The Wednesday Weekly - Addiction + Recovery News, March 30, 2022
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
Highlights
National
House considers bill to legalize marijuana | U.S. alcohol deaths spiked during first year of pandemic | Biden’s drug czar finalizes addiction crisis strategy | Love addiction?
Fentanyl
Fentanyl OD leading cause of death in U.S. for ages 18-45 | Addiction expert on how to address fentanyl crisis in Oregon
State and Local
Vermont lawmakers pass sweeping bill to address OD epidemic | Colorado lawmakers introduce bill aimed at fentanyl dealers, overdoses | Oregon has funding to expand treatment, needs workers
Studies/Research in the News
Overdoses in Nevada spiked among Hispanics in 2020 | Alcohol deaths spiked during first year of the pandemic
Opinion
How civil commitment for addiction treatment harms civil liberties | Sacklers need to feel more loss | Gabor Maté on the power of addiction and addiction to power
Books and Movies
Movie: ‘To Leslie’ embraces stark realities of addiction | Book: David Sanchez mines his past and struggles with addiction in his novel ‘All Day is a Long Time’
Podcasts
On Heart of the Matter podcast, Elizabeth Vargas discusses fentanyl and methamphetamine with author/journalist Sam Quinones
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National
House poised to pass bill legalizing marijuana
The House is poised to pass legislation this week that would legalize marijuana, just the latest example of the swiftly changing attitudes on drug laws that marks a near reversal from the Reagan-era war on drugs that also reverberated through the 1990s. The bill legalizing marijuana has near-uniform support among Democrats and a top ally in Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.), who has been aiming to introduce a similar measure this spring.
The Hill - March 28, 2022
Addiction stigma top reason many refuse to seek professional counseling
A staggering 89% of people who require substance use disorder treatment don’t receive it. The research is starting to clear up why so many people shy away from the idea of having an addiction, and it all revolves around the idea of stigma. Although there is a tidal shift regarding the stigma concerning mental health issues, the stigma of addiction seems to be firmly ingrained in our culture. This fear of a social stigma is surely the reason a large percentage of people who live with addiction fail to acknowledge or disclose it.
Florida Today - March 28, 2022
Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the 1st year of the pandemic
NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben speaks with Aaron White of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about a new study that shows that alcohol-related deaths increased during the pandemic.
NPR - March 27, 2022
Heroin addiction grips Kashmir, number of abusers up nearly 100 times in 7 years
"The number of cases of heroin abuse is much higher than reported at de-addiction facilities in Kashmir. Heroin addiction in Kashmir was becoming an addiction of a generation. Heroin in Kashmir is as easily available as cigarettes. We have several cases where multiple family members were consuming heroin,” Dr Muzaffar Khan, the in-charge of J&K Police drug de-addiction center in Srinagar told DH.
Deccan Herald - March 27, 2022
British Museum to remove Sackler name from galleries
The British Museum will remove the Sackler name from galleries, rooms and endowments following global outrage over the role the family played in the opioid crisis.
AP - March 26, 2022
How medicine-assisted treatment aids drug addiction recovery
Medicines have aided substance use disorder treatment for decades. It was first limited to methadone, a long-acting opioid agonist, which was introduced in the 1960s. But today, medicine is becoming more common to supplement recovery from substance use disorder. “The thing with medication is they can help to make that a little easier to where if you’re not having those cravings and you’re not in withdrawal, it frees up your cognitive load to be able to focus on other parts of your recovery,” Brown said.
Lexington Herald-Leader - March 24, 2022
What’s driving the dramatic rise in alcohol-related deaths during the pandemic?
During the first year of the pandemic, alcohol-related deaths increased dramatically by 25 percent, according to a new study. In 2020, deaths jumped from about 79,000 a year to 99,000, with the spike seen across all drinking-age groups. Katherine Keyes, an epidemiologist at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, joins William Brangham to discuss.
PBS - March 23, 2022
Biden's drug czar is finalizing a broad strategy for the addiction crisis
President Biden's drug czar says an inaugural drug control strategy – a road map of how the White House plans to tackle the nation’s growing addiction crisis – is in “the advanced stages of being finalized." One of the primary functions of ONDCP is to develop and oversee the implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy, which every administration is required to submit to Congress after its first full year in office. The Biden administration informed Capitol Hill that it would miss the Feb. 7 deadline to deliver the document, prompting a bipartisan pair of lawmakers to implore federal officials to quickly finish their work.
Washington Post - March 23, 2022
How Prescription Drug Addiction Is Treated
In 2020, 1.2 million people in the U.S. misused prescription pain relievers. Prescription drug addiction often starts with medically-prescribed needed use, such as following surgery or injury. Gradually, use becomes misuse, resulting in substance use disorder or addiction. When that occurs, prescription drug addiction treatment is necessary. Read on to learn about prescription drug addiction treatment options, including inpatient, outpatient, medication, and community support.
Very Well Health - March 23, 2022
Retired teacher dies at Royal Stoke after whisky binge
A retired teacher died after drinking up to a bottle of whisky. Martyn Arrowsmith was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital after being found collapsed at his Meir Park home on November 26. But there was little medics could do and the 73-year-old was pronounced dead later that night with his family at his hospital bedside.
Stoke on Trent - March 23, 2022
Florida brothers sentenced in $112M addiction treatment fraud scheme
Two brothers were sentenced to prison terms Friday, for orchestrating a $112 million addiction treatment fraud scheme, the Justice Department said Monday. Jonathan Markovich, 37, and his brother, Daniel Markovich, 33, were sentenced in the Southern District of Florida, the Justice Department said in a release.
UPI - March 22, 2022
Unpacking the Notion of Love Addiction
So-called “addiction” to love merely refers to a set of behaviors, according to licensed clinical psychologist and psychologist Anthony DeMaria, PhD. There’s no clinical diagnosis of love addiction, DeMaria goes on to explain. This term usually refers to a preoccupation with the feeling of being in love, which might lead someone to seek out love in a way that causes unwanted consequences. What’s wrong with calling this an addiction? Using “addiction” to describe this pattern is problematic for several reasons, explains Emily Simonian, a licensed marriage and family therapist with Thriveworks.
Health Line - March 22, 2022
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Fentanyl
‘People will listen to a grieving mother’: An Anchorage mom who lost her son to fentanyl wants to tell her story
Sandy Snodgrass wants to share how an astonishingly potent synthetic opioid swiftly took her son’s life, and how it can do the same to anyone who uses street drugs. People seem willing to listen. “If you want to say I’m obsessed, I’m obsessed,” she said.
Anchorage Daily News - March 26, 2022
An addiction expert on how to fight Oregon’s growing fentanyl crisis
According to the Oregon Health Authority, an average of five people in Oregon die each week from opioid overdoses. And in just a one-year period, from October 2020 to October 2021, drug overdoses in Oregon increased by more than 40 percent. Driving this surge is fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. Criminal drug networks are mass producing counterfeit pills made to resemble oxycodone and other prescription painkillers that contain potentially lethal amounts of fentanyl, according to law enforcement. Joining us is Todd Korthuis, a professor of medicine and public health and the chief of addiction medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, who says fentanyl is fueling a public health crisis in the state.
OPB - March 25, 2022
Fentanyl overdose becomes leading cause of death for adults age 18 to 45
Fentanyl overdose is now the leading cause of death for US adults ages 18 to 45, according to numbers from the CDC. Official overdose numbers for 2020 were 40% higher than the previous year. Fentanyl was to blame for 73% of those overdoses. In 2021, preliminary data indicates fentanyl was involved in 77% of overdose deaths. That 77% is a dramatic increase from the 31% of fentanyl-involved overdose deaths in 2016. The percentage has increased every year since, up to 53% in 2017, 56% in 2018 and 61% in 2019.
WRAL - March 22, 2022
Colorado Teen Recovering From Fentanyl Addiction: ‘I Want To Share My Experience So Other People Don’t Have To Live It’
Today 16-year-old Keegan Pyron is back in class and working alongside his peers. Just a few months ago he was living a much different story, clinging to what little of life he had left. “When I went out, I only did fentanyl and meth. That’s all I stuck to and eventually the places I went to stopped selling meth because they are all just selling fentanyl,” he said. Now five months sober he has his grades back on track, is looking at college, advocating for changes in Colorado drug laws and is sharing his story with one hope.
4 CBS Denver - March 22, 2022
State / Local
Oregon has funding for addiction recovery programs, but not enough employees
Oregon has recently funded positions for dozens more of these kinds of jobs at facilities across the state, and there are many more jobs coming. In 2020, Oregon voters approved a measure to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs like heroin and cocaine and at the same time channel hundreds of millions of dollars from a recreational marijuana tax into helping people battle addiction. The idea is to address substance abuse through public health channels instead of the criminal justice system. Now, the problem is finding the workforce to staff this effort.
NPR - March 28, 2022
Lawmakers pass bill aimed to fight overdoses in Vermont
Vermont lawmakers pass a sweeping bill aimed at stemming the tide of the overdose crisis. During the pandemic, fatal overdoses have skyrocketed in part due to the prevalence of high-potency fentanyl. So decision-makers wants to give Vermonters tools to fight back on the crisis. A proposal passed Friday would create a team to deliver medication assisted treatment to rural areas. It would expand treatment to Vermonters on Medicaid. The bill also creates a task force to explore creating so-called safe injection sites. Those are facilities where people can consume drugs under supervision of medical experts.
WCAX - March 25, 2022
He built New Hampshire’s largest addiction treatment network. Now, he faces accusations of sexual misconduct.
GRC is the largest provider of substance use disorder treatment in New Hampshire and serves thousands of people across New England each year. In interviews with nearly 50 former clients, current and past employees, and others in New Hampshire’s recovery community, a dark portrait emerges of Spofford as a polarizing figure who preyed on vulnerable people and wielded his power to avoid consequences.
Eagle Times - March 24, 2022
Colorado lawmakers unveil bipartisan bill to address fentanyl dealers, addiction
Colorado lawmakers unveiled a bill Thursday that would reduce the amount of fentanyl-laced drugs a dealer would need to possess in order to face harsh felony charges and aims to widely increase access to fentanyl strips, Narcan and services for people who suffer from addiction.
The Denver Channel - March 24, 2022
Portland fentanyl crisis on the rise, doctors in addiction recovery say
Fentanyl pills are becoming more prevalent and sought after in the Portland metro area, doctors working in addiction and recovery say, creating a major health concern among all ages.
KATU - March 23, 2022
Test strips for fentanyl, supervised injection sites, might come to Bay Area
A bill to establish pilot “overdose prevention programs” in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland has been approved by the state Senate and is being debated in the Assembly. From there, it would go before a governor who, as a candidate in 2018, said he was “very, very open” to the idea. Another bill — with bipartisan support — would explicitly allow people to possess kits that test drugs for the presence of deadly fentanyl, as well as equipment that tests for “date rape” like drugs ketamine and gamma hydroxybutyric acid in drinks. Such testing kits currently fall under the definition of illegal “drug paraphernalia.” “I feel cautiously optimistic,” said Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, who authored the overdose prevention bill and is a co-author on the testing bill with Assemblymember Laurie Davies, R-Laguna Niguel.
San Jose Mercury News - March 23, 2022
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Studies/Research in the News
Overdoses among Hispanics spiked in 2020; advocates point to lack of services, stigma
Overdose deaths among Hispanic residents in Nevada increased by 120 percent between 2019 and 2020, according to data released in October by the state Department of Health and Human Services. That surge is more than double the 55 percent increase in overdose deaths statewide during the same period.
The Nevada Independent - March 25, 2022
Gambling addiction could be nine times higher than industry claims
Gambling addiction rates may be nine times higher than the betting industry claims, according to a landmark study that found 1.4 million people are being harmed by their own gambling, while a further 1.5 million are at risk. Published with the government weeks away from unveiling plans for a once-in-a-generation reform of gambling laws, the survey is part of a push by leading charity GambleAware to encourage more people to seek treatment.
The Guardian - March 23, 2022
Alcohol-Related Deaths Spiked During First Year of Pandemic: Study
The number of Americans who died from alcohol-related causes increased dramatically during the first year of the pandemic, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Alcohol-related deaths rose above 99,000 in 2020 -- a 25% increase from the nearly 79,000 deaths documented in 2019. That compares with an average annual increase of 3.6% between 1999 and 2019. Deaths began increasing in recent years, but only by 5% between 2018 and 2019.
WebMD Health News - March 22, 2022
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Opinion
The Sackler family should feel the same loss as those who have been harmed by the opioid epidemic
The evidence is overwhelming that the Sackler family knew that OxyContin was exceedingly addictive but covered up that fact to increase profits. While it is important for the Sackler family to come face to face with what its greed has caused, it is not enough. Those who are trapped into opioid dependence almost invariably lose everything, especially their self-respect and the important relationships in their lives. The Sackler family should be stripped of their wealth, all of it. The money should be used to fund prevention and treatment programs.
Washington Post - March 27, 2022
Editorial: Opioid prevention critical in cutting overdose deaths
Prevention and treatment must be at least as important as the law enforcement side. Indeed, they cannot be neglected even after arrest or sentencing without guaranteeing the process becomes a revolving door. Westmoreland County Detective Tony Marcocci fears fentanyl making its way to younger, less-experienced drug users — kids who are experimenting. That makes the prevention aspect more important than ever.
Trib Live - March 25, 2022
Holly Jespersen of Shatterproof On How To Achieve Great Success After Recovering From An Addiction
Life is so much better on the other side. I feel like my life was in black and white before and now it is on color. I appreciate life so much more. I appreciate the trees, sunsets, animals, the ocean, etc. like I never had before.
Medium - March 25, 2002
‘A massive spiritual shift’: how the mindful movement of qigong can treat addiction
An ancient Chinese meditation. qigong involves gentle movements, controlled breathing and even slapping. The aim is to move energy, referred to as chi, throughout your body and remove any physical, mental, emotional or spiritual blocks an individual may be facing. The gentle motion, breathing and meditation stop the mind ‘wandering to negative thoughts’, says a recovering Victorian addict [a person from Victoria, Australia (the place, not the era) in recovery from a substance use disorder].
The Guardian - March 25, 2022
Where Have All the Artist-Addicts Gone?
For much of the 20th century, before the dawn of our own wellness-focused era, madness and substance abuse were often considered prerequisites for great art. The question of whether artists are more prone to abuse, or whether we’ve historically just liked to think they are, reverberated throughout the 20th century. The chest-thumping, romantic notions of writer-addicts are not exclusive to white men, though there is, of course, a double standard. These days, it’s incredible to think about the lengths we used to go to in order to forgive artists for being bad people.
New York Times - March 24, 2022
Civil commitment harms civil liberties: The Jailing of Jesse Harvey
More recently, civil commitment has been used to treat people with addictions. Yet experts say that even if commitment can prevent self-harm in the short term, it rarely addresses the root causes of substance misuse — and its long-term consequences can be devastating.
Type Investigations - March 23, 2022
Non-Substance Addictions Are Key to Understanding What Drugs Don’t Do
Non-substance addictions are important to understand and mitigate in their own right. But they are also central to the case against a reductive concept of drug addiction that hampers recovery and underpins the drug war. Archie Brodsky and I first refuted what was then a heroin-centric, biological model of addiction in Love and Addiction in 1975. We then deduced: “If addiction is now known not to be primarily a matter of drug chemistry or body chemistry, and if we therefore have to broaden our conception of dependency-creating objects to include a wider range of drugs, then why stop with drugs?”
Filter - March 23, 2022
Gabor Maté: The Power of Addiction and the Addiction to Power
If you want to understand addiction, you can’t look at what’s wrong with the addiction; you have to look at what’s right about it. In other words, what’s the person getting from the addiction? . . . What addicts get is relief from pain, what they get is a sense of peace, a sense of control, a sense of calmness, very, very temporarily.
Mad in America - March 23, 2022
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Books and Movies
SXSW Review: ‘To Leslie’ Embraces the Stark Realities of Addiction
Andrea Riseborough has carved her career from eclectic roles in arthouse cinema and mainstream money-spinners with Oscar-worthy intentions. Her latest to hit the festival circuit is To Leslie, a stark character study of one woman’s battle to overcome alcoholism, reconnect with her son and convince others that she’s worthy of redemption. In every respect, the film pulls no punches getting to the heart of alcoholism as a condition that can destroy relationships.
