The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - January 3, 2024
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
STAT’s 3 addiction stories to watch in 2024 | SLP’s top ten stories of 2023
State and Local
With decriminalization, B.C. needs more addiction treatment capacity | Portland, OR police and providers take new approach on addiction
Studies/Research in the News
Marijuana use increasingly linked to psychosis | Development of a pain killer with no addiction risk
Opinion
U.S. needs to follow Florida’s lead on Kratom regulation | Breaking a nicotine addiction
Books and Movies
In “So Close to Home,” Australian social worker and author faults popular culture for glamorizing drug use
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
National
Sober Lining Playbook’s Top Ten Stories of 2023
What follows, in no particular order, is SLP’s list of top ten stories of 2023 based on our observations, impressions and personal interests.
Sober Lining Playbook - Jan. 2, 2024
Fights over methadone, harm reduction, and more: 3 addiction stories to watch in 2024
The U.S. drug crisis is as bad as it’s ever been, and there are few signs things are getting better. STAT breaks down the three addiction medicine stories to watch in 2024: (1) methadone access; (2) potential return to a “police-first” drug policy; and (3) the role of telehealth in addiction treatment.
STAT - Dec. 29, 2023
The U.S. Opioid Crisis: A Worsening Situation and the Role of Harm Reduction
In recent years, harm reduction, an approach that prioritizes reducing the negative effects of drug use rather than entirely eliminating drug use, has become increasingly popular in managing opioid addiction. However, concerns are growing that the focus may shift back to a police-first drug policy, emphasizing punitive measures over therapeutic care. The coming year is set to play a crucial role in determining the direction of this shift. As the balance between harm reduction and law enforcement continues to be a point of debate in the battle against opioid addiction, it has become increasingly clear that a multi-faceted approach is required.
Medriva - Dec. 29, 2023
Using ‘Dry January’ as tool to evaluate health, addiction
Chris Legg with Alethia Family Counseling Center in Tyler says ‘Dry January’ is best used as an evaluation tool. “It allows you to really evaluate the role of this thing in your life. How much of my life is dependent on this thing, on this alcohol? For example. And so how often am I, like do I need it to have fun? Do I need it to relax? Do I need it to calm down or to go to sleep?”
KLTV - Dec. 28, 2023
Cher files for conservatorship of son Elijah Blue Allman ‘over drug addiction fears’
Cher has filed for a conservatorship of her son Elijah Blue Allman, 47, claiming he is “substantially unable to manage his financial resources” amid substance abuse and mental health struggles. The document, filed at Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, reportedly states that Cher is concerned any money Allman receives from a trust set up by his late father, the musician Gregg Allman, “will be immediately spent on drugs”.
The Independent - Dec. 28, 2023
Gambling is easier than ever. That's not the case for finding gambling addiction help
The opportunity to gamble is no farther away than your phone, but treatment for gambling addiction is much harder to find.
NPR - Dec. 27, 2023
Addiction recovery workers share treatment trends they see during and after holidays
The holidays can be a time many of us look forward to, but for those in recovery or active addiction, it can be a time of stress and anxiety. “There can be a lot of triggers to that. Loneliness, sadness, reminiscing about past holidays with family and not getting to have that,” said Kara Brown-Floyd with the Recovery Café in Lexington. Kevin Schmidt with Addiction Recovery Care said he sees more people seeking treatment during this time of the year.
WKYT - Dec. 27, 2023
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Comments
State / Local
California: Older adults in Sonoma County are dealing with addiction. But it’s never too late for help, advocates say
The risk of substance use disorder in older adults is elevated, in part, due to social stigma, co-morbidities, isolation and use patterns.
The Press Democrat - Dec. 29, 2023
New York: Opioids in New York State
We dive into the opioid addiction and overdose crisis in New York state. Raga Justin, of the Times Union, joins us to discuss how the state has been using its opioid settlement funds. We share episodes from WHMT's series on solutions and stories of the opioid crisis in New York - including the history of drug policy, medication-assisted treatment, virtual support and the New York state office of addiction services and services (OASAS).
NY Now - Dec. 28, 2023
South Carolina: J. Reuben Long Detention Center director reflects on the impact of addiction amongst inmates
Data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control shows more people overdose from drugs or die from an overdose in Horry County than any other county in the state. J. Reuben Long Detention Center is not immune to addiction. Life doesn’t stop, and for some inmates, Director Marcus Rhodes said family members believe the inside is better than the outside. Rhodes said it’s the reality that comes with nearly 1,500 inmates this year dealing with opiate withdrawal. Rhodes explained the biggest need is separate housing for inmates who are going through the withdrawal process. But he said that presents another challenge, both financially, and how inconsistent some stays are.
WMBF - Dec. 28, 2023
British Columbia, Canada: More addiction treatment needed as B.C. drug decriminalization pilot enters 2nd year: doctors, advocates
More than 13,500 people in B.C. have died after taking unregulated drugs since 2016. Concerns about access to treatment are increasing as the province embarks on its second year of a three-year decriminalization experiment, which allows drug users age 18 and older to carry up to 2.5 grams of opioids including heroin, morphine and fentanyl, as well as crack and powder cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy for personal use.While addiction specialists maintain that a lack of readily available long-term treatment represents a major gap for those who take the step to access immediate addiction services, others, including the advocacy group Moms Stop the Harm, are calling on the province to also regulate dozens of private residential treatment facilities to ensure they provide evidence-based care by trained staff.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - Dec. 28, 2023
Oregon: Portland Police Bureau, area providers take new approach to battle addiction in Portland
At the Behavioral Health Resource Center in downtown Portland, mental health and addiction recovery service providers alongside the Portland Police Bureau’s Bike Squad met for a mid-day check for day two of the Provider-Police Joint Connection pilot project. It’s a different approach to what PPB has been doing under Measure 110: giving people they see using drugs in public a fine and a number to call for treatment. Now they are giving people an option to immediately talk to service providers on standby.
Fox 12 - Dec. 28, 2023
Oregon: New Oregon laws addressing housing, addiction take effect Jan. 1
This year homelessness, drug addiction and mental health were among the top priorities for Oregon lawmakers. Come Jan. 1, a handful of new laws addressing those issues will go into effect.
KGW - Dec. 27, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Marijuana Use Increasingly Linked to Addiction, Psychosis
Weed use accounts for 10% of all drug-related ER visits in the United States, according to the review published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. There are seven recognized disorders related to cannabis use, the report noted. Some include cannabis-induced anxiety disorder, cannabis-induced psychotic disorder, cannabis-induced sleep disorder and cannabis-induced delirium. This last one manifests as hyperactivity, agitation and disorientation with hallucinations.
U.S. News and World Report - Dec. 27, 2023
Boston-based company working to develop painkiller with no addiction risk
Vertex Pharmaceuticals believes the drug it is developing could create a new class of painkillers.
WCVB - Dec. 26, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Opinion
My successful resolution to break a nicotine addiction
According to a Forbes survey, quitting smoking is among the Top 10 resolutions at the start of 2023. Most people break their resolutions within the first several weeks. One of our reporters successfully quit this year. Here is her story. I hope it inspires others to try quitting as well.
Wenatchee World - Dec. 31, 2023
The rest of the US needs to follow Florida’s lead and start regulating kratom extracts
Over the summer, Florida became the 11th state to pass the Kratom Consumer Protection Act — a set of rules that protects consumers from the ever-popular kratom products that are known to produce stimulant- and opioid-like effects. We have been championing the statewide act all year, but there is still much more progress to be made on the federal level to protect national public health.
The Hill - Dec. 30, 2023
My Son's Decade-Long Drug Addiction Ended in Recovery
My son started smoking marijuana in high school and things quickly escalated to heroin. For 10 years his life took a detour, until he met a woman who got him out of it. He is now a father and I'm grateful for what's to come for him.
Business Insider - Dec. 27, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Books and Movies
No glamour in this prize-winning portrayal of a traumatised addict
Literature centred on opiate addiction has a long history. Whether as memoir (Thomas De Quincey’s Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, Kate Holden’s In My Skin), or fictionalised from experience (William S. Burroughs’ self-mythologising Junkie), it is often drawn from life. The latest Australian writer weighing in is Mick Cummins, whose debut novel, So Close to Home, which won the Victorian Premier’s unpublished manuscript award, is informed by his years as a social worker and reacts against glamorisation of the subject.
Sydney Morning Herald - Dec. 29, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments