The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - December 7, 2022
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
Rural clinics urged to prescribe addiction treatment mediation | Medicare falls short for older Americans struggling with addiction | Use of medication for addiction treatment
State and Local
Determining use of opioid settlement funds in Ohio | Texas Gov. Abbott supports decriminalizing fentanyl test strips
Studies/Research in the News
Few Americans aware of cancer risks linked to alcohol | Elderly substance use-related deaths rose significantly in 2020
Opinion
New doc profiles artist Nan Goldin who took on the Sacklers | Prohibition’s accomplishments go unsung
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
Robert Downey Jr. reflects on troubled relationship with father in new Netflix documentary
The documentary, filmed over the last three years of his father's life, sheds new light on the actor, who told a judge in 1999 he'd been hooked on drugs since the age of eight because his father gave them to him. According to Mail Online, Robert admitted his addiction to cocaine and heroin was "like I have a shotgun in my mouth, and I've got my finger on the trigger, and I like the taste of the gun metal". Robert's dad, Downey Sr., died of Parkinson's disease in July 2021, at the age of 85. In the documentary, the Iron Man star confronts how his upbringing affected his choices later in life.
MSN - Dec. 5, 2022
Biden administration says it is making progress slowing the rate of fentanyl deaths
There's some good news in the fight to save Americans dying of drug overdoses. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the number of drug deaths has declined for three months in a row. And that's after years of dramatic increases. NPR's addiction correspondent, Brian Mann, joins us now to talk more about this.
NPR - Dec. 3, 2022
Addiction treatment proponents urge rural clinicians to pitch in by prescribing medication
Unlike methadone, the traditional medication to wean people off heroin or other opioids, buprenorphine can be prescribed at primary care clinics and dispensed at neighborhood pharmacies. Federal and state authorities have encouraged more front-line health care professionals to prescribe Suboxone and other medications containing buprenorphine for patients trying to overcome opioid addiction. Federal regulators have made it easier for doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to become certified to offer the service.
Salon - Dec. 2, 2022
Year-end package could increase access to addiction treatment
A bipartisan bill to increase access to treatment for opioid addiction has a good chance of being rolled into a year-end package during the lame-duck session, congressional aides tell Axios. Advocates point to federal data showing only one in 10 people with opioid use disorder receive medication for it. The bill would remove a requirement that health care providers get a special waiver from the Drug Enforcement Administration before they can prescribe buprenorphine, an addiction treatment that reduces the risk of future overdoses. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), one of the lead sponsors of the bill, told Axios he is "very confident" it will make the omnibus. "Leadership is working hard to get it done," he said, calling the bill a "lifesaver." There is at least some opposition from certain House Republicans, including members who are doctors, like Indiana Rep. Larry Bucshon. Bucshon said earlier this year that the bill is "making it easier to prescribe a medication known to be highly diverted and misused."
AXIOS - Dec. 2, 2022
Walmart Offers $3.1 Billion Opioid Settlement
On Tuesday, Walmart joined the growing list of companies settling with state, local, and tribal governments over its pharmacies’ involvement in the Opioid epidemic, which has claimed the lives of thousands of Americans since 1999. The second-largest retailer in the world agreed to pay $3.1 billion to resolve thousands of lawsuits accusing Walmart of failing to adequately oversee the dispensing of prescription Opioid medications at its pharmacies.
Addiction Center - Dec. 2, 2022
Michael Madon ’94 enlists smart technology to help people battle drug addiction
Michael Madon ’94 created a startup that is using wearable tech to track people in recovery and connect them to a support network of caregivers and loved ones.
Cornell Chronicle - Dec. 2, 2022
Addiction Treatment Drugs See More Use Under Biden Strategy
Use of opioid treatment medications buprenorphine and naloxone to manage addiction and overdoses is on the rise, according to HHS research released Friday. There was a nearly 20% increase in the past year in the number of health providers with waivers for prescribing buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder. The number of prescriptions filled by pharmacies for the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone have gone up by 37%. “Thanks to decades of work by advocates—coupled with an unparalleled people-first strategy and unprecedented investment by the Biden-Harris Administration—we have made a great deal of progress,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Bloomberg - Dec. 2, 2022
Older adults face Medicare hurdles for substance use treatment
For the 52 million Americans 65 and older, Medicare is a life-saver, providing health insurance regardless of income, medical history or health status. But for the growing number of older adults who need treatment for an alcohol or drug use disorder, the federal program falls woefully short, according to experts, advocates and medical groups.
Miami Herald - Dec. 1, 2022
As young people in rich countries drink less alcohol, elsewhere youth drinking is on the rise
The amount of alcohol young people drink in many high-income countries has seen a marked decline since the early 2000s. But in many developing countries, the opposite is happening. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we talk to three experts studying trends in young people’s drinking habits to find out why and we explore the questions this raises about the way young people see themselves and their place in the world.
The Conversation - Dec. 1, 2022
As overdoses soar in rural America, more clinicians are prescribing addiction medications
Unlike methadone, the traditional medication to wean people off heroin or other opioids, buprenorphine can be prescribed at primary care clinics and dispensed at neighborhood pharmacies. Federal and state authorities have encouraged more front-line health care professionals to prescribe Suboxone and other medications containing buprenorphine for patients trying to overcome opioid addiction. Federal regulators have made it easier for doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to become certified to offer the service.
NBC - Nov. 30, 2022
Officers & alcohol: How much is too much?
Since up to 80% of all first responders regularly experience on-the-job trauma, it should come as no surprise that people who work in public safety develop PTSD at higher-than-average rates. In fact, studies have shown PTSD impacts 35% of police officers and 18%-24% of dispatchers. Of course, being at risk for PTSD – or even an actual diagnosis – does not guarantee that a person will develop an alcohol use disorder. Other factors, as well as professional and family support systems, combined with individual personalities, behaviors and genetics, are also major contributors.
Police1 - Nov. 30, 2022
As overdoses soar in rural America, more clinicians are prescribing addiction medications
The number of U.S. health care providers certified to prescribe buprenorphine more than doubled in the past four years. Treatment advocates hope to see that trend continue. Unlike methadone, the traditional medication to wean people off heroin or other opioids, buprenorphine can be prescribed at primary care clinics and dispensed at neighborhood pharmacies. Federal and state authorities have encouraged more front-line health care professionals to prescribe Suboxone and other medications containing buprenorphine for patients trying to overcome opioid addiction. Federal regulators have made it easier for doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to become certified to offer the service.
NBC - Nov. 30, 2022
Shatterproof and Elevance Health Foundation team up to reduce stigma around substance use
This initiative, sponsored by the national nonprofit organization Shatterproof, and the Elevance Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health Inc., will reach approximately 3,000 healthcare professionals across the country to ensure patients are treated with dignity and open mind when seeking treatment.
Al Dia News - Nov. 30, 2022
Jelly Roll Shines Light On Struggle With Addiction In New Ballad, ‘she’
Jelly Roll has made it his mission to hold nothing back as he delivers the raw truth through his music. His newest song, “she,” does just that as he directly speaks on the fight with addiction. For the release of “she,” Jelly Roll has partnered with Shatterproof, which according to a recent release, is “a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the addiction crisis and the devastation caused by the disease of addiction.”
Country Now - Nov. 30, 2022
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Comments
State / Local
Colorado legalized psilocybin. Now what?
If Oregon’s experience as the first-ever state to legalize psilocybin is any indication, Colorado is in for a long, strange trip as it moves to set up its own legal industry. Enthusiasm about psychedelics among the general public has been growing in recent years, as clinical studies have yielded promising results in psilocybin’s ability to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression and other ailments. Still, legalization in Oregon in 2020 and in Colorado last month passed narrowly — with 56% and 54% support, respectively — proving residents have mixed feelings about setting up a regulated industry around the federally controlled substance found in “magic mushrooms.” Backlash among Oregonians was so swift, in fact, that during the recent midterm election, voters in dozens of counties and cities decided to ban psilocybin services and manufacturers. Some of those bans are temporary, but ultimately they inform where the nascent industry will take root.
Greeley Tribune - Dec. 5, 2022
Ohio: Accountability key for distribution of pharmaceutical settlement money
Money is no replacement for lost and fractured lives, but it can provide resources for prevention and recovery, and Ohio is receiving significant sums from legal settlements with the pharmaceutical industry — more than $800 million from one distributor settlement alone. Thirty percent of these funds will go directly to local governments for immediate relief, treatment, recovery and prevention, while 15 percent will go to the state. The remaining 55 percent — approximately $450 million from the distributor settlement — will be managed by the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization charged with distributing funds to organizations involved in prevention and recovery. A portion of the funds will also create an endowment for future needs.
Dayton Daily News - Dec. 3, 2022
Texas: To combat opioid overdoses, Gov. Greg Abbott says he supports decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday said he supports decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips, reversing his previous opposition to the idea as he tries to fight an increase in opioid overdoses in the state, which he has made a point of emphasis heading into January’s legislative session.
Texas Tribune - Dec. 1, 2022
Texas officials giving Narcan to Austin bars as fentanyl deaths surge: 'Public health crisis'
Travis County, Texas, which includes Austin, is planning to give Narcan to local bars to combat the rise in drug overdoses. Travis County Judge Andy Brown joined "Fox & Friends" Wednesday to discuss the county tackling the overdoses and how fentanyl has affected the area. "Nobody should die because of an addiction and because of those numbers that you just pointed out to us in Travis County, that's exactly what's happening there are people dying of preventable overdose deaths," said Brown.
Fox - Nov. 30, 2022
Massachusetts: More work to be done in fight against opioids, Baker and Healey say
Gathering to reflect Tuesday on how far Massachusetts has come in its fight against opioids, the incoming and outgoing governors also looked ahead to what more must be done. A month after Gov. Charlie Baker took office in 2015, he launched a task force to develop a statewide strategy to tackle opioid addiction. Almost eight years later, Baker and members of that task force — including Attorney General and Gov.-elect Maura Healey — said Massachusetts has made notable strides in supporting recovery and reducing stigma of substance use disoder, but the state still has more to do. That work has taken on a new dynamic since COVID-19 struck, Baker said at an event at A New Way Recovery Center in Quincy.
GBH - Nov. 29, 2022
Studies/Research in the News
Adverse childhood experiences linked to excessive alcohol consumption in college students
New research published in Frontiers in Psychology found a connection between alcohol consumption in college and adverse experiences in childhood. The study revealed that as scores on a measure of adverse childhood experiences increased, so did the likelihood that the individual would have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.
PsyPost - Dec. 4, 2022
Cannabis is eating into alcohol sales, analyst study shows
Crunching data from multiple sources, Cowen analysts chart the impact of legal cannabis on sales of beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages. The increase in cannabis sales in the U.S. will outpace growth of alcoholic-beverage sales in 2022 but will not cripple the booze business by any means, said Cowen Equity Research analyst Vivien Azer.
Morning Star - Dec. 3, 2022
Few Americans aware of cancer risks posed by alcohol: study
Although alcohol consumption is a leading modifiable risk factor for cancer, many Americans are unaware of the link between the disease and drinking. Seven cancer types are associated with alcohol consumption, and risks increase alongside intake. Researchers suggest putting cancer warning labels on beverages could help raise awareness. A low number of Americans are aware of the myriad cancer risks posed by alcohol consumption. Just over 30 percent know liquor can increase the risk of certain cancers, while 25 percent said the same about beer and 20 percent about wine, according to a new study from the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR). More Americans believe wine decreases cancer risk compared with beer and liquor, and over half of those surveyed did not know how the beverages affected cancer risk.
The Hill - Dec. 2, 2022
Deaths From Substance Abuse Rose Sharply Among Older Americans in 2020
Deaths due to substance abuse, particularly of alcohol and opioids, rose sharply among older Americans in 2020, the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, as lockdowns disrupted routines and isolation and fear spread, federal health researchers reported on Wednesday.
New York Times - Nov. 30, 2022
Drug overdose deaths among seniors have more than tripled in two decades
Drug overdose deaths more than tripled among people age 65 and older during the past two decades, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Deaths from alcohol abuse increased more than 18% from 2019 to 2020 among seniors, according to the data. “We’ve got a public health problem coming at our door — these trends have been increasing for a long time now,” said Alexis Kuerbis, an expert on substance use among older adults.
CNBC - Nov. 30, 2022
Opinion
Artist Nan Goldin on addiction and taking on the Sackler dynasty: ‘I wanted to tell my truth’
The American photographer’s battle against the billionaires who fuelled the opioid epidemic upended the art establishment. As a film about her life is released, she talks about family tragedy and her journey from drug abuse to activism.
The Guardian - Dec. 4, 2022
Let’s Raise a Glass to What Prohibition Accomplished
Was prohibition really the policy failure it is made out to be? The obvious answer is yes — of course, it was a failure. A more contrarian argument suggests prohibition was actually a success — pointing at dramatic reductions in alcohol consumption during and after the Prohibition Era, alongside declines in alcohol-related mortality and crime.
POLITICO - Dec. 4, 2022
7 Dos and Don’ts of Celebrating With Sober (and Not Drinking) Friends This Holiday Season
For many, the holiday season is synonymous with celebrating, and celebrating goes hand-in-hand with booze. This reality can make it an uncomfortable time for folks who don’t drink alcohol (whether they’re on a lifelong sobriety journey, or leading a sober- or sober-curious lifestyle for health or other personal reasons). But in the company of supportive loved ones, it certainly doesn’t have to be. Even if you’re planning to imbibe at holiday parties, learning how to support sober friends and family members during the holidays can ensure that everyone is feeling comfortable and included—right on par with the spirit of the season, after all.
Well and Good - Dec. 3, 2022
A Military Wife’s Descent Into Meth Addiction—And Her Agonizing Journey Back
Meth delivered a feeling Lauren would pursue again and again, through tragedy and despair, a sensation that reduced to an afterthought her son, her husband, her health, her freedom and everything else that had once mattered.
Wall Street Journal - Dec. 3, 2022
‘I’ve lost my children to vaping’: the tragic stories behind the soaring rates of youth addiction
How do you help a child who is addicted to nicotine from vaping to quit? It’s a question that Australian parents and doctors are now grappling with.
The Guardian - Dec. 1, 2022
My son is an addict: Helping the public understand addiction
Although addiction or substance abuse disorder has been studied for decades, much of society still views addiction or the addict as morally flawed, or a person who is weak, who has no willpower. This has shaped the medical, the legal, and society’s response to addiction, unfortunately, resulting in the core emphasis of punishment and judgment versus treatment and prevention. Sadly and embarrassingly, prior to my son’s diagnosed addiction and my subsequent research, this was my response as well-even though I am trained in the medical sciences.
Pharos-Tribune - Dec. 1, 2022