The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - June 28, 2023
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
NOTE: Sober Linings Playbook is a personal website. Any views or opinions expressed herein belong solely to the website owner and do not represent those of individuals or organizations the owner may be associated with in a professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. This website offers no advice, products or services.
Highlights
National
New guidelines issued for pain management | Saskatoon health workers concerned about benzodiazepines increasingly mixed with opioids
Fentanyl
NY Times piece on OK man charged with murder of friend of OD’ed | Punitive new fentanyl laws spark debate over how to address addiction
State and Local
Georgia expands campaign against addiction stigma | NY Governor announces addiction studies scholarship
Studies/Research in the News
Is drug to treat cannabis addiction on the horizon | New data highlights Medicaid disparities in access to opioid use disorder treatment
Opinion
Is Montana SAFE Banking Act for cannabis industry “out of step” with the state?
Add a Comment
Have a comment about a story? A suggestion about changes to the Wednesday Weekly format? Did we miss an important story? Leave a comment. Anonymous comments welcome.
(Inter)National
Giving voice to those with 'lived experience' will better inform drug policy, advocates say
Ms Lai said stigma remained a significant issue in Tasmania and a lived experience organisation would help address how drug and alcohol use was portrayed. "I would say that the number one piece of feedback that I've heard over the years from people who have lived experience is just the impact that stigma can have on access to services," Ms Lai said.
ABC - June 23, 2023
'They’re not waking up': Saskatoon addiction workers concerned over mixed opioids (benzodiazepines)
Addiction workers say they’ve been seeing a new danger for drug users in Saskatchewan. Kayla DeMong, executive director for Saskatoon-based Prairie Harm Reduction, said they’ve been finding another substance mixed with fentanyl. “Since April, we have been utilizing a spectrometer at our safe consumption site, allowing us to do full spectrum drug testing on products brought in to the site,” DeMong told CTV News. “What we have seen very consistently since April is that every fentanyl test that we have done has come back positive for benzos.”
CTV - June 23, 2023
Schools Put Environmental Sensors at the Forefront of Vaping Addiction Response
From detection to intervention, K-12 schools are battling the consequences of the vaping epidemic with electronic help.
Ed Tech - June 22, 2023
'Married At First Sight' star opens up about opioid addiction
Jamie Otis is opening about her husband's opioid addiction. The 36-year-old "Married At First Sight" star shared an Instagram reel Wednesday night with a clip from her and her husband Doug Hehner's podcast, "Hot Marriage Cool Parents."
Yahoo! - June 22, 2023
Addiction complicates pain management, but new guidelines offer help for 'complex patients'
Experts release 7 principles for managing surgical pain for patients with history of substance abuse. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) gathered 15 medical organizations representing over 500,000 physicians to develop seven guiding principles to improve pain management before, during and after surgery for these patients.
Fox - June 22, 2023
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Comments
Fentanyl
Two Friends Used Fentanyl. One Died, the Other Was Charged With Murder
They bought $30 worth of fentanyl before making it into rehab. One overdosed. The other was charged in his death.
New York Times - June 25, 2023
Eight is Enough actor Adam Rich died of fentanyl effects, autopsy report says
Child actor known as ‘America’s little brother’ for his role on the hit family show died in Los Angeles home on 7 January at age 54. The effects of fentanyl are considered the cause of death for Adam Rich, the child actor known as “America’s little brother” for his role on the hit family dramedy Eight is Enough.
The Guardian - June 24, 2023
Oregon: House bills related to fentanyl possession, addiction services headed to governor's desk
House Bill 2645, which was passed by the House in February 2023, creates a Class A misdemeanor penalty for possession of certain amounts of fentanyl, according to Oregon Senate officials. State officials said that Oregon does not currently charge for misdemeanor fentanyl possession as it does for other controlled substances.
KEZI - June 22, 2023
Harsh New Fentanyl Laws Ignite Debate Over How to Combat Overdose Crisis
Dozens of states, devastated by unrelenting overdose deaths, have been enacting similar legislation and other laws to severely ratchet up penalties for a drug that can kill with just a few milligrams. The bills are intended to beat back a deadly substance that has infiltrated much of the illicit drug supply in the United States. But they are renewing a debate over whether unsparing law enforcement can be effective and equitable in addressing a public health crisis.
NY Times - June 21, 2023
State / Local
California: NIDA Director Volkow to speak at St. Helena Forum on the science of addiction
The Saint Helena Forum will welcome Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Psychologist, and Elizabeth Bates-Freed for a virtual conversation about a new study that uses genomic data from more than 1 million people to reveal shared genetic markers underlining substance use disorders at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 28.
St. Helena Star - June 23, 2023
Oregon state leaders work to improve Measure 110 as Portland proposes ban on open drug use
Ahead of a vote to ban open drug use in the city of Portland, people experiencing homelessness and battling addiction are speaking out for and against the plan. If approved, it would add public consumption of a controlled substance to the city’s ordinance that already bans public alcohol consumption. People KATU News spoke with say because they don't have a discreet place to do drugs, they're confused about where they can go. It's a proposal some people living on the streets find tricky. “Because homeless people live outside, so that’s kind of a Catch-22," said Belinda Dehamer Harrington, who is battling drug addiction.
KATU 2 - June 23, 2023
Georgia expands effort to fight stigma around addiction, recovery
The state is expanding its efforts to fight the stigma that often surrounds addiction, promoting recovery with a new public education campaign launched Thursday at the Capitol. Georgia Recovers, the new social media-based campaign, is designed to share the personal stories of Georgians in recovery in their own words, distributed using video and other digital and social media platforms. The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities oversees the initiative, a partnership with the national nonprofit advocacy group Shatterproof, which focuses on raising awareness of addiction, treatment and recovery.
WABE - June 23, 2023
Kansas: New support group focuses on unique needs of people grieving deaths from addiction
For those who’ve experienced a loved one dying from drug or alcohol addiction, it can feel like most people don’t get it. That’s why two local women decided to bring a support group to the metro that’s a first for the area. The support group is called GRASP, which stands for Grief Recovery After Substance Passing.
KCTV 5 - June 23, 2023
New York: Bill passes to improve addiction services for LGBTQ+ people
People in the LGBTQ+ community face greater discrimination and social stigma, which leads to a much higher rate of substance use and addiction disorders in that population, according to the National Institute of Health. Republicans and Democrats put aside their differences and unanimously voted to pass a bill to require the state Office of Addiction Services And Supports to ensure patients can access the appropriate addiction services or help based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Spectrum 1 - June 22, 2023
Amid overdose rise, New York launches addiction studies scholarship
Three colleges in New York state are receiving money as part of the launch of a scholarship program to encourage students to study addiction services, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office on Thursday announced. The money being made available as New York is contending with a sharp rise in overdose deaths over the last several years, which has coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spectrum 1 - June 22, 2023
North Carolina bill targets addiction recovery centers' 'patient brokering'
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill Thursday morning that attempts to protect people addicted to drugs and alcohol from deceptive marketing tactics used by treatment providers. House Bill 415, the “Stop Addiction Fraud Ethics Act of 2023” would require facilities’ marketing and advertisements be accurate.
NC Newsline - June 22, 2023
New Hampshire: Addiction recovery, harassment, and investigative journalism
Three people were arrested and charged in connection to vandalism targeting journalists at New Hampshire Public Radio. The crimes began after the station aired an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against a well-known figure in the addiction recovery community in the state. The investigation into sexual misconduct at Granite Recovery Centers in New Hampshire is detailed in the new podcast “The 13th Step.” We discuss addiction treatment, and what happens when you try to investigate allegations of misconduct and abuse.
The 1A - June 21, 2023
Connecticut: Addiction Medicine Team Dispenses First Three-Day Supply of Methadone at Yale
In late May, Melissa Weimer, DO, MCR, and Anne Dowton, MD, dispensed the first three-day take home supply of methadone to treat opioid use disorder on the Yale Addiction Medicine Consult Service (YAMCS) at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH).
Yale School of Medicine - June 21, 2023
Wisconsin: New Madison clinic to provide treatment services to patients facing addiction
A new clinic in Madison is aiming to provide evidence-based treatment for people facing opioid addiction. Community Medical Services (CMS) will help patients facing addiction with medication-assisted treatment as well as counseling and medical testing, among other services. The clinic will specialize in treating opioid addiction, prescription drug addiction, fentanyl addiction and heroin addiction.
NBC 15 - June 20, 2023
Studies/Research in the News
Why it's hard to prove Ozempic may help other health conditions, not just diabetes
Since the drugs flooded the scene, there have been reports of other potential uses for them, to treat conditions ranging from PCOS to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, addiction, alcohol use disorder, liver disease and possibly cancer. But proving they work for each individual condition means spending years, and a tremendous amount of resources, to conduct meticulous laboratory research and large clinical trials. It also requires access to a reliable supply of these drugs, which is far from a given amid widespread shortages.
NBC - June 24, 2023
Is a Drug to Treat Cannabis Addiction Finally Within Reach?
Could AEF0117, a drug that has a novel mechanism of action in the brain, be the drug to fight cannabis addiction? Results from a phase 2a clinical trial that examined the efficacy of AEF0117 in patients with cannabis use disorder have created quite a stir. The study was published in Nature Medicine. Not only did AEF0117 weaken the effects of cannabis, but it also decreased a person's desire to use it, all without causing withdrawal symptoms. These findings have generated a significant buzz in the scientific and medical community.
Medscape - June 23, 2023
New data on disparities in Medicaid access to opioid addiction treatment
An estimated 82,998 people died from opioid overdoses in the U.S. last year. A new study published Friday in JAMA Health Forum drives home how lack of access to lifesaving medications could contribute to these preventable deaths. The study is the most comprehensive Medicaid analysis of opioid addiction to date, analyzing a national claims dataset with 76 million patient data points between 2016 and 2018. Medicaid patients are already at disproportionate risk of opioid overdoses, almost four times higher than patients on commercial insurance. Correspondingly, Medicaid is one of the primary payers of opioid addiction treatment in the U.S., covering nearly 40% of adults under 65 with this chronic disease.
Stat - June 23, 2023
Opinion
Daines' support for 'Addiction Banking' Act out of step with Montana's needs and values
Last month, Sen. Steve Daines testified as a witness in support of the SAFE Banking Act, a bill that would open the marijuana industry to billions of dollars of outside investments capital and bolster cartel activity. This bill is bad for public health and safety in Montana, but Daines tried to cover for that by toeing the banking and pot industry’s line.
Billings Gazette - June 23, 2023