The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - May 10, 2023
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
(Inter) National
Scientific American remembers methadone pioneer Marie Nyswander | New DEA requirements may limit access to buprenorphine
Fentanyl
States weigh punishment, harm reduction to address fentanyl crisis | El Pais claims Mexican cartels using vulnerable people to test fentanyl doses
State and Local
Mobile addiction treatment in San Francisco | Washington state poised to decriminalize drugs unless legislature acts
Studies/Research in the News
Cannabis use linked to significant increases in mental health disorders among young males | The search for safer pain treatment
Opinion
How the opioid backlash went wrong | Harm reduction offers a promising alternative
Books and Movies
“No Addict Left Behind” is Joe Pagano’s story of addiction and recovery
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
(Inter)National
Overdose prevention centers are tough sell in U.S. despite successes
[There is] wariness of overdose prevention sites in the United States despite the staggering loss of life from drug deaths. Addiction experts and others regard the facilities as ways to reach people who use drugs where they are - and keep them alive - despite questions about the sites' legality under federal law. But even with the success of New York City's OnPoint NYC, the only government-sanctioned program operating in this country, such facilities are proving a tough sell over concerns they encourage drug use, crime and neighborhood blight. Similar sites operate in countries such as Canada, Australia and Portugal.
CHRON - May 8, 2023
Russia Has a Vodka Addiction. So Does Vladimir Putin – But Not the Same Way.
The Russian leader is famously sober. There’s a reason that his country isn’t. One day before his formal inauguration, on May 6, 2000, Putin signed a directive that would begin the reconsolidation of Russia’s top revenue-generating industries. But Putin’s first target wasn’t oil or natural gas, or diamonds or gold or nickel. It was vodka. On that date, Putin created a new company called Rosspirtprom — an acronym for Russian Spirits Industry — to seize control of the means of vodka production. It was a move that not only helped Putin amass enormous wealth over the coming two decades, but was a critical first step in cementing his grip on the Russian economy and the Russian people, who would help line his pockets while his vodka helped ruin their health. It would begin at Kristall.
POLITICO - May 5, 2023
US overdose deaths, in 4 charts
During the pandemic, deaths from drug overdoses rose significantly, reaching record levels. In a new report from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), researchers detail rising overdose death rates from certain drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
Advisory Board - May 5, 2023
New Era in Addiction Medicine: A Trailblazing Doctor's Legacy and the Ongoing Search for a Cure
Marie Nyswander died in 1986. She’d achieved almost everything she had set out to do, but she wanted more: even better medications than methadone, fewer regulations and the holy grail—a cure for addiction. Addiction science has come a long way since Nyswander’s time, and it turns out that a lot of the field’s earlier assumptions were probably wrong. Neuroscientist Kent Berridge explains why wanting something isn’t the same as liking it. But a cure is still out of our reach.
Scientific American - May 4, 2023
Everything John Mulaney Has Said About Drug Addiction, Recovery
Working through it. John Mulaney has always chosen honesty when it comes to his struggle with addiction and his attempts to stay sober. See Mulaney’s honest quotes about his addiction journey and the road to recovery.
US Magazine - May 4, 2023
New DEA requirements may limit access to buprenorphine, a popular drug for opioid recovery
Doctors and advocates are concerned a federal proposal to roll back a pandemic policy allowing remote prescribing of a common opioid substitute medicine could jeopardize those recovering from addiction. With the public health emergency set to end May 11, the Drug Enforcement Administration proposal would require people to visit a doctor or clinic within 30 days of getting a telehealth prescription for buprenorphine.
New York Times Post - May 2, 2023
'Yellowstone' star Wes Bentley on 'incredibly dark' drug addiction: 'I lost everything'
“Yellowstone” star Wes Bentley is opening up about the destructive impact that drug addiction had on his life. Bentley, 44, who stars as Jamie Dutton on Paramount Network’s Western drama, detailed his relationship with drugs in an interview with Men’s Health published March 28.
USA Today - May 2, 2023
‘My body felt like it was giving up’: Busted’s Matt Willis on the addictions that nearly destroyed him
The bass player has made a bitingly honest documentary about his struggles with cocaine and alcohol, and how he recovered. He hopes it might help others who are facing the same demons.
The Guardian - May 2, 2023
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Comments
Fentanyl
Fentanyl crisis: Should California throw the book at opioid dealers?
How do we solve the fentanyl crisis, which kills more people in California than car accidents or homicides? One solution is gaining widespread bipartisan approval — getting the fentanyl overdose-reversing drug Narcan widely distributed statewide. A bill authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney, which would supply gas stations, bars and libraries with Narcan, has sailed through several Assembly committees, garnering unanimous support from both Republicans and Democrats. But bills proposed by Republicans and moderate Democrats seeking to impose stricter penalties on fentanyl dealers have floundered as fractures emerge around how strictly to punish dealers.
East Bay Times - May 5, 2023
As fentanyl deaths surge, some state lawmakers push back against ‘harm reduction’
Fentanyl overdoses have emerged as the leading cause of death for young Americans ages 18 to 45, but some state legislatures are pushing back against health measures designed to help people survive opioid addiction. This week, lawmakers in Pennsylvania's state Senate voted heavily in favor of a ban on supervised drug injection sites, with 22 Democrats supporting the measure. It hasn't yet been approved by the state House.
Oregon Public Broadcasting - May 4, 2023
Fentanyl addiction prompts states to choose penalties over help
Fentanyl overdoses have emerged as the leading cause of death for young Americans ages 18 to 45, but some state legislatures are pushing back against health measures designed to help people survive opioid addiction. This week, lawmakers in Pennsylvania's state Senate voted heavily in favor of a ban on supervised drug injection sites, with 22 Democrats supporting the measure. It hasn't yet been approved by the state House. Critics say this kind of pushback against fentanyl harm reduction strategies threatens efforts by the Biden administration to shift the nation's response toward a public health model, rather than arrests and incarceration.
NPR - May 4, 2023
Human experiments in Tijuana and Mexicali: How cartels are testing fentanyl on drug addicts
Organized crime syndicates use vulnerable people in border cities to calculate the dosages of the opioid that they traffic to the United States.
El Pais - May 3, 2023
Fentanyl overdose death rate nearly quadrupled from 2016 to 2021
The U.S. overdose death rate involving fentanyl nearly quadrupled between 2016 and 2021, according to a report published Wednesday.
Axios - May 3, 2023
US Fentanyl Deaths More Than Tripled in 5 Years
The rate of drug overdose deaths involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl more than tripled in the United States from 2016 through 2021, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on Wednesday.
Newsmax - May 3, 2023
Opioid Crisis Worse Now Than Ever: Drug Overdose Deaths Spike Amid Fentanyl Surge
Deaths from overdoses soared in 2021, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, continuing a years-long incline that has propelled drug deaths to record levels—though particularly alarming is the surge in deaths from the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which has become the dominant drug threat.
Forbest - May 3, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
State / Local
California: SF leaders back state bill for mobile addiction treatment
A proposal that would allow San Francisco's homeless outreach teams to provide medication to opioid addicts — on the street, and not in a pharmacy — is gaining momentum at the state level. Rather than forcing people to line up for treatments like buprenorphine at a brick-and-mortar facility, a bill proposed by Assemblymember Matt Haney would authorize mobile pharmacies to distribute addiction treatments to anyone with a valid prescription. Existing state law allows pharmacies to operate on the go, but they can not distribute controlled substances — including medications that can help wean people off of addictive opioids and stave off withdrawal. Haney's bill aims to remove that barrier.
SF Examiner - May 5, 2023
Colorado: What does Southwest Colorado need to better address addiction?
Advocates say comprehensive resources needed, from recovery housing to methadone clinics. A 2021 needs assessment initiated by Mercy Hospital and conducted by the Southwestern Colorado Opioid Overdose Planning Consortium found that the area’s providers are dedicated to combating substance use problems, but the landscape is still sparsely populated in many regards.
Durango Herald - May 5, 2023
Tennessee: “Removing the stigma and restoring the soul,” TN churches fight addiction, mental health issues
One thousand churches across the state of Tennessee have now joined a program to help people fight addiction and mental health issues using faith. The Recovery Congregation program began in 2014. It asks faith leaders to attend free trainings from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health to learn more about the challenges their congregation may face and view addiction as a treatable disease instead of a moral failing or a choice. Leaders said it’s all about breaking the stigma around mental health challenges.
WSMV 4 - May 5, 2023
California: New California Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Laws
The COVID-19 pandemic has coincided with worsening mental health across the country, and California is no exception. Not surprisingly, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law multiple pieces of mental health treatment related legislation in 2022 that have or will begin to go into effect this year, a few of which are summarized below.
Mintz - May 4, 2023
Massachusetts: Worcester addiction and recovery center stops taking new patients after state review
A hospital's decision to suspend certain services leaves dozens of healthcare workers looking for new jobs. The Community Healthlink in Worcester provides a number of substance and addiction services to people looking to recover. The center, owned by UMass Memorial, announced last month to staff that following a review by the state, they would voluntarily suspend admissions into the Community Healthlink's Detox, Passages, and Thayer Transitional Support Services programs. The Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services performed a review of Community Healthlink, but it's unclear what the result of that review concluded.
CBS - May 4, 2023
Washington state to decriminalize drugs unless lawmakers act; Gov. Inslee calls special session
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is calling lawmakers back to work after they rejected a bill setting out a new statewide drug policy — a development that has put the state on the brink of decriminalizing possession of fentanyl and other drugs while also depriving it of much-needed investments in public health. A temporary law that makes possession of small amounts of drugs a misdemeanor expires on July 1, so if lawmakers fail to pass a bill, Washington would become the second state — after neighboring Oregon — to decriminalize drug possession. The Washington Supreme Court in 2021 struck down the state law making drug possession a felony.
U.S. News and World Report - May 3, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Weed ruins young men's mental health, study shows
Researchers analyzing the health data of 6.9 million people have linked weed use to hugely increased mental-illness rates among adolescent males — including as much as a shocking 30% of schizophrenia cases among young men.
New York Post - May 8, 2023
Can brains bounce back? Recovering addicts turn to science to map the effects of meth
New Zealanders are some of the world’s biggest meth takers: wastewater testing has placed it in the top four consumers worldwide. Cohen Irwin is part of a group of former addicts in New Zealand working with researchers to trace signs of healing in the brains of those who stop smoking. The Mātai study has been set up to partner closely with the local community: to offer the images to participants as soon as they step out of the MRI. “If we can demonstrate that there is possibility for improvement, it will encourage people who are participating to stop this – it’s not ‘you’ve done your damage, and then you’ve got it for life’.
The Guardian - May 5, 2023
Smarter Opioids: A New Approach to Pain Relief Without Addiction
Researchers have discovered a new approach to developing painkillers that don’t cause addiction or hallucinations by targeting specific binding sites on the kappa opioid receptor and understanding the interaction of G proteins linked to the receptor. This could lead to safer pain-relieving drugs.
Sci Tech Daily - May 5, 2023
Brain stimulation could treat addiction or chronic pain
Researchers at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine are studying a method to treat addiction and chronic pain by focusing on patients’ brains. They are partnering with company ni2o, which designed a wearable device that uses several sensors on a patient’s scalp, along with two electrodes that provide transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). “This is not ‘shock therapy,’” Allison Huff, assistant professor in the Dept. of Family & Community Medicine, clarified. “[The current is] at such a low level that we’re not changing anything in the brain from the current itself. We’re just setting up a situation where the brain kind of wants to change on its own.”
KGUN 9 - May 5, 2023
Discovery suggests route to safer pain medications
Scientists at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology at Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy have identified a potential pathway to pain relief that neither triggers addiction nor causes hallucinations. Strategies to treat pain without triggering dangerous side effects such as euphoria and addiction have proven elusive.
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - May 3, 2023
Pour One Out: The boozy story of how we decided alcohol was a health boon in the ’90s—and how it all fell apart.
According to new guidelines released in recent months by the World Health Organization, the World Heart Federation, and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction, the safest level of drinking is—brace yourself—not a single drop.
Slate - April 23, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Opinion
Maryland: A golden opportunity to fight opioid addiction
Many may be surprised to learn that, when it comes to pain management, there is relatively little choice. As a surgeon, it is not up to me whether or not I provide opioid-sparing pain management. It is certainly not up to the patient or their family. Instead, these decisions are made based on short-term economic considerations. As a result of this and our status quo bias, opioid-based pain management is the standard of care in this country. This doesn’t have to be the case. There are a variety of other effective, safe, and non-opioid options that can help patients manage postsurgical pain. Unfortunately, these options are often out-of-reach for me, my patients, and their families due to out-of-date reimbursement rules, which prioritize the administration of opioid-based pain management.
Maryland Daily Record - May 5, 2023
What Harm Reduction Taught Me About My Ex's Addiction
My on-and-off-again boyfriend at the time had recently relapsed on heroin. He had assured me he always used clean needles, but by that point, I didn’t believe much of what he said. I wanted both of us to get tested for HIV and Hep C. I didn’t know then what harm reduction was, or that Ted was a harm reduction practitioner. Jason had a lot of support, but when he was relapsing, it wasn’t his doctor, his sponsor, or his drug court counselor he called. Harm reduction offers an alternative approach, grounded in the belief that everyone is worthy of quality care, whether or not they’re using drugs.
TIME - May 3, 2023
How the Opioid Backlash Went Wrong
The twin problems of patients with a legitimate medical need losing access to opioids, while the addiction and overdose rates swell, add up to a new opioid crisis that may be worse than the original one that emerged at the turn of millennium. Federal and state governments, along with health care, bungled the response to that original crisis, say a range of experts.
Newsweek - May 3, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments
Books and Movies
'No Addict Left Behind' details heartbreak of addiction and the hope of recovery
Pagano spent time in jail and entered a rehabilitation program. He kept notes. His journey in recovery, over more than a decade, is chronicled in “No Addict Left Behind: It’s a Recovery Medicine State of Mind,” which published on April 25. The story is described by Pagano as “a journey of hope built on hard-won experiences, overcoming the stigma of addiction, and realizing that our struggles do not define us but refine us into who we are today.”
Trib Live - May 7, 2023
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments