The Wednesday Weekly Addiction + Recovery News Clips - July 20, 2022
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
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Highlights
National
House passes bipartisan legislation to encourage colleges to establish plans to address mental health on campuses | Understanding and preventing opioid use disorder stigma | Availability of affordable housing (more so than addiction and mental illness) explain homelessness | 9-8-8 is here to help
Fentanyl
The truth behind the police fentanyl exposure videos | Experts debunk myth of OD risk from fentanyl-laced dollar bills | Washington Post: Risks of fentanyl often exaggerated to make a political point |
State and Local
Federal lawsuit over access to opioid use disorder medication in jail | Arizona Indigenous Cafe hires chefs in recovery | Colorado state troopers report highest concentration of illegal fentanyl at Capitol park
Studies/Research in the News
Gates Foundation study finds no benefits, only risks, with anything more than 2 teaspoons of wine per day | Ohio State study examines link between chronic pain and opioid use disorder | Research offers solutions for porn addiction | NIH study finds insomnia drug may help with opioid withdrawal | Why is tobacco so addictive?
Opinion
What is recovery and “Can’t We All Just Get Along?” | Reality of sex addiction nothing like the fantasy | Biden Administration’s embrace of harm reduction will save lives
Books and Movies
Book review: “Original Sins” memoir by Rowland Hill | Get Connected! Author Johan Hari to give free lecture in Santa Rosa, CA July 21 | Felicia Berliner’s novel, “Shmutz,” examines Hasidic woman’s porn addiction
Podcasts
Narcotica considers cannabis and capitalism in the age of legal weed | Let’s Talk interviews Dr. Stephanie Covington about the plight of incarcerated women who struggle with addiction | Genetically guided addiction treatment on Scope of Practice | Recovery and writing with Prof. Melissa Febos on Flourishing after Addiction
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National
Congress: To prevent addiction, empower physicians and patients to choose non-opioids
Fortunately, Congress is working to remove the barriers that disincentivize doctors from considering non-opioid alternatives. The bipartisan Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act (H.R. 3259/S. 586) has garnered an impressive 47 co-sponsors in the Senate and over 100 co-sponsors in the House. If enacted, the legislation will ensure that both opioid-based and non-opioid-based treatments are reimbursed by Medicare at the same rates in the ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient department settings.
The Hill - July 18, 2022
White House Issues Recommendations on Telehealth and SUD services
This recommendation suggests that the waivers of certain requirements, such as the originating site requirements for Medicare reimbursement of telehealth services, become permanent. The DEA is also being urged to make permanent the SUD treatment and recovery changes implemented as a result of the PHE, including authorizing qualified practitioners to prescribe controlled substances to patients using telehealth without first conducting in-person evaluations (as has been the case during the PHE).
JD Supra - July 18, 2022
Where Opioid Use Disorder Stigma Comes From and How to Prevent It
Despite its prevalence, OUD carries a lot of stigma. In a nutshell, “stigma” means other people may view you negatively for having the condition. OUD stigma can further disrupt your mental health, discourage you from seeking help, and restrict your access to effective treatment.
Healthline - July 15, 2022
The national suicide hotline is changing to 988 starting Saturday
The nationwide hotline for mental health emergencies switches to a simple 988 number on Saturday, a transition that is expected to bring millions more calls, chats and texts into a system where readiness to handle the surge varies from place to place. At the same time, advocates hope the renewed focus on emergency assistance, and the spending that has accompanied it, will prompt expansion of other mental health services that are in desperately short supply in many communities.
Washington Post - July 15, 2022
Drug Decriminalization Could Help Resolve 'Obvious Challenge' To Addiction Treatment, Top Federal Official Says
The head of a top federal health agency says that the ongoing criminalization of people over drug use needs to end in order to effectively address substance misuse and the stigmatization of addiction. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), wrote in a blog post published last week that there’s an urgent need to reshape addiction treatment, specifically by putting more resources towards identifying “pre-addiction” to get people help before the disease.
Marijuana Moment - July 14, 2022
Campus mental health bills passed in House
Two bipartisan bills targeting mental health and substance abuse passed the House. They would create new policies for campuses to carry out evidence-based programs to address the rising mental health crisis. The Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act would require the Education Department to partner with the Department of Health and Human Services to encourage colleges to create comprehensive plans to address mental health and suicide on campus.
Inside Higher Ed - July 14, 2022
Afghan women, children grappling with opioid addiction live in fear of being imprisoned by the Taliban
As Afghanistan grapples with poverty and starvation, opioid addiction is raging. More than 10 per cent of Afghanistan’s 40 million people are addicts according to the United Nations, and drug-treatment programs are scarce. UN reports say that the number of female addicts grew more than 600 per cent over the past decade, as the extended military conflict left them vulnerable to anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, common risk factors for developing drug-use disorders. Since the Taliban’s ban came into effect, thousands of men who use drugs have been rounded up and imprisoned, according to two Taliban police officers. But part of the story is largely kept secret. Women and children are being imprisoned for illicit drug use too.
The Globe and Mail - July 14, 2022
America’s decades-long opioid crisis
Despite billions in court settlements, America’s war with opioids rages on. Sari Horwitz, co-author of the new book “American Cartel,” explains why the real battle may need to be fought in Washington.
MSNBC - July 14, 2022
As a Teen He Filmed His ‘Mighty Ducks’ Scenes at the L.A. Kings’ Arena. In His 30s He Slept on the Ground Outside.
Shaun Weiss went from child actor to living on the streets, and in the throes of heroin addiction. Now he says the internet has saved him.
Sports Illustrated - July 14, 2022
NY AG claims Teva lied about its role in the opioid crisis
SCRIBD - July 13, 2022
Endo Moving Toward Bankruptcy Filing Without Opioid Settlement Deal
Endo International PLC is moving toward a bankruptcy filing, potentially setting off intense conflicts with state and local governments that have sued the pharmaceuticals company for its alleged role in fueling the opioid crisis. Without a deal with opioid plaintiffs after years of negotiations, Endo is considering filing for bankruptcy as a means to restructure its more than $8 billion of debt and thousands of outstanding lawsuits, according to people familiar with the matter.
Wall Street Journal - July 12, 2022
Jessica Simpson’s Ups and Downs: Alcohol Addiction, Sexual Abuse and More
From public scrutiny to sobriety. Jessica Simpson has been candid about her struggles with body image, surviving sexual abuse and battling alcohol addiction over the years. “I had to strip away all the self-medicating to feel the pain and figure out what was wrong. I’m still doing the work in therapy two times a week resolving those issues,” the “With You” singer wrote in her 2020 memoir, Open Book.
US - July 12, 2022
Partnership to End Addiction launches RxAware - a program to curb opioid misuse and educate families
Partnership to End Addiction, a national nonprofit uniquely positioned to reach, engage and help families impacted by addiction, launched an innovative program that will help curb opioid misuse. The program, RxAware, aims to educate people on the wide array of non-opioid pain relievers available and offer ways to reduce the risks associated with opioid medications, if prescribed.
AP - July 12, 2022
For parents with substance use disorder, advocates call for resource and support instead of family separation
With treatment often difficult to access—especially for BIPOC families—intervention from child protective services often stops short of providing the resources families need. Some social workers are working to ensure that substance use disorders don’t automatically mean parents lose their children. “We try to remove the stigma preventing women with substance use disorders from getting the treatment they need,” said Dr. Janeen Cross, a Howard University assistant professor at the School of Social Work. “We can remove those transitional barriers to care.”
Prism Reports - July 12, 2022
Cause of homelessness? It’s not drugs or mental illness, researchers say
Ask just about anyone for their thoughts on what causes homelessness, and you will likely hear drug addiction, mental illness, alcoholism and poverty. A pair of researchers, however, looked at those issues across the country and found they occur everywhere. What does vary greatly around the country, they found, was the availability of affordable housing.
Los Angeles Times - July 11, 2022
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
Fentanyl
Experts question claim of overdosing by touching fentanyl-laced dollar
Experts are casting doubts on rampant reports of people OD-ing by simply touching fentanyl — including an alarming case this week in which a Kentucky woman was hospitalized after picking up a dollar she later claimed was laced with the narcotic.
New York Post - July 15, 2022
Why you’re hearing so much about fentanyl these days
But McCarthy wasn’t simply warning Fox News viewers that fentanyl was deadly — which it certainly can be when ingested deliberately in an effort to get high. He was exaggerating the risk of fentanyl to make a political point. Fentanyl was developed as a pain management drug for use in the treatment of cancer. Abuse of the drug is dangerous and a real problem. But it’s also a useful political wedge. Fox News talks about fentanyl far more often than does its competitors, and it usually does so in precisely the context that McCarthy does: the U.S.-Mexico border.
Washington Post - July 15, 2022
Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, compounds overdose crisis
A street outreach team from Tapestry Health delivered what’s becoming a routine warning; xylazine is an animal tranquilizer. It’s not approved for humans, but it’s shown up in about half of the drug samples Tapestry tests — mostly fentanyl, but also cocaine. This month xylazine was in a quarter of drug samples tested by the Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream (MADDS).
WBUR - July 15, 2022
Experts say that a person CANNOT overdose on fentanyl from physical contact alone: Doubts cast on Kentucky woman who claims she collapsed after touching laced bill
Experts are casting doubts about reports of people suffering fentanyl-related injury after mere skin-to-skin contact with the powerful opioid.
Daily Mail - July 14, 2022
Senate GOP Doctors Caucus releases PSA on fentanyl danger
In 2020 alone, fentanyl was involved in more than 70% of all drug overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. GOP lawmakers say the only way to properly combat the epidemic is by informing the public. "By working together, we can make a difference and stop the drug traffickers that are driving addiction and poisoning our neighbors and children," they said in the PSA.
Fox - July 14, 2022
What’s Really Going on in Those Police Fentanyl Exposure Videos?
It’s nearly impossible for an overdose to be caused by brief contact with the drug. It is possible these videos will worsen the danger for those truly at risk. It’s not that the symptoms seen on video are feigned. Some psychologists suggest a kind of “mass psychogenic illness” is afoot, or a form of conversion disorder — neurological symptoms without a clear physical cause — or, potentially, simple panic attacks.
New York Times - July 13, 2022
Naples addiction expert on Florida’s deadly struggle with rising fentanyl use
Florida is flooded with fentanyl, and a Naples doctor has witnessed firsthand the state Department of Health’s struggle to stop it as the number of users goes up and deaths spike along with it. The CDC shows Florida had more than 4,700 deaths from opioids in 2020, a nearly 64% increase from 2019. Several experts attribute the increase to the pandemic and widespread uncertainty about the future. State legislators approved HB 95 this year, which increases the penalties for the sale and distribution of opioids like fentanyl. And FDOH says it is going to start focusing more on awareness, with a plan to launch a statewide advisory on the dangers of fentanyl focusing on prevention and recovery.
WINK News - July 13, 2022
State / Local
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia expands grief counseling program for children of overdose victims
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is expanding its free bereavement services for children and teens impacted by the sudden death of a loved one or caregiver from an overdose as part of its efforts to enhance its harm reduction programming.
Philly Voice - July 18, 2022
Pennsylvania: Online addiction treatment provider tool now available in Pa.
Pennsylvanians can search ATLAS for treatment providers by their location, services provided, and insurance accepted. An online tool to help those experiencing substance use disorder find reputable treatment providers is now available to Pennsylvanians. Known as ATLAS (Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards Platform), the online tool was created by Shatterproof, a national nonprofit working to combat addiction in the United States.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star - July 16, 2022
Ohio: 988 hotline for mental health, addiction crisis
A new emergency number is launching for anyone facing a mental health or addiction crisis. They can now just call 988 and get help immediately. And experts have high hopes for the new number that will function much like 911, except it will provide compassionate lifesaving care to those with mental health-related distress.
Fox8 - July 16, 2022
Pennsylvania court system says it’s not responsible for county judges banning opioid addiction medication
A fight between the U.S. Department of Justice and leaders of Pennsylvania’s court system is playing out in federal court — and the outcome could have major implications for people who experience opioid addiction and face criminal charges. The lawsuit focuses on people who are under a judge’s supervision. The Department of Justice’s core argument is that people with opioid use disorder should have an equal opportunity to benefit from programs that serve as an alternative to incarceration — and creating unnecessary barriers to those programs is a violation of their rights under federal law. The Justice Department began investigating Pennsylvania’s court system after receiving complaints about an opioid use disorder medication ban in Jefferson County in 2018.
WHYY - July 15, 2022
California social media addiction bill drops parent lawsuits
A first-of-its-kind proposal in the California Legislature aimed at holding social media companies responsible for harming children who have become addicted to their products would no longer let parents sue popular platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
ABC - July 15, 2022
Oregon: New Portland program helps those suffering from addiction, mental health crises
A first-of-its-kind program to help people with mental health and addiction crises is now available in Portland. The Old Town In-Reach program, which has been in the works for more than a year, has three teams of two peer support specialists that move between various centers that serve homeless people or help people who are in crisis.
KOIN - July 14, 2022
Arizona: The Indigenous café using native cuisine to help its chefs fight addiction
Café Gozhóó in Arizona uses the kitchen to teach therapeutic skills to those recovering from substance use disorders.
The Guardian - July 13, 2022
Colorado: State troopers respond to more overdoses at Civic Center Park
Colorado State Troopers (CSP) said they’re responding to more overdoses in Civic Center Park, fueled over the last couple of years by fentanyl. While they see overdoses across the state, troopers said they deploy the overdose-reversing drug Naloxone, or Narcan, in the area outside the capitol more than anywhere else.
9 News - July 13, 2022
Iowa: As drug overdose deaths rise in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds plans messaging campaign for young Iowans
Gov. Kim Reynolds said Iowa plans to step up efforts to educate younger Iowans on the powerful narcotic fentanyl as drug overdose deaths have continued to climb in the state. "It's my hope that by raising awareness, we'll see a decrease in the overall deaths," Reynolds said Tuesday during a news conference to publicize the impact of fentanyl on Iowans. "If the information we've shared today scares you, it should."
Des Moines Register - July 12, 2022
Ohio: Public health alert issued after deadly spike in drug overdoses throughout Cuyahoga County
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has issued a public health alert after 30 suspected drug overdose deaths during the first two weeks of July. “With only just over one-third of the month behind us, overdose deaths are mounting quickly. Our concern for the public health and welfare compels us to issue these alerts and to provide as much information to the public as soon as possible,” said Dr. Tom Gilson.
Cleveland 19 - July 12, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Why is tobacco so addictive?
Tobacco is an incredibly addictive substance. Studies have found that smoking tobacco can be as addictive as heroin and cocaine(opens in new tab), but what makes people crave a cigarette? And why do many people struggle to stop smoking despite being aware of the dangers? The answer, it turns out, has to do with tobacco changing the way our brains work, making us want more of it, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(opens in new tab) (FDA).
Live Science - July 16, 2022
Bombshell alcohol study funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation finds only risks, zero benefits for young adults
People under the age of 40 start risking their health if they consume any more than two teaspoons of wine or two and a half tablespoons of beer per day, a new study suggests. The analysis—part of the wider Global Burden of Disease study—was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and published in The Lancet medical journal on Thursday. It found that for young adults between the ages of 15 and 39, there were zero health benefits—only risks—associated with drinking alcohol.
Fortune - July 15, 2022
The number of Americans injecting drugs skyrockets to nearly 3.7 million people in 2018, study finds
Researchers from the Coalition for Applied Modeling for Prevention (CAMP) used a combination of federal surveillance data and published research that calculated the rate of overdoses among people who injected drugs. The modeling study estimated nearly 3.7 million people in the U.S. injected drugs at one point during 2018 – a fivefold increase from the most recent estimate in 2011. Health experts say the study could help show officials where to direct resources in the opioid epidemic, including safe injection sites, treatment strategies and prevention against infectious diseases like hepatitis C and HIV.
USA Today - July 15, 2022
Percentage of overdose deaths involving methadone declined between January 2019 and August 2021
National data indicate COVID-era treatment expansion was not associated with harms, add evidence to support take-home treatment for opioid use disorder.
National Institutes of Health - July 13, 2022
Sleep medication may help treat addiction, according to small study
This small study from the National Institutes of Health suggests a drug used for people who can't sleep might make a big difference in opioid recovery. The drug in this new study is a common medication already on the market and appears to help in the withdrawal time from addiction.
Local 12 - July 13, 2022
Study provides first evidence of link between opioid use disorder, chronic pain
Scientists have long noted a connection between opioid use disorder (OUD) and chronic pain, however brain mechanisms linking OUD and chronic pain are poorly understood. This first-of-its-kind study by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine and University of Michigan Medical School explored one potential mechanism – central sensitization – among individuals with OUD.
EurekAlert - July 11, 2022
New Psychological Research Offers A Possible Way Out Of Porn Addiction
A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology discusses the dangers of porn addiction and offers a path to recovery using faith and morals. Lead author Stephen Sammut of the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio says that a focus on higher-level cognitive faculties can override the cravings from our lower brain which ultimately spur porn consumption.
Forbes - July 10, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
Opinion
I’m a sex addict – the reality is nothing like the fantasy
Let me tell you what being a sex addict is like – really like. And no, it’s nothing like the films, or TV programmes, or even newspaper headlines, where someone famous (usually a man) gets caught doing something they shouldn’t and then declares they’re “seeking help” and immediately turns over a new leaf. Real recovery takes a lot longer than that. It can last a lifetime.
The Independent - July 16, 2022
What is Recovery?. Can’t we all just get along?
I’ve grown up and practiced in a world of fences and gatekeepers who decide who’s in recovery and who’s not. I want to build a world without fences and gates where everyone is welcome. I bet we can.
Medium.com - July 15, 2022
Heartbreaking images from a photographer grappling with a complex past
Photographer Jordan Gale was born into a tumultuous life. And he has been examining that through an ongoing series he has titled “Don’t Be This Way Forever.”
Washington Post - July 15, 2022
The Biden administration’s bold embrace of harm reduction will save lives
“Harm reduction” is a phrase previous administrations have used sparingly, if at all, when discussing drug policy. But the Biden administration not only uses it often regarding the escalating epidemic of overdose deaths, which claimed more than 100,000 lives last year; it has made it the centerpiece of its national drug control strategy.
Washington Post - July 12, 2022
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Books and Movies
Provocative novel peeps into the profane world of a Haredi woman's porn addiction
In her debut work set in New York, pseudonymous author Felicia Berliner tells the story of a young Hasidic woman sucked into an obsession with ‘Shmutz.”
The Times of Israel - July 19, 2022
Book review: Original Sins A Memoir by Matt Rowland Hill
Matt Rowland Hill’s “turbulent debut” is “electric from the off”, said Anthony Cummins in The Observer. His memoir of addiction begins with him injecting heroin at a funeral – plunging the reader “irresistibly” into its hellish story.
The Week UK - July 15, 2022
Best-selling author Johann Hari to present county-sponsored lecture on “Rethinking Addiction” on July 21 in Santa Rosa
Sonoma County residents are invited to hear best-selling author and journalist Johann Hari, who has written extensively on substance abuse and addiction, speak at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts on July 21. The free lecture is being sponsored by the Sonoma County Department of Health Services as well as Directing Change, a mental health nonprofit for students.
County of Sonoma, CA Department of Health Services - July 14, 2022
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Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Let’s Talk Addiction and Recovery (Hazelden Betty Ford) – Where Is the Justice in the System? Helping Incarcerated Women Who Face Addiction
Dr. Stephanie Covington discusses the criminal justice system: its inability to treat addiction, the women who face the consequences and how we can better serve them. Read the transcript.
Flourishing After Addiction with Carl Erik Fisher, M.D. – Crafting a Life in Recovery, with Prof. Melissa Febos
Melissa Febos is one of our most accomplished memoirists and essayists, a passionate and fiercely honest writer who, across several of her works, has often discussed her own path through addiction and into recovery. (Among her many, many accolades, she is the recipient of a 2022 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship and a National Book Critics Circle Award.) We talk about Melissa's experience of addiction and how she works her recovery program today. We discuss how her creative practice is part of that recovery; how evaluation, performance, and internal and external criticism was problematic for her; and how writing helped her in recovery. How her definition of recovery expanded over time. How she had to write to survive, and then to thrive. Whether you're interested in the craft of writing, or just how to craft a life, you shouldn't miss this one.
Narcotica Podcast - Cannabis And Capitalism — Preventing Another Big Tobacco with Shaleen Title
For some of us, especially if we live in places where cannabis is legal, such dire consequences for using cannabis can seem like a distant nightmare. But even as we slowly emerge from the dark ages of marijuana prohibition, we’re encountering entirely predictable problems: unchecked capitalist greed. So yes, while it’s worth celebrating our emergence from the dark ages of cannabis prohibition, we risk entering into different forms of prohibition, oppression and inequality at the hands of the so-called “free market.” Narcotica co-host Troy Farah talks with Shaleen Title, an Indian-American attorney and longtime drug policy activist who has been writing, passing, and implementing equitable cannabis laws for over 20 years. She is a former top regulator for the state of Massachusetts, where she served as commissioner of the Cannabis Control Commission from 2017 to 2020. She is the author of “Fair and Square: How to Effectively Incorporate Social Equity Into Cannabis Laws and Regulations” and “Bigger is Not Better: Preventing Monopolies in the National Cannabis Market.” Currently, her primary focus is running the nonprofit think tank Parabola Center, which pushes for cannabis policies to protect people rather than corporate profits.
Scope of Practice (by the Connecticut Certification Board) - Putting the BIO in Bio-Psycho-Social: Genetically Guided Treatment
The technology exists today where we can access a person's individual genetic makeup and biomarkers to inform treatment. We are joined by Dr. Evelyn Higgins, founder and CEO of Wired for Addiction, to discuss this modern technology and its implications. Wired for Addiction is an international DNA company that uses trademark testing & prescribing process to look at genetic variants linked to substance use and mood disorders.
High Truths on Drugs and Addiction - High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Dr. Louis Profeta on Drugs and College
What does Dr. Profeta tell college kids about drugs? He shows them what it’s like for him, as an emergency physician, to tell their parents they died of an overdose. That’s the worst horror for a doctor. Dr. Louis M. Profeta is a nationally recognized, award-winning writer and Emergency Physician at St. Vincent Hospital of Indianapolis. He is clinical instructor of Emergency Medicine at Indiana University and Marian University Schools of Medicine. A graduate of Indiana University and its School of Medicine, Dr. Profeta completed his post-graduate training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a dynamic and sought-after public speaker and writer as well as a frequent guest on TV and radio who has gained critical acclaim for his essays on topics such as his eye-opening look at our national preparedness for influenza pandemics in What Scares Me More than Ebola.
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