The Wednesday Weekly - October 13, 2021
Highlights
National
Pharmacy employees sounded alarm about opioid prescriptions | Liver transplant patients segregated by alcohol history | WHO tackles kratom
State and Local
CA offers emergency department help for SUDS and contingency management for stimulant use disorders | Pennsylvania offers Shatterproof “Just Five” educational tool for state workforce | NY AG discusses distribution of state opioid settlement funds
Studies/Research in the News
People suffering with SUDs more likely to experience post-vaccination COVID-19 breakthrough infections | 1 in 5 patients continue opioid use 3 months after surgery
Opinion
Why refugees and addicts make good job candidates | The case for evidence-based addiction treatment for incarcerated people
Reviews
Book review: “Help! I’m Addicted” by Rhyannon Styles | Movie reviews: Documentary film “Jacinta” and Michael Keaton’s “Dopesick”
Podcasts
The dangers of kratom on RMA | An insider’s perspective on the Purdue Pharmacy bankruptcy proceedings on Heart of the Matter | Is addiction merely a social construct? Is the rigorous and “regimented” life of a tenured professor protective against addiction? Tune into Dopey to hear what the good doctor Carl Hart has to say
Legislative Updates and Advocacy
CA Governor Newsom signs bills to end mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes and extends to-go alcohol sales, vetoes bill to allow contingency management Medicaid option for stimulant use disorders | NY Governor Hochul signs package of bills aimed at opioid crisis
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
National
In the quest for a liver transplant, patients are segregated by prior alcohol use
In the U.S., a widespread clinical practice requires patients with alcoholic liver disease to complete a period of sobriety before they can get on the waiting list for a liver. This informal policy, often called "the 6-month rule," can be traced to the 1980s. The thinking then — and among proponents of the practice today — was that six months of abstinence gave a patient's liver time to heal and, thus, avoid a transplant. If that didn't work, the patient would at least have proven they can stay sober and would not return to drinking after a transplant.
NPR - Oct. 10, 2021
Taliban Force Heroin Addicts Into Grim Rehab in Afghanistan
After coming to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban vowed to crack down on widespread drug addiction in the country. The militant group has been conducting raids in Kabul to find and detain homeless men, often living under bridges, addicted to locally produced heroin and methamphetamine. The Associated Press captured astonishing photos of one raid from earlier this week, where nearly 150 heroin addicts were rounded up, beaten, and forced into a rehab treatment center.
Business Insider - Oct. 10, 2021
A global fight looms over Kratom, a possible opioid alternative
A World Health Organization meeting next week could determine the future of kratom, a widely available herbal supplement some tout as an alternative to opioid painkillers, in the U.S. and elsewhere. Those claims have yet to be fully vetted by scientists. The U.S. government has twice tried to restrict kratom's use by classifying it as a controlled substance, arguing it has high potential for abuse and no known medical benefit. But public outcry and pushback from Congress thwarted those efforts.
Politico - Oct. 9, 2021
Narcan Inventor Uses Narcan to Save Man
Roger Crystal and his wife were driving in downtown Los Angeles when they noticed a man suffering a medical emergency on a sidewalk. Crystal was driving with his wife through downtown Los Angeles when the medically trained couple spotted the man on a sidewalk. What happened next was captured on video, which shows Crystal kneeling over a man lying on a sidewalk as a dog waits at his side. “The reality is that if you see someone unresponsive, lying on the street in this country, it's an opioid overdose until proven otherwise,” Crystal said.
NBC Los Angeles - Oct. 8, 2021
Billy Idol opens up about addiction, nearly losing leg in accident: 'I could have died'
On Feb. 6, 1990, Idol ran a stop sign while riding his Harley home from a Los Angeles studio, was struck by a car, and was grievously injured…He was “a bit of a drug addict” at the time, and the crash turned out to be just the wake-up call he needed. “I had to really think about my future, where I was going,” he says. “It was a bit of a watershed time for me. I had to change my life, had to think about things. I mean, I was kind of destroying myself, really.
Yahoo! News - Oct. 8, 2021
9 exciting non-alcoholic spirits to enjoy this Sober October
Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, participating in Sober October, or avoiding alcohol for whatever reason, you deserve zero-proof spirits that are nothing short of excellent. Here are nine non-alcoholic products that have seriously impressed us, and will hopefully impress you, too.
The Takeout.com - Oct. 8, 2021
How to Break a Phone Addiction
By now, nearly everyone knows we can be addicted to our digital devices. In the words of Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist and an addiction specialist at Stanford, “Just about all of us have a digital drug of choice, and it probably involves using a smartphone—the equivalent of the hypodermic needle for a wired generation.” The data suggest that Lembke’s claim is not hyperbole.
The Atlantic - Oct. 7, 2021
Addiction Treatment Market Report 2021-2028 | Size, Share, Growth, Trends, Competitive Landscape, Revenue, Forecast Analysis
The global addiction treatment market size is projected to experience dynamic expansion in the forthcoming years owing to the increasing prevalence of drug dependency among the people around the world, finds Fortune Business Insights™ in its report, titled “Addiction Treatment Market, 2021-2028”.
Yahoo! Finance - Oct. 7, 2021
"1 pill that's all it took": Mom buys billboard to warn others after daughter's deadly fentanyl overdose
A grieving mother from Texas has put up a billboard to warn others about the dangers of fentanyl, which killed her daughter. Patricia Salvidar rented a billboard near AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which reads: "1 pill that's all it took." The sign also features a photo of Salvidar's 22-year-old daughter Cassandra, who died after taking a counterfeit Percocet pill made with fentanyl.
CBS News.com - Oct. 7, 2021
Jamie Lee Curtis slams plastic surgery, recalls procedure that addicted her to opioids
Jamie Lee Curtis is speaking out about the dangers of plastic surgery, as well as social media's obsession with so-called physical perfection. “I tried plastic surgery and it didn’t work. It got me addicted to Vicodin,” the “Halloween Kills” star, 62, said in a recent interview with Fast Company. “I’m 22 years sober now.”
Today - Oct. 6, 2021
Employees warned pharmacy chains they needed more safeguards for prescription opioids
Internal documents cited during the opening session of a landmark opioid trial in Cleveland suggest the nation's biggest pharmacy chains were warned by employees about the dispensing of highly addictive pain pills.
NPR - Oct. 5, 2021
TikTok creator Sober Sammy shares 3 reasons he jokes about his addiction recovery
Sammy Huerta, a.k.a. Sober Sammy, explains what "sober comedy" means to the recovery community, and why he jokes about his sobriety journey on TikTok.
Yahoo! News - Oct. 4, 2021
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
State / Local
California Caregivers Trailblaze Solutions for Those Dealing with Addiction
In this episode of The California Report Magazine, health reporters Lesley McClurg and April Dembosky take us inside hospitals and clinics to meet people dealing with substance addiction who are getting help in new ways. For the first time, doctors and caregivers are asking: What do you need from us? California is investing large amounts of money in new models of treatment for those dealing with substance addiction. Two new programs are showing promise, and becoming models for the rest of the country: Emergency Room help for SUDs and contingency management for stimulant use disorders.
KQED - Oct. 8, 2021
Minnesota: Somali artist launches 9th art exhibit after fighting opioid addiction
Mohamed Hersi is preparing for his first art exhibit since 2018. Hersi was fighting an opioid addiction stemming from a procedure on his knee followed by a prescription for painkillers. Now four years clean and his family reunited, Hersi looks at each canvas with renewed inspiration. He believes his ninth art exhibit this Sunday, October 10 will be his most meaningful yet.
Fox9 - Oct. 8, 2021
Press Release: Pennsylvania’s Wolf Administration Announces Free Substance Use Education, Prevention Tool For Commonwealth Workforce
Today, the Wolf Administration's Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) and Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) announced the availability of a free online tool for Pennsylvania’s workforce to enhance education and awareness about substance use disorder (SUD). The tool – called Just Five – is a self-paced program that aims to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and provide education about SUD prevention and treatment.
Pennsylvania Pressroom - Oct. 6, 2021
New York: AG Letitia James touts $32 Million headed to Capital Region for opioid crisis
New York State Attorney General has been on a statewide tour, touting how the $1.5 Billion her office has secured will be used to fight opioid addiction. "The State Legislature will establish an Opioid Advisory Committee, and they will determine the municipalities, the cities and the towns that will receive these funds based on population and based on impact. We know here in Albany County and parts of the city, it's been ground zero for the opioid crisis,” AG James said.
6 News Albany - Oct. 5, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Studies/Research in the News
1 in 5 People Still Use Opioids 3 Months After Surgery
More than 1 in 5 “opioid naïve patients” — those who had not received another opioid prescription in the previous year — continued to use pain medications 3 months after having a surgical procedure, according to UCLA researchers. A new study shows that the potential misuse of opioids prescribed for postsurgical pain is high enough to cause concern.
HealthLine - Oct. 11, 2021
Study finds drug addicts more likely to suffer COVID-19 breakthrough infections
A new study shows people with drug addictions could be at more risk for breakthrough COVID-19 infection. The study was published earlier this week by World Psychiatry and included more than half a million vaccinated individuals. According to the study, people who suffer from drug addictions might be more susceptible to breakthrough infection because of compromised immune systems, poor overall health and also a greater likelihood of being exposed to COVID-19. However, researchers also noted that those with the substance abuse disorders in the study tended to be older than those without drug abuse problems.
Fox 12 Oregon - Oct. 8, 2021
Alcohol and Breast Cancer - Can Drinking Increase Cancer Risk?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a division of the World Health Organization (WHO), has found that for every 10 grams of alcohol (so about a glass of wine or half a pint of beer) consumed per day, the risk of breast cancer increases by 7-10 percent. Meanwhile, a 2020 study revealed that only 25% of American women aged 15-44 were aware of that risk.
Prevention - Oct. 6, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Opinion
Why the best job candidates can be refugees and people in addiction treatment
Businesses scrambling for workers in the pandemic labor shortage can look to the news for a solution —hiring marginalized employees like refugees and people in addiction treatment comes with undervalued benefits. Employees who have fled war and terror or are surviving addiction aren’t just a go-to category when recruitment gets tough. They bring abilities like problem solving and persistence — traits companies large and small seek regardless of the job market.
Louisville Courier Journal - Oct. 4, 2021
Cuipylo: It's time to change how we view addicts, addiction
Maybe we need a change of attitude. Stigmatizing addicts hasn't worked, just saying no hasn't worked, the war on drugs hasn't worked. Maybe it's time for a change as to how we view addicts and addiction. Maybe it's time to recognize the investment we have made in these people, that we've put in too much time, energy and love to simply throw it away.
auburnpub.com - Oct. 8, 2021
Give incarcerated people evidence-based addiction treatment
Research shows that release from jail or prison is one of the most perilous times for people who are already at risk of overdose death, in large part due to lack of access to effective treatment. Yet, our policy responses to health crises have largely ignored those at high risk: incarcerated individuals.
New York Daily News- Oct. 6, 2021
Fighting Against Two Standards of Care: A Patient Perspective
Stigma still occupies a deeply rooted and systemic presence in healthcare. Because of this, I carry with me a profound fear that I will be denied standard of care medical treatment because of provider stigma. The most impactful and concrete action step [doctors] can take to improve both experiences and outcomes for patients with substance use disorders is simply to insist that we receive the same standard of care as those without them, a dignity regularly denied to us because of stigma in healthcare.
Family Docs - Sept. 30, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Reviews
Help! I’m Addicted by Rhyannon Styles review — a raw memoir on life as a trans woman and Elle columnist
In 2017 Rhyannon Styles, then a columnist for Elle magazine, released a memoir, The New Girl, about transitioning from Ryan to Rhyannon. It was billed as holding nothing back. However, Styles has now written a new book, Help! I’m Addicted, detailing all the messiest bits that she did hold back the first time. Certainly this raw account — covering her alcohol addiction and struggles with drugs, sex, unavailable men, binge-eating and spending — seems like a thorough soul-purging.
The Sunday Times - Oct. 10, 2021
‘Jacinta’ Review: When Going Home Isn’t Easy
Jessica Earnshaw’s moving documentary follows a young mother’s difficulty returning to the outside world after spending time in prison.
Wall Street Journal - Oct. 7, 2021
'Dopesick' makes opioid addiction understandable, says Michael Keaton
Keaton says “Dopesick” has a much larger canvas and a bigger story to tell than even “Clean and Sober,” a film he did about addiction. “The stigma has changed about addiction in general,” he says. “I kind of thought, ‘Well, I played that one time.’ And then, this came up. The information that’s out there now is greater.”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Oct. 7, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Let’s Talk Addiction and Recovery (Hazelden Betty Ford) – Improving the Human Condition, Hazelden Betty Ford CEO Dr. Joseph Lee
Dr. Joseph Lee spent his mornings in the inner city of Baltimore providing basic necessities to lower-income students, then he spent his afternoons treating dignitaries and elites. It opened his eyes, and he vowed on the spot to treat every patient equally. Now the CEO and President of Hazelden Betty Ford intends to uplift as many people as possible. Speaking with host William C. Moyers, he revisits those watershed moments, spotlighting the power of a hopeful story to change thousands of lives.
Recovery in the Middle Ages – RMA Nights! The Kratom Withdrawal Nightmare With Jeff & Bianca D.
Did you ever think you were making progress in your recovery only to be derailed by something that you thought was helping you? That’s what happened to this week’s guests Jeff and Bianca D. who join us to discuss how Bianca’s use of Kratom went from a seemingly harmless occasional habit to a full-blown addiction requiring a lengthy detox and recovery period. Their story is a cautionary tale.
Rehab Confidential – Zack Gray, Co-Founder and CEO of Ophelia
Joe and Amy sit down with Zack Gray, Co-Founder and CEO of Ophelia, a telemedicine company providing treatment for opioid dependence. He started Ophelia after losing a loved one to an overdose. We talk about the stigma of MAT in the recovery community, the difference between Suboxone and Subutex, and why so many doctors can’t legally prescribe Suboxone.
Dopey – Dr. Carl Hart (“Drug Use for Grown Ups”), heroin, coke, ecstasy, addiction, recovery and Erin Khar
This week on Dopey! We are joined by psychologist, neuroscientist and author, Dr. Carl Hart. Dr. Hart comes on the show to explain his findings in the provocative new book Drug Use for Grown Ups. We discuss Dr. Hart's thoughts and experiences around recreational drug use and some of his theories around addiction and recovery. PLUS Erin Khar is back for another exciting titillating installment of Ask Erin where we answer some hard hitting new questions in addiction, relationships and other dumb shit! PLUS much more on a well educated new episode of your favorite dumb podcast - Dopey!
The Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas - Author and activist Ryan Hampton on the inside story of the Purdue Pharma settlement and looking beyond the Sackler family
In the early 2000s, Ryan Hampton was homeless and struggling with an opioid addiction, wondering how he had gone from working as a White House staffer to begging for change on a California street corner. A decade later in recovery, Ryan found himself at the epicenter of Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement, fighting for justice in a case that gripped a nation in the midst of an overdose crisis. In this episode of Heart of the Matter, Elizabeth Vargas sits down with Ryan to discuss his role in Purdue’s bankruptcy proceedings, how it felt to witness the now-infamous depositions of the Sackler family firsthand and why he believes the justice system, as it stands today, could never deliver accountability for Purdue’s victims. Ryan Hampton’s new book Unsettled: How the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Failed the Victims of the American Overdose Crisis details the shocking injustice at the heart of the Purdue Pharma settlement.
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Legislative Updates and Advocacy
California Governor Newsom signs SB 389 authorizing continued sale of to-go alcoholic drinks
California has extended a law to allow cocktails-to-go in the state through 2026. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 389 into law on Friday, extending the program until Dec. 31, 2026. The move was made in an effort to support the hospitality industry as it continues to find sources of revenue out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
10News San Diego - Oct. 8, 2021
California Governor Vetoes Bill to Pay People to Stay Sober
But just because Newsom vetoed the bill by state Sen. Scott Wiener on Friday does not mean the drug treatment program won't happen in California. Newsom wants to test it out first before signing a law to make it permanent. The state budget, approved in July, includes money for a pilot program that begins in January and ends in March 2024. Newsom has asked the federal government for permission to pay for this pilot program. “The outcomes and lessons learned from the pilot project should be evaluated before permanently extending the Medi-Cal benefit,” Newsom wrote in a veto message. “As such, this bill is premature.”
US News and World Report - Oct. 8, 2021
Calling Opioid Crisis Personal, New York’s Governor Signs Anti-Addiction Bills Into Law
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a package of bills into law dealing with the opioid addiction crisis, saying the issue is a personal one for her family. The new laws will decriminalize the sale and possession of a syringe, establish a statewide directory for the overdose antidote medicine naloxone, and ban prosecutors from using naloxone use as evidence in a criminal case. They also require better addiction treatment for prison inmates, and divert some offenders into rehab programs instead of jail.
WSKG - Oct. 7, 2021
California ends mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Tuesday signed a bill to end mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes. The bill, SB73, will allow judges to sentence individuals to probation rather than jail time for nonviolent drug offenses, such as possession of a small amount of heroin.
The Hill - Oct. 6, 2021