiny even as they sought to take advantage of relationships that they had built with doctors they were paying significant sums of money.
Salon - May 18, 2022
National addiction treatment locator has many flaws, critics say
The website, FindTreatment.gov, was launched by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2019 to help hundreds of thousands of Americans affected by addiction answer a crucial question: Where can I get treatment? It is a directory of more than 13,000 state-licensed treatment facilities, including information on what types of services are offered, which insurance plans are accepted, and what ages are served. Proponents say FindTreatment.gov and SAMHSA’s other treatment locators have critical flaws — inaccurate and outdated information, a lack of filtering options, and little guidance on how to identify high-quality treatment — that are long overdue for attention.
Tampa Bay Times - May 17, 2022
Teens On Instagram Can Still Easily Access Illegal Drugs, New Research Shows
Despite some safety changes and growing political pressure, young Instagram users can still quickly gain access to drug-related content, new research shows. Some of those accounts, in fact, appear to be actively selling illegal substances like MDMA, the party drug also known as ecstasy, according to a report by the Tech Transparency Project, a liberal tech watchdog group.
Forbes - May 17, 2022
Matt Harvey banned 60 games after testifying he gave drugs to Tyler Skaggs
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Matt Harvey received a 60-game suspension without pay for a violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. In an MLB announcement Tuesday, Harvey was cited for “participating in the distribution of a prohibited Drug of Abuse.” The punishment, retroactive to an April 29 start date, comes several months after Harvey testified in federal court that he provided former Los Angeles Angels teammate Tyler Skaggs with oxycodone. Skaggs, a fellow pitcher, was found dead in 2019 in a Texas hotel room near where the Angels were set to take on the host Rangers.
Washington Post - May 17, 2022
Man who provided drugs to Mac Miller sentenced to 17.5 years
A man who pleaded guilty to distributing narcotics that led to the death of rapper Mac Miller was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison Monday.
Los Angeles Times - May 17, 2022
FTC Hits R360 and its Owner With $3.8 Million Civil Penalty Judgment for Preying on People Seeking Treatment for Addiction
The Federal Trade Commission has taken action against R360 LLC and its owner, Steven Doumar, for deceiving people seeking help for addiction about the evaluation and selection criteria for the treatment centers in their network. The case is the FTC’s first under the Opioid Addiction Recovery Fraud Prevention Act of 2018.
Federal Trace Commission - May 17, 2022
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Fentanyl
What is fentanyl and why is it behind the deadly surge in overdoses? A medical toxicologist explains
As the Chief of Medical Toxicology at UMass Chan Medical School, I have studied fentanyl and its analogs for years. As fentanyl has become ubiquitous across the U.S., it has transformed the illicit drug market and raised the risk of overdose. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that was originally developed as an analgesic – or painkiller – for surgery. It has a specific chemical structure with multiple areas that can be modified, often illicitly, to form related compounds with marked differences in potency.
Salon - May 22, 2022
Fentanyl Tainted Pills Bought on Social Media Cause Youth Drug Deaths to Soar
Teenagers and young adults are turning to Snapchat, TikTok and other social media apps to find Percocet, Xanax and other pills. The vast majority are laced with deadly doses of fentanyl, police say. “Social media is almost exclusively the way they get the pills,” said Morgan Gire, district attorney for Placer County, California. Overdoses are now the leading cause of preventable death among people ages 18 to 45, ahead of suicide, traffic accidents and gun violence, according to federal data.
New York Times - May 19, 2022
Florida: DeSantis signs bill targeting fentanyl crisis
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed a bill Thursday raising penalties for drug dealers, especially those who traffic fentanyl, amid the opioid crisis. “Floridians of all walks of life have witnessed the destruction caused by the opioid epidemic across our state,” DeSantis said in a press release. “While the Biden administration has failed to stop the flow of dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, across our southern border, we are taking action in Florida to lower both the demand and the supply of illicit and illegal drugs.”
Washington Examiner - May 19, 2022
Gov. Polis on abortion rights, decreasing property taxes and the fentanyl bill
He defended the fentanyl bill, which will target dealers rather than regular users, and will put more money toward treatment. While conservative critics say it doesn’t do enough to penalize possession and progressive critics say it’s going back to failed war on drugs policies, Polis said on Monday the bill is a step toward making Colorado one of the 10 safest states over the next five years. He plans to sign the bill.
Colorado Public Radio - May 17, 2022
State / Local
Mass. is poised to spend millions on forced addiction treatment, reigniting debate over system
While many states use civil commitment, Massachusetts is believed to be the only state that court-orders some men to treatment inside jails and prisons — even if they haven't committed any crimes. As legislators seem poised to add millions of dollars in funding for involuntary commitment programs under the law called Section 35, there are concerns among legislators, public health advocates and families on the state of forced treatment here.
WBUR - May 24, 2022
Oregon’s Measure 110 is falling short, according to some advocates for addiction recovery
Statistics from 2020 show that Oregon had the second-highest alcohol and drug addiction rates in the nation and ranked last in treatment options. Oregonians passed Measure 110 almost two years ago. It decriminalized small amounts of illegal drugs and directed more money to addiction recovery services. But state bureaucracy has delayed the distribution of critical funding for providers. The advocacy group Oregon Recovers says the state is not doing enough to address the addiction crisis. We hear from Oregon Recovers Executive Director Mike Marshall and get a response from Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen.
OPB - May 24, 2022
Maine’s 1st addiction recovery home for Indigenous women will open in Bangor this summer
Indigenous women recovering from substance use disorder will soon have their own residential facility in Bangor, thanks to Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness and the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township.
Bangor Daily News - May 24, 2022
California debates opening supervised sites for people to use drugs
Lawmakers in California are debating whether to open sites where people can inject or snort illegal drugs under the watchful gaze of a health care worker. These facilities are an effort to save lives as overdoses skyrocket across the country. "Instead of having people use drugs on the sidewalk when your kid is walking by, we want to give them a place where they can go inside," said state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, the sponsor of a bill to pilot facilities in Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.He points to a recent cost-benefit analysis demonstrating that every dollar spent on safe consumption in San Francisco would save the city $2.33.
NPR - May 23, 2022
Maryland: Using assessment tools to improve addiction treatment
The addiction treatment industry has struggled over the years to develop outcome metrics to help facilities improve patient care. In an effort to identify which treatments work best, and to determine the success rate for long-term recovery from substance use disorder, Havre de Grace-based Ashley Addiction Treatment began using Trac9 Informatics, a standardized assessment tool.
Maryland Daily Record - May 23, 2022
Connecticut: 11 overdoses in 1 day prompts new alert system in New Haven
After 11 overdoses occurred in one day this week, the city has developed a new alert designed to notify the community about these occurrences. Mehul Dalal, head of the city’s community services administration, said the system, developed in conjunction with the state, had been in the works internally for some time, as the city strives to share more information with community organizations that work with drug users and residents.
New Haven Register - May 20, 2022
Florida: DeSantis signs bill targeting fentanyl crisis
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed a bill Thursday raising penalties for drug dealers, especially those who traffic fentanyl, amid the opioid crisis. “Floridians of all walks of life have witnessed the destruction caused by the opioid epidemic across our state,” DeSantis said in a press release. “While the Biden administration has failed to stop the flow of dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, across our southern border, we are taking action in Florida to lower both the demand and the supply of illicit and illegal drugs.”
Washington Examiner - May 19, 2022
Connecticut: How are CT residents with opioid addiction recovering from the pandemic?
This episode we go inside the District Court in Torrington to learn how people are being given access to treatment rather than jail. And Harriet Jones will take us to New London to find out how churches there are helping in the effort to keep drug users safe.
The CT Mirror - May 19, 2022
Connecticut desperately needs a stable naloxone supply
Naloxone, under the brand name “Narcan,” is a lifesaving antidote to reverse overdoses. In cities across Connecticut, naloxone distribution is becoming increasingly important as the overdose crisis makes substantial shifts into urban, Black communities. Despite its effectiveness, the availability of naloxone in communities that need it has not met the level of need. As of writing this piece, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) and syringe service programs around the state have been out of naloxone for several weeks.
The CT Mirror - May 19, 2022
Illinois: Chicago providing treatment for opioid abuse regardless of insurance or ability to pay
The city of Chicago is taking steps to help curb the opioid epidemic through the creation of a new medication-assisted recovery program.
Yahoo! - May 19, 2022
Alabama: Attorney General Steve Marshall wants Alabama drug settlement to combat addiction
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall hopes money received from settlements with huge pharmaceutical companies is directed to battle drug addiction and prevention. “This money needs to be targeted directly to deal with the abatement of (the opioid) problem,” Marshall told WTVY News 4 during his visit to Ozark on Tuesday. Alabama is among states that sued pharmaceutical companies, claiming their business practices fueled a deadly opioid crisis. The state will receive $276 million. “We clearly have faced this issue as a country and Alabama is not immune,” Marshall said of opioid addiction.
WSFA 12 - May 18, 2022
New York: Merger of mental health, addiction services offices sought
New York lawmakers are pushing for the merger of the Office of Addiction Services and Supports and the Office of Mental Health with the goal of better serving people who are facing both addiction and mental health crises. The state Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would merge both offices in state government, creating the new Office of Addiction and Mental Health Services.
Spectrum News 1 - May 18, 2022
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Studies/Research in the News
New Research Finds Drinking Alcohol More Dangerous to the Heart Than Previously Thought
Levels of alcohol consumption currently considered safe by some countries are associated with the development of heart failure, according to new research presented at Heart Failure 2022, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). “This study adds to the body of evidence that a more cautious approach to alcohol consumption is needed,” said study author Dr. Bethany Wong of St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. “To minimize the risk of alcohol causing harm to the heart, if you don’t drink, don’t start. If you do drink, limit your weekly consumption to less than one bottle of wine or less than three-and-a-half 500 ml cans of 4.5% beer.”
SciTech Daily - May 22, 2022
Surprising Side Effects of Drinking Alcohol After 50, Say Dietitians
While smaller or moderate amounts of alcohol may be harmless to most, there are still side effects of drinking as you age to look out for. To learn more about this, we talked with a few expert dietitians to get their take on the potential negative side effects of drinking alcohol after the age of 50.
Eat This, Not That - May 21, 2022
University of Chicago seeks FDA approval to use skin grafts to treat addiction
Scientists are seeking FDA approval to test a first-of-its-kind potential treatment for addiction using skin grafts. NBC News’ Maura Barrett spoke with the team at the University of Chicago, which is in the early stages of research.
NBC - May 19, 2022
At least 11,000 women with addiction problems endure domestic violence
At least 11,000 women struggling with addiction are also experiencing domestic violence, with almost 50,000 having endured these simultaneously at some stage in their lives, a report published on Wednesday finds. Published by the Davina (domestic violence is never acceptable) Project which is part of Saol, a woman-only addiction support service in north inner-city Dublin, the report says these women are largely “unseen and their needs unknown”.
Irish Times - May 18, 2022
Side Effects of Giving Up Alcohol, According to Physician
Worldwide, alcohol is one of the leading causes of deaths, and in the U.S., alcohol is responsible for more deaths each year than opioids. Read on to find out what stand to gain by losing alcohol: increased circulatory health, neurological improvement, strengthened immune system and decreased risk of liver/pancreatic diseases and cancer.
Eat This, Not That! - May 9, 2022
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Opinion
To tackle addiction crisis, housing and services must be combined
Nowhere in New England is the opioid crisis more visible than at Boston’s intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, even months after the area was cleared of tents (“A problem that can’t be swept away,” Page A1, May 12). When housing and comprehensive wraparound services are combined, it fosters a sense of home, helping to integrate individuals back into their communities and not just at concentrated sites where they are at higher risk of drug use and crime.
Boston Globe - May 23, 2022
Has the opioid crisis become a poison control problem?
A new report shows that overdose deaths among adolescents have more than doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In large part, this is due to the rise of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which have become cheap fillers for illicit drugs. What would it look like to treat our current overdose crisis more like a poison control problem?
Austin American Statesman - May 22, 2022
Op-Ed: Why legal weed is losing the war to illegal weed
The market for legal weed is growing. But in California, as elsewhere, it faces serious challenges. We’re not talking about droughts, climate change or supply chain shortages. The biggest challenge is competition from illegal weed. Our best estimate is that roughly three-quarters of the weed currently sold to consumers in California is illegal (meaning it is not licensed by the state), and only one-quarter is legal.
Los Angeles Times - May 22, 2022
Fentanyl has changed the way we view, deal with addiction
As illicit fentanyl spreads across the United States, we will have no choice but to recognize that it can touch any of us, devastating individuals, families and communities. We can no longer think of this as a problem that only impacts "them," otherwise known as the opiate user, heroin user or "addict."
Cincinnati Enquirer - May 21, 2022
Teens need help understanding the dangers of fentanyl
Teenagers are dying. They don’t know what to do when someone overdoses. They don’t know that so many of the drugs they are taking are laced with fentanyl. Even when they knowingly take drugs, they think they can walk away without repercussions. They don’t know it only takes one time to get hooked. This is why there are so many accidental overdoses. Educating teens on the dangers of drugs will not stop young people from doing them, but teaching teens how to do them safely will save lives.
Washington Post - May 19, 2022
Vancouver's safe drug-use sites are wrenching to see. California should open them anyway
California state legislators are considering opening safe injection sites like those pioneered here in British Columbia nearly 20 years ago (Insite opened in 2003), both to save lives and curtail open consumption. San Francisco is already running one such site, despite little transparency and dubious legality. A state bill could give it legitimacy (though there are still federal issues), and allow Oakland and L.A. to open their own. Opening safe consumption sites is a no-brainer to me. They do save lives, and they do provide a first step toward stability. They aren't gateways to addiction, and teens won't stumble in to be handed drugs and needles — by the time you wind up in one, you know drugs. But they aren't solutions to the opioid crisis. But they do keep people alive. Maybe that's enough, while we muddle through the rest.
Los Angeles Times - May 18, 2022
Fentanyl Overdose Rates Are Rising Fast: The drug will continue killing Americans until Biden decides to get control of the border
The latest tally of fatal drug overdoses from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows nearly 108,000 fatalities in 2021. This is far more than in 2017, when President Trump declared drug deaths a public-health emergency. Among blacks, the drug mortality rate has quadrupled in less than eight years.
Wall Street Journal - May 18, 2022
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Books and Movies
A New Memoir Explores How We Talk to Our Kids About Our Pasts
How do we talk to our children about our pasts? It’s a question that plagues many of us, but loomed particularly large for artist and essayist Cindy House, who found herself needing to tell her young son about her years-long struggle with substance abuse. These themes and more are at the forefront of House’s powerful new memoir, Mother Noise. Raised in Connecticut, House was an anxious kid, who found ways to numb her emotions early on—first with alcohol and then with casual drug use, which, as so often happens, became far from casual quickly and spiraled into a full-blown addiction to heroin. In the spirit of Mary Karr’s Lit and David Sheff’s Beautiful Boy, Mother Noise is a powerful meditation on overcoming addiction, reckoning with the past and remaining hopeful for the future of our children.
Pure Wow - May 18, 2022
Colton Haynes Has 'No Secrets' After Surviving Abuse, Addiction and Homophobia in Hollywood
Colton Haynes says writing his new memoir "nearly killed me." After an overdose and suicide attempt, recovering from alcoholism, addiction and an eating disorder, and then overcoming childhood sexual abuse, the 33-year-old Arrow and Teen Wolf actor has earned the right to speak about facing death. But these days, Haynes is more about facing the truth — his own — as he tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week's issue: "I know today I'm only as sick as my secrets." With the publication of Miss Memory Lane, he doesn't have any left.
People - May 18, 2022
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Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
High Truths on Drugs and Addiction – Dr. Sharon Levy on Cannabis and Youth
Cannabis use is associated with alarming increase in mental health crisis, especially in youth. High potency THC products are the driving this problem. Dr. Levy sees this in her clinic treating kids with cannabis use disorder.
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