The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - August 23, 2023
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
Rural black opioid addiction is on the rise | KFF: Majority of Americans have been affected by addiction; most haven’t sought treatment
State and Local
Philadelphia outreach program on the front lines with xylazine | Wisconsin program aims to help inmates avoid post-release opioid addiction
Studies/Research in the News
Does research support psychedelics for addiction treatment? | KFF: Most U.S. adults have a personal or family connection to addiction
Opinion
Bringing addiction treatment “inside the house of medicine” | What is a meaningful definition of addiction recovery?
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National
Rural Black Opioid Addiction is on the Rise
While America has finally digested the idea that “hard” drug users can be white, the real, not-so-new face of addiction is a Black one. But it’s not the Black drug users you’ve seen on The Wire, or likely anywhere else on screen. The new face is rural Black people.
Time - Aug. 22, 2023
Legendary pro wrestler Hulk Hogan details 'vicious cycle' of painkiller addiction after string of surgeries
The now 70-year-old Hogan, whose birth name is Terry Gene Bollea, spoke about the physical toll the sports have taken on his body over the decades. He also opened up about his addiction to prescription painkillers following a string of surgeries. "I had doctors writing me prescription after prescription, and all of a sudden, it became a vicious cycle," Hogan told "Muscle And Health."
Fox - Aug. 22, 2023
Bradley Cooper on How Past Addiction Helped Him in ‘A Star Is Born’
Bradley Cooper recently went deep into the icy canyons of the Wyoming Basin, where he opened up about his sobriety with Bear Grylls. On a Season 2 episode of National Geographic’s “Running Wild With Bear Grylls,” the British adventurer asked Cooper about his most meaningful roles.
Variety - Aug. 21, 2023
How US veterans of Afghanistan face homelessness and addiction after coming home
Veterans of America's longest war are working to reintegrate into society – something that is much more difficult than it seems. Many have returned with physical and psychological wounds, some of which make them unable to work. Those who can work are sometimes unable to find jobs or readjust to civilian life, leaving them to fall through the cracks in a society that tends to remember only the dead. A US Army veteran and a Virginia native, Ms Snyder retired in 2009 after 21 years in the service, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. The former Black Hawk pilot now dedicates her time to helping veterans rebuild their lives after returning from war.
The National News - Aug. 19, 2023
Alcohol And Opioid Addiction Casts Huge Shadow Over US
Two-thirds of US adults say either they or a family member have been addicted to alcohol or drugs – but the impact of alcohol still substantially out-paces that of drugs, despite the country’s massive opioid epidemic. This is the finding from a survey of a representative sample of US adults conducted last month by KFF, which was released this week.
Health Policy Watch - Aug. 18, 2023
Parenting an Adult Addict: Be Kind to Yourself
The majority of adults in the U.S. have been affected by addiction—either their own or a family member's. Opening up and admitting the pain that you're experiencing due to an adult child's addiction is freeing. No matter how much you love your adult child, refusing to acknowledge their problem does more harm than good.
Psychology Today - Aug. 18, 2023
Sarah Gad was a felon and addicted to drugs. Then she became a lawyer
‘I want to be the kind of advocate that I wish I had when I was at my lowest point,’ said attorney Sarah Gad, who was a repeat drug offender from 2013 to 2015. Like many people who become addicted to opioids, Gad’s drug dependency began with a doctor’s prescription in 2012 after she was injured in a car crash. She was a medical school student at the University of Pittsburgh on a full scholarship at the time, and she had a whole world of opportunities ahead of her.
Washington Post - Aug. 16, 2023
Addiction Treatment Eludes More Than Half of Americans in Need
Roughly three in 10 adults have been addicted to opioids or have a family member who has been, and less than half of those with a substance use disorder have received treatment, according to a new survey conducted by KFF, a health policy research group. And the findings suggest that some proven medications for helping curb drug cravings, such as buprenorphine and methadone, are still not getting to those who need them. Only 25 percent of participants in the poll who said they or someone in their family had an opioid addiction reported receiving medication for themselves or family members.
New York Times - Aug. 15, 2023
Majority of Americans have been affected by addiction; most haven't sought help
According to A Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll released Tuesday two out of three adults in the U.S. said they have been impacted by addiction either personally or through a family member.
ABC 11 - Aug. 15, 2023
Nearly 1 in 10 adults in the US has lost a family member to drug overdose, new KFF poll finds
The drug epidemic has become deadlier than ever in the United States in recent years, and a new poll from KFF captures the significant toll that substance use has had on families nationwide. More than a quarter of adults surveyed say they or a member of their family has been addicted to prescription painkillers or other illegal opioids, and nearly 1 in 10 adults has had a family member die of a drug overdose, the poll found.
CNN - Aug. 15, 2023
Majority of US adults say addiction has affected their family in some way
Two-thirds of U.S. adults have been impacted in some way by the nation’s substance use crisis, a new KFF Tracking Poll found. Sixty-six percent of respondents in the poll said either they themselves or a family member have experienced addiction to alcohol or drugs, homelessness due to addiction, or an overdose resulting in an emergency room visit, hospitalization or death.
The Hill - Aug. 15, 2023
San Francisco 'doom loop' walking tour gets visitors 'close and personal to the squalor'
Tourists curious about San Francisco’s “urban decay” of abandoned shops, open-air drug use and homeless encampments can get a guided tour of the whole thing. Community activists scoffed at the idea.
New York Post - Aug. 15, 2023
Xylazine causes open wounds, making the illegal drug supply even more dangerous
Baltimore's harm reduction vans have long been a place for people to exchange used needles for clean needles. In recent months, more people have been coming to Baltimore's two mobile harm intervention vans in need of serious wound care due to a drug called xylazine. Among users, it is commonly referred to as Tranq.
NPR - Aug. 13, 2023
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Comments
State / Local
California: San Francisco Supervisor Defends Dropping Support for Addiction-Treatment Centers
“I think there’s a way to make custodial and coercive interventions lifesaving interventions,” says Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who is asking the mayor to shift funding from a neighborhood addiction treatment center toward jail health services, including forcing treatment for people in jail who are struggling with substance abuse disorder. Supervisor Matt Dorsey received backlash this month for asking the mayor to redirect the entire $18.9 million in city funding budgeted for a new drop-in addiction treatment center toward jails instead.
San Francisco Public Press - Aug. 22, 2023
Pennsylvania: Kensington outreach program helps those fighting addiction get treatment
When it parks on Kensington Avenue, the team inside from Girard Behavioral Wellness Center, one of the city’s oldest addiction treatment organizations, steps out to try to encourage people with addiction into treatment. Nowadays, the first question nurse Elaina Rodriguez asks of patients who approach her is whether or not they have any wounds. It’s a sign of the spread of the animal tranquilizer xylazine through Philadelphia’s drug supply — and it’s made the Girard team’s already difficult job that much harder.
Philadelphia Inquirer - Aug. 22, 2023
California: SF jail health officials say they need more staff—not more money
Supervisor Matt Dorsey sparked controversy this month after he asked the mayor for a major budget reallocation: Moving the entire $18.9 million budget slated for a drop-in opioid treatment center to fund health services in jail instead. But while several doctors agreed funding treatment behind bars is scientifically-proven to improve patient health and reduce overdose risk upon release, the Department of Public Health already runs an in-jail treatment program — and has done so for decades. Officials at the existing Jail Health Services program say it is highly unlikely adding $18.9 million to their budget would significantly alter the program or benefit patients. Instead, they say, the need is for more services once a resident is released.
Mission Local - Aug. 18, 2023
Wisconsin: Program Aims To Help Inmates Avoid Opioid Addiction After Release
Stockton believes part of his recovery is due to a medication-assisted treatment program he started when he was still behind bars. That program, Behind the Walls, operates at the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center. It pairs counseling with medications that help with withdrawal and other medications that help neutralize the effects of opioids.
Wisconsin Public Radio - Aug. 17, 2023
North Carolina: ‘HEALTH CARE, NOT HANDCUFFS’: Mental health, addiction highlighted in Cooper’s Hamlet roundtable
During a roundtable discussion on Medicaid expansion at the Hamlet Depot on Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper turned the conversation toward mental health and substance abuse. The governor, addressing Hamlet Police Chief Dennis Brown, said he’s heard about the challenges faced by law enforcement by those with mental health and addiction issues.
Richmond Observer - Aug. 17, 2023
Ohio: Overdose Awareness Day connects public with real life stories and resources for addiction
Health organizations in Findlay reached out to educate the public about overdose and prevention on Thursday. Overdose Awareness Day at Dorney Plaza aims to connect people directly with those who can refer them to resources to get help, teach them to help others and share personal experiences about the reality of drug addiction and overdoses.
Hometown Station - Aug. 17, 2023
West Virginia: Event helping those struggling with addiction, taking place in Lincoln County, WV
Southern West Virginia will be the backdrop of a party with a purpose, to help those struggling with substance abuse disorder. Lincoln County will host the 3rd annual ‘Reaching for Recovery event,’ featuring many different activities the whole family will enjoy. There will be live music, inflatables, paddle boards, a dunk tank and numerous speakers.
WOWKTV - Aug. 17, 2023
Georgia: September statewide bus tour set to draw attention to resources that support Georgians struggling with addiction
A convoy of behavioral health care groups is hitting the road for a statewide bus tour in time for national recovery month in September. At a press conference this week, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities announced they are partnering with the Georgia Council for Recovery and the Clinton Foundation for a 48-stop bus tour called Mobilize Recovery Across Georgia that aims to raise awareness for the over 800,000 Georgians living in long-term recovery.
Georgia Recorder - Aug. 17, 2023
Pennsylvania: 'Rock for Recovery' aims to destigmatize addiction with day of music, local resources
Joey Pagano of Monongahela is a recovering drug addict who has been clean and sober since June 1, 2013. Pagano has maintained his sobriety, met his future wife while in recovery, and co-authored a book, “No Addict Left Behind,” which published this spring and set him on a path that will lead to speaking engagements in the coming year at the University of London and in Spain. He is also clinical director for the nonprofit Club Serenity, which will host an all-day event, “Rock for Recovery,” on Aug. 20 at the City Park Amphitheater in Monessen.
Trib Live - Aug. 17, 2023
Colorado: Homeless recovery advocate against shelter first approach
Five years after roaming the streets of San Francisco as a homeless person struggling with heroin and fentanyl addiction, Tom Wolf offered a stark message to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston: His "housing first" approach to solving the homeless crisis won't work. Not unless, Wolf said, the city tackles what he describes as the root cause of homelessness — drug addiction and mental health.
Denver Gazette - Aug. 15, 2023
Studies/Research in the News
Gut Microbiome and Addiction May Be Linked
Addiction is a mental illness that prioritizes immediate gratification despite potential long-term consequences. According to a recent study, the gut microbiome may influence addiction, and the connection is highly possible given the presence of the gut-brain axis.
Health News - Aug. 18, 2023
Do the Data Support Psychedelics in Addiction Therapy?
There are few data concerning the role of psychedelics in the treatment of alcohol use disorder, but one controlled, randomized trial evaluated the efficacy of psilocybin. That trial was published in JAMA Psychiatry in 2022. In sum, for psychiatrists, psychedelics are promising in addiction therapy, but healthcare professionals, public authorities, and society as a whole must be better informed about their use, and received ideas must be dispelled.
Medscape - Aug. 17, 2023
Teenage smokers have different brains than non-smoking teens, study suggests
A new study suggests that the brains of teenagers who take up smoking may be different from those of adolescents who don't take up the habit — data that could help treat and prevent nicotine addiction from an early age. A research team led by the universities of Cambridge and Warwick in Britain and Fudan University in China found that teens who started smoking cigarettes by 14 years of age had significantly less grey matter in a section of the brain's left frontal lobe.
CBS - Aug. 16, 2023
Most U.S. adults have a family or personal connection to addiction: poll
Addiction is affecting the family relationships, mental health and finances of most adults in the U.S., according to a new KFF poll.
Axios - Aug. 15, 2023
Nearly 1 in 10 adults in the US has lost a family member to drug overdose, new KFF poll finds
The drug epidemic has become deadlier than ever in the United States in recent years, and a new poll from KFF captures the significant toll that substance use has had on families nationwide. More than a quarter of adults surveyed say they or a member of their family has been addicted to prescription painkillers or other illegal opioids, and nearly 1 in 10 adults has had a family member die of a drug overdose, the poll found.
CNN - Aug. 15, 2023
Reduced grey matter in frontal lobes linked to teenage smoking and nicotine addiction
Levels of grey matter in two parts of the brain may be linked to a desire to start smoking during adolescence and the strengthening of nicotine addiction, a new study has shown.
University of Cambridge - Aug. 15, 2023
Opinion
Bringing addiction treatment 'inside the house of medicine'
"We've got to bring addiction care inside the house of medicine," said addiction expert Keith Humphreys, who is the Esther Ting Memorial Professor. "What if we treated this like a chronic disease? You wouldn't have these set-aside specialty systems, these recovery farms off somewhere totally outside the medical system. Instead, you would have it set up the way we set up oncology or cardiology or pediatrics or geriatrics."
Stanford Medicine - Aug. 17, 2023
A Meaningful Definition of Addiction Recovery
The concept of recovery from addiction has existed since AAs founding, but with no clear definition. A clear definition would be useful as an attractive guide and a measure of accountability. William White's 2007 essay still offers the clearest and most complete proposed definition.
Psychology Today - Aug. 16, 2023