The Wednesday Weekly - Addiction + Recovery News, February 2, 2022
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
Highlights
(Inter) National
Doctors in British Columbia prescribe fentanyl to curb overdoses | Is Dry January hurting alcohol sales? | Are more Brits breaking with Booze?
Fentanyl
Wisconsin to decriminalize fentanyl test strips | CT lawmakers consider increased penalties for fentanyl in wake of tragic overdose death of 13 year-old | Denver transit employees fear fentanyl smoke exposure on trains
State and Local
Pennsylvania to address addiction among elderly | $2.3 billion for Calif. treatment services from opioid settlement | Study finds Oregon first in addiction, last in treatment | CT Republicans push to get tough on fentanyl | NY bill to expand collection of alcohol OD data signed into law
Studies/Research in the News
Alcohol not good for heart | Vaccine for addiction | Study examines link between autism, addiction
Opinion
Maia Szalavitz on Oregon’s decriminalization | NIDA director Volkow on abstinence only treatment: perfect shouldn’t be the enemy of the good
Reviews
TV’s Euphoria
Podcasts
RMA on negative self-talk | Rehab Confidential talks harm reduction w/ Don’t Die Wisconsin’s Patrick Reilly
Legislation
Elected officials highlight need for treatment funding and the CARE Act
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.
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
(Inter) National
Sacklers near deal to increase opioid settlement in Purdue bankruptcy
Sackler family members and states objecting to terms of Purdue's bankruptcy reorganization are "close to an agreement in principle" to contribute additional cash beyond the $4.325 billion they had pledged to settle opioid litigation, according to a mediator's interim report filed on Monday.
Reuters - Jan. 31, 2022
Chloe Delevingne on mother's bipolar battle and heroin addiction
Chloe Delevingne revealed that 'nearly saying goodbye' to her mother during her childhood has made her 'very protective' over her younger sisters. Socialite Pandora Delevingne, who is mother to Chloe and her model sisters Cara and Poppy, has been open about her decades-long battle with heroin addiction and living with bipolar disorder.
Daily Mail - Jan. 31, 2022
16 and Pregnant Star Jordan Cashmyer's Family Says She Struggled With Addiction Before Her Death
Jordan Cashmyer’s family is speaking out about their daughter’s addiction after the 16 and Pregnant Star star died at the age of 26.
E!News - Jan. 30, 2022
Is 'Dry January' hurting bars and alcohol retailers? Business execs chime in
Business leaders in alcohol sales say COVID-19 pandemic, seasonal slowdowns have bigger impact than Dry January for now. Some Dry January objectors have speculated that the annual health campaign is hurting bars and alcohol retailers, yet professionals in the field say there’s a host of reasons why some small business owners are struggling.
Fox Business - Jan. 28, 2022
Two powerful drugs now adding to US overdose crisis
Emerging reports show that two little-known drugs are making lethal new contributions to America's drug overdose crisis. Para-fluorofentanyl and metonitazene are being seen more often by medical examiners looking into overdose deaths, according to a government report published Thursday. They often are taken with — or mixed with — illicit fentanyl, the drug mainly responsible for the more than 100,000 U.S. overdose deaths in the last year.
ABC News - Jan. 27, 2022
Fewer women are seeking addiction treatment in Mass. as use and overdoses increase
Despite the latest statistics showing an increase in opioid use and overdoses among women in Massachusetts, the number of women seeking addiction treatment has dropped dramatically. At the Dimock Center in Boston, Maia Betts, the center's Chief Behavioral Health Officer, says there are many reasons women might choose not to seek treatment including parenting responsibilities. "Not all beds are being filled regularly and we are looking at those motivators for treatment," Betts said. "One motivator is child care, child care issues and custody issues. Women are opting out of treatment to ensure that their children stay in their custody." Betts said some women risk losing custody of their children if they have a substance use disorder.
WBUR - Jan. 27, 2022
New Wearable Device Could Help Prevent Overdose Deaths
Researchers from the University of Washington have developed a new wearable device that can tell when a person is overdosing from opioids.
WebMD - Jan. 27, 2022
Mighty Ducks ' Shaun Weiss Celebrates 2 Years of Sobriety After Meth Addiction
Shaun Weiss is celebrating a major milestone: he's now two years sober after overcoming a meth addiction. The actor and comedian — who famously played goalie Greg Goldberg in the Mighty Ducks movies — shared a before and after photo on Instagram on Wednesday to mark the occasion.
Yahoo! - Jan. 27, 2022
Addiction treatment center looks to fill critical gap in treatment: Long-term support
Those in addiction treatment say there is a missing link in the chain of treatment that needs to be filled and Team Recovery is getting ready to open a program to do that. It’s a long-term sobriety treatment approach that just may help.
13 ABC WTVG - Jan. 25, 2022
Macklemore Opens Up About 'Painful' COVID Relapse
Macklemore hopes to help "lessen" the "guilt and shame of the disease of addiction," thanks in part to a new partnership with CLEAN Cause. When Macklemore appeared on Dax Shepard's podcast in April, he wasn't planning on telling the world that he'd relapsed during COVID. But because Shepard himself had also shared a relapse of his own, the rapper, 38, felt inspired to do so — and in turn hopes that his openness regarding the subject of addiction will help others struggling feel less alone.
People - Jan. 25, 2022
In a bid to live better, many Brits are breaking with booze
Drinking has long been interwoven with British culture. But amid the pandemic, many Britons, particularly young ones, have begun rethinking their alcohol consumption. Despite their reputation for excessive drinking, more Britons than ever are quitting alcohol altogether, with a third of people quitting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a sign of a major cultural shift, rooted in the urge for healthier lifestyles and “meaningful connections,” says Jo Ferbrache, a blogger and public speaker on sobriety, self-nicknamed Sober Jo.
Christian Science Monitor - Jan. 24, 2022
Man Hospitalized with Spinal Cord Problems from Nitrous Oxide Abuse
The risks associated with nitrous oxide abuse have been highlighted by a recent medical case report of a 29-year-old man with spine problems. In recent times, the gas has seen a resurgence as a recreational drug, often seen as safer than others – but it is not without its risks, as one man recently found out. The young man showed up at hospital with progressive numbness and tingling of the extremities. Though he didn't report any motor dysfunction or weakness, he had been experiencing numbness for 10 days, following initial feelings of tingling in his fingertips and feet.
IFL Science - Jan. 18, 2022
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Fentanyl
Wisconsin: Bill to decriminalize fentanyl test strips goes to Gov. Evers
Rep. James, author of Assembly Bill 619, said fentanyl test strips can be a life-saving tool, but they're still illegal in Wisconsin because they're considered drug paraphernalia and possessing them could mean being charged with a felony.
WQOW - Jan. 31, 2022
Utah Authorities Allegedly Find Enough Fentanyl to Kill 2.5 Million People in Car During Traffic Stop
Police allege Veronica Marquez-Franco and Jesus Guadalupe Navarro-Perez have family ties to Sinaloa, Mexico.
People - Jan. 31, 2022
Denver Union Station a scene of fear, addiction
A union spokesperson said some RTD employees are calling out because of exposure to fentanyl smoke on trains. On Monday near the terminals, it was still a sketchy scene. FOX31 spoke with a man who showed the fentanyl he was about to smoke. “This is blue,” the man said. That’s the street name for fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. “I wish they never created it. … I wish I never done it, to be honest with you,” he said.
Fox13 Denver - Jan. 31, 2022
Roughly 100 bags of fentanyl were found in the bedroom of a 13-year-old boy who died from presumed fentanyl exposure at his school
Police recovered about 100 bags of fentanyl from the bedroom of a 13-year-old who died after a presumed fentanyl exposure at his school in Hartford, Connecticut. Forty bags of fentanyl were also removed from the teen's school, according to police. Both sets of bags were packaged the same way and marked with a similar stamp, according to a press release by the Hartford Police Department. The young teenager died on January 15, two days after he was found unconscious after a presumed fentanyl exposure at the Sport and Medical Sciences Academy.
CNN - Jan. 30, 2022
Doctors Are Prescribing Fentanyl Patches and Pills to Help People Addicted to Opioids
To stop overdoses, the British Columbia government is providing fentanyl patches and pills to people using street drugs.
Vice - Jan. 28, 2022
Families press Snap to do more to curtail fentanyl sales to teens, saying recent changes don't do enough
Snap has faced mounting scrutiny in Washington, including from members of Congress, over its role in an opioid epidemic that is increasingly killing America’s teens. Thousands of American teenagers have fallen victim to the dangerous influx of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills that are frequently sold through social media in recent years.
USA Today - Jan. 28, 2022
Bill to punish fentanyl dealers shot down by California lawmakers
Senate Bill 350, known as Alexandra's Law would have required a person convicted of — or pleads guilty or no contest to — to receive a written notice that the controlled substances could lead to someone's death. Further, if a person does die from that drug then the manufacturer or distributor could be charged with voluntary manslaughter or murder. Senate Bill 350, known as Alexandra's Law would have required a person convicted of — or pleads guilty or no contest to — to receive a written notice that the controlled substances could lead to someone's death. Further, if a person does die from that drug then the manufacturer or distributor could be charged with voluntary manslaughter or murder.
KCRA - Jan. 12, 2022
State / Local
New York: Hinchey bill on expanding collection of alcohol overdose data signed into law
A bill mandating the state Department of Health expand its data collection on alcohol overdoses has been signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Daily Freeman - Jan. 30, 2022
‘Vulnerable’ and ‘overlooked’, state officials highlight need to address substance use disorder in older adults
Speaking to reporters Thursday, a top official at the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs said Pennsylvania “needs to do better” by older Pennsylvanians with substance use disorder. The official, Steve Ross, a special assistant to DDAP secretary Jen Smith, said adults age 55 and older are a “vulnerable” and “overlooked” demographic. Older adults “are underdiagnosed when it comes to the disease of addiction” because they tend to take more medication than other age groups and because SUD symptoms in older adults are similar to those of other medical conditions, he said.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star - Jan. 28, 2022
Cook County Illinois drug court: Inside Rehabilitative Alternative Program, Judge Charles Burns gives second chances, more if convicts complete addiction program
It’s something almost unheard of in Cook County’s criminal courts: Judge Charles Burns shares his cellphone number with people convicted of felony drug charges. But not until they complete a probation program that helps them control their addictions. The Rehabilitative Alternative Probation program, called RAP, is a specialized drug court that began in 1998 at the main Cook County courthouse at 26th Street and California Avenue. Burns, a former prosecutor, was put in charge in 2010. He also presides over a separate court call. But it’s mostly the RAP court that keeps him up at night. Burns thinks at least seven people in the program have died of overdoses during the coronavirus pandemic.
Chicago Sun Times - Jan. 28, 2022
Louisiana: Gambling addiction concerns grow as mobile sports betting launches in Louisiana
“We know that there are going to be probably higher numbers of people who have problems in the months ahead and certainly in probably two years. We have seen that during the pandemic more people have been looking and leaning towards alcohol use and gambling venues and ways to gamble and certainly online was one of them,” said Janet Miller, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Association of Compulsive Gambling.
Fox8 Live - Jan. 28, 2022
Minnesota Opioid crisis accelerates
"It's gotten so much worse. We've surpassed the tipping point," said Colleen Ronnei, the executive director of Minnesota non-profit Change the Outcome. "The CDC reported the most number of overdoses in a 12-month period ever, in the history of our country."
KARE 11 - Jan. 28, 2022
California to bring in $2.3 billion for drug treatment services as cities sign off on oxycontin settlement
The lion’s share of California cities and counties have signed off on a national settlement with four major pharmaceutical players to resolve allegations that they fueled the opioid crisis, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday, and that deal will award roughly $2.34 billion to state and local governments.
Sacramento Bee - Jan. 27, 2022
Oregon: Study finds Oregon ranks 2nd in country for addiction, last in treatment
Startling new research shows Oregon now ranks 2nd in the county for addiction and last in access to treatment. Along with increased alcohol and drug addiction, deaths and overdoses have also soared in Oregon during the pandemic. The new data was collected in 2020 from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. It shows nearly 20 percent of Oregon’s population suffers from addiction to alcohol or drugs -- nearly 1 in 5 Oregonian’s. Director of Oregon Recovers Mike Marshall says it’s a leadership issue.
Fox12 KPTV - Jan. 27, 2022
Connecticut Senate Republicans push for tougher penalties for selling fentanyl
Prompted by the death of a 13-year-old boy in Hartford, Senate Republicans are calling for increased penalties for selling fentanyl, a particularly lethal substance that is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. The lawmakers are offering a three-pronged plan that also calls for establishing guidelines to place Narcan in public schools in order to revive students who have overdosed. They are also seeking to create a public awareness campaign about the dangers of the drug by using money from the $300 million opioid settlement in Connecticut.
Hartford Courant - Jan. 27, 2022
Illinois: Joliet Tells Volunteers of America Illinois Opioid Addiction Recovery Program to Go Away
Joliet city officials did not support building a women's opioid addiction recovery campus on the former Silver Cross Hospital property. Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk and City Manager Jim Capparelli vehemently opposed the Volunteers of America Illinois' proposal to build a 42-unit women's opioid addiction treatment center at the former Silver Cross Hospital site. On Thursday, Joliet Patch broke the news that Volunteers of America Illinois will not move ahead with its development called the Hope Manor Village Joliet.
Patch.com - Jan. 27, 2022
San Francisco, CA: Open Drug Use at Breed’s Tenderloin Linkage Center Divides Addiction Experts
Media reports confirm that people are allowed to use drugs at the Tenderloin Linkage Center, which some recovery experts applaud, and others say is “like trying to have an AA meeting in a bar.”
SFist - Jan. 26, 2022
Connecticut union calls for state to fill over 300 addiction services positions; ‘Things are out of control’
A health care workers union is calling for the state to fill more than 300 hospital positions to bolster the state’s substance use treatment services. The SEIU District 1199, which represents more than 29,000 health care workers in the New England region, also said the state’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services closed admissions for addiction treatment at two state hospitals in December 2021. The union is asking for DMHAS to fill 330 positions, including 62 addiction services positions both at Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown and Blue Hills Hospital in Hartford. These 330 positions are fully funded, the union said.
CT Insider - Jan. 27, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Adolescents with SUDs in Medicaid Rarely Get Substance Abuse Care
Adolescents enrolled in Medicaid who had substance abuse-related experiences, including opioid use disorder, had high rates of medical visits but were unlikely to receive substance abuse care, indicating a need for increased Medicaid services, an Urban Institute report found.
Health Payer Intelligence - Jan. 31, 2022
Drinking less than NHS alcohol guidelines could increase risk of heart problems
A study of 300,000 people found beer, cider and spirits increased health risks. Moderate wine drinking appears to slightly reduce risks of cardiovascular events. Drinking beer, cider and spirits can increase the risk of stroke by 30 per cent.
Daily Mail - Jan. 27, 2022
Drinking Alcohol Once Increases Your Heart Disease Risk
Medical experts say “no amount” of alcohol is good for your cardiovascular health. Doctors now warn that what you're drinking could also raise your risk of heart disease—even in small amounts. For decades, a controversial debate has raged on within the medical community on the potential health risks and benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. But according to a policy brief released by the World Heart Federation (WHF) on Jan. 20, the international medical organization is warning that not only does a daily glass of wine not promote health benefits but that "no amount of alcohol is good for the heart."
Best Life - Jan. 27, 2022
Could a vaccine prevent drug deaths and cure addiction? U.S. research draws mixed reaction in B.C.
Some researchers believe vaccines could be a powerful new tool to fight substance use disorder and overdoses, but some experts are expressing caution about the idea. Researchers say early results of drug-specific vaccines use antibodies to prevent high in users. A fentanyl vaccine has shown promising results preventing overdoses in animal trials. Cheyenne Johnson, executive director of the B.C. Centre on Substance Use, said the project is interesting but she has concerns about how well vaccines would work on an ever-shifting illicit drug supply.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - Jan. 27, 2022
How Acceptance Can Reduce Substance Use, Suicide Risk for LGBTQ Youth
New research from The Trevor Project examined the realities of substance use and suicide risk among LGBTQ young people in the United States. The new research took a more comprehensive look than previous studies, examining how substance use broke down among a large and diverse array of demographic lines. Experts say this new research is a positive step toward better understanding the interplay between substance use and the mental health of LGBTQ youth, leading to improved support and care.
Healthline - Jan. 27, 2022
Study explores possible autism link in teens treated for addiction
One in five young adults being treated for alcohol or drug use may have undiagnosed traits characteristic of autism-spectrum disorder, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital report. The study, results of which are published in The American Journal on Addictions, is the first to look at the prevalence of previously undiagnosed autistic traits among teens and young adults with substance-use disorders, said lead author James McKowen of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at MGH and Harvard Medical School.
Harvard Gazette - Jan. 25, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Opinion
How a struggling socialite convinced the world alcoholism is a disease
Margaret “Marty” Mann was a brilliant strategist and a public-relations genius who played a crucial role in mid-century alcoholism advocacy. Today she is largely forgotten, even to many of the most ardent AA devotees, despite the fact that she might have been more important to the rise of AA’s popularity than founder Bill Wilson himself.
Washington Post - Jan. 29, 2022
New Alcohol Death Figures Show We Need Big, National Action
Alcohol addiction is a crisis, and we need national action. Some action is coming from the federal government.
Newsweek - Jan. 28, 2022
People who use drugs demand harm-reduction strategies
Roughly five-and-a-half minutes. Statistically speaking, that’s the interval between every life lost in the United States to a fatal overdose. We know from history that the carceral system and bourgeois law and order will provide no support in this matter. There is no way to beat, jail, put on trial or kill our way out of this. In fact, the legacy of prohibition (and capitalism, more broadly) have unarguably informed the crisis in which we presently find ourselves.
Workers World Party - Jan. 27, 2022
Maia Szalavitz: Oregon Decriminalized Drug Possession and Is Helping People With Addiction
By decriminalizing personal-use drug possession, Oregon has become the first state to acknowledge that it is impossible to treat addiction as a disease and a crime simultaneously. This kind of model is urgently needed in the United States, where street fentanyl is the leading cause of death among people ages 18 to 45, and where sending people to jail for using drugs has failed to prevent the worst addiction and overdose crisis in American history. Criminalization supercharges addiction stigma, and stigma is one of the biggest obstacles to recovery.
NY Times - Jan. 26, 2022
Dear Doctor: Why isn’t there in-patient rehab for smoking addiction?
In-patient rehab is not used for tobacco smoking: It is a very expensive, very time-consuming intervention that few can afford. It is used when the threat of physical harm from drugs and alcohol is extremely high. [SLP: Nonetheless, research finds people with mental health and/or substance use disorders are more than twice as likely to smoke cigarettes and are more likely to die from a smoking-related illness than from their behavioral health conditions].
Oregon Live - Jan. 26, 2022
NIDA Director Nora Volkow on Abstinence-only treatment: Making Addiction Treatment More Realistic and Pragmatic - The Perfect [abstinence] Should Not Be the Enemy of the Good
Recent data from 2020 shows that only 13 percent of people with drug use disorders receive any treatment. Only 11 percent of people with opioid use disorder receive one of the three safe and effective medications that could help them quit and stay in recovery. The magnitude of this crisis demands out-of-the-box thinking and willingness to jettison old, unhelpful, and unsupported assumptions about what treatment and recovery need to look like. Among them is the traditional view that abstinence is the sole aim and only valid outcome of addiction treatment.
Health Affairs - Jan. 3, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Reviews
Euphoria season 2: The HBO drama is a dozen shows in one
The brilliant but broken beating heart of Euphoria is Rue. Played with a stunning mix of grace and tenacity by Zendaya, she is the teenage drug addict with no intentions of staying clean, even when it means potentially losing everything. Euphoria’s at its best when it confronts how Rue’s addiction impacts the people who love her head-on; Jules’ “show” is a clarifying and humane approach to that sometimes punishingly told story.
Slate - Jan. 26, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Recovery in the Middle Ages – Are You Talkin’ to Me? Get Smart! Tackles Negative Self-Talk + The Big 3 w/SLP
Are You Talkin’ to Me? Negative self-talk and a poor self-image are recurring issues for people in recovery. Thoughts are powerful, and they can shape a person’s life and impact the way they experience the world. This week, on a special Get Smart with Erin, the gang does a deep dive into the world of negative self-talk and discusses strategies to quiet that voice in your head that keeps whispering those pesky negative thoughts. Plus, this week RMA, in association with Sober Linings Playbook, we bring you a new segment, The Big 3 with SLP, where Grant Boyken picks his top three stories of the month that relate to recovery and discusses why they are important. Tune in, turn on and bliss-out.
Rehab Confidential – Patrick Reilly, Clinic Manager of a Medication Assisted Opioid Treatment Program in Milwaukee Wisconsin
Joe and Amy sit down with Patrick Reilly, currently the Clinic Manager of a Medication Assisted Opioid Treatment Program in Milwaukee Wisconsin and one of the cohosts of the “Don’t Die Wisconsin” podcast. We talk about his transition from working in residential treatment to harm reduction, why he feels it’s so important for abstinent people to support all pathways to recovery and specifically his appearance at the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety to legalize fentanyl testing strips. Visit our sponsor for 20% off Clean Cause.
Flourishing After Addiction - Recovery research: Beyond abstinence with Dr. John Kelly
How do we best tap into the positive side of recovery, beyond abstinence, sobriety, and remission? What does the science actually show about growing and changing in life after addiction? There is perhaps no one better equipped to answer those questions than my guest on today’s episode of the Flourishing After Addiction podcast: Dr. John Kelly, Harvard Medical School’s Elizabeth R. Spallin Professor of Psychiatry in Addiction Medicine, and founder and Director of the Recovery Research Institute at the Massachusetts General Hospital. John is a pivotal figure in the world of this research, studying not just what goes wrong and how to stop addictive behavior, but also how people find their pathways and thrive in recovery.
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Federal Legislation
Press Release: Overcoming the Addiction Crisis: Rep. Maloney, Elected Officials, Advocates Highlight Need for Treatment Funding and the CARE Act
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney joined elected officials and advocates to discuss the need for passage of the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act to continue our nation’s fight against the addiction crisis. Re-introduced in December with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin, along with Representatives Ann Kuster and David Trone, and more than 100 congressional Democrats, the CARE Act is the most ambitious legislation ever introduced in Congress to confront America’s addiction crisis. Congresswoman Maloney and Senator Warren's CARE Act, which is endorsed by over 175 organizations, would provide state and local governments and community-based organizations with $125 billion in federal funding over ten years to expand access to treatment, harm reduction, and wraparound services.
Office of U.S. Rep Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) - Jan. 25, 2022