We Got This Covered - March 25, 2022
Why Criminal Minds Dropped Reid's Drug Addiction Story
Following the harrowing experience of being kidnapped, Spencer Reid became addicted to drugs — something that was never resolved on Criminal Minds. Despite showing Reid overcoming his addiction, the whole narrative wasn't properly tackled. In fact, there were a handful of episodes that mentioned his personal struggle, and even they only vaguely referred to it. There's no clear reason why Criminal Minds didn't follow through with the set-up regarding Reid's substance addiction, other than claims that Gubler personally requested for the plot line to be dropped. There are also speculations that Reid was an integral part of the BAU, and moving forward with the aforementioned arc would've hindered him in performing as an FBI agent.
Screen Rant - March 25, 2022
Addiction, Subjectivity, and Selfhood: Introducing David Sanchez’s First Novel, "All Day is a Long Time"
Sanchez’s novel makes an inviting read out of difficult subject matter, drawing relatable inroads to challenging topics. Set against the backdrop of Florida’s Gulf Coast, All Day is a Long Time captures the turbulence of addiction and its aftermath. The semi-autobiographical novel follows the coming-of-age narration of a young man, also named David. After running away from home at age 14 to meet a girl, David becomes addicted to crack cocaine. What begins as an adolescent pursuit of romance and rebellion quickly devolves into a decade-long struggle to regain sobriety. Written with searing vulnerability, All Day is a Long Time sweeps its readers inside the bright and complex mind of a young man grappling with mental illness, homelessness, incarceration and sobriety.
Pen America - March 24, 2022
Crime drama film 'Rush' and the pitfalls of undercover addiction
I had completely forgotten about the movie Rush until I came across it while exploring the HBO Max library. Released in 1991, Rush stars Jason Patric and Jennifer Jason Leigh as undercover narcotics agents Jim Raynor and Kristen Cates. Raynor is a seasoned veteran of covert operations, and Cates is fresh out of the academy. The two are partners, and what begins as an investigation of potential large-scale drug trafficking morphs into an investigation of personal addiction and naivete.
ABA Journal - March 22, 2022
Single Drunk Female Has Quietly Been One of TV’s Best Explorations of Drinking Culture
Sometimes a show needs you to look past its name (Single Drunk Female) and its platform (Freeform) and give it a chance. The turning point for me was learning this series wasn’t about the wild exploits of a party girl meant to appeal to Freeform’s YA demo, but about a woman in her late 20s who comes to realize she’s an alcoholic. What follows is a show that unravels the consequences of Sam’s (Sofia Black-D’Elia) addiction, and her road to recovery. Single Drunk Female is also an anathema to TV’s love affair with alcohol. Where Single Drunk Female stands out even further is in how it translates this difficult subject (of waking up to your addiction and choosing sobriety in a sea of triggers) into a comedy.
Paste Magazine - March 18, 2022
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Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Recovery in the Middle Ages – How YOU Doin?! Compare and Despair: How keeping up with the Joneses can cause depression, anxiety and relapse
Compare and despair! It has been said that comparison is the thief of joy, but we still do it all the time. Why? Maybe it’s grounded in self-esteem, an area that typically proves challenging to a person suffering with substance abuse disorder. One theory is that you have an unconscious belief that you lack self-worth. Because you already believe you are in some way inadequate, your brain constantly searches for evidence to support its theory. When you compare yourself to other people, you always assume they're prettier, smarter, more successful, and better. What a mess! Social media exacerbates this condition by only showing the positive parts of people’s lives, thereby distorting reality and exacerbating underlying issues like depression and anxiety. How can we navigate through the pitfalls of social media and keeping up with the Joneses while maintaining a sense of self-worth? Mike and Nat have some ideas…
Dopey – The Addiction of Validation with Peter Rosenberg
This week on Dopey! We are joined by multi media superstar, Peter Rosenberg! He's the cohost of the Hot 97 Morning Show, cohost of ESPN in the afternoon with Michael Kay, a WWE commentator and cohost of legendary hip hop podcast Juan Ep! Peter tells us of his rise in radio and his unusual road to recovery! Plus! A special old guest comes on and tells us of his relapse! PLUS voicemails and more on a brand spanking new episode of Dopey!
Heart of the Matter - Author and journalist Sam Quinones on the rise of fentanyl, the methamphetamine crisis and the future of addiction
Tune in as Sam speaks to Elizabeth about the reasons behind the explosion of fentanyl; the connections between methamphetamine and mental and physical illness; and why he believes we have yet to fully confront the realities of methamphetamine addiction. For more, see the complete episode transcript.
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