The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - December 13, 2023
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
Racial disparity in addiction treatment | U.S. Senate Health Committee considers key addiction legislation | Tampa Bay Times reports on Florida kratom deaths
State and Local
Maryland faces shortage of Suboxone to treat addiction | Oregon lawmakers continue to discuss Measure 110 which decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs
Studies/Research in the News
A new pill for alcohol use disorder?
Opinion
Substance use is not pathology | Ibogaine helped me beat addiction but I oppose Kentucky research on hallucinogenic therapies
Books and Movies
7 addiction and recovery memoirs by women | In “Witness to Addiction” a mother chronicles her journey with son’s addiction
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
National
Racial disparity in addiction treatment access highlights inequities of opioid epidemic
The CDC says synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, contributed to about 75,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2022. It's a crisis that hits every demographic group, but there are large racial disparities between who is offered the most effective treatment and who isn't. Across the U.S., overdose deaths among Black people are rising faster than any other ethnic group, but they are far less likely to be prescribed these medications that are proven to treat opioid addiction. A recent study shows that white patients receive [medications for opioid use disorder] up to 80 percent more frequently than Black patients.
PBS - Dec. 8, 2023
‘They’re just predators.’ How brokers make big money off people seeking addiction treatment.
Patient brokers impersonate reputable substance abuse treatment facilities to get referral payments, or kickbacks, that can be as high as $10,000 per patient, experts in the addiction treatment industry and patient advocates said. They operate here in New Jersey and across the country, flouting state and federal laws to deceive addicts — treating them as cash cows — at a time when they are desperate for help.
NJ.com - Dec. 8, 2023
Former Jacksonville Jaguars employee accused of stealing more than $22 million has ‘serious gambling addiction,’ says lawyer
The former employee of the Jacksonville Jaguars who has been accused of stealing more than $22 million from the NFL team to fund a lavish lifestyle suffers from a “serious gambling addiction,” according to his lawyer.
CNN - Dec. 8, 2023
Clemson philosopher explores the intersection of ethics, medicine and addiction
His work aims, in part, to understand how addiction affects ordinary life in a state seeing an alarming increase in the number of drug overdose deaths. “I think what the neuroscience of addiction ultimately tells us about how the ordinary economy of choice, judgment and action is affected by brain changes that are caused by long-term exposure to addictive drugs – that’s a philosophical matter rather than a purely scientific one because the way we think about choice, judgment, and action invokes all of these evaluative notions like blame, anger, forgiveness and moral or even legal responsibility.”
Clemson - Dec. 8, 2023
Former Miss America Runner-Up Reveals Alcohol Addiction
A former runner-up for Miss America is getting candid about her addiction and how alcoholism landed her in jail twice. Last week, Cullen Johnson Hill — who placed second in the Miss America 1995 pageant behind Heather Whitestone — posted an emotional video on TikTok sharing her longtime struggle with fans while vowing to turn her life around.
People - Dec. 8, 2023
Charlie Sheen Recalls Past Alcohol And Drug Addiction
Charlie Sheen has opened up about his past experience with alcohol and drug addiction, revealing he’s nearly six years sober.
BuzzFeed - Dec. 8, 2023
Hundreds died using kratom in Florida. It was touted as safe.
A Tampa Bay Times investigation found that more than 580 people in Florida have died from kratom-related overdoses during the past decade — even as the industry has touted the safety of its products. Most of the deaths were caused by a fatal mixture of kratom and at least one other substance, but 46 people overdosed solely on the herb.
Tampa Bay Times - Dec. 7, 2023
ASAM Issues New Guidance Prioritizing Patient-Focused Addiction Treatment
The newly released fourth edition criteria from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has a renewed focus on holistic and patient-centered care for treating substance use disorders (SUD). The renewed focus on patient-centered care takes into account barriers to treatment access. It encourages providers to consider each patient’s social determinants of health and personal preferences when developing treatment plans.
Behavioral Health Business - Dec. 7, 2023
WHO pushes for higher taxes on alcohol, sugary drinks
The World Health Organization (WHO) is pushing for higher taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks, arguing many countries are not using taxes to encourage healthier habits.
The Hill - Dec. 6, 2023
Running Through the Night to Confront the Darkness of Substance Addiction
Ultrarunner Yassine Diboun found his own unique way to help those in recovery move through darkness together. It’s working. Diboun has become a fixture in Portland’s trail running scene, a Columbia-sponsored runner and one of the most electric and positive forces in the U.S. ultrarunning scene today. He is also an athlete in active substance addiction recovery since 2004.
Outside - Dec. 6, 2023
Senate Health Committee to consider opioid addiction legislation
The Senate Health Committee will meet next week to consider a sweeping legislative package aimed at combatting the opioid epidemic. The heart of the package will be a reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act, which focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery services for opioid misuse, including fentanyl. The package being considered next week will also contain other addiction-focused bills that have already been introduced, including one that would continue to allow providers to prescribe controlled substances like medications for opioid use disorder over telemedicine.
The Hill - Dec. 5, 2023
Muppets from Sesame Workshop help explain opioid addiction to young children
A few years ago, Sesame Workshop, the umbrella organization for the show Sesame Street, began developing some of the first materials specifically created for children aged 1 to 6 whose parents may use drugs or in recovery. Now, a recent grant from the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts will enable Sesame Workshop to produce more videos, stories and resources focused on addiction, treatment, and healing.
NPR - Dec. 4, 2023
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Comments
State / Local
Maryland: Suboxone treats opioid addiction, but in Maryland it’s in short supply
Maryland pharmacies aren’t stocking enough of the addiction treatment drug buprenorphine, threatening efforts to stem the growing number of overdose deaths from opioids like fentanyl. The drug, also known by the brand name Suboxone, has been proven to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms that can send people to buy untrustworthy street drugs. It’s among three types of opioid treatment drugs but favored because patients can pick up a month’s worth at a pharmacy and take it daily at home. Many people take it long-term.
Baltimore Banner - Dec. 6, 2023
Oregon lawmakers discuss drug addiction crisis, Measure 110
Oregon's Measure 110 to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs may not have created the state's addiction or mental health crises, but it has exacerbated problems, lawmakers charged with introducing policy suggestions to respond to the crisis were told Monday.
Salem Statesman Journal - Dec. 6, 2023
Oregon: Some want repeal. Others want tweaks. But nobody seems to want the status quo in the drug crisis
Oregonians who packed a legislative hearing on the state’s addiction crisis and flooded the Legislature with passionate testimony have vastly different viewpoints, but on one thing they agree: The status quo is not working. Some want to repeal Measure 110, the state’s voter-approved drug decriminalization law. Others say it needs to be tweaked. And it’s up to lawmakers to find solutions to Oregon addiction crisis that has killed scores of people and affected most people’s lives.
Oregon Capital Chronicle - Dec. 6, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Why Adial is developing a pill for alcohol addiction: 'Abstinence is not the only road to recovery’
We sat down with Cary Claiborne, CEO and president of Adial Pharma, to discuss the challenges of treating alcohol abuse and company's solution – a serotonin-3 receptor antagonist that could affect neurotransmitters like dopamine and modulate the behavioural effects of alcohol.
BioPharma Reporter - Dec. 7, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Opinion
Rethinking Addiction: Substance use is not a pathology
Substance use is not a pathology. Most substance use does not result in dependency. Focus on the substance has distracted from the causes and treatments of dependency.
Psychology Today - Dec. 11, 2023
I Was Hooked on Opioids for Years. A Turning Point Changed My Life
The concept of taking a pill to improve one's mood was introduced to me at a very young age, so the beginning of my addiction story is not unique. Like many teenagers, I experimented, but the difference lies in the timing. In 2006, when I was 17, research was published suggesting that OxyContin was addictive. I tried OxyContin for the first time when I was 14 with my friends, and we didn't fully understand what we were using. This was a common experience for many people, especially in South Florida where I'm from, as pill mills were big, and cheap OxyContin was readily available on the streets.
Newsweek - Dec. 8, 2023
Ibogaine helped me beat heroin addiction, but I oppose Kentucky funding psychedelic research
Kentucky is grappling with a devastating overdose crisis that demands urgent action. To effectively combat this public health emergency, there is a need to dramatically increase access to housing, harm reduction and other evidence-based treatments. But recently, deep-pocketed political interests from outside Kentucky are pushing an unconventional solution which should raise alarm.
Courier-Journal - Dec. 7, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Books and Movies
Richland author addresses son's addiction to help others fight opioid epidemic in new book
A Richland mother has released a book chronicling her son's addiction journey amidst the ongoing opioid epidemic in America. Michele Gerber, PhD, wrote “Witness to Addiction: My Son’s Journey and How Each Person Can Fight America’s Opioid Epidemic" to highlight how addiction can happen to anyone and to let people know about treatment resources and how to respond.
NBC - Dec. 7, 2023
7 Memoirs About Addiction by Women Writers
The books on this list offer the reader (and writer) a variety of answers to the question of how, if not why, we write candidly about the unfeminine, scandalous upend-your-life decisions our bodies and minds make to help us cope. They also expose the insidious ways in which addiction can unfold in the most unlikely places and at the most inopportune times. They are also full of hard-earned grace and/or humor, two things we all need more of when we look in the mirror.
Electric Lit - Dec. 5, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments