The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - November 23, 2022
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
Are more doctors struggling with addiction? | NIDA director Volkow urges methadone deregulation to allow doctors to prescribe directly | Unequal access to treatment leads to opioid crisis surge among Black people
Fentanyl
Fentanyl test strips still illegal in Arkansas | Passenger urges airline to carry Narcan | Fentanyl vaccine under study
State and Local
States poised to receive Walmart opioid settlement funds | NYC clinic first in state to use ketamine to treat addiction
Studies/Research in the News
NIDA grant for research to examine gender differences in drug use, addiction and recovery
Opinion
Congress must pass the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act
Podcasts
Elizabeth Vargas interviews Matthew Perry on Heart of the Matter
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Podcasts Comments
National
Is Drug Abuse Among Docs Rising?; Issues Around a Physician's Professional Persona; and Gender Disparity in Trans Treatments
Some evidence suggests that substance abuse may be rising among physicians since the pandemic. Some 51% of physicians think that substance abuse has "increased" in their profession since the onset of COVID-19, but 48% report it at the same level as in pre-pandemic years, according to Medscape's Substance and Opioid Abuse Report 2022.
Medscape - Nov. 21, 2022
Vending Machines Dispense Narcan to Reverse Opioid Overdoses
Vending machines stocked with overdose-reversing nasal spray are part of the latest attempt to diminish a record tide of drug deaths. The Food and Drug Administration and some states have loosened restrictions on drugs including Narcan that are sprayed into the nose to reverse an opioid overdose. Nonprofits that work with opioid users are distributing more of the drugs as a result. Getting Narcan as close as possible to people at risk for an overdose is essential to saving lives, they said.
Wall Street Journal - Nov. 21, 2022
Top U.S. addiction scientist calls for broad methadone deregulation
The U.S. government’s top addiction researcher is calling for broad deregulation of methadone, a key drug used to treat opioid use disorder. American doctors should “absolutely” be allowed to prescribe methadone directly to patients, Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said Wednesday. “There’s absolutely no reason why not,” Volkow said. “There are countries where physicians are providing methadone, and the outcomes are actually as good as those they get [at] methadone clinics.” Currently, though, methadone can only be prescribed at specialized methadone clinics known as opioid treatment facilities, or OTPs. Patients are often required to show up at the clinics every morning to receive a single methadone dose and participate in counseling. “Methadone is underutilized in part because it requires such stringent conditions in order to be prescribed,” Volkow said.
Stat News - Nov. 16, 2022
The Player-Coaches of Addiction Recovery Work Without Boundaries
Peer support specialists are themselves in recovery and are employed to help others. As billions of dollars in opioid settlement funds roll out to states and localities, local leaders are deciding what to do with the money. Supporting and training peer specialists, whose certification requirements vary by state, are among the options.
Kaiser Health News - Nov. 16, 2022
Telehealth Sites Put Addiction Patient Data at Risk
While mobile health options have been celebrated by doctors and advocates as a way to expand treatment for substance use disorders, there has been persistent concern over how private the websites offering treatment and support really are—especially now that the US Supreme Court’s toppling of Roe v. Wade has reignited the national conversation about how far medical privacy protections extend online.
Wired - Nov. 16, 2022
Mexico's anti-drug ad featuring Philly addicts shows US is the new 'cautionary tale,' critics say
A controversial Mexican anti-drug ad shows the United States has essentially become a cautionary tale for the drug smuggling and addiction crisis – a distinction that used to belong sorely to other countries, Fox News host Greg Gutfeld suggested Tuesday. A Mexican ad warning against the dangers of drug addiction notably featured scenes from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – home to one neighborhood Republican surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz dubbed the world's "largest open-air drug market" in recent weeks.
Fox - Nov. 15, 2022
Walmart Agrees to Settle Opioid Lawsuits for $3.1 Billion
Walmart agreed Tuesday to a $3.1 billion settlement over lawsuits that tie the retail giant to the longstanding opioid crisis in the US. Earlier this month, CVS and Walgreens announced "agreements in principle," which are expected to result in $10 billion settlements. The money will resolve "all opioid lawsuits and potential lawsuits by state, local, and tribal governments, if conditions are satisfied," Walmart said in a statement. The New York Times reported Tuesday that the money will help pay for addiction treatment and drug education programs in the US.
CNET - Nov. 15, 2022
The opioid epidemic is surging among Black people because of unequal access to treatment
A million people in the U.S. have died of opioid overdoses since the 1990s. But the face—and race—of the opioid epidemic has changed in the past decade. Originally white and middle class, victims are now Black and brown people struggling with long-term addictions and too few resources.
Scientific American - Nov. 15, 2022
FDA Announces Preliminary Assessment that Certain Naloxone Products Have the Potential to be Safe and Effective for Over-the-Counter Use
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a Federal Register notice, Safety and Effectiveness of Certain Naloxone Hydrochloride Drug Products for Nonprescription Use, that may help facilitate the development and approval of certain nonprescription naloxone drug products, including through the switch of certain naloxone drug products from prescription status to nonprescription status. Naloxone is a medicine that can help reduce opioid overdose deaths and when administered timely, usually within minutes of the first signs of an opioid overdose, can counter the overdose effects.
AP News - Nov. 15, 2022
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Podcasts Comments
Fentanyl
Life-saving fentanyl test strips illegal in Arkansas
Under Arkansas law, the test strips are considered drug paraphernalia and possession of them is a felony, according to Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett. The legal issue surrounding the use of fentanyl test strips isn't limited to Arkansas. Other states have similar laws, according to the American Addiction Centers Oxford Treatment Center website.
Arkansas Online - Nov. 21, 2022
How to Reverse an Overdose From Tranq, the Lethal Drug Spreading in the US
Narcan still works for tranq, a cocktail of fentanyl and the animal tranquilizer xylazine. Oxygen tanks can help, too. A cocktail of fentanyl and the animal tranquilizer xylazine known as “tranq” is keeping drug users heavily sedated for longer, prompting people working on the front lines of the crisis to revamp their responses to overdoses, as the drug spreads across the U.S. Tranq, also known as tranq dope, has been linked to severe skin ulcers and amputations and is in at least 39 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, as VICE News reported earlier this week. But because xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone—the antidote to opioid overdoses—is less effective in reversing tranq overdoses.
Vice - Nov. 21, 2022
St. Louis man who saved overdose victim pushes airline to carry Narcan
Gaal was not the first to advocate for this move. In 2019, the Aerospace Medical Association issued a report recommending that the Federal Aviation Administration consider adding Narcan to its required lists of medicines in emergency first aid kits on flights. The FAA issued a recommendation that airlines consider adding Narcan but didn’t require it.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Nov. 20, 2022
What’s driving New Mexico’s Fentanyl Crisis?
There’s a new drug of choice in New Mexico causing problems like the state’s never seen before. So why is Fentanyl so prevalent in New Mexico? KRQE Investigates highlighted some of the challenges our state is up against, particularly regarding the impacts of Fentanyl. “I would consider it to be poison,” said Albuquerque Police Lieutenant.
KRQE - Nov. 17, 2022
Fentanyl is making it harder to start addiction treatment
Doctors are reporting a troubling trend when it comes to fentanyl. The powerful drug, they say, isn’t just causing overdoses — it’s also making it more difficult to begin addiction treatment. In particular, fentanyl appears more likely to cause severe withdrawal symptoms for patients put on buprenorphine, a key medication used to treat opioid use disorder.
STAT News - Nov. 16, 2022
Fentanyl vaccine may have been discovered: Researchers
Researchers at the University of Houston believe they’ve developed a vaccine targeting synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, that could end the cycle of addiction for millions of Americans. The findings, which were published in the journal Pharmaceutics, have been described as a potential “game-changer” to save countless lives by reversing the effects of the powerful drug.
News Nation - Nov. 16, 2022
Fighting Fentanyl in California: Prosecuting murder
Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin helped form a gang impact team in 2021. The unit has arrested dozens of suspected drug dealers, with some tied to deadly overdoses. Riverside County was the first county in California to prosecute fentanyl deaths as murder. So far, they’ve prosecuted 15 cases — the most in the state.
KTLA - Nov. 16, 2022
Illinois Senate Republicans aim to stiffen penalties for dealers of fentanyl-laced opioids
With opioid-related overdoses rising nationally and in Illinois, two state legislators announced new legislation that would target dealers of fentanyl-laced opioids and other medications with increased penalties. Republican state Sens. Sally Turner and Sue Rezin introduced Senate Bill 4221 during a Tuesday press conference at the Capitol. They hope the bill sees some action during the six-day veto session that started Tuesday.
State Journal Register - Nov. 16, 2022
US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary
Have U.S. drug overdose deaths stopped rising? Preliminary government data suggests they may have, but many experts are urging caution, noting that past plateaus didn't last. U.S. overdose death rates began steadily climbing in the 1990s driven by opioid painkillers, followed by waves of deaths led by other opioids like heroin and — most recently — illicit fentanyl. Last year, more than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses — the highest tally in U.S. history. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released provisional data on what happened through the first six months of this year. The news appears to be hopeful.
ABC - Nov. 16, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Podcasts Comments
State / Local
Pennsylvania set to receive $150 million from Walmart opioid settlement
Pennsylvania is set to receive a $120 million settlement from Walmart to fund treatment services related to opioid addiction. The money, part of a $3 billion nationwide settlement, was announced earlier this week by the Pennsylvania attorney general. While Pennsylvania has reached an agreement with the corporation, the settlement will not be finalized until 43 states agree, as well as local governments. Officials expect enough states to sign on before the end of the year, and local governments in the first quarter of 2023.
Washington Examiner - Nov. 20, 2022
Alabama council makes plans to spend millions from opioid settlements
Alabama officials edged closer Wednesday to laying out a plan to spend hundreds of millions in opioid settlement funds – but barriers could prevent some money from going to programs proven to help users. Members of Alabama’s Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council announced a plan to allocate the money to programs that would place opioid treatment programs in every county and distribute naloxone, a lifesaving drug that reverses overdoses. Other suggestions included establishing programs for pregnant women and training for faith leaders.
AL.com - Nov. 17, 2022
Attorney General Bonta Announces Proposed $3.1 Billion Multistate Opioid Settlement with Walmart
California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced reaching a multistate settlement in principle with Walmart to resolve allegations that the company helped fuel the opioid crisis by failing to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its pharmacies. The proposed multistate settlement will provide more than $3 billion in funding, the vast majority of which will go to communities across the nation to help fight the opioid crisis. The agreement also contains significant injunctive relief, including increased oversight, and improvements to Walmart pharmacies' policies and procedures regarding opioids.
State of California Department of Justice - Nov. 15, 2022
New York: Midtown clinic becomes first in New York to use ketamine to treat alcoholism
A drug that was once taboo is gaining popularity in the medical field. Ketamine has been used to treat mood and stress-related disorders, and now, a clinic in the city is using the psychedelic to help people suffering from alcoholism, CBS2's Christina Fan reported Tuesday. An old drug with a reputation for misuse is getting new use inside a Midtown clinic. Ketamine, known for its hallucinogenic effects, is now helping patients overcome alcohol addiction.
CBS - Nov. 15, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Podcasts Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Examining female responses to drug use and addiction
The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Linda Perrotti, professor of psychology, a three-year grant worth nearly $454,000 to support her research into the differences in somatic, emotional and motivational responses between males and females after discontinuing the use of morphine. The study will address a systemic deficiency of data related to female experiences of drug use, addiction and recovery. “In biomedical science, women and female cell lines have been left out,” Perrotti said. “In drug use and addiction research, all of the withdrawal scales, scoring and models have been based on data obtained from male research subjects.”
University of Texas, Arlington - Nov. 10, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Podcasts Comments
Opinion
Lifesaving treatment can curb overdoses — Congress must act now
More than 107,000 people in the United States died from a drug overdose in 2021 — the highest annual number ever recorded — and the crisis has not abated. Opioid-related overdoses accounted for 75 percent of these deaths, many of which might have been prevented if more people could access lifesaving addiction treatment. But that situation can change if Congress steps up and passes the bipartisan Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act when it returns for its December session. This legislation will help more people gain access to buprenorphine, a Food and Drug Administration-approved medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD).
The Hill - Nov. 17, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Podcasts Comments
Heart of the Matter - The One with Matthew Perry
Elizabeth Vargas sits down with actor Matthew Perry for an emotional conversation recorded during his book tour for his bestselling book, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” Matthew shares an incredibly honest, inside look at his decades-long struggle with an alcohol and substance use disorder. Despite his wildly successful career, things were not as perfect for Matthew as they appeared: he has been to 14 treatment centers, 65 detox centers, has spent over $9 million on his recovery and admitted that at one point he had a 2% chance of living.