The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - January 24, 2023

The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.

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Highlights

National
The rise and fall of confrontational addiction treatment | Addiction in the primary campaign
State and Local
Minnesota opens statewide addiction call center | Oregon task force looks at impact of alcohol in state
Studies/Research in the News
The potential of deep brain stimulation of opioid use disorder
Opinion
Addiction exhibited located above Harvard’s Sackler museum
Books and Movies
Dr. Nzinga Harrison releases new book, “Un-Addiction" | Days of Wine and Roses - The musical?
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments

National

Opioid settlement funds can help create and expand recovery housing
The sheer numbers of individuals struggling with addiction, as well as the resilience and potential of those in recovery, amplify the importance for each of us to take part in supporting their journey by providing meaningful, effective, and non-judgmental environments for their success. One crucial aspect of this support is the establishment of recovery housing. A study conducted in Ohio revealed that there is an “almost limitless” need for such housing, yet the availability of resources is severely lacking across communities. Opioid settlement funds are currently being distributed in various regions across the country, with some states still determining how to allocate them. As these disbursements and decisions are being made, it is vital to prioritize funding for evidence-based programs, such as supporting recovery housing and initiatives that focus on empowering individuals with lived experience to lead and provide life-saving services as communities continue to tackle substance use disorder.
The Hill - Jan. 19, 2024

Trevor Noah: QuitBot AI will help smokers overcome Nicotine addiction
Nicotine addiction claims millions of lives every year. What if a new AI-powered chatbot dubbed QuitBot could help mitigate this pandemic? The AI bot has a series of 32 different conversations about quitting smoking, which it uses as the premise to help smokers through their journey to recovery by providing tools to help them deal with their triggers and more.
Windows Central - Jan. 19, 2024

How Big Tobacco Sells Addiction Online
Philip Morris International (PMI) and British American Tobacco (BAT) took to advertising their addictive newer tobacco and nicotine products on social media years ago—and they’ve been called out repeatedly for targeting young people. A new report from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids titled “#SponsoredByBigTobacco: Tobacco & Nicotine Marketing on Social Media” shows that they continue to reach millions of young people on social media.
STOP - Jan. 19, 2024

What a father learned through his son’s addiction
David Sheff, the author of the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Boy: Everything a Father Learned Through His Son’s Addiction, joins Lisa Dent to discuss how he spent time with scientists, doctors, counselors, and addicts and their families to learn how addiction works and how to effectively treat it. David will be the featured speaker at the Glenbard Parent Series: Navigating Healthy Families, Wednesday, January 31st.
WGN - Jan. 19, 2024

The Rise and Fall of Confrontational Alcohol Addiction “Treatment”
Confrontational counseling, sometimes known as attack therapy, is most commonly associated with so-called “therapeutic communities” for people with addictions. A number of these programs operating in the United States from the mid-20th century, were characterized by inflicting humiliating punishments on people with addictions, in a direct reflection of the contempt society has held for them. Hazelden instituted the “hot seat” as a part of its treatment regimen. Patients would undergo one hot seat session during their 28-day stay. In 1985, Hazelden made a statement denouncing confrontational counseling. Peer evaluation appears to have been discontinued at Hazelden in 1987.
Filter - Jan. 18, 2024

A Fentanyl and Addiction Toolkit, From Test Strips to Hotlines
BI spoke to 13 financial professionals about drugs on Wall Street, from cocaine to psychedelics. The conversations come amid a rise in substance abuse and drug overdose deaths. Here is a list of resources, from where to buy Naloxone to ordering fentanyl test strips online.
Business Insider - Jan. 18, 2024

Billie Joe Armstrong on Addiction, Mental Health: 'There's No Shame'
Billie Joe Armstrong has laid bare his soul for more than 30 years — and does so once again on Green Day's latest album. The punk-rock icon, 51, opens up about his struggles with mental illness and substance abuse on "Dilemma," which appears on the band's new record Saviors, out Friday, Jan. 19.
People - Jan. 18, 2024

In NH, the opioid crisis hasn’t faded. But its role in the primary campaign has
In some ways, the rhetoric this year echoes the talking points top Republicans leaned on in 2016. At the time, New Hampshire was among the states hardest hit by opioids, and overdoses were rising to record levels. This time around, there’s been little talk about treatment or recovery. Top Republican presidential candidates continue to link the drug crisis to immigration. In recent months, former President Donald Trump has claimed that “drugs, criminals, gang members and terrorists are pouring into our country” because the border “has been erased.” He’s also called for drug dealers to get the death penalty. Some candidates also frame fentanyl as part of a growing confrontation between the U.S. and China, which is a major source of the precursor chemicals that criminal groups in Mexico use to manufacture the drug.
New Hampshire Public Radio - Jan. 17, 2024

National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Comments

State / Local

Minnesota: Statewide addiction support call center opens earlier to answer more calls
Substance abuse counselors in Kentucky said they hope to help more people through new, extended, hours. KY HELP is a statewide addiction support call center staffed through Operation UNITE. Officials said they have extended weekday hours and will now have people on hand to answer calls starting at 7 a.m. 1-8338-KY-HELP (1-833-859-4357)
Moorehead State Public Radio - Jan. 19, 2024

Georgia: New potential legislation could help Georgia’s 900K people in addiction recovery
An estimated 29 million Americans are in active recovery from addiction, and 900,000 are right here in Georgia, according to the Georgia Council for Recovery. Group members and others stood shoulder-to-shoulder with lawmakers on Wednesday, just a few days before Georgia’s addiction recovery awareness day to announce new potential legislation that could help others in recovery and those still working their way to it. The bills — which range from requiring doses of the overdose reversal drug Naloxone in state buildings to regulating and certifying recovery community organizations and counselors — could be before legislators sometime before the end of the General Assembly’s 2024 session.
Atlanta News First - Jan. 19, 2024

Oregon: Coos Bay leaders address drug addiction, discuss Measure 110 impacts
The city of Coos Bay opens the doors of City Hall for state officials to hear from public safety officers on the impacts of Measure 110. Coos Bay City Manager Nichole Rutherford says late last year, the League of Oregon Cities rallied local leaders to take steps to address drug addiction by hosting the listening sessions. The LOC criticized the effectiveness of Measure 110 which passed in 2020, reducing penalties for drug possession with the aim of providing more access to drug treatment services.
16 KMTR - Jan. 19, 2024

Oregon task force focus for Legislature: beer and wine taxes, plus alcohol addiction
A longtime proponent of taxes on beer and wine is now in charge of a state task force studying the public health impacts of alcohol abuse and whether to raise alcohol taxes for addiction treatment. Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland, was elected chair of the state’s new Alcohol Pricing and Addiction Services task force in its first meeting last week. The 20-person board is made up of state lawmakers, public health experts and representatives of Oregon’s beer, wine and cider industries. The task force is looking at alcohol addiction in Oregon, its cost to the state and the funding of Oregon’s lackluster addiction prevention and treatment system. It’s also considering whether to boost taxes on beer and wine, which are set by the Legislature.
Portland Tribune - Jan. 19, 2024

Oregon: Task force on beer and wine taxes and alcohol addiction gets to work
A longtime proponent of taxes on beer and wine is now in charge of a state task force studying the public health impacts of alcohol abuse and whether to raise alcohol taxes for addiction treatment. Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland, was elected chair of the state’s new Alcohol Pricing and Addiction Services task force in its first meeting last week. The 20-person board is made up of state lawmakers, public health experts and representatives of Oregon’s beer, wine and cider industries.
Oregon Capital Chronicle - Jan. 19, 2024

Massachusetts: Bristol County Sheriff talks providing addiction medication to those who are incarcerated
Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux is pushing for reform in prison. In 2022, he beat a 25- year incumbent who reputation for making life unpleasant for inmates. In his candidacy, Heroux vowed to improve living conditions for those who are incarcerated, overhaul rehabilitation programs and track recidivism data. Heroux's latest effort is expanding a program providing addiction medication.
WBUR - Jan. 18, 2024

California studies on psychedelics, addiction treatment held up
Across the state, dozens of such studies are in limbo thanks to a little-known government panel that monitors research on federally restricted drugs and addiction treatment. The holdup, tied to a state law requiring government meetings to be held in public, has dragged on since the fall and galvanized some scientists to push for the panel to be dissolved. Lawmakers in Sacramento established the Research Advisory Panel of California more than half a century ago to vet studies involving cannabis, hallucinogens and treatments for “abuse of controlled substances,” according to the state’s health and safety code.
Los Angeles Times - Jan. 18, 2024

Florida: Palm Beach Post's forum on drug addiction treatment held at PBSC
Palm Beach Post's forum on South Florida's addiction treatment industry and solutions to the deadly cycle of recovery, relapse and return known as "the Florida Shuffle."
Palm Beach Post - Jan. 18, 2024

Illinois: New Illinois program aims to add addiction counselors
Experts in the Tri-States say there is a growing need for counselors who help with drug and alcohol addictions, now a new state program is intended to help that problem in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Illinois Certification Board (ICB) are launching a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) program which provides scholarships, financial aid, and stipends for people wanting to be a counselor.
WGEM - Jan. 18, 2024

Maine: 'What these people need is help:' Advocates say bill helps with addiction crisis in Maine
At the State House, recovery advocates are rallying behind a bill they believe will help with the addiction crisis. Last year, more than 9,000 overdoses were reported in Maine. Several hundreds of those were deadly. addiction medicine specialist Dr. Nicholas Gallagher is supporting LD 1975, which would create a fund within DHHS. In part, that money would help establish at least one "receiving center" in each county.
WGME - Jan. 17, 2024

Indiana: Resources for overcoming addiction in Indiana
Jim Irsay's family and the Indianapolis Colts started the Kicking the Stigma campaign in 2020. The goal is to raise awareness about mental health and removing the stigma often associated with mental health disorders to promote healing.
WTHR - Jan. 17, 2024

Oregon: Portland Fire & Rescue to Begin Handing Out Opioid Addiction Treatment Medication
Today, Portland Fire & Rescue announced a pilot program to hand out out medication to treat opioid use disorder. Such medications, the most well known being buprenorphine, help treat addiction by reducing urges. (Buprenorphine is less strictly regulated than its cousin, methadone.)
Willamette Week - Jan. 17, 2024

National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments

Studies/Research in the News

AHN among first researchers to study new treatment for opioid addiction
Allegheny Health Network is among the first in the nation to research whether deep brain stimulation can successfully treat patients with opioid addiction. According to the study’s principal investigator, one man from New York has undergone the treatment and is doing well.
Your Erie - Jan. 18, 2024

Addiction treatment pioneered by WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute featured on '60 Minutes'
The work of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and Director Dr. Ali Rezai to help people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and substance abuse disorder was the focus of the news magazine 60 Minutes on CBS Sunday evening. Rezai, who was featured in two segments, said the addiction treatment uses a focused ultrasound on a specific area of the brain. He compared the effect of the ultrasound beam to rebooting the computer at home or work, or in this case, resetting the brain to remove cravings that allow the patient to focus on treatment and reduce detractors.
West Virginia Metro News - Jan. 15, 2024

National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments

Opinion

An exhibit on addiction sits above Harvard’s Sackler Museum. Yes, those Sacklers.
When I saw the word “Addiction” in bold black letters on the Boston subway in November, my curiosity was piqued. It was an ad for an exhibit titled “Objects of Addiction: The Opium Empire and the Chinese Art Trade” at the Harvard Art Museums. I made a plan to visit a few weeks later with my brother. Before my brother and I made our way up to the special exhibit, we decided to stroll through the second floor, which had hundreds of stunning and priceless works of art. However, the more pieces I admired, the more I saw the name “Arthur M. Sackler” proudly displayed on the accompanying placards. For me, seeing a museum wing adorned with the Sackler name was comparable to seeing a gallery named after Josef Mengele. And to make matters worse, the fact that it was located directly below an exhibit about opium and the empire it funded cannot be overlooked — although it seems to have been by the curators of the Harvard Art Museums.
The Hill - Jan. 17, 2024

I Healed My Addiction After Rehab by Healing My Trauma With My Parents
After coming out as gay, my parents rejected me and I turned to drugs. I went to rehab several times for my meth addiction, but it never worked.  When I finally decided to work on my relationship with my parents, I was able to get sober.
Business Insider - Jan. 14, 2024

National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments

Books and Movies

Addiction medicine expert Dr. Nzinga Harrison shows us an alternative to addiction: Un-addiction
In the United States, 46% of adults have a family member or close friend who is, or has been, addicted to drugs. Despite how widespread it is, addiction is one of the most misunderstood medical conditions of our lifetime. Dr. Nzinga Harrison, a board-certified physician with specialties in psychiatry and addiction medicine draws from a wealth of well-researched studies and years of personal experience to uncover the intricate factors that predict a person's risk of falling into addiction. She discusses this in her new book, “Un-Addiction: 6 Mind-Changing Conversations That Could Save a Life."
KPCW - Jan. 17, 2024

How Do You Write a Musical About Addiction? Adam Guettel Has Some Ideas
Adapted from a 1958 teleplay and the 1962 feature film by book writer Craig Lucas, Days of Wine and Roses chronicles Joe Clay and Kirsten Arnesen’s struggle with alcoholism. And the effects of that addiction on display here are a lot more than slurred words and broken promises.
Playbill - Jan. 17, 2024

National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments

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