The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - March 20, 2024
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken warns other countries of fentanyl danger | Methadone clinic’s rigid rules jeopardize opioid use disorder treatment
State and Local
Colorado senators propose fee on alcohol companies to fund treatment | Kentucky AG wants to reconsider using psychedelics to treat opioid addiction
Studies/Research in the News
Brain stimulation shows promise for addiction treatment | Is there a link between addiciton and gut health?
Opinion
With recovery, one size fits one: why we need less dogmatism in addition treatment | What is harm reduction?
Books and Movies
Creed frontman Scott Stapps opens up about addiction, bipolar diagnosis | Musical version of “Days of Wine and Roses” explores addiction
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
National
Blinken warns deadly fentanyl crisis will spread globally
Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Friday that countries around the world will soon face the kind of fentanyl drug crisis that's killing tens of thousands of people each year in the U.S. Blinken spoke at a United Nations conference in Vienna, Austria, focused on the spread of narcotics and synthetic street drugs. "In many ways we've been a canary in the coal mine, particularly when it comes to fentanyl, Blinken said. "It hit us hard, it hit us first, but unfortunately not last. And we can see its ravages taking hold in other countries."
NPR - March 15, 2024
Virtual Addiction Provider Bicycle Health Lays Off 15% of Workforce
Virtual opioid use disorder (OUD) provider Bicycle Health has laid off 15% of its workforce. The layoffs also came soon after clinicians at Bicycle Health filed to unionize with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD). Bicycle Health operates in 32 states and has served more than 33,000 patients. The environment for digital behavioral health companies has become especially treacherous.
Behavioral Health Business - March 14, 2024
Vin Baker's journey fueled by overcoming addiction and guiding those recovering to a better life
Former Milwaukee Bucks Center and current Assistant Coach Vin Baker is creating waves of change and promoting healing in the lives of those recovering from addiction one step at a time. “I want to help with the world of sobriety,” stated Baker. “There were a lot of times when the space of loneliness was created for me for the simple fact that because of my profession, in the success that I had earlier on in my career, in my life, once I had the disease of alcoholism and developed the disease of alcoholism all those things left, and most of the people left so the loneliness was there.”
WFRV - March 13, 2024
Dean McDermott details addiction battle, reveals he became a drug and alcohol counselor after getting sober
Dean McDermott gets candid about his “horrible” addiction battle and life after living in a sober facility during an exclusive interview with Page Six. Detailing his journey, the actor tells us, “I am clean and sober … I got to a place where I finally surrendered and admitted that I needed help.” “The way I was running my life, the way I was running the show was not right,” he continues. “Not, good for anybody — myself, my family and Tori [Spelling]. It was a horrible way to live. So I finally surrendered and asked for help, and I got it.”
Page Six - March 13, 2024
Matthew Perry 'felt like he was beating' his addiction issues, stepfather says
Matthew Perry's stepfather has said the Friends actor "felt like he was beating" his years-long struggles with addiction before his death in October. "But you never beat it, and he knew that too," Keith Morrison said. Perry, who openly spoke of his alcohol and substance misuse, was found unresponsive in his hot tub, at age 54.
BBC - March 13, 2024
Methadone clinics' rigid rules jeopardize opioid addiction treatment
A STAT investigation shows that many of the nation’s methadone clinics rely on controlling and punitive strategies that make it harder, not easier, for patients to maintain their recovery. There is little evidence to support many of the clinics’ practices. Some clinic staff participating in medical decisions have no training in medicine. Alienated by the clinics’ rigid controls, people who use drugs are often driven away from methadone treatment or never seek it in the first place.
STAT - March 12, 2024
Colorado Public Radio's Vic Vela says he was fired, mocked for addiction
Award-winning podcast and radio host Vic Vela says Colorado Public Radio monetized his story of addiction and recovery, then fired him after he asked for accommodations for those same disabilities. Vela on Tuesday filed a charge of discrimination with the Colorado Civil Rights Division and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging CPR management belittled and mocked his mental health concerns and accused him of using his addiction to manipulate higher-ups.
Denver Post - March 12, 2024
ADHD and substance use
Research shows that teenagers with ADHD are more likely to abuse substances like drugs and alcohol. Kids with ADHD may be drawn to substances that make them feel calm. Plus, their brains might be more sensitive to drugs. That can make them feel effects more intensely and sometimes get addicted faster. Parents of teenagers with ADHD can help by talking to their kids early about the dangers of substance abuse. Let them know that having ADHD can make them more likely to get addicted. Parents can also help their kids learn positive coping skills instead of trying to solve problems for them. That way, kids are less likely to turn to substances when they run into challenges.
Child Mind Institute - March 8, 2024
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Comments
State / Local
Colorado senators propose fee on alcohol companies to fund treatment
A bill set to be unveiled in the Colorado legislature would levy a new fee on businesses that produce alcoholic beverages, then direct tens of millions of dollars collected each year to addiction treatment and recovery programs.
Denver Post - March 16, 2024
West Virginia: Local outcry spurs Beckley (West Virginia) to drop addiction recovery resource expansion
Last month, Beckley was poised to become the first city nationally to earn a special status for its addiction recovery resources. Now, the city has dropped that plan entirely.
WV News - March 15, 2024
Michigan: Senator fighting to keep program alive that helps treat youths addicted to opioids
U.S. Senator Gary Peters visited the Greater Flint Health Coalition on Friday to highlight federal program he established in 2018, that he says needs to be protected. The program called the Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative provides grant funding to local health care providers to help expand access to opioid addiction treatment for adolescents. The program also provides grant funding to schools, community organizations, and others to help raise awareness of the risks of fentanyl use among youth.
Mid Michigan Now - March 15, 2024
Oregon: Kotek promises to track spending for drug addiction programs
Gov. Tina Kotek faces a steep challenge now that the legislative session is done: making sure that hundreds of millions allocated for homelessness and drug addiction is used as intended.
Central Oregon Daily - March 14, 2024
Kotek promises to dog spending for drug addiction programs
The Legislature allocated $211 million for new treatment programs and other services, but it needs to be put into action quickly.
Oregon Capital Chronicle - March 14, 2024
Maine: New project fights stigma of addiction through shared stories
This year, spearheaded by artist and anti-stigma activist Peter Bruun of Damariscotta and his nonprofit, Studio B, 19 Towns, 19 Stories aims to shatter the silence and stigma surrounding substance use, raise awareness, and honor those we’ve lost to overdose.
Wiscasset Newspaper - March 14, 2024
Kentucky: Website that helps Kentuckians find addiction treatment now helps them find naloxone, the drug that reverses opioid overdoses
The state’s FindHelpNowKy.org website, which helps Kentuckians find addiction treatment, now also can help them find places to get naloxone, which reverses opioid overdose. The website, which has been used over 240,000 times to facilities since its inception in 2018, now also includes social-services resources and locators for recovery housing and mental-health treatment. During 2022, a Kentukcy survey found that 73 percent of respondents said they didn’t know where to get naloxone, sometimes called by the leading brand of it, Narcan.
Lexington Times - March 14, 2024
South Dakota facility bringing cultural compassion to addiction treatment
With a disproportionate number of Native American patients suffering from addiction, one facility is employing cultural sensitivity to turn the tide.
Healthcare Finance News - March 14, 2024
New Hampshire: NH community makes video to destigmatize addiction, recovery
One New Hampshire community has come together to show the impact of addictions and overdoses in the state, and students at Newfound Regional High School played a major role in the project. The students and local officials created a video intended to raise awareness of the number of people who die from overdoses in New Hampshire.
WMUR - March 13, 2024
Kentucky should reconsider using psychedelics to treat opioid addiction, attorney general says
Kentucky’s new attorney general, Russell Coleman, has urged a commission tasked with fighting drug abuse to “step back” from a proposal to invest in a psychedelic drug as a possible treatment for opioid addiction. When the Republican’s predecessor was in office, the commission had considered dipping into the state’s massive opioid lawsuit settlement to study the use of ibogaine — a psychedelic with an international following that remains a Schedule 1 drug in the U.S. — with the goal of gaining federal approval to distribute it as a medication to treat opioid addiction. Speaking to the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, Coleman said the state has to be “responsible stewards” of settlement funds, which were “purchased by the pain of Kentucky families.”
Fox 56 - March 13, 2024
Oregon: Bill requiring communities to allow addiction, mental health treatment facilities in most locations dies in Oregon House
Oregon desperately needs more mental health and substance use treatment centers. But a bill aimed at easing restrictions on where those facilities can be built died in the 11th hour of this year’s legislative session.
The Observer - March 13, 2024
Michigan: Kent Co. jail program that treats addiction reaches ‘milestone’
The Kent County Correctional Facility and its partners have “reached a milestone,” deputies say, by introducing the last phase of the Medication Assisted Treatment program. A major goal of the MAT program is to decrease the number of overdose deaths upon release from jail, according to a release from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office. The program works to identify those with substance use disorder, then offers them medication, counseling and skills for reintegration. It also distributes naloxone kits to people upon release, which deputies describe as a “critical component” of the program.
WoodTV - March 13, 2024
Washington: Seattle EMTs administer new drug to curb opioid addiction in pilot program
Each year, hundreds of people die of an overdose in Seattle. Now, the city is taking a step forward in trying to combat the crisis. Under a new program, Seattle Fire paramedics will be allowed to administer a new medication that helps people suffering from withdrawal.
Fox 13 Seattle - March 12, 2024
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Brain stimulation shows promise in treating drug addiction
Today, neurostimulation is used to treat a variety of human disorders, including Parkinson's disease, tremor, obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome. A Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon and his colleagues believe one form of that treatment, called deep brain stimulation (DBS), is poised to solve one of the greatest public health challenges: drug addiction.
Medical X Press - March 15, 2024
Addiction and the Gut-Brain Axis
A poor gut microbiota can lead to a leaky gut and systemic inflammation. Inflammation affects the brain, causing depression, anxiety, and poor impulse control. This can lead to self-medication and multiple kinds of substance use disorders.
Psychology Today - March 14, 2024
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Opinion
What Does Harm Reduction Mean to You?
"When I started working in this field, I felt very differently about harm reduction. I believed recovery meant abstinence. I was raised in a family where substance abuse was prevalent, and this is what I was taught. Early in my career, my mentor used a phrase that resonates to this day: 'Life over philosophy,' meaning our goal is to save lives, regardless of our own biases.We see the phrase "harm reduction" everywhere these days: in the media, on billboards, on Google. I think we can all agree that the goal of harm reduction is to save lives. But what does it really mean and how do we practice it? Let's ask some people on the front lines.
Medscape - March 14, 2024
How Do We Solve Our Addiction Crisis? Drop the Dogmatism
There is more than one successful, evidence-based way to help people struggling with addiction. Addiction experts have become increasingly siloed in their methods, fighting over which approach is “best.” Conflict is counterproductive to our shared goals but there are compromise solutions.
Psychology Today - March 12, 2024
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Books and Movies
Creed Frontman Scott Stapp Opens Up About Addiction Struggles And Bipolar Diagnosis
“Creed” rockstar Scott Stapp revealed his struggles with substance abuse and mental health in an interview with People published Friday. The famous singer said his new album, “Higher Power,” served as a meditation piece amid his extreme personal highs and lows, and his journey toward healing. “I’ve gone through a pretty difficult period in life over the last four years,” he told People. “I’m hanging in there – just one hour at a time, one thing at a time. Taking little bites of the elephant and then just waking up again and doing it all over the next day.”
Daily Caller - March 15, 2024
'Days of Wine and Roses' musical explores love and addiction
Broadway legends Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James join News NOW to discuss their new musical, "Days of Wine and Roses," which portrays a 1950s New York couple falling in love while wrestling with alcohol addiction.
NBC - March 14, 2024
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments