The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - January 17, 2023
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
Redefining success in addiction treatment | Residential addiction treatment for teens is scarce in U.S.
State and Local
Critics concerned too much opioid settlement funds going to police in Kansas | Oregon leg committee told addiction prevention in schools is lacking
Studies/Research in the News
Study finds reduced use, not just abstinence, is meaningful outcome in addiction treamtent
Opinion
America’s three biggest addictions
Books and Movies
”Thirstygirl” filmmaker heads to Sundance with film about sex addiction
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
National
Redefining success in fighting addiction
Getting people who use drugs to abstain has long been the goal for successful treatment of substance use disorder. But that’s changing. When it comes to addiction to stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamines, reduced use can make a difference in the health of people with the disorder, even if they don’t achieve abstinence, a new federally funded study shows. Reducing stimulant use by as little as one day a month — such as going from five days a month to between one and four days — was linked to lower levels of drug craving, depression and other challenges compared with no change in drug use, according to an analysis published Wednesday in the journal Addiction.
POLITICO - Jan. 11, 2024
The 3 Pillars of Addiction Psychotherapy
Addiction psychotherapy is a highly sought-after specialty. These three pillars provide a helpful framework using scientifically-proven models. Because insight alone is not enough to heal addiction, therapists need to be action-oriented. The three pillars are motivational assessment and enhancement, recovery skills and action-oriented approaches, and long-term psychotherapy using the conceptual framework of your choice.
Psychology Today - Jan. 11, 2024
New drug addiction study suggests 'just say no' may not be for all
Americans may not say it aloud, but drug addiction has long been considered a moral failing. "Just say no," as Nancy Reagan famously declared during the crack-cocaine epidemic of the 80s. That thinking has been slow to evolve. Scientists have learned in recent years that quitting something you're addicted to isn't a sudden process. If we shift our mindset about what it takes to quit, they say, we'll see there are intermediate benefits to a gradual approach. People can live healthier lives if they wean themselves off drugs, a new study shows.
USA Today - Jan. 11, 2024
Federal Policy Outlook for Addiction Treatment in 2024
The national policy outlook on opioid use disorder focuses on expanding methadone access, providing leniency on telehealth prescriptions, and exploring new strategies in harm reduction.
Conduit Street - Jan. 10, 2024
Addressing trauma key to treating substance use disorder
While District leaders discuss medical-based solutions to resolve the widespread opioid crisis, psychiatrists and holistic health specialists underscore the significance of addressing trauma and its immense impact on chronic substance use disorder. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) states that “Trauma is especially common in the lives of people with mental and substance use disorders. For this reason, the need to address trauma is increasingly seen as an important part of effective behavioral health care and an integral part of the healing and recovery process.”
The Washington Informer - Jan. 10, 2024
“By the last show, I knew he’d die from his addiction”: Children of Bodom's Janne Wirman on Alexi Laiho
Alexi Laiho’s death in 2020 shocked the guitar world – and indeed the wider music community. The Children of Bodom frontman passed away aged just 41 as a result of what was later revealed as “alcohol-induced liver degeneration”.
Guitar.com - Jan. 9, 2024
Residential addiction treatment for U.S. teens is scarce, expensive
Despite an alarming increase in overdose deaths among young people nationwide, a new “secret shopper”-style study led by Oregon Health & Science University researchers finds that access to residential addiction treatment centers for adolescents in the United States is limited and costly. The study, published today in the January issue of the journal Health Affairs, found that about half of the sites reported a wait time, and among those the average wait was almost a month. For those who do manage to find placement, the average daily cost is $878 — with close to half of the facilities that provided information requiring partial or full payment upfront. For the average residential facility, the average quoted cost of a month’s stay is about $26,000.
OHSU - Jan. 8, 2024
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Comments
State / Local
Kansas: Opioid settlement money is meant to fight addiction. Kansas gives a lot of it to police
As millions of dollars flow into the state of Kansas from opioid settlement funds, local and statewide groups are vying for that money to address the growing opioid crisis in their communities. The money is part of national legal settlements against prescription opioid makers, distributors and pharmacies. The state of Kansas expects to receive more than $340 million over the next 18 years. Hundreds of thousands of dollars went to state and local law enforcement agencies despite increasing calls nationally against law enforcement receiving those funds. A recent letter from the Open Society Policy Center outlines several ways settlement funds should be spent. It also advises where money should not be spent – including law enforcement efforts that advocates say haven’t worked for decades.
High Plains Public Radio - Jan. 12, 2024
Kansas police are getting money meant for addiction treatment
Kansas is expected to recieve more than $340 million over the next 18 years from opioid settlements. So far, much of that money has gone to state and local law enforcement agencies. KMUW's Kylie Cameron reports on the criticism law enforcement faces for how it handles drug crimes.
KCUR - Jan. 12, 2024
Oregon: Youth addiction prevention in Oregon gets little help from state
Oregon ranks among the worst states for rates of youth substance use disorder. But as overdoses surge, its public schools get little help from the state to put effective research-backed drug prevention programs in front of their students. Oregon law requires schools to develop and regularly update programs dedicated to reducing substance use. But interviews and documents show that the state offers scant guidance to meet these standards and does little to hold schools accountable when they don’t.
The Lund Report - Jan. 11, 2024
Oregon lawmakers mull solutions to drug crisis, prep for 2024 session
Oregon lawmakers are preparing a slew of potential changes to address the state’s fentanyl-fueled drug addiction and overdose crisis. Before the short five-week legislative session starts on Feb. 5, the committee charged with finding solutions for the state’s drug addiction crisis will release a framework of ideas to consider. The committee met Wednesday but it has not finalized or detailed any proposals yet.
Oregon Capital Chronicle - Jan. 10, 2024
Oregon: Experts urge lawmakers to strengthen youth prevention, addiction services in Oregon
Lawmakers on the Interim Committee on Addiction and Public Safety heard about the many ways Oregon is failing to provide services to youth during a hearing so packed that legislative staff had to open an overflow hearing room.
KATU - Jan. 10, 2024
Oregon: Experts urge lawmakers to strengthen youth prevention, addiction services in Oregon
Lawmakers on the Interim Committee on Addiction and Public Safety heard about the many ways Oregon is failing to provide services to youth during a hearing so packed that legislative staff had to open an overflow hearing room. Tuesday, with the focus centering on prevention and a lack of youth services, comments remained apolitical and bipartisan in nature. Advocates say despite evidence pointing to youth having the biggest need for addiction services, Oregon has invested little money in this field.
KTVL - Jan. 10, 2024
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Reduced drug use is a meaningful treatment outcome for people with stimulant use disorders
Reducing stimulant use was associated with significant improvement in measures of health and recovery among people with stimulant use disorder, even if they did not achieve total abstinence. This finding is according to an analysis of data from 13 randomized clinical trials of treatments for stimulant use disorders involving methamphetamine and cocaine. Historically, total abstinence has been the standard goal of treatment for substance use disorders, however, these findings support the growing recognition that a more nuanced perspective on measuring treatment success may be beneficial.
National Institute on Drug Abuse - Jan. 10, 2024
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Opinion
America's Three Biggest Addictions
Experts say the United States has a near-nationwide struggle when it comes to many vices. But the country's three greatest addictions are varied, with statistics suggesting America has the biggest problem with illicit drugs and, perhaps surprisingly, video games and work.
Newsweek - Jan. 12, 2024
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Books and Movies
“Thirstygirl” Filmmaker Heads to Sundance Festival with Short about Sex Addiction (westsidespirit.com)
Alexandra Qin’s debut film “Thirstygirl” was picked for the Sundance Film Festival in the short film category. Qin says she cast the main character in the short film as a sex addict, drawing on her own experiences recovering from drug and sex addiction.
The Spirit - Jan. 12, 2024
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments