The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - March 22, 2023
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
Chronic pain patients struggle to get pain meds under new rules | Even over-the-counter, Narcan may be too costly
Fentanyl
Hugs not drugs? Mexico’s president opines on American fentanyl crisis | Fentanyl crisis requires multi-pronged approach
State and Local
New Mexico proposes 20% alcohol tax increase to pay for treatment | S.F. Bay Area communities testing sewage to track drug use
Studies/Research in the News
Study finds U.S. methadone patients must travel farther than Canadian counterparts | UNL Study: Nebraskans don’t understand use of naloxone
Opinion
To save lives, stop punishing drug users | DEA rules for medication opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment tantamount to malpractice
Books and Movies
Robbins’ new memoir “Stash: My Life in Hiding” adds diversity to quit lit genre
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
National
Reyna Torres Mendivil: Mexican families are not immune to opioid crisis. We need more collaboration.
Mexican families in the U.S. are not exempt from the effects of the opioid crisis. It is necessary to dedicate more joint efforts to respond to the fentanyl epidemic from a health perspective. Therefore, following instructions from Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, the consular network in the United States will play a key role in the health component of our strategy to fight fentanyl.
Chicago Tribune - March 20, 2023
Opioids are devastating Cherokee families. The tribe has a $100 million plan to heal
The fentanyl crisis is hitting young people hard, and the highest death rates are in Native American communities. The Cherokee Nation is working to help young families recover.
NPR - March 19, 2023
Mental health workers shortage has created a growing healthcare crisis
There is a nationwide shortage of mental health professionals, but it’s worse for children and teenagers. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says nearly 1 in 5 children experience a mental health issue, but only about 20% receive care. Melissa Whitson, PH.D studies behavioral health. She says the pandemic worsened the shortage because mental health workers experienced burnout as their caseloads increased. She says if this shortage continues, it may put families at risk.
Fox - March 19, 2023
Chronic pain patients struggle to get opioid prescriptions filled, even as CDC eases guidelines
Jessica Layman estimates she has called more than 150 doctors in the past few years in her search for someone to prescribe opioids for her chronic pain. “A lot of them are straight-up insulting,” said the 40-year-old, who lives in Dallas. “They say things like ‘We don’t treat drug addicts.’” Layman is one of the millions in the U.S. living with chronic pain. Many have struggled to get opioid prescriptions written and filled since 2016 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention inspired laws cracking down on doctor and pharmacy practices. The CDC recently updated those recommendations to try to ease their impact, but doctors, patients, researchers, and advocates say the damage is done.
CNN - March 17, 2023
Even over the counter, Narcan may be too costly to reach many drug users
Before month’s end, federal regulators are poised to allow over-the-counter sale of a nasal spray that reverses the potentially lethal effects of an opioid overdose. But groups that work to reduce the toll of drugs on the streets have one question: Will anybody be able to afford it? “It’s a step in the right direction but I don’t think it’s enough,” said Colin Miller, a co-founder of the Twin City Harm Reduction Collective, which hands out sterile needles and anti-overdose medicines to drug users in Winston-Salem, N.C. “No drug user is going into a pharmacy and paying $47 a kit.”
Washington Post - March 17, 2023
See KORN's Munky open up about battle with suicidal thoughts and addiction
Korn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer has been sober for over 12 years now, but getting there has been a long journey. In a new interview with Dr. Daniel Amen on his YouTube show Scan My Brain, the nu-metal musician spoke candidly about his years-long battle with addiction and depression, including the dark moments in his life when he suffered from suicidal thoughts.
Revolver - March 15, 2023
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Comments
Fentanyl
Americans’ fentanyl crisis happened because they don’t hug kids enough: Mexico president
Mexico’s president said Friday that U.S. families were to blame for the fentanyl overdose crisis because they don’t hug their kids enough. The comment by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador caps a week of provocative statements from him about the crisis caused by the fentanyl, a synthetic opioid trafficked by Mexican cartels that has been blamed for about 70,000 overdose deaths per year in the United States.
PennLive - March 18, 2023
Family impacted by addiction
A North Carolina family impacted by addiction is pushing for help from state leaders. A piece of legislation in the General Assembly would increase the penalties for dealing certain drugs, such as fentanyl. A bill passed through the Senate that would increase the criminal penalties for people dealing certain drugs, such as fentanyl, and hold them more responsible in deaths.
Spectrum News 1 - March 17, 2023
Curbing fentanyl is a national matter of life or death
There were nearly 92,000 drug overdose deaths reported in the United States in 2020. Of those deaths, 56,516 involved synthetic opioids other than methadone, which the National Institute of Drug Abuse identified primarily as fentanyl. The U.S. has to act. First off, we can encourage those with substance abuse disorders to embrace evidence-based treatment programs. Next, U.S. diplomats and other government officers who deal with China should increase pressure on the communist-led government to curb the domestic production and illegal export of fentanyl to the U.S. China says it wants only "win-win" cooperation with the U.S. Its fentanyl policy begs to disagree. Third, we need stricter import controls and law enforcement both at land and sea ports of entry. Fentanyl smuggling needs to come with tougher criminal penalties.
Washinton Examiner - March 16, 2023
Texas Senate unanimously passes bill allowing fentanyl distributors to be charged with murder
The Texas Senate passed a "Combating Fentanyl" bill Wednesday that would open the door for state prosecutors to charge fentanyl distributors with murder. Senate Bill 645, introduced by Sen. Joan Huffman, a Republican representing the Houston area, would change the classification of drug overdoses to "poisonings," according to the Texas Tribune.
Fox - March 16, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
State / Local
New Mexico tax-relief plan includes 20% tax increase on alcohol to pay for addiction treatment
New Mexico’s Legislature passed a $1.1 billion tax relief package Saturday at the close of its annual session as lawmakers tapped a financial windfall from oil production in efforts to break through entrenched cycles of poverty with tax refunds to working families with children, reduced tax rates and increased incentives for private industry. A 20% tax increase on alcohol sales to pay for addiction treatment programs generated praise from legislators — and some criticism that the increase isn’t big enough.
KRQE - March 20, 2023
Alabama: ‘You can’t get sober if you’re dead’: Alabama makes it hard for some to combat overdoses
In places like San Francisco and Philadelphia, organizations and clinics doing that kind of work can provide an array of services including clean syringes, naloxone, testing for HIV and hepatitis and even a supervised space for using drugs. Providing clean syringes to drug users in Alabama is illegal. Public health departments in Alabama have been at the forefront of efforts to increase access to naloxone.
AL.com - March 20, 2023
California finally has a contract to make its own insulin. Next up: naloxone
California will contract with drugmaker Civica Rx to produce its own low-cost insulin, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Saturday. He also unveiled plans for the state to manufacture naloxone, a drug for reversing opioid overdoses.
San Francisco Chronicle - March 18, 2023
WA debates a ‘stick’ for the drug crisis
This is the biggest question facing state lawmakers this year, along with every city mayor: How hard or how soft should they be on drug users? The Senate passed a bill that would make having hard drugs a gross misdemeanor. But city courts around the state would be required to set up a treatment program as an offramp away from jail. When SB 5536 passed the Senate, it split the Democrats, about half of whom feel drugs should be solely a medical issue, not a criminal one.
Seattle Times - March 18, 2023
Are there drugs in the poop? Some Bay Area places are testing sewage to find out
In an effort to better track drug use and overdoses — now among the leading causes of deaths among young and middle-aged adults in many U.S. communities — health and sewage agencies in two Bay Area jurisdictions recently began testing wastewater for traces of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and nicotine.
San Francisco Chronicle - March 17, 2023
Ohio to track overdose deaths as numbers continue to climb
Accidental drug overdose deaths in Ohio reached a record amount in 2021 when more than 5,200 Ohioans died. That’s one of the reasons why Ohio recently launched new data dashboards to track overdose deaths and other substance-use measures for all of the state’s 88 counties. Through these statewide dashboards, the state wants to give communities timely data on trends happening with overdose deaths, along with what intervention strategies work on the local level.
Dayton Daily News - March 17, 2023
Tennessee store allegedly caught selling 'highly addictive' illegal drug
Police seized 38 bottles of Tianeptine, commonly known as ZaZa, Wednesday that they said was being sold illegally, including to undercover operatives, at a Lebanon convenience store. Tianeptine, which has commonly been sold in gas stations under several different names, has gained popularity in recent years, according to authorities. The Lebanon Police Department had been pushing for the drug to be made illegal before the state legislature followed through last year. In July 2022, Tianeptine was added as a schedule 2 controlled substance in Tennessee.
WKRN - March 17, 2023
South Carolina: FTC sues former Myrtle Beach doctor for false addiction, cancer treatments
The Federal Trade Commission is suing Dr. Dalal Akoury and a set of companies she controls that operate as AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. Akoury’s AWAREmed clinic used to be located in Myrtle Beach, but has moved to Johnson City, Tennessee. Akoury is accused of making a wide range of false and unsupported claims for addiction treatment services, cancer treatment services and the treatment of other serious conditions. “The opioid crisis claims lives and destroys communities all across the United States but especially in rural areas,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Doctors peddling phony promises should know that the FTC will use its strengthened authority from Congress to stop them from exploiting Americans struggling with addiction.”
WMBF - March 17, 2023
Pennsylvania’s Casey, Dean back bill that would cut cost of opioid addiction treatment
New legislation, known as the “MORE Savings Act,” sponsored by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., with a companion House bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4th District, would eliminate costs for opioid treatment and recovery support services for people with private insurance plans and for people enrolled under a new Medicare pilot program.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star - March 16, 2023
US Department of Labor finds Honolulu addiction treatment center denied 34 care workers, support staff overtime, minimum wages
A Honolulu substance abuse treatment facility must pay a total of $451,989 in back wages to 34 substance use disorder counselors and kitchen, clerical, maintenance and administrative staff after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation into the center’s illegal pay practices. In some cases, the facility paid workers providing patient care and other services as little as $400 per month. Investigators from the department’s Wage and Hour Division determined Kline Welsh Behavioral Health Foundation – operators of the Sand Island Treatment Center – did not pay affected employees overtime and minimum wages for all hours worked and failed to keep payroll records, all violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
US Department of Labor - March 16, 2023
Oregon: Illegal substances are part of addiction problem in Oregon, but alcohol is biggest killer
Illicit drug use has – understandably – captured the most public attention and generated alarming headlines. Fentanyl can take people’s lives the first time they try it and is responsible for a rapidly increasing share of overdose deaths. But it’s a legal drug that arguably hurts - and kills - the most people. “Alcohol is the great dirty little secret of the pandemic,” said Dr. Robin Henderson, the chief executive for behavioral health for the Providence health system in Oregon. In 2021, alcohol was responsible for far more emergency department visits than any other substance nationally, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Oregon Public Broadcasting - March 15, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Study Examines the Link Between Mental Health and Oral Health
The study, led by Alex Kalaigian of the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, acquired self-reported data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. The study concluded that providers should expect higher levels of oral disease among patients with adverse mental health conditions. Independent of externalizing and substance use problems, symptoms of internalizing problems are a plausible risk factor of future adverse oral health. These results may inform both medical and dental communities in diagnosing and providing treatment to individuals suffering from mental illness.
Neuroscience News - March 18, 2023
Trip to methadone is farther in United States than Canada
People living in the United States must travel significantly farther to access methadone treatment for opioid addiction than Canadians do, research indicates. As reported in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the analysis shows that the average driving distance to the closest methadone clinic accepting new patients was more than three times greater in the US than in Canada. “Our research suggests that the US could benefit from adopting Canada’s more flexible regulatory approach to methadone treatment, which is associated with greater availability of timely treatment, especially in rural areas,” says lead study author Ofer Amram, an assistant professor in Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
Futurity - March 17, 2023
UNL study shows Nebraskans don't understand use of Narcan
As drug addiction expands in Nebraska, Narcan becomes a crucial tool. But a recent study by the University of Lincoln's Rural Drug Research Center shows only a quarter of Nebraskan's understand what it is. "We were expecting maybe a little bit more knowledge in Omaha and Lincoln because we know we've had more overdose deaths in both of those regions, but we didn't see quite as much of that as we thought we would have," said Patrick Habecker, assistant research professor at UNL and co-founder of the study. And only 10-20% know where to get Narcan.
KETV - March 17, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Opinion
Tips On Feeling Confident While Sober (Because You Don't Always Need Liquid Courage)
Once you've learned to socialize with a drink always in hand, it can be a little nerve-wracking going on a first date or attending a wedding stone-cold sober. You may wonder, "Will I still be funny without downing a shot first?" or, "Will I be fun to be around if I don't drink?" The answer: yes and yes. Use these tips to ooze confidence, no liquid courage required.
The List - March 20, 2023
We lost our children to the overdose crisis. To save lives, we must stop punishing those who use drugs.
For over 50 years, our country has been fighting a drug war that has left nothing but the bodies of our babies behind. Yet, our elected representatives in New Jersey and across the country choose to enact policies that perpetuate a punitive approach. But what we really need to address this crisis are compassionate public health solutions. Fighting for these evidence-based solutions is the only way to prevent other families from going through what we have suffered.
NJ.com - March 19, 2023
Michigan public mental health care is seriously understaffed. We can change that.
Due to unprecedented turnover and vacancies in mental health positions in Michigan, many individuals find themselves unable to access the treatment and support they need. There are, however, solutions that can implemented to solve the issue of staffing shortages in the behavior health field.
Detroit Free Press - March 19, 2023
My Journey to Recovery from Alcohol Addiction
I felt lucky to have found that treatment program. But finding good treatment should not be a matter of luck. Because of my own experience, I immediately recognized the value of a free online treatment locator that can help guide users who, like me, know nothing about SUD treatment. Atlas is what compelled me to become a volunteer Shatterproof ambassador and later, an employee who helped launch Atlas in my home state of California.
Shatterproof - March 17, 2023
Ryan Hampton: The DEA’s new telehealth rules are medical malpractice for people with opioid addiction
I worked on Capitol Hill and in state houses across the country for years, before a seemingly benign OxyContin prescription for pain sent me into a decade-long tailspin that nearly ended my life. If I had not been able to access medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment with buprenorphine, I would not be here today. On Feb. 24, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced new federal telemedicine guidelines that will roll back access to buprenorphine over telehealth and will contribute to more opioid overdoses and deaths.
The Hill - March 14, 2023
Where’s proof that ‘safe injection sites’ work?
Two so-called "safe injection sites" have been operating in Manhattan for more than a year, contrary to a January 2021, federal court decision, which judged a similar site in Philadelphia to be in violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act. We know that they’re illegal. What we don’t know is whether they actually help stem the wave of drug use and deaths. That’s because neither New York nor Washington is actually asking that or other key questions about "safe injection."
Fox - March 14, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Books and Movies
New memoir adds diversity to addiction and sobriety literature
SNBC’s Alicia Menendez sits down with author and podcast host Laura Cathcart Robbins to discuss Robbins’ new memoir “Stash: My Life in Hiding,” which details Robbins’ struggle with addiction, and her journey to recovery. Robbins explores why recovery was so challenging for her – as a Black woman, she says, there just wasn’t any sobriety literature out there that catered to her. That’s something she hopes to change with her book, she tells American Voices.
MSNBC - March 19, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments