The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - November 30, 2022
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
Alcohol-free bars in NYC | Narcan vending machines gain support | FDA may allow over the counter sales of naloxone
State and Local
Pennsylvania may join states allowing fentanyl test strips | Travis County TX seeks to prevent overdoses
Studies/Research in the News
Opioid’s toll on U.S. pregnancies | Alcohol and snoring? | Small amounts of alcohol affect pregnancies
Opinion
Hunter Biden’s recovery should be acknowledged | Pregnant women struggling with addiction need treatment, not punishment
Podcasts
Mission Recovery podcast interview’s Shatterproof’s Caroline Davidson | Author Jessica Lahey on Dopey podcast
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
National
Robert Downey Jr. Recalls Drug Addiction Years in Netflix’s ’Sr.’: “It’s Shocking A Single Movie Came Out Finished”
In his new Netflix documentary, Sr., Robert Downey Jr. gets a chance to say goodbye to his father, filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., who died last July at the age of 85. And he also gets a chance to have difficult conversations—including a heart-to-heart regarding their years using drugs.
Decider - Nov. 28, 2022
Why the FDA May Allow Overdose Drug Naloxone to be Sold OTC
This month U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a noticeTrusted Source that certain nonprescription naloxone drug products have the potential to be safe and effective for over-the-counter (OTC) use. Naloxone, more commonly known by its brand name Narcan, is a drug used to reverse some of the effects of opioid overdose.
Healthline - Nov. 27, 2022
DEA joins with families across the country to increase awareness about the dangers of fentanyl
Last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration hosted regional family summits across the country in support of those who have lost loved ones to drug poisonings. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram delivered remarks at Thursday’s Family Summit in Washington, D.C. “The Justice Department will never give up in our effort to protect American lives,”Garland said. “We will continue to work tirelessly to get deadly drugs -- including fentanyl -- out of our communities. And through today’s Family Summit, we will help prevent future tragedies. Your stories and your participation are indispensable to the success of this effort. We are humbled to do this work alongside you, and we stand with you in honor of your loved ones.”
High Plains Dealer - Nov. 26, 2022
How NYC nightlife is getting in the sober spirit with alcohol-free bars
While in the past staying sober on a night out meant ordering something like a seltzer and cranberry juice, New Yorkers trying to drink less booze are now being met with a growing menu of options.Gothamist explored the city’s alcohol-free nightlife offerings, where event planners, business owners and patrons are envisioning a more lucid nightlife experience.
Gothamist - Nov. 24, 2022
Vending machines for anti-overdose drug Narcan gain support
Some local governments and nonprofit organizations are using vending machines to distribute Narcan, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses, in the hope of reducing drug overdose deaths. Vending machines with the lifesaving medication are being placed in cities across the country, including Philadelphia and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at detention centers, malls, college campuses, and other public areas to hand out to community members to use in emergencies.
Washington Examiner - Nov. 23, 2022
Drew Barrymore Recalls the 'Awful Cycle' with Alcohol Before Getting Sober
Drew Barrymore is getting candid about the "liberating" feeling she's experienced since becoming sober. In a personal essay in her magazine Drew, the actress and television host, 47, opened up about her relationship with alcohol and how she's been prioritizing self-care.
People - Nov. 23, 2022
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Podcasts Comments
State / Local
Texas: Travis County looking for legislative changes after startling overdose data released
Travis County is pairing up with Safe Haven Harm Reduction to train bartenders and get Narcan into local bars. Narcan is an overdose reversal treatment that is administered as a nasal spray and has no negative side effects if used on someone not experiencing an overdose. Several bars in Travis County, including Star Bar on Sixth Street, will get the training and the doses of Narcan.
KXAN - Nov. 28, 2022
Pennsylvania: Butler Area School District board approved first reading of new naloxone policy
A life-saving tool could soon be available in the Butler Area School District.On Monday, the school board approved a first reading of a policy to allow licensed health care professionals, school staff members and school police officers to carry naloxone. The drug can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose and does not have to be administered by a doctor or emergency worker.
CBS - Nov. 22, 2022
Pennsylvania Latest State to Decriminalize Fentanyl Test Strips
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has signed a law legalizing the sale and distribution of test strips designed to detect whether fentanyl is in an illicit drug. Harm-reduction advocates welcomed the action, saying that it has the potential to help reduce overdoses.
Medscape - Nov. 21, 2022
Minnesota: ‘This problem is real’: Youth opioid addiction puts Minnesota’s Karen community on high alert
Parents from around the state are increasingly concerned that their children are becoming addicted to opioids. Nawthet “Clara” Tunwin, Karen Organization of Minnesota’s community health and social services program director, said that she and her colleagues are particularly concerned about reports of Karen youth using fentanyl, a more potent and often deadly drug that some experts say is increasingly being marketed toward teens.
Minn Post - Nov. 21, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Podcasts Comments
Studies/Research in the News
How The Opioid Crisis Is Taking Its Toll On US Pregnancies
The ECHO program, which aimed at learning how early exposure to opioids is affecting the lives and health of babies and children, found that nearly 3% of American pregnancies were exposed to addictive opioid drugs (via U.S. News). The majority of the use of opioids during these pregnancies were of prescription drugs, not heroin or other illicit forms of opioids. The data showed that the issue was most prevalent amongst white women and women who had a history of depression and multiple substance use. This information can help medical professionals to recognize higher risk patients sooner in order to intervene, thereby hopefully reducing the number of at-risk pregnant Americans and their babies.
The List - Nov. 28, 2022
Drinking Even Low Amounts of Alcohol During Pregnancy Changes Baby’s Brain Structure
Drinking alcohol even in low to moderate amounts during pregnancy can change the baby’s brain structure and delay brain development, according to a new MRI study. Next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the results of the study will be presented.
Sci Tech Daily - Nov. 26, 2022
ADHD Medication Might Help In Treating Amphetamine Addiction
A recent JAMA Psychiatry study found that an ADHD medicine called lisdexamfetamine reduced the risk of hospitalization due to amphetamine or methamphetamine addiciton by 18% and 14% for deaths caused by substance abuse disorders. Researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden further observed that lisdexamfetamine might potentially be more effective than medications that are conventionally prescribed to people with substance abuse disorders.
Forbes - Nov. 26, 2022
Alcohol and Snoring: Is There a Connection?
Alcohol is known to increase your chances of snoring loudly if you drink before bed. This can cause problems achieving proper REM sleep, especially in those with sleep apnea. Alcohol can encourage snoring, but the effect is usually more pronounced in people that are already prone to snoring. This can include those with undiagnosed and diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Healthline - Nov. 22, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
Opinion
Hunter Biden’s addiction recovery should be acknowledged
This is no easy feat. I don’t have an opinion on Mr. Biden other than to say that people who have struggled with substance abuse disorders are not defined by their disease, and their successes should be acknowledged.
Washington Post - Nov. 28, 2022
Inequality is literally killing us: The most unequal societies suffer most in public health metrics
Inequality also leads to self-medicating with drugs. Three quarters of the world's opioid consumption takes place in the United States, where we have the highest rates of use. Opioid overdose death rates here have risen markedly since 1994, in contrast to those in other rich countries. Might the high use of opioids here reflect the increasing inequality and status anxiety? Studies show common forms of drug use, including opioids, cocaine, amphetamines, cannabis, and ecstasy, are higher in more unequal countries and more drug deaths occur in more unequal U.S. states.
Salon - Nov. 27, 2022
Op-Ed: It wasn’t luck that allowed me to become a judge after meth addiction. It was white privilege
My drug addiction story has been a humbling series of breaks, granting me second and third chances. That wasn’t luck. Based on the data, I am confident I benefited from the white color of my skin. People of color experience discrimination at every stage of the criminal legal system. They are more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, convicted, harshly sentenced and saddled with a lifelong criminal record. This is particularly the case for drug law violations.
Los Angeles Times - Nov. 26, 2022
I Tried Ibogaine, the Psychedelic Anti-Addiction Drug
Supporters claim the powerfully hallucinogenic tree-bark derivative can break the cycle of addiction and eliminate withdrawal. Most people come to Beond, an ibogaine clinic based out of a mansion in Cancun, Mexico, to get off drugs, including prescribed opioid painkillers, heroin, fentanyl and meth. I have been invited here by the owner after I expressed disbelief that ibogaine could immediately eliminate drug withdrawal symptoms.
Vice - Nov. 26, 2022
Their children struggled with addiction. Now, they're fighting against the war on drugs
Salon spoke with Gretchen Burns Bergman, whose two grown sons who are in long-term recovery from heroin addiction, and Tamara Olt, M.D., who lost her 16-year-old son Joshua to an accidental heroin overdose in 2012. Both strongly advocate for a more rational approach to how we treat substance use in the U.S.
Salon - Nov. 26, 2022
Pregnant women with addiction need treatment, not punishment
For most parents, it is unimaginable to think that seeking medical care could lead to losing custody of their children, yet this devastating predicament is all too real for pregnant women with addiction in the United States. In our nation, the systems that aim to protect children from the negative effects of parental substance use often prioritize punitive approaches over proven public health strategies.
The Hill - Nov. 25, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Podcasts Comments
Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Mission Recovery Podcast: Caroline Davidson of Shatterproof – An inspiring mission to address the addiction crisis, create change and save lives
Caroline Davidson, Vice President of State Engagement for the ATLAS team at Shatterproof (shatterproof.org), shares the inspiring, mission-driven story of the national nonprofit organization that's working to reverse and end the addiction crisis in America through greater access to care, better treatment, and reducing the stigma associated with substance use disorders. Caroline also shares her personal journey to recovery and tells us about the great work of Shatterproof's ATLAS platform, the “consumer reports of addiction treatment.” The ATLAS website (treatmentatlas.org) helps those seeking information on substance use disorder find and compare treatment facilities based on trustworthy information and quality of treatment.
Dopey – The Thanksgiving Parenting Special with Jess Lahey! Alcohol, Ecstacy, Recovery, Ketamine
This week on Dopey! We are joined by the brilliant writer, journalist, teacher and attorney, Jessica Lahey! Jess is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed and The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence. Jess tells us all about her journey to recovery, and what she learned to help kids not make the same mistakes we did! PLUS! EMAILS, VOICEMAILS and tons of Gratitude!
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Podcasts Comments