The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - July 26, 2023
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
Texas A&M prof. suspended for criticizing state’s handling of opioid crisis | State-by-state opioid settlement fund advisory councils
State and Local
Washington tries “health hubs” to address addiction, NY tries mobile units | Shatterproof’s Treatment Atlas database grows in Pennsylvania
Studies/Research in the News
Some providers still hesitate to prescribe buprenorphine to treat addiction | Insurance can create barriers to prescribing buprenorphine effectively
Opinion
Dopey: The Triumph and Tragedy of the “World’s Greatest” Podcast | Is Canada ready for the “Portugal” model?
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National
Texas A&M put professor on leave for allegedly criticizing Dan Patrick
The professor, an expert on the opioids crisis, was placed on paid administrative leave and investigated, raising questions about the extent of political interference in higher education, particularly in health-related matters.
Texas Tribune - July 25, 2023
What to know about Tony Bennett's health struggles, from Alzheimer's to addiction
Legendary singer Tony Bennett has died at age 96, just a few weeks shy of his 97th birthday. Bennett had been public about his health struggles before his death. Bennett wrote in his 1998 memoir, "The Good Life," that he became swept away by drugs in the '70s when he and his family moved to Hollywood.
Today - July 21, 2023
The Meaning Behind Jelly Roll's Song of Addiction and Recovery "Save Me"
Originally released as a single on Jelly Roll’s 2020 album, Self Medicated, “Save Me” is a story about the undoing of addiction and finding a way out.
American Songwriter - July 21, 2023
How to support employees with substance use problems
Because of the stigma associated with substance use, struggling people aren’t given many opportunities to succeed—especially in the workplace. Employees’ fears of being judged and stigmatized about psychological problems are palpable; according to our recent study, only 7% of the U.S. workforce feels that they can ask their employer for help related to substance use. Only 1 in 6 employers offer support or treatment for these problems.
Quartz - July 20, 2023
The Painful Legacy of ‘Law and Order’ Treatment of Addiction in Jail
Walker County’s challenges are indicative of those faced across the country. People with addictions often end up incarcerated, and Stephen Taylor, a Birmingham-based doctor and president-elect of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, points to a failure of the public health system to create a sustainable and robust addiction care infrastructure.
Kaiser Family Foundation - July 19, 2023
Meet the People Deciding How to Spend $50 Billion in Opioid Settlement Cash
As more than $50 billion makes its way to state and local governments to compensate for the opioid epidemic, people with high hopes for the money are already fighting over a little-known bureaucratic arm of the process: state councils that wield immense power over how the cash is spent. KFF Health News, along with Johns Hopkins University and Shatterproof, a national nonprofit focused on the addiction crisis, gathered and analyzed data on council members in all states to create the first database of its kind.
Kaiser Family Foundation - July 10, 2023
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
State / Local
Washington: WA doctors detail pros, cons of fentanyl addiction treatment methods
Fentanyl’s unique properties can send those starting buprenorphine into an agonizing state of sudden, or “precipitous,” withdrawal, leaving providers scrambling to devise new approaches. But no universally adopted treatment protocols have taken hold so far. “It’s just kind of word-of-mouth and what’s happening in your local community,” said Dr. Nate Kittle, who oversees addiction care across HealthPoint, a nonprofit running primary and urgent care clinics throughout King County. “We’re still learning the best ways to do this.” Doctors are trying a variety of methods.
Seattle Times - July 23, 2023
Washington: Is WA’s health ‘hub’ model the ‘secret sauce’ in treating fentanyl addiction?
A state advisory committee recommended setting up a health hub within a one-hour drive of most locations throughout Washington.The hubs would provide a range of medical and social services as well as harm reduction strategies aimed at improving the health and well-being of people who use drugs — regardless of whether they’re trying to stop. If judged successful, the model may spread.
Seattle Times - July 23, 2023
Pennsylvania's addiction treatment database grows
Pennsylvania officials have announced an expansion of the directory that helps residents find addiction services, part of a multiyear effort to simplify the process of finding licensed providers for drug and alcohol problems. An anti-addiction nonprofit group called Shatterproof built the atlas for $1.1 million — money that came from a federal block grant to fund substance abuse prevention and treatment, according to a DDAP contract.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - July 22, 2023
New York: Heroin Dealer Feigned Addiction To Get Clients, Resulting In Fatal Jericho Overdose
James Tunstall, also known as “Math,” was sentenced on Thursday, July 20 to 30 years in prison for distributing heroin which led to the death of a 24-year-old Jericho man, the US District Attorney’s Eastern District of New York Office announced. When he would get caught, Tunstall would regularly feign an opioid addiction so that he could get out of jail time and instead be put in court-mandated rehabilitation programs. At rehab, Tunstall would amass new clients to sell drugs to. He would even go as far as to provide his customers with his own clean urine that they could use to pass drug tests.
Daily Voice - July 21, 2023
New York gets medication mobile unit to help fight addiction
A new medication mobile unit is driving around New York state. State leaders say this is the first Mobile Medication Unit and it will provide a wide range of addiction services and other medical care. The Office of Addiction Services and Supports reports this will remove a barrier to care and support long-term health. The effort is being funded by a $550,000 federal grant.
WCAX - July 21, 2023
Oregon: Portland, Multnomah County point fingers back at state leaders after letter urging them to act on addiction crisis
Letters exchanged within the past several months suggest a significant disconnect between state and local leaders over how to deal with Portland's highly visible drug addiction crisis.
KGW - July 20, 2023
Texas: El Paso County's 'discriminatory' land-use code limited access to addiction recovery facilities
Addiction recovery organizations are praising the Colorado Court of Appeal’s recent ruling that a section of El Paso County’s land-use code was discriminatory and violated federal law. For years, El Paso County had a land-use code on the books that capped the number of people who could live in a group home facility at five. However, other group homes, like elderly residents, had an eight-person limit.
KRDO - July 20, 2023
Illinois: Caller turns self in to Jacksonville police, asks for help with addiction
A caller contacted Jacksonville Police Department on Monday and said he wanted to turn himself in for using drugs. In response to the call, the officer tried to find the caller assistance to deal with his addiction."That's very uncommon," Jacksonville Police Lt. Sean Walker said. "Generally, in a situation like that, we would do all we could to get to them into a rehab facility. If space is not available, we'd refer them to the hospital, because they are better equipped to deal with those kinds of situations."
My Journal Courier - July 20, 2023
Texas: Tackling substance addiction: Aggie aims to bring collegiate recovery program to Texas A&M
KBTX - July 20, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Providers still hesitate to prescribe buprenorphine, study finds
Significant challenges remain before most American clinicians feel comfortable treating patients with buprenorphine, according to a new study. While the federal government’s recent moves to deregulate buprenorphine have led to a bump in new prescribers, it didn’t lead to a significant bump in overall prescribing volume. Many health care providers still see prescribing buprenorphine as difficult, or simply have little interest in using the medication, according to the study.
Stat - July 21, 2023
UW researcher says there's a simple way to help people addicted to fentanyl
Research argues that for patients addicted to fentanyl or other opioids, decades-old FDA guidelines are keeping them from getting an effective dose of buprenorphine. The guidelines don’t mandate what providers can prescribe, but many insurers only cover up to the maximum recommended dose.
KUOW - July 19, 2023
New Treatment Helps People Stop Using Addictive Opioid Painkillers
Scientists from the University of Warwick and The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough have led a clinical study, financed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), on a new treatment that could aid individuals in discontinuing their reliance on opioid painkillers for chronic pain management. The study, titled I-WOTCH (Improving the Wellbeing of People with Opioid Treated Chronic Pain), found that the intervention program helped 1 in 5 people come off their opioids within one year, without substituting medication and without making their pain worse.
Sci Tech Daily - July 19, 2023
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Opinion
DOPEY: THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST PODCAST
When Dopey started in January of 2016, Dave was a 41-year-old Jewish deli waiter from New York City who in his 20s had hosted a college-music cable show on the Burly Bear Network but had then slid into the embrace of heroin and stayed there for around 15 years – until just four months before the podcast started. Whether we are addicts or not, for those of us whose pursuit of roads less traveled has left us less secure in many ways than our more life-by-the-numbers peers, these guys were warm, thought-provoking, and optimistic company.
Spin - July 24, 2023
Canada's probably too incompetent to make Portugal’s drug-addiction model work here
Portugal is being commended in some unlikely corners in Canada for its model that eschews criminalization of individual users — which just about everyone seems to agree is pointless — but that also insists addicts enter and complete treatment as an alternative to criminal sanctions. After Portugal implemented its decriminalization-and-treatment plan, overdose deaths did indeed fall dramatically, as did the prison population and urban crime. Let us now consider the state of Canada’s health-care systems, which would (presumably) be charged with implementing mandatory treatment programs of the sort that the Portuguese model’s Canadian supporters support.
The National Post - July 24, 2023
Minnesota's first addiction and recovery leader must tackle a spike in overdose deaths
Jeremy Drucker’s recovery from escalating substance abuse began with that hospital visit and has now led him back to the State Capitol. Late last year, Gov. Tim Walz chose Drucker, now 44 and 11 years sober, to be the state's first director of addiction and recovery. Still in its development stage, the office will have a staff of five full-time employees and an annual budget of $1 million for the next two years. The mission is to provide quality, accessible and culturally responsive services every step of the way.
Minneapolis Star-Tribune - July 23, 2023
Can Jelly Roll Heal the Broken Soul of America?
Jelly Rollmania makes perfect sense. In a country riddled with crises — the opioid epidemic, mass incarceration, the mental health crisis and gun violence among them — Jelly Roll’s music is an expression not just of musical tastes, but also of a desperate national hunger for healing and recovery.
New York Times - July 23, 2023
Twins run in my family. So does addiction.
My family has a ton of twins in it, and many have struggled with addiction. One of my twin sisters, Katy, died on December 2022. Now I worry about my other twin sister, having lost her twin.
Insider - July 23, 2023
Santa Clara County should be proactive about treating drug addiction
Santa Clara County seems to have forgotten that being proactive beats being reactive. Having rehab on demand is more cost effective than having emergency rooms and jail cells filled with individuals who just need treatment for addiction problems caused by capitalism. Having mental health facilities with doctors who actually treat their patients is more cost effective than an emergency psych ward with a revolving door for poor individuals.
San Jose Spotlight - July 20, 2023
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Books and Movies
Hagerstown showcased in motion picture about addiction recovery and treatment
Hagerstown is on the big screen with a serious message about conquering addiction. The Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown was recently a venue for premiere of the documentary film, Surviving the Hill. The film showcased addiction recovery and treatment programs in Hagerstown.
DC News Now - July 17, 2023
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Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Let’s Talk Addiction and Recovery (Hazelden Betty Ford) – Title
Ketamine is the source of some controversy: it works wonders for depression, and fast. But it's also addictive and potentially triggering for people in recovery. It's proven to effectively treat severe depression that won't respond to other medications. But because it affects so many receptor sites in the brain, and because it causes hallucinations and other psychedelic effects, there's a lot to consider. Former Chief Medical Officer Marvin Seppala, MD, joins host William C. Moyers to discuss.
Recovery in the Middle Ages – Title
Your best thinking got you here. It’s a common enough slogan in AA and other 12 Step programs, but what does it mean? Einstein said that you cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that caused it. Does that mean we shouldn’t question the methods and philosophical underpinnings or recovery programs? Or is there perhaps a place for self-empowerment and self- reliance in recovery. Mike and Nat debate the implications of checking your brain at the door and whether it’s a necessary predicate to achieving lasting recovery.
Flourishing After Addiction with Carl Erik Fisher, M.D. – Title
Taking care of our relationships is a crucial way we take care of ourselves and the wider world. Some of the most common questions I get in my clinical practice and from listeners are questions about how to navigate relationships in addiction and recovery: couples, parents and kids, or otherwise. So I wanted to have a clinically focused episode about this important issue, and it was my great pleasure to talk with my good friend and wise colleague, Dr. Bevin Campbell, a psychotherapist who focuses on relationships, addiction, and recovery.
Heart of the Matter - Title
After a counterfeit tablet purchased on social media took their son Charlie’s life, Ed and Mary Ternan were determined to take action. Rather than blame social media companies for sales of dangerous substances, Ed and Mary saw an opportunity to make a change. They created the nonprofit Song for Charlie to raise awareness about fentanyl and fentanyl-laced substances being sold to young people on social media. Many counterfeit pills are made to look like prescription opioids and are more lethal than ever before.
Dopey – Title
This week on Dopey! Wall to Wall Dopey as Jay returns to cohost and go over more of his debaucherous past and his present in recovery. Then we have the honor of welcoming DopeyCon veteran,Joelle the comic genius behind the Instagram account 'Namaste at Home Dad'. Joelle brings the Dopey as well telling the story of how her grandfather participated in her opiate addiction! Plus much much more on an all new crazy town new episode of Dopey!
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