The Wednesday Weekly - Addiction + Recovery News, November 17, 2021
Highlights
National
Prosecutors’ public nuisance strategy for opioid cases may be faltering | Nationwide, prosecutors set sights on murder charges for fentanyl dealers
State and Local
Oklahoma Supreme Court tosses opioid ‘public nuisance’ lawsuit | Push for medication assisted treatment for addicted New Mexico inmates
Studies/Research in the News
Non-opioid pain relief | Monash University research discredits moderate drinking health benefit claims
Opinion
Too early to judge impact of Oregon’s Measure 110? | Opioids, guns and ‘public nuisance’ lawsuits
Reviews
Gabor Mate documentary, ‘The Wisdom of Trauma’ | Jessica Simpson releases single about addiction
Podcasts
RMA discusses new podcast ‘Hooked’ | Author and Sackler bankruptcy insider Ryan Hampton on Flourishing After Addiction
Legislative Updates and Advocacy
Congressional lawmakers approve marijuana research bill for veterans
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National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
(Inter)National
The Core Legal Strategy Against Opioid Companies May Be Faltering
Two recent rulings rejected the “public nuisance” argument being used in thousands of cases against the industry, with more trials and settlement talks underway.
NY Times - Nov. 14, 2021
COVID: Germany's fight against drug use falls by the wayside
Germany has entered its fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily infection figures reaching record highs. Drug-related deaths rose by 13% in 2020. The knock-on effects of the pandemic to health and public services mean that the lives of drug users, and the work of those who want to help them, has become more difficult than ever before. Now, the country's largest needle exchange and recovery center is being forced to close. The situation is dire.
DW.com - Nov. 12, 2021
Hailey Bieber on her family's addiction struggles, supporting Justin in his sobriety
Hailey Bieber opened up about the "extremely difficult" time when her husband, Justin Bieber, decided to get clean.
Good Morning America - Nov. 12, 2021
Bloomberg vows to spend $120M to fight fatal drug overdoses
Michael Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that his eponymous philanthropy is making a $120 million investment in five states to help fight fatal drug overdoses.
The Hill - Nov. 11, 2021
White House Now Supports Harm Reduction Such as Needle Exchanges
The Biden administration will directly support harm reduction programs, such as needle exchanges, reports NPR.org. Despite the fact that such programs remain controversial and are even illegal in parts of the country, the federal government is endorsing harm reduction in an effort to combat injection drug overdoses and the spread of HIV and hepatitis B and C.
HepMag.com - Nov. 11, 2021
With US aid money, schools put bigger focus on mental health
With a windfall of federal coronavirus relief money at hand, schools across the U.S. are using portions to quickly expand their capacity to address students’ struggles with mental health.
AP - Nov. 11, 2021
Prosecutors want to charge fentanyl drug dealers with murder
Some Southern California district attorneys are joining a growing national push to file murder charges against drug dealers who manufacture or sell fentanyl that ends up leading to deaths. The efforts are part of a controversial move by authorities to target drug dealers who sell opioids laced with a deadly load of fentanyl, which is as much as 100 times more powerful than morphine.
LA Times - Nov. 10, 2021
In north Nigeria, addicted youth face nightmare choice
Authorities in north Nigeria have closed informal rehabilitation centres accused of abusing children, but youngsters struggling with addiction and psychological problems have been left with stark choices for help.
Yahoo! News - Nov. 10, 2021
Yale Medical School, The Hartford team up to better identify substance abuse in the workplace
To help workers coping with substance abuse, The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. and Yale University School of Medicine are looking to retrain clinicians to better recognize the medical illness. The financial services and insurance giant and Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, part of the School of Medicine, are developing a training program focused on addiction, pain management and stigma for medical providers who treat injured workers.
Hartford Courant - Nov. 9, 2021
VA rejects cannabis research as veterans plead for medical pot
Millions of veterans are self-medicating their war-caused ailments with marijuana, and they are frustrated the VA continues to dismiss the drug's possible benefits.
Politico - Nov. 8, 2021
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
State / Local
Washington state, in $95 billion opioid trial, blames drug distributors for crisis
Washington state's attorney general on Monday argued in court that three large drug distributors' excessive shipments of pain pills helped fuel the U.S. opioid epidemic, calling it the "worst man-made public health crisis in history," as the state sought to recoup an estimated $95 billion.
Reuters - Nov. 15, 2021
Washington seeks over $38 billion from opioid distributors in ‘public nuisance’ suit
Having rejected a half-billion-dollar settlement offer, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is taking the state's case against the nation's three biggest drug distributors to trial Monday, saying they must be held accountable for their role in the opioid crisis.
ABC News - Nov. 14, 2021
Ohio: Closing arguments set for opioid trial
Closing arguments are set Monday in Cleveland in the lengthy opioids federal lawsuit brought by Trumbull and Lake counties against three major pharmacy chains.
The Tribune Chronicle - Nov. 14, 2021
Santa Fe County urged to modernize care for inmates struggling with drug addiction
Lawyers for the families of Corcoran and DeVargas have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the Santa Fe County Commission, jail officials and staff members, contending the inmates were denied adequate medical care, including appropriate treatment for substance use disorders. The rally and the lawsuits reflect a push to get Santa Fe County to modernize the care it provides for drug-addicted inmates, who make up a significant portion of the jail’s population.
Santa Fe New Mexican - Nov. 13, 2021
Michigan's Problem-Solving Courts for Mental Illness, Veterans and Addiction Get Infusion of Resources
Problem-solving courts, or courts that provide alternatives to imprisonment for nonviolent offenders, accommodate those in the criminal justice system with mental health or addiction issues. Michigan recently received nearly $17 million in grants for these programs statewide, which Justice Beth Clement says will reshape our justice system.
WDET - Nov. 12, 2021
Kentucky: Kristara's Day to raise awareness for single mothers struggling with addiction
Kristara Bell Amey was a single mother who struggled with substance abuse. She died last year. Her best friend Brittany Campbell has set out to make sure she's never forgotten and to help all the Kristaras she can.
Lex18 - Nov. 12, 2021
Ohio: Lives lost to overdose as opioid epidemic surges through Ohio, fueled by fentanyl
Epidemics, like pandemics, morph. Now, 3 of 4 people who die from overdose die because of fentanyl. The highly potent synthetic drug is the top killer among opioids in the United States. And the amount that can kill a person is a fraction of the amount of heroin that would do the same.
Yahoo! News - Nov. 11, 2021
Massachusetts: Northampton Recovery Center (NRC) fighting addiction with unique approach
The NRC is trying to change these statistics in western Massachusetts, with a peer to peer approach.” Unlike other recovery programs, the NRC doesn’t require members to stop using. After a year as a member, Deb Wyand decided to become a coach and peer specialist.
22 WWLP - Nov. 10, 2021
Another ‘public nuisance’ opioid lawsuit stumbles: Oklahoma Supreme Court overturns $465 million opioid ruling against Johnson & Johnson
The Oklahoma Supreme Court threw out an opioid ruling against Johnson & Johnson, raising questions about the legal strategy used to hold the drug industry accountable for the opioid crisis.
NPR - Nov. 9, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Non-Opioid Compound Designed To Reverse Pain
Researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences are closer to developing a safe and effective non-opioid pain reliever after a study showed that a new compound they created reduces the sensation of pain by regulating a biological channel linked to pain.
Technology Networks - Nov. 12, 2021
Alcohol and Eczema Flares: Understanding the Connection
For some people, a glass of wine, a beer, or a cocktail can lead to an eczema flare. This article explores the connection between alcohol and eczema. It also touches briefly on the science behind drinking and flare-ups in other inflammatory skin conditions — and what you can do to calm your irritated skin.
Healthline - Nov. 12, 2021
New research details how drug and alcohol use increases a person's AFib risk
The use of methamphetamines, cocaine, opiates or marijuana is associated with an elevated risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to new research out of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). A separate analysis, also out of UCSF, found that acute alcohol consumption can also lead to new-onset AFib.
Cardio Vascular Business - Nov. 12, 2021
Research shines a light on patients’ experiences of a new treatment for opioid dependence
A recent study led by Turning Point at Monash University and The University of Sydney, has found that a new treatment for opioid dependence, long-acting injectable buprenorphine, may have a range of benefits for patients and be particularly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Monash University - Nov. 11, 2021
$6.5M Grant Awarded to Develop Treatment for Alcoholic Liver Disease-Associated Kidney Dysfunction
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and MitoPower LLC (“MitoPower”) were awarded an SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant of up to $6.5 million over five years from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The funds will support the development of MitoPower’s lead compound, MP-04, for the treatment of kidney dysfunction due to alcoholic liver disease, a condition known as alcoholic liver disease-associated hepatorenal syndrome (HRS).
News Wise - Nov. 9, 2021
‘Nonsensical’ to suggest moderate drinking improves health, says expert critical of Australian study
Monash University research fails to recognize moderate drinking and better health are both ‘reflective of middle-class lifestyles.’ Australian-led research claiming moderate alcohol intake is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and death is not based on strong evidence, and fails to take into account recent research findings linking even moderate alcohol intake to cancer, experts say.
The Guardian - Nov. 8, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Opinion
Let’s use what worked during COVID-19 to meet addiction, housing and other challenges
By many measures, Massachusetts has pulled through the COVID-19 crisis stronger than the nation at large, despite initial challenges in getting vaccines to low-income communities of color. In doing so we changed the paradigm on how to address a public health crisis with a historic commitment to peer-to-peer, grassroots outreach and multicultural marketing that helped our most vulnerable communities get vaccinated. Now, with attention shifting to challenges of unemployment, addiction, housing and homelessness, Massachusetts must renew its grassroots approach to support our most vulnerable people.
WBUR - Nov. 15, 2021
Opioids, Guns and ‘Public Nuisance’ Lawsuits
The Oklahoma Supreme Court last week struck down a $465 million opioid award against Johnson & Johnson based on a legal theory that has previously been tried and failed against guns—that the product was a “public nuisance.” Commentators described the Oklahoma decision as “shocking,” but it was predictable. Yet it leaves the matter far from resolved.
Wall Street Journal - Nov. 14, 2021
Treating addicts in prison saves money — and it's the right thing to do
Treating substance use disorders in prisons can reduce crime, save money and uphold our community values. It’s not often that we can reduce crime, save taxpayer dollars and save lives, but requiring all prisons to have available bupe and methadone for opioid use disorder; naltrexone (in a pill or shot) and acamprosate for alcohol use disorder; and buproprion and naltrexone (as a shot) can help achieve all of these.
Santa Fe New Mexican - Nov. 14, 2021
How many more fentanyl overdose deaths before San Francisco opens safe injection sites?
Last month, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to declare a local emergency due to the surge in overdoses. Mayor London Breed, whose sister overdosed in 2006, returned the resolution without signing it. Her office said that’s standard practice, but she clearly lacks enthusiasm for the emergency declaration. That’s because supporters of the emergency declaration want Breed to open facilities called safe injection sites.
San Francisco Examiner - Nov. 13, 2021
Let Measure 110 show its worth before rush to judgment
Recently, there have been murmurings about the effectiveness of Measure 110. The law decriminalized drugs and uses excess cannabis tax revenue to increase access to lifesaving addiction recovery services. Although it was voted into law one year ago, it has been up and running for less than that. It is too soon to judge its true impact. Why are some doubting the new system?
OregonLive.com - Nov. 10, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Reviews
Gabor Mate documentary, ‘The Wisdom of Trauma’
For most of the past decade, I lived and worked as a journalist in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the same neighborhood where Maté got his start working with drug users in the early 1990s. In The Wisdom of Trauma, he describes it as “North America’s most concentrated and most dramatic area of drug use, where there’s more people injecting and ingesting and inhaling more kinds of substances than anywhere else on the planet.” The film, produced and directed by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo of Science and Nonduality, includes many interactions between Maté and his patients. It is remarkable to watch how quickly Maté connects with people, understands where their trauma originates, and begins to help them work through it to find themselves.
Yes! Magazine - Nov. 15, 2021
Jessica Simpson Releases Emotional Single About Addiction, Says Song 'Saved' Her
The singer, who's opened up about her past struggles with substance abuse, recently celebrated four years of sobriety. Always irresistible, but never this up close and personal, Jessica Simpson is returning to music with an emotionally raw new single. “The whole idea of music heals is a very real statement to me,” she wrote upon the single’s release. “This song healed a broken piece of me.”
Huffington Post - Nov. 11, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Recovery in the Middle Ages – RMA Discusses the New Podcast ‘Hooked’
This week is all about taking it easy on RMA. No guests, no books to review, no movies to watch. Instead, Mike and Nat talk about two podcasts in the recovery space that they’ve been listening to lately, It’s All Bad, and Hooked. The former is a war-story centered podcast out of LA, which goes deep and dark into meth crack and heroin use on the West Coast. The second podcast tells the tale of an engineer and model dad who worked for Boeing for 20 years before becoming addicted to opiates and robbing 30 banks over the course of one very crazy year.
Rehab Confidential – Damon West, best-selling author of “The Coffee Bean”
Joe and Amy sit down with Damon West, a college professor with a M.S. in criminal justice as well as a nationally known keynote speaker and best-selling author. Damon spent 7 years in a maximum security prison after getting hooked on meth, following a career ending injury when he was Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of Texas.. They discuss about his story, his recovery, the coffee bean analogy and his incredible work in prison reform and re-entry including his program to help men of color become elementary school teachers.
Flourishing After Addiction with Carl Erik Fisher, M.D. – An insider’s view of the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case, and how to fight for change without sacrificing personal recovery
Ryan Hampton, an alumnus of the Clinton White House, had an up-and-coming career in politics until the early 2000s, when he became addicted to OxyContin, then heroin. After he entered recovery in 2015, he became a prominent advocate on addiction issues, from community-based organizing focused on the overdose crisis to national activities, such as helping to release the first-ever U.S. Surgeon General’s report on addiction. More recently, Ryan came back, face-to-face, with Purdue Pharma—the infamous manufacturer and marketer of OxyContin, controlled by the billionaire Sackler family. Purdue filed for bankruptcy in 2019 to protect itself from thousands of lawsuits, and Ryan became the co-chair of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (U.C.C.),
Dopey – Drug Store Cowboys with Michael Todd, Heroin, Coke, Coheed and Cambria, Robbery, Jail
This week on Dopey! We are joined by founding Coheed and Cambria bass player, Michael Todd who courageously shares his epic Dopey journey from upstate New York and back again. Touring the world, culminating in opiate addiction and a crime that would forever change his life. Michael brings the Dopey, the humility and the honesty on a super raw foray down the road of drugs, addiction and of course a little bit of dumb shit! Also, unlicensed advice columnist and author, Erin Khar joins us for a little recap and an ask Erin question and answer! PLUS! My dad pops in before the ending of a super powerful new episode of Dopey!
The Addicted Mind Podcast - Mastering [long-term] Recovery with Barry Lehman
On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Barry Lehman about achieving long-term recovery or recovery after the first two years of sobriety. They specifically talk about what that looks like and how we can gain mastery so we can live our best life and find joy and happiness in recovery. Barry is a retired pastor and has been sober for 33 years now. While he was in ministry as a parish pastor, he discovered he was an alcoholic. He went into a treatment program and stayed in the ministry for another 11 years after getting sober. He also got his Doctor of Ministry in Counseling and got his license as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor which he has served as part-time for 28 years now.
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy Comments
Legislative Updates and Advocacy
Congressional Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Research Bill For Veterans Despite Biden Administration Opposition
A House committee on Thursday approved a bill that would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct clinical trials into the therapeutic potential of marijuana for military veterans. The House Veterans Affairs Committee passed the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), in a largely party line vote of 18-11, with all Democrats in support and all but one Republican opposed.
Marijuana Moment - Nov. 5, 2021