The Wednesday Weekly - Addiction + Recovery News, March 2, 2022

The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.

Highlights

National
Purdue bankruptcy case | Opioid litigation: 4 companies to settle for $26 billion
Fentanyl
Colorado considers making fentanyl a felony | Fentanyl overdoses across California counties
State and Local
Alabama to legalize fentanyl test strips | NYC to distribute Narcan to nightclubs
Studies/Research in the News
Can mindfulness treat chronic pain and addiction? | Arizona State University studies addiction and the brain
Opinion
Big 3 w/ SLP tackles fentanyl, nicotine and recovery, harm reduction in Portland, OR | Commentary on alcohol regulation in the U.S.
Books and Movies
TV: Several stories chime in on “Euphoria’s” depiction of addiction
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments

National

Were These Doctors Treating Pain or Dealing Drugs?
For years, Dr. Xiulu Ruan was one of the nation’s top prescribers of quick-release fentanyl drugs. The medicines were approved only for severe breakthrough pain in cancer patients, but Dr. Ruan dispensed them almost exclusively for more common ailments: neck aches, back and joint pain. According to the Department of Justice, he and his partner wrote almost 300,000 prescriptions for controlled substances from 2011 to 2015, filled through the doctors’ own pharmacy in Mobile, Ala. Dr. Ruan often signed prescriptions without seeing patients, prosecutors said.
NY Times - Feb. 28, 2022

Michael Keaton dedicates 'Dopesick' SAG Award to nephew who died from addiction
Actor Michael Keaton was late to the stage when accepting his Screen Actor's Guild Award, but once he was there, he made his time count. Keaton, who won the award for his role in "Dopesick," Hulu's compelling recounting of the rise of opioid addiction in America, gave an impassioned speech in which he expressed his appreciation for the craft of acting and the ability to tell stories that can "improve someone's life."
CNN - Feb. 28, 2022

Patrick Radden Keefe on exposing the Sackler family’s links to the opioid crisis
The journalist tracked the billionaire arts philanthropists’ role in the OxyContin scandal in his gripping bestseller, Empire of Pain. He talks about reputation laundering – and why the bad guys are still getting away with it.
The Guardian - Feb. 27, 2022

OxyContin victims fight for their share in Purdue bankruptcy case
The Sacklers want protection from future suits. Victims’ families want them to ‘know what their greed has caused.’
A previous agreement was 
blocked in December. After intense negotiations, the Sackler family is now offering $6 bn in settlement negotiations, paid out over several years. The family insists on civil liability protection, however, which would essentially mean they can never be sued in civil courts over opioids ever again – an unusual step that scuppered the last deal.
The Guardian - Feb. 27, 2022

4 U.S. companies will pay $26 billion to settle claims they fueled the opioid crisis
Four of the largest U.S. corporations have agreed to pay roughly $26 billion to settle a tsunami of lawsuits linked to claims that their business practices helped fuel the deadly opioid crisis.
NPR - Feb. 25

‘16 & Pregnant’ star Jordan Cashmyer died from fentanyl, cocaine intoxication
Jordan Cashmyer, a 2014 alum of MTV’s “16 & Pregnant,” died on Jan. 16 from fentanyl and cocaine intoxication, the Maryland Department of Health’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner announced. She was 26.
WFTV - Feb. 24, 2022

RIP David Poses: Death of mental health activist mourned by many
David Poses, who wrote and spoke extensively about drug treatment, prevention and policy, passed away on 16 February 2022. In the wake of his death, those who followed his work have shared tributes, a friend set up a GoFundMe to raise money to support his family, and his publisher has organised a vigil, scheduled for 28 February, to celebrate the life of David Poses.
The Focus - Feb. 23, 2022

Video Game Addiction Recognized by World Health Organization
Among gamers and parents and even within the medical community, there’s disagreement about whether gaming addiction is real. Either way, the WHO’s designation could provide a boon to Kim and other businesses like hers. Dozens of consultants operate in the U.S. alone, as well as an assortment of apps, camps, self-help books and treatment centers.
Bloomberg - Feb. 23, 2022

National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Comments

Fentanyl

Fentanyl inferno: Monument dad talks about drug epidemic that took 2 sons
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in December that fentanyl overdoses had become the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-olds nationally — since 2020 killing more than COVID-19, car crashes, suicides, cancer and gunshots combined. The disastrous trend drew massive public outrage last week after five people died Feb. 20 in an apartment in Commerce City from using cocaine cut with fentanyl, authorities said.
Denver Gazette - Feb. 26, 2022

Fentanyl is a killer; let's make it a felony | Opinion
What’s the price of going soft on crime? Consider Colorado’s devastating fentanyl crisis. When our legislature reduced possession of the deadly drug in 2019 to a misdemeanor, lawmakers may not have foreseen the extent of the consequences their action would have. Today, we all are reaping what they have sown.
Colorado Politics - Feb. 25, 2022

California fentanyl-related overdoses by county for 2020
Fentanyl is now the No. 1 killer of adults aged 18 to 45 since 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some district attorneys in California have said they would seek harsher punishments for those dealing the drug. In February, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office announced that a 20-year-old man would face murder charges in a fentanyl-related death. Take a look at the map below to find more information from the California Department of Public Health on fentanyl-related deaths in the state for 2020 and its outsized impact on younger people.
KCRA - Feb. 24, 2022

2 Connecticut inmates dead after apparent fentanyl overdose | fox61.com
Two Connecticut inmates have died after apparent fentanyl overdoses, and there is an investigation underway, the Connecticut Department of Correction said Thursday. On Feb. 24, a New Haven Correctional Center (NHCC) officer was conducting a routine tour when they saw two inmates in the same cell unresponsive. One correctional officer showed symptoms of fentanyl exposure and was treated with Narcan. He is recovering at the hospital.
fox61.com - Feb. 24, 2022

Maryland investigators seize ‘enough fentanyl to kill millions’
Five Maryland men face charges after investigators busted what they said was a major drug operation. More than five kilograms of fentanyl, more than 500 grams of heroin, over seven kilograms of cocaine and cocaine base and nine firearms were seized. Police said they located a sophisticated marijuana grow operation located at the Baltimore City auto body shop, with more than 400 marijuana plants, as well. “The amount of fentanyl alone seized could have killed 2.5 million Marylanders,” said Yesim Karaman, chief of staff of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services.
WTOP News - Feb. 24, 2022

The politics of fentanyl legislation in Colorado
The death of five people in an apartment in Commerce City due to an apparent fentanyl overdose is sparking a political debate about the current drug possession laws in Colorado. At issue is a 2019 law, passed with bi-partisan support at the state legislature that changes the classification for possession of up to four grams of most drugs, including fentanyl, to a class one misdemeanor instead of a felony. 
9News - Feb. 22, 2022

Fentanyl Crisis in San Diego
According to San Diego County, since 2019, the number of overdose deaths has exploded. In 2019, there were 151 fentanyl-related deaths. In 2020, that number jumped to 462. In 2021, there were around 800, with potentially more cases pending. The county's new approach to battling this epidemic is to saturate the streets with naloxone.
CBS 8 - Feb. 21, 2022

 State / Local

Alabama may legalize fentanyl test strips to help reduce sharp rise in overdose deaths
The Alabama Legislature is considering a bill that would make it legal to distribute and use test strips that detect the presence of fentanyl, a powerful and addictive drug that was a factor in four out of five overdose deaths in Jefferson County last year.
AL.com - Feb. 26, 2022

New York City: Give Anti-Overdose Drugs Kits To NYC Nightclubs, Lawmakers Say
Anti-overdose drugs soon could be stocked in New York City nightclubs. A pair of City Council members introduced a bill Thursday to provide nightclubs with up to 10 free kits of drugs that reverse opioid overdoses.
Patch.com - Feb. 24, 2022

Maine to distribute more than $9M to mental health, substance use disorder service providers
The state of Maine plans to distribute more than $9 million to mental health and substance use disorder service providers, The Associated Press reported.
The Hill - Feb. 24, 2022

North Carolina: Chef Sam Diminich is opening a restaurant a mile from where he used to be homeless
Chef Sam Diminich is a personal chef for Christian McCaffrey, the owner of successful meal delivery and catering service called Your Farms Your Table, and in 2020 he beat Bobby Flay. Now, he’s opening his own restaurant called Restaurant Constance, named after his daughter, in west Charlotte. Sam came to Charlotte in 2004 and took a job at Dakota’s, now New South Kitchen & Bar. He was abstinent at the time, not using drugs or alcohol. But he told me he wasn’t doing the work to heal, either. He relapsed in 2009 after being prescribed opiates for an injury. In 2013, he became homeless. He couch surfed and lived on the streets of West Charlotte. He was using opiates, heroin, crack and alcohol.
Axios Charlotte - Feb. 22, 2022

Nevada focuses on increasing medicated treatment of opioid addiction
More than 350 Nevada Medicaid providers have been encouraged by the state to offer medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction but only a fraction are.
Nevada Current - Feb. 22, 2022

National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments

Studies/Research in the News

Can mindfulness cure chronic pain and opioid addiction?
New clinical trial shows mindfulness may help mend. America’s opioid scourge. researchers at the University of Utah’s College of Social Work have published the results of a study that gives cause for hope by showing that a powerful method for managing pain and curbing opioid misuse lies right under the nose.
Deseret News - Feb. 28, 2022

Your brain on drugs: Seeing addiction as a disease
As part of the Opioid Policy Fellows program presented by the National Conference of State Legislators, Arizona State University Professor Foster Olive presented about the current status of addiction as a disease of the brain in the context of the opioid epidemic to state legislators from 13 states. Olive is the lead investigator of the Addiction Neuroscience Laboratory, where he researches how abused drugs affect the brain on a neurobiological level and what brain changes contribute to addiction in the long term.
ASU News - Feb. 24, 2022

National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments

Opinion

THE BIG 3 W/ SLP, February 2022
In this segment, we take a slightly deeper dive into three stories. Not just the big headlines, but also the stories that shed light on innovations in treatment and public policy, and on diverse experiences with addiction and recovery. What 3 items are on tap for this installment? (1) The “other” dark side of fentanyl; (2) Some inconvenient and uncomfortable truths about nicotine and recovery; and (3) A “novel” approach to harm reduction in Portland, Oregon.
Sober Linings Playbook - March 4, 2022

The $1 billion settlement is important, but the opioid addiction crisis continues
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s recent announcement that all 67 Pennsylvania counties and more than 240 municipalities had joined the historic $26 billion opioid agreement with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors is important news. More than $1 billion will now be available to state, county, and local governments across Pennsylvania to continue the intense battle against opioid addiction. But the crisis is far from over.
Penn Live - March 1, 2022

Playing politics with Tennessee's addiction crisis hurts our communities
We need to expand our definition of “health care,” not reduce it, and recognize that addiction care is health care. Your friend, neighbor, or family member’s life may very well depend on it.
Commercial Appeal - Feb. 28, 2022

Alcoholism and me: ‘I was an addicted doctor, the worst kind of patient’ – podcast
My drinking and drug use pushed me over the edge into a complete breakdown. Then a stint in rehab made me question how much we really understand about addiction.
The Guardian - Feb. 25, 2022

Road to US opioid settlements has been long and complicated
James Williams, a Santa Clara County, California, attorney, first filed a lawsuit in 2014 accusing drug makers of “pushing and using opioids in ways that promote abuse, and cause such serious harm.” in communities. ” The opioid epidemic has forced the local government to spend more on hospitals, mental health and other social services, including the homeless.Williams, who also holds peace talks with companies, he said there was no way to make full repairs to the losses. “The dollar bills offered by such various settlements are poor compared to what is actually needed to try to curb the negative effects of opioids in communities across the country,” Williams said.
California News Times - Feb. 25, 2022

The way alcohol is sold is a problem, but don't look to government for help
Treasury does not recommend drastic changes in the way beverage alcohol is sold in this country, but the 64-page report clearly recognizes inherent problems in the status quo that restrict our ability to buy the brands we desire. Most of the problems inhibiting competition are at the state level. Once again, advocates of reform run up against the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which repealed Prohibition in 1933 and left the primary responsibility for regulating alcohol distribution to the states.
Washington Post - Feb. 24, 2022

Editorial: Is marijuana marketing proof it's the next Big Pharma?
Whether you support the idea of medical marijuana or not, you can’t deny that it is becoming big business. The Medical Marijuana Advisory Board reported more than 384,000 active patients in November 2021, generating more than $4 billion in revenue. That means that, despite its plucky, grassroots image, medical marijuana is a full-on industry that has to be viewed with all the critical thinking one would bring to any other moneymaker.
Trib Live - Feb. 23, 2022

National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments

Books and Movies

If Only I Had ‘Euphoria’ During the Height of My Drug Addiction
Instead I had the bullsh*t caffeine pills on 'Saved By The Bell,' the very inaccurate MDMA episode of 'Degrassi,' and countless other shows that alienated me.
Cosmopolitan - Feb. 28, 2022

What 'Euphoria' Gets Right and Wrong About Addiction and Recovery
There has been plenty of conversation regarding Euphoria and its portrayal of addiction. Some, like the anti-drug education program D.A.R.E., believe the show is glorifying drug use, while others believe it’s doing a service by portraying the realities of what it’s like to be and deal with somebody who has an addiction. For some viewers, the HBO show’s protagonist Rue Bennett’s substance abuse storyline is also exposing them to a world that may have been foreign to them until now.
The Complex - Feb. 25, 2022

‘Euphoria’ sparks conversations around addiction
Ahmed Hosni, assistant director in the Student Wellness Center at Ohio State, said the way “Euphoria” portrays substance use is a good start to a larger conversation, but it is also important to remember that the action on screen is fictional.
The Lantern - Feb. 23, 2022

National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Comments

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