The Wednesday Weekly - Addiction + Recovery News, March 16, 2022
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
Highlights
National
Parties reach new deal in Purdue Pharma bankruptcy | Sacklers get an earful from victims in court | Federal legal opinion paves way for contingency management treatment program
Fentanyl
6 Florida spring breakers OD on fentanyl | State of WA sees “stunning” fentanyl increase
State and Local
New Mexico to receive $200 million from companies connected to opioid epidemic | Oregon woman working to get overdose reducing naloxone stocked in schools
Studies/Research in the News
OUD patients often rejected for follow up care | Cannabis leads to poor outcomes if continued into adulthood
Opinion
The case for harm reduction and empathy | Patient assistance programs and the anti-kickback statute | Taking issue with safe injection sites in Pennsylvania | The need to treat SUD and co-occurring mental health conditions simultaneously | Tips to maintain sobriety while traveling
Books and Movies
TV: Ally Sheedy on “Single Drunk Female” | Book: Child star Josh Peck addresses addiction, troubled past in “Happy People are Annoying”
Podcasts
Let’s Talk podcast offers advice on finding appropriate treatment | RMA addresses trauma and recovery | Author and activist Ryan Hampton on Dopey | Raiders tight end Darren Waller discusses recovery on Heart of the Matter
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National
From begging on the streets and battling drug addiction to the NBA: Delonte West is back
Former NBA player Delonte West seems to have re-emerged after a turbulent few years. West seems to have put behind him all of the off-court troubles he has experienced in recent years and wants to get back to playing at the age of 38. West, who has just come out of a rehabilitation process for his drug addiction, is working towards a single goal: to enjoy basketball again after having gone through hell.
MARCA - March 13, 2022
'You got rich off our dead bodies' opioid victims tell Purdue's Sacklers
Victims of America's opioid epidemic confronted members of the Sackler family that owns Purdue Pharma on Thursday with wrenching stories of suffering they said was caused by the painkillers that built the company fortune. The emotional court hearing stemmed from a $6 billion settlement between the Sacklers and state attorneys general that could resolve claims over the family's role in the crisis without taking them to trial. read more.
Reuters - March 10, 2022
A US bankruptcy judge approved Purdue Pharma and Sacklers' $6 billion settlement agreement with states, Connecticut AG says
Victims of opioid abuse and their families on Thursday confronted members of the family behind OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, recounting their immeasurable loss and pain caused by the highly addictive painkillers. The emotional hearing came one day after a US bankruptcy judge approved a settlement that requires Purdue Pharma and the Sackler families to pay out as much as $6 billion to states, individual claimants and for opioid crisis abatement.
CNN - March 10, 2022
Opioid Settlement: California, 13 Other States, to Share $30 Billion-Plus in Payouts
Some of America’s largest pharmaceutical companies are set to send at least $30 billion dollars to 14 states for their role in the national opioid crisis. The money from two different settlement deals will be used to support recovery and relief efforts for people struggling with opioid addiction, a problem that disproportionately affects African Americans. It has been identified as a contributing factor to the high rate of unhoused Black people in California.
The Sacramento Observer - March 10, 2022
Federal government allows program to pay substance abusers for staying clean
A new legal opinion from the Biden administration appears to clear the way for wider use of an underutilized harm reduction technique: paying people addicted to drugs for staying clean.
Washington Post - March 10, 2022
Federal government allows program (“contingency management”) to pay substance abusers for staying clean
A new legal opinion from the Biden administration appears to clear the way for wider use of an underutilized harm reduction technique: paying people addicted to drugs for staying clean. Known as "contingency management," the idea is supported by decades of research that shows providing repeated small payments for meeting goals in the recovery process has an outsize impact in helping people remain sober. The technique also has been used to help people quit smoking, lose weight and change other unwanted behaviors.
SF Gate - March 10, 2022
How to implement a harm reduction programs for addiction
Fortunately, as substance use disorders have increased, employee benefit managers have responded with more and better treatment options for their employees. A new program that many managers are exploring is harm reduction. Viewed as the more modern approach by many, harm reduction is about meeting the patient where they are, because not all patients are initially ready, willing and able to completely abstain from substances such as tobacco, alcohol or opioids. Physicians who subscribe to the harm reduction approach are still willing to treat those patients, to put them on a path towards better health, and motivate them to change their habits and behavior over time.
Employee Benefit News - March 10, 2022
What to do if you're struggling with your mental health at work
There's a stigma to taking time off to care for your mental health that's not present with physical health. The mindset is, "Just work, work, work, push through it and get to the other end and deal with it," says Jody Adewale, a Los Angeles-based psychologist and medical advisor for the mental health advocacy foundation, Made of Millions.
NPR - March 10, 2022
Press release: Thompson Introduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Ensure Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics
The legislation, known as the Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2022(link is external), would expand Medicare coverage to include PDTs, which are software-based treatments designed to directly treat disease, tested for safety and efficacy in randomized clinical trials, evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and prescribed by health care providers. PDTs are designed and tested much like traditional prescription drugs but rather than swallowing a pill or taking an injection, patients receive cognitive therapy through software.
Office of U.S. Rep Mike Thompson - March 10, 2022
WNBA Star Arrested In Russia On Drug Charges
Brittney Griner, two-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time Women’s National Basketball Association All-Star, is being held by Russian authorities after customs officials detected Cannabis oil in her luggage. Griner, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was initially detained while trying to leave the country at Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow back in February on drug charges; however, Russian officials just released the news of Griner’s detainment on Saturday.
Addiction Center - March 10, 2022
16 sentenced as part of $250M opioid fraud scheme in Michigan, Ohio
A dozen doctors and four individuals from Michigan and Ohio have received federal prison sentences and were slapped with hefty fines as part of a wide-ranging scheme that distributed 6.6 million pills and submitted $250 million in false billings, officials announced Thursday.
ArcaMax - March 10, 2022
Wrestler Sting opens up about addiction: ‘I knew that I was probably going to die
Sting will turn 63 years old later this month. The iconic wrestler is still making the pro wrestling highlight reel today, with the most recent example occurring last weekend when he dove off a balcony through three tables at Revolution. His prime years on top of the industry took place in WCW circa 1996 through 1998 during his unforgettable superhero role in the nWo invasion storyline. However, those were also the years where addiction took over his life, leaving him in a constant state of emptiness and despair.
Cage Side Seats - March 10, 2022
Purdue Pharma judge overrules DOJ to approve $6 bln opioid settlement
The judge overseeing Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy on Wednesday approved a $6 billion opioid settlement funded by its Sackler family owners, overruling objections from the Department of Justice and 20 states that opposed the deal. Under the settlement, the Sacklers would pay between $5.5 billion and $6 billion to a trust that will be used to pay the claims of states, victims of addiction, hospitals and others who have argued that the Purdue painkiller OxyContin played a central role in the U.S. opioid epidemic.
Reuters - March 9, 2022
An Epidemic Within a Pandemic: Addiction and COVID-19, Two Years Later
When COVID-19 first became a national emergency in March of 2020, many predicted that the situation could have a serious impact on Americans dealing with addiction. They were right.
Shatterproof - March 9, 2022
Bill Would Hike Penalties for Dark Web Drug-Trafficking
A bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire would increase the penalties for people who traffic illegal drugs through the dark web.
U.S. News and World Report - March 9, 2022
Welcome to the Vice Age: How Sex, Drugs and Gambling Help Americans Cope with Covid
The pandemic caused millions to lean into good old-fashioned bad behavior. Two years later, business has never been better for cannabis, gaming and porn—and the high times are here to stay.
Forbes - March 9, 2022
9 A-List Celebs Who Don't Drink Alcohol
From Brad Pitt to Blake Lively, these stars have given booze the boot for a variety of reasons.
Eat This, Not That - March 9, 2022
3 states criticize $277 million opioid settlement 'side payment' to 9 states, D.C.
Late last week, three states — Florida, Indiana and West Virginia — filed formal objections in bankruptcy court to a $277 million set-aside payment earmarked for New Hampshire, eight other states and the District of Columbia. The objections are certain to slow and possibly jeopardize the agreement, which calls for Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family to pay states and territories between $5.5 billion and $6 billion over 18 years to settle claims related to the opioid crisis.
EMS 1 - March 8, 2022
Doctors push to keep looser rules for telemedicine for opioid addiction
It got a lot easier for patients with opioid addiction to get their medication remotely during the pandemic — and now addiction doctors and telehealth companies are pushing Congress to make those flexibilities permanent.
Stat News - March 7, 2022
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Fentanyl
5 West Point cadets overdose on fentanyl during spring break, police say
A suspect is in custody after five West Point cadets overdosed -- four of whom were hospitalized -- on the drug fentanyl while they were on spring break in Fort Lauderdale earlier this week, according to police.
CNN - March 12, 2022
Six Florida spring breakers overdose on fentanyl-laced cocaine
Six West Point football players on spring break in Florida overdosed on fentanyl-laced cocaine, leaving two in critical condition, authorities and reports said Friday.
NY Post - March 12, 2022
Xylazine, a dangerous animal sedative, is contaminating Philly’s drug supply
An animal tranquilizer with a strong sedative effect is increasingly turning up in Philadelphia’s fentanyl supply and in the toxicology reports of overdose victims, a new study has found.
Philadelphia Inquirer - March 9, 2022
State of Washington sees ‘stunning’ increase in fentanyl use, survey reveals
A recent survey from the University of Washington’s Addictions, Drugs and Alcohol Institute (ADAI) revealed a stark increase in the intentional use of the deadly opioid fentanyl across the state.
King 5 - March 8, 2022
State / Local
California backs syringe programs. But they’re nowhere to be found in Orange County
Orange County has been a perennial battleground for the fight over syringe programs, which are backed by state and federal health officials as a lifesaving tool but have been anathema to some local governments and other critics who denounce them as a hazard and nuisance.
LA Times - March 13, 2022
Colorado: Woman overcomes addiction, opens ‘Chrysalis’ to help others do the same
For years, one Colorado woman thought her life would be forever ruled by methamphetamine and alcohol. After battling addiction, she’s helping save the lives of people facing the same battle. Kristabell Stansbury recently opened a treatment and wellness center in the heart of RiNo.
The Denver Channel - March 11, 2022
AG Balderas secures nearly $200 million for New Mexico and communities across the state in opioid allocation deal
Attorney General Hector Balderas has secured $200 million from Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson — all companies connected to the opioid crisis.
KAKE - March 10, 2022
Oregon women on mission to get overdose-reversing drug in schools
There is no hiding Gail Simmons' hope or goals at her Oregon City home. Even her car has her intentions etched into her Oregon license plate: N-A-R-C-A-N. Narcan, a nasal spray also known as naloxone, is a potentially lifesaving medication designed to help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in minutes. It can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Local 12 - March 10, 2022
New Mexico Amends Harm Reduction Law to Allow Fentanyl Test Strips
A bill passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in late February amended the state’s Harm Reduction Act to allow tools to address the changing nature of the overdose epidemic. In essence, House Bill 52 acknowledges how much drugs have changed since the program was established in 1997. The changes made to state law allow the health department to employ drug checking tools, such as fentanyl strips, which otherwise would be considered illegal paraphernalia.
Santa Fe Reporter - March 9, 2022
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Studies/Research in the News
Opioid Overdose Death Rate for U.S. Black Population Is Higher Than for White
Fentanyl’s spread and the pandemic’s destabilizing effects have accelerated fatal drug overdoses in Black communities. The fatal overdose rate among Black people surpassed that for white people in the first year of the pandemic, as an increasingly lethal drug supply and Covid-19’s destabilizing effects exacted a heavy toll on vulnerable communities in the U.S.
Wall St. Journal - March 13, 2022
Patients with opioid use disorder often rejected for skilled follow-up care, study finds
Some health care facilities in Massachusetts that care for patients after hospitalization are more likely to reject those with an opioid use disorder than patients who don't have the disorder, a new study from Boston Medical researchers finds.
WBUR - March 12, 2022
If You're Still Smoking Weed at 30, Scientists Have Bad News
Scientists say that smoking weed in your youth isn’t a big deal — but if you’re still using it well into adulthood, your mileage may vary. In a new study published in the journal Addiction Research & Theory, a team of researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia examined success outcomes for both cannabis and amphetamine users. Using data from over 8,000 mothers and 2,000 children about drug use at ages 21 and 30, the team found that both substances were associated with lower success rates based on nine specific criteria, including education, income, home ownership, relationship status, and reported happiness, but only if they continued into adulthood.
Futurism - March 11, 2022
Two-thirds of scientists want to keep alcohol at conferences
Alcohol creates a relaxed, social atmosphere at conferences, say survey respondents, but more care could be taken to ensure everyone feels safe and included.
Nature - March 11, 2022
More teens and young adults are overdosing right after getting a prescription for mental health drugs
A growing number of teens and young adults are overdosing on mental health medications, a new study reveals. Concerningly, a team at Rutgers University found that many of the overdoses are taking place shortly after young patients get a prescription for these drugs from their doctor.
Study Finds - March 10, 2022
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Opinion
Sobriety is not an easy path, especially when traveling: Tips on how to travel sober
Traveling can have its triggers, but with the right preparation and mindset, it can be wonderfully fulfilling. Here are a few tips from a seasoned pro – and an actual professional – to have fun and stay true to your commitments.
USA Today - March 14, 2022
Can Empathy Boost a Public Health Approach to Addiction?
The first federal harm reduction grant program from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at $30 million signifies significant momentum for efforts to take a public health approach to treating addiction. The funding aims to make services such as syringe exchanges and the distribution of overdose-reversal medication more widely available. This new program demonstrates the urgent need to approach the national addiction crisis with a broader view undergirded by empathy. It is necessary for all players in this public health crisis to better recognize, understand and even share the feelings and experiences of others who are deep into dangerous addictions.
U.S. News and World Report - March 11, 2022
Note to Sajid Javid: the idea that my family could have weaned me off cocaine is ridiculous
In my experience, close relatives are often the source of the problem. Addicts need the help of NHS professionals to get off drugs.
The Guardian - March 11, 2022
Patient Assistance Programs and the Anti-Kickback Statute Charting a Pathway Forward
Patient assistance programs can help patients who need expensive brand-name drugs for which there are no other treatment options, although certain features make these programs a poor fit as a system-wide solution. Rather than being effective safety nets, most patient assistance programs require patients to have insurance coverage and tend to benefit patients who earn above US median incomes.1 In addition, by offsetting patient incentives to be economical, patient assistance programs increase health care spending when lower-cost options exist by driving the use of costly brand-name drugs. Notably, some pharmaceutical manufacturers fund these programs with a different motive: to subsidize use of their own products while triggering insurance reimbursements. If legislative reform that diminishes the need for patient assistance programs does not materialize, Congress, the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), or the OIG could further clarify the legality of such arrangements under the anti-kickback statute.
JAMA Network - March 10, 2022
Schmitt: Ending devastation of opioid addiction and abuse
While our litigation against the major opioid manufacturers was ongoing, I launched the Real Opioid Pain Initiative to hear directly from victims of opioid addiction — those in long term recovery, community stakeholders, families of those lost to opioid overdose — to gain critical perspective for these cases. Stories poured in from across the state, from people of all different walks of life. These stories were essential in continuing forward with our litigation.
Springfield News-Leader - March 10, 2022
Supervised heroin injection sites are a threat to Pennsylvania
To almost everyone, the idea of a government-sanctioned center for the injection of illegal drugs like heroin would seem like a concept from a twisted sci-fi film. Unfortunately, that dystopian vision is being championed in the form of supervised injection sites, whose aim is to provide a haven for people to do illegal drugs. Even more unbelievable? The advocates for these sites claim that by providing such a haven, they are helping to stem the opioid crisis. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Penn Live - March 9, 2022
How Investing in Mental Health is an Investment in Combating Opioid Addiction
The use of psychedelics such as ibogaine represents one of the most compelling developments in opioid addiction treatment.
Psychedelics Investing News - March 09, 2022
How My Drinking Was Used to Deny Me Treatment for Depression
I was informed I could not receive treatment for my crippling depression because I must first “graduate” from addiction treatment. I received a dual diagnosis, but the solution to both of them was apparently to stop drinking. I felt I was making progress, the treatment providers disagreed. They became increasingly frustrated that my goal was to manage my alcohol use rather than abstaining. Ultimately, I was discharged for non-compliance with the treatment plan. In what other area of medicine would a patient be denied all medical services due to their partial non-compliance with a prescribed treatment, or use of an alternative treatment?
Filter - March 7, 2022
Perspective: Drug policies should reflect addiction’s harm to children
Illegal drug use impairs the ability of parents to care for their children, sometimes with deadly results. Kimberly Maese spoke to the Albuquerque Journal last month after her teenage granddaughter, Ava Kersey, overdosed on fentanyl, a drug that her family says was provided to her by her own mother. No doubt there were many individual and systemic failures behind this tragedy, but one of them is certainly the failure of child welfare agencies to take seriously the problems wrought by drug addiction.
Deseret News - March 6, 2022
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Books and Movies
Ally Sheedy Left Hollywood. Then Came ‘Single Drunk Female’
Sheedy plays Sam’s mother, Carol, whose approach to sobriety is complicated. In some moments, Carol is loving and supportive of her daughter’s recovery. At others, their dynamic is soured by Carol enabling Sam’s addiction. “I know that alcohol and drinking is the major theme here, but for me it wasn’t,” Sheedy explains. “The first reaction I had reading the script was, Oh, my God, it’s Terms of Endearment, which is probably my favorite movie, mainly because of Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine—what they did with that writing and the way that relationship unfolded during that movie. I think it’s so brilliant and so edgy and just timeless.”
Vanity Fair - March 11, 2022
Former Nickelodeon Star Josh Peck Reveals Past Drug And Alcohol Addiction Before Releasing New Book
Drake and Josh star, Josh Peck is speaking out about his troubled past in his new book titled “Happy People Are Annoying.” In the memoir, Josh expresses how it was growing up and adjusting to fame while being on the tv screen at such a young age. The actor also detailed his past fight against drug and alcohol addiction. “I was always looking for something outside to fix my insides,” Peck told PEOPLE. “But eventually I realized that whether my life was beyond my wildest dreams or a total mess, it didn’t change the temperature of what was going on in my mind. I knew that nothing in the outside world would make me feel whole.”
Hollywood Unlocked - March 10, 2022
New book teaches everything you need to know about cannabidiol (CBD) and opioid addiction
This handbook written with the intention of providing useful information to families and friends regarding the country's opioid (synthetic and natural) addiction epidemic. Specifically, it covers the following useful information: the opioid addiction history, ancient healing of addiction, history and research regarding the use of cannabidiol (CBD) for treating opioid addiction, our attempt to solve the epidemic through incarceration, healing and laws governing CBD, recommended doses of CBD for addiction treatment and other illnesses, the roles pharmaceutical companies have played in the production of these synthetic opioids, stories of several families and how they handled family members with this addiction sickness, and much more.
WFMZ - March 9, 2022
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Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Let’s Talk Addiction and Recovery (Hazelden Betty Ford) – How to Choose the Right Treatment Program for You and Your Family
Searching for the right treatment program can be overwhelming. It's unfamiliar territory, and it's hard to know who to trust or which information to attend to. "How will we pay for treatment? Why do those mental health services matter? What will keep my loved one safe and sober?" The questions are endless. To simplify the process, Vice President Tessa Voss and Clinical Director Cecelia Jayme sit down with host William C. Moyers to answer those questions and more. Tune in.
Recovery in the Middle Ages – PTSD and Trauma in Recovery
This week Mike and Nat continue their mini-series on mental health in recovery by tackling the multi-headed beast that is PTSD. What is it? How does it manifest? Most importantly, what can we do about it? Traditional treatment of substance abuse in America often focuses on the symptoms (alcohol or drug use), rather than the underlying problems, (trauma and underlying mental health issues). Much like giving someone an Advil when they have a brain aneurysm, treating the symptom may bring temporary relief, but it doesn’t address the underlying problem. Is it time for a paradigm shift in the way we look at addiction and recovery? The guys break it down.
Dopey – Author and Activist Ryan Hampton
This Week on Dopey! We are joined by author, activist and recovering opiate addict, Ryan Hampton! Ryan brings the serious in person Dopey at my dad's kitchen table and takes us through his serious history of debauchery and recovery. Working at the White House for Bill Clinton's administration to homelessness on skid row, Ryan tells it all! Plus we learn all about his new book about the Sackler case, and the future of Mobilize Recovry! PLUS! Serious Dopey emails and a brand new cover of Good So Bad! Plus a bottle of liquid xanax on a brand new episode of the old Dopey Show!
Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas - Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller on the work of recovery and the past as legacy
To many who knew him in his college days, Darren Waller had the ideal life: a star football player at Georgia Tech who had caught the eye of NFL scouts, he seemed predestined for a picture-perfect future. However, beneath this glossy veneer was someone who was struggling with opioid use, whose self-confidence was flagging, and whose passion for the game he had loved since he was a boy was evaporating. Now four and a half years into recovery, Darren has started a foundation to help youth struggling with addiction, has helped a teammate into recovery and looks back on his past with gratitude and without shame. Join Elizabeth as she speaks with Darren about the value of honesty in recovery, the importance of humility, and why he does not wish to shut the door on his past, but rather, sees it as the greatest possession he has.
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