The Wednesday Weekly - Addiction + Recovery News Clips November 3, 2021
NEW: SLP would love to hear from you! If you have suggestions on the content or format of the clips, or comments on any of the items, please use the comments section at the end of the page.
Highlights
National
Shatterproof releases inaugural Addiction Stigma Index | Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra outlines harm reduction strategy
Fentanyl (myths, facts and moral panic)
Cops who collapsed after touching fentanyl likely had panic attacks | Podcast: The Cop Who Touched Fentanyl
State and Local
Elected officials and advocates push back on Boston’s plan for removal of homeless from Mass. and Cass | Two sentenced in WI for embezzling from Native American addiction treatment center | PA Gov. Wolf calls for expansion of harm reduction efforts
Studies/Research in the News
Liver transplants soar as Americans drink their way through pandemic | the latest research findings on youth drinking and substance use
Opinion
The case for safe injection sites | Sam Quinones on harm reduction
Reviews
Sam Quinones book ‘The Least of Us’ sheds light on dangers of fentanyl and meth | ‘Dear William’ memoir recounts impact of addiction on family
Podcasts
Author Joseph Naus (“Straight Pepper Diet”) on RMA | NHL star Theo Fleury on Dopey! | Dr. Jeeshan Chowdhury discusses psychedelics on Rehab Confidential
Legislative Updates and Advocacy
Shatterproof calls for support for the MATE Act
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
National
Jessica Simpson shares unrecognisable photo from height of addiction as she marks four years sober
Jessica Simpson has shared an unrecognisable photo from the height of her addiction as she marked four years sobriety.
The Independent - Nov. 2, 2021
NFL Quarterback Colt Brennan: ‘They Did Everything, But Nothing Could Ever Save Him’
The excruciating struggle to break Colt Brennan’s endless cycle of addiction: drinking and drugs, arrests and alienations, apologies and promises. Repeat.
Sports Illustrated - Nov. 1, 2021
Bravo's Captain Lee recounts death of son to drug addiction: 'I remember every second'
"Below Deck" star Lee Rosbach has been open about his son Josh's death due to opioid overdose, and yesterday he spoke to a forum of lawmakers from Congress about how to take action against the opioid epidemic that is sweeping the nation.
Today - Oct. 29, 2021
Overdose deaths are so high that the Biden team is embracing ideas once seen as taboo
The Biden administration is rolling out a new coordinated strategy it hopes will slow the menacing rise in drug overdose deaths. Many of the core ideas are still viewed as controversial in many parts of the U.S., including efforts to provide active drug users with clean syringes. "We are willing to go places where our opinions and our tendencies have not allowed us to go [before]," Becerra said in an interview with NPR.
NPR - Oct. 27, 2021
HHS pledges harm reduction for drug users, including fentanyl test strips, clean needles
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra outlined the Biden administration’s strategy for curbing drug overdoses Wednesday, committing more federal support for harm reduction techniques such as distribution of clean syringes and test strips used to check street drugs for hidden fentanyl.
The Washington Post - Oct. 27, 2021
Shatterproof and The Hartford Release Largest and Most Expansive Addiction Stigma Survey Ever Fielded
Inaugural survey reveals pervasive discrimination by public, employers, and health care workers is making substance use disorder more difficult to address. The Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index, a first-of-its-kind measurement tool, was designed to assess attitudes about substance use and people who use substances. The Index is designed to track progress regularly and hold our nation accountable for continual improvement.
Yahoo News - Oct. 27, 2021
COVID-19 has accelerated the mental health crisis
The pandemic has caused an estimated 53 million new cases of major depressive disorder and 76 million new cases of anxiety disorders, according to a recent report in The Lancet. While these numbers are staggering, they are not surprising for those in the mental health industry, where mental illnesses were among the leading causes of disability even before the pandemic.
The Hill - Oct. 26, 2021
Press release: International Law Enforcement Operation Targeting Opioid Traffickers on the Darknet Results in 150 Arrests Worldwide and the Seizure of Weapons, Drugs, and over $31 Million
Today, the Department of Justice, through the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team joined Europol to announce the results of Operation Dark HunTor, a coordinated international effort on three continents to disrupt opioid trafficking on the Darknet.
U.S. Federal Drug Administration - Oct. 26, 2021
Press release: Soberlink and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Create Judge’s ‘Bench Card’ Tool to Assess Alcohol Use Disorder
The Bench Card, which includes vital information regarding the diagnosis of AUD as well as common misconceptions of the disease, provides practical guidance for judges, family law professionals, litigants, or anyone else involved in a case where parental alcohol misuse could potentially impact the well-being of a child.
AP - Oct. 26, 2021
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Fentanyl: Myths, facts and moral panic
Special Section: Fentanyl, a highly potent opioid, has found its way into much of the illicit drug supply in recent years. The consequences have been devastating. Adding insult to injury, unfounded fears of overdose by physical contact with fentanyl has sparked a bit of a moral panic that threatens to increase stigma experienced by drug users and reduce the willingness of first responders and bystanders to render aid to overdose victims. With last week’s follow up story on the San Diego police officer who collapsed after touching fentanyl, I thought it made sense to dig deeper on fentanyl this week and to include some additional (older) stories for context.
3 other kids also 'exposed' to fentanyl after Evansville girl dies
An incident that left a 3-year-old girl dead after ingesting fentanyl could have been even worse, officials said Thursday.
Evansville Courier and Press - Oct. 29, 2021
Cops Who Collapsed After Touching Fentanyl Likely Had Panic Attacks
Experts say you can't overdose from touching fentanyl. So why did the San Diego police officer collapse? "People are probably familiar with what in the 19th century or early 20th century was called hysteria," [said] Patrick Blanchfield, an associate faculty member at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research. Blanchfield didn't think the officers were exaggerating or collapsing on purpose. He believed they were truly scared.
Business Insider - Oct. 27, 2021
Dealer pleads guilty to distributing fentanyl-laced pills that caused Mac Miller's fatal overdose
A man pleaded guilty Monday to distributing the fentanyl-laced pills that caused rapper Mac Miller's fatal overdose in 2018, according to a plea agreement filed in California.
CBS News - Oct. 27, 2021
Siskiyou County 5-year-old hospitalized after coming into contact with fentanyl at school, mother says
A Siskiyou County mother says that her 5-year-old daughter was hospitalized last week after somehow coming into contact with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl while at school.
ActionNewsNow.com - Oct. 26, 2021
Podcast: The Cop Who Touched Fentanyl
Police around the country have claimed to overdose on fentanyl merely from handling the drug. What’s really going on? Can you overdose on fentanyl just from being near it? Over the past few years, a number of police officers have said that they O.D.’d merely from brief exposure to the drug. In 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration even issued a warning to cops about the dangers of such encounters. The stories have made national news, but they’ve also invited skepticism. On Episode 35 of The Politics of Everything, hosts Laura Marsh and Alex Pareene discuss the phenomenon of cop overdoses with Dan McQuade, who wrote about it for Defector; Timothy McMahan King, the author of Addiction Nation, a book about the opioid crisis; and Patrick Blanchfield, who’s written about cop psychology and cop culture.
The Politics of Everything (The New Republic) - Sept. 29, 2021
A guide to fentanyl touch overdoses, which do not exist
The experiences of officers like Faiivae are often most reasonably explained by anxiety, ironically brought on by the panic stoked around illicit fentanyl by police departments themselves. False police reports of secondhand fentanyl overdose are remarkably consistent: After alleged contact through the skin or in the air, an officer feels lightheaded, dizzy, and then faints. Their heart races, they feel sweaty, their chest tightens and their breathing becomes rapid. These are certainly frightening symptoms. They are not, however, the symptoms of an opioid overdose.
Filter - Aug. 11, 2021
Fentanyl-tainted marijuana is a myth that refuses to go away
Fentanyl-tainted cannabis may not actually be a thing—and, if it is, rarer than the snow leopard. According to a review of data and some interviews with harm-reduction specialists, marijuana laced with fentanyl is either so rare as to pose a risk more remote than one in a million. Or it’s a total “myth,” yet one that keeps being repeated by law enforcement, public-health agencies, and the media.
Forbes – July 31, 2021
Congressional Testimony: Public Health Responses to Illicit Fentanyl
Fear, moral panic, penalization of drug use – all lead to stigma and marginalization of the affected population. And this is counter to the goals of public health which wants folks not to run and hide but to come forth for prevention and treatment services.
Testimony Before the House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security United States House of Representatives - Jan. 28, 2020
Training to reduce emergency responders’ perceived overdose risk from contact with fentanyl: early evidence of success
Mixed messages from the US government agencies and their prominence in media outlets have catalyzed the spread of misinformation about the risks of accidental fentanyl contact. mixed messages from the US government agencies [17] and their prominence in media outlets have catalyzed the spread of misinformation about the risks of accidental fentanyl contact. As part of a broader effort to improve community access to naloxone, the authors of the current study developed comprehensive training for emergency responders on recognizing and responding to an overdose, basic tenets of addiction, and the roles of treatment and harm reduction strategies.
Harm Reduction Journal - August 2020
Are people really falling ill from contact with fentanyl?
Police officers hospitalized after incidental exposure to fentanyl. A Florida child fatally overdosed. In communities around the country, such headlines are stoking fears that a momentary brush with a tiny amount of fentanyl powder could prove fatal. But experts consulted by STAT said many of the reported incidents appear to be false alarms that run counter to scientific fact and exaggerate the risks.
State News - Aug. 9, 2017
State / Local
California Rewarding recovery: how the state will pay addicts to give up drugs
California has asked the federal Medicare and Medicaid authorities for permission to start a $58.5m pilot project next year to reward patients who stay off stimulants such as meth and cocaine. The state’s Department of healthcare Services says medications exist to treat opioid or alcohol disorders, but not stimulants. “Multiple studies have shown that contingency management consistently leads to abstinence for the majority of people, and decreased drug use for people not yet abstinent. No other treatments for substance use disorder have achieved these consistent results,” the department said.
Financial Times - Nov. 1, 2021
Colorado: El Paso, Teller counties could see more than $1 million a year in opioid settlement money amid spike in deaths
El Paso and Teller counties could see more than $1 million annually to help address the opioid drug epidemic that has evolved and worsened over time, with fentanyl deaths expected to double this year and potentially take more than 100 lives in El Paso County.
Pikes Peak Courier - Nov. 1, 2021
Wisconsin: Two Sentenced for Embezzling Over $777,000 from Native American Addiction & Counseling Center
Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Fredericka DeCoteau, 63, Cloquet, Minnesota, and Edith Schmuck, 77, Rice Lake, Wisconsin, were sentenced today in federal court in Madison, Wisconsin for theft of federal program funds. DeCoteau and Schmuck pleaded guilty to one count of theft of federal funds on July 15 and June 24, 2021, respectively. They worked at Ain Dah Ing (ADI) which has operated as a non-profit halfway house in Spooner, Wisconsin since 1971. DeCoteau worked as the Executive Director at ADI from 2002 to 2017. Schmuck worked as the bookkeeper from 1990 to 2017. They were fired after the thefts were discovered.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Wisconsin - Oct. 29, 2021
Opioid addiction is a risk for older Americans -- what you need to know
It’s easy to assume the opioid epidemic afflicts young people. But seniors can get hooked too.
Market Watch - Oct. 29, 2021
Utah MMA fighter slams addiction to the mat
Court McGee is Utah’s only active UFC fighter. He’s known as “The Crusher.” But before he became a champion, he was battling a deadly opponent. Addiction. A fight that literally cost him his life, for a few minutes.
ABC 4 - Oct. 28, 2021
Indiana's only addiction treatment program for first responders sees success
RCA Indianapolis is the Hoosier State’s first and only inpatient and outpatient center with a substance abuse treatment program designed specifically for first responders.
Fox59 - Oct. 28, 2021
Massachusetts: Elected officials join pushback against plan for addiction treatment at Suffolk County jail
The pushback against a plan to open a virtual courtroom at the South Bay correctional campus where unhoused individuals from Mass. and Cass could be sent and committed for addiction treatment at the facility grew louder on Wednesday as elected officials joined calls from doctors and advocates condemning the proposal.
Boston.com - Oct. 28, 2021
Louisville Metro solicits request for applications proposal for federal ARP Harm Reduction Recovery Housing funding
Louisville Metro Government’s Accelerator Team issued a request for applications (RFA) proposal for Harm Reduction Recovery Housing. “As the city continues to face the outcomes of the pandemic, it is imperative that we recognize another issue many of our residents are faced with –housing challenges for those dealing with substance abuse,” said Mayor Fischer. “As a compassionate city, we are committed to investing in the resources needed to combat this challenge, and proactively help those residents live in stable housing, and further reduce the risk of preventable overdoses.”
LouisvilleKY.gov - Oct. 28, 2021
Johnson & Johnson Settles Opioid Claims In Texas For $291.8 Million
Johnson & Johnson and its U.S.-based Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies have reached a $291.8 million settlement with the Texas state government that resolves its opioid-related claims made against the companies.
The Epoch Times - Oct. 27, 2021
Pennsylvania Governor’s Office Press Release: Wolf Administration Highlights Need to Expand Access to Life-Saving Harm Reduction Services
Today, members of the Wolf Administration joined the Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Network (PAHRN), members of the General Assembly, and other advocates and stakeholders in support of expanding access to life-saving harm reduction services for individuals struggling with a substance use disorder (SUD).
Pennsylvania Office of the Governor - Oct. 27, 2021
Press release: St. Louis Takes a Stand Against Drug Abuse by Declaring October to be Drug-Smart Month
To engage the community in taking effective action against the drug overdose crisis, St. Louis County proclaimed October “Drug-Smart Month.” They encouraged everyone to be part of the solution by using drug education to reach youth before they begin to experiment with drugs.
AP - Oct. 26, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Studies/Research in the News
What The Latest Data Says About Cannabis, Drug And Alcohol Use Among Young People
The latest data on national drug use and health shows that an encouraging trend took place among America’s younger demographic in 2020: pre-teens and teens showed far less interest in using inebriating substances like cannabis, alcohol, and other drugs.
Forbes - Oct. 29, 2021
Press Release: PRC National Health Survey finds over a third of US adults have been negatively impacted by substance abuse
PRC, a leader in the healthcare intelligence space, announced findings from their National Health Survey centered around the prevalence of substance abuse in America.
Oct. 28, 2021
Liver Transplants Soar as Some Americans Drink Their Way Through the Pandemic
Demand for liver transplants among heavy drinking Americans surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study shows. It found that the number of people with alcoholic hepatitis who received a new liver (32,320) or were put on a liver transplant waiting list (51,488) between March 2020 and January 2021 was 50% higher than what was expected based on pre-pandemic patterns, CNN reported.
U.S. News and World Report - Oct. 27, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Opinion
First, do no harm: Safe injection sites are a sensible and practical solution to the opioid death epidemic
After years of dilly-dallying, the on-its-way-out de Blasio administration appears set to move forward with a pilot to open supervised injection sites, where trained staff distribute needles, test drugs, give advice and watch over drug users to cut down on disease transmission and overdoses. Whether or not these facilities reduce fatalities is not up for debate. At Vancouver’s pioneering Insite facility, which has been in operation more than 18 years and has seen an estimated 3.6 million drug-use visits, there has never been a recorded death. Zero. To the inevitable local pushback, we say: Give safe injection sites a chance. They may one day mark the difference between life and death for someone you care about.
New York Daily News - Oct. 31, 2021
Sam Quinones: How supply and demand have driven the U.S. drug crisis into the ‘synthetic era’
At a party in Venice in September, four people overdosed from what they thought was cocaine, three of them dying before paramedics arrived. The cocaine they used reportedly contained fentanyl. The deaths were another example of what has taken place across the U.S. over the last few years as we have entered what I call the synthetic era of drugs — street dope made with chemicals; no plants involved. Sam Quinones. a former Los Angeles Times reporter, is the author of “Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic” and “The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth,” which will be published Tuesday.
Los Angeles Times - Oct. 31, 2021
How Harm Reduction Can Help Win the Fight Against Opioids
Opioids increasingly dominate illicit markets across the country. The current approach is failing both to reduce supply and to prevent deaths. Furthermore, it has health and criminal justice consequences of its own, especially in communities of color. It’s time for a different response. Harm reduction can be that solution, helping people mitigate the risks associated with certain behaviors.
The Crime Report - Oct. 28
You should familiarize yourself with harm reduction
Harm reduction is a public health approach that aims to reduce harms related to substance use by treating people with dignity and compassion. It includes a variety of approaches with the goal of connecting people who use drugs to resources and helping them to thrive in a supportive environment. Harm reduction strategies, which are gaining support at the federal level, include safer use, managed use, abstinence and meeting people who use drugs "where they are" with consideration given to key principles central to harm reduction practice.
My Central Jersey - Oct. 17, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Reviews
Quinones' book 'The Least of Us' sheds light on the dangers of fentanyl and meth
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Sam Quinones, whose book The Least of Us, details how much more plentiful meth and fentanyl have become in the wake of the country's opioid crisis.
NPR - Oct. 27, 2021
'Dear William,' David Magee's Memoir, Shows a Family Dealing With Addiction and Trauma
’Dear William’, a new memoir by David Magee, tells the story of a family ripped apart by addiction and trauma but rebuilt through love and faith. In August, Newsweek wrote that this "intensely felt and beautifully delivered memoir written by former Newsweek editor and award-winning writer Magee sheds light on what so many of us have been affected by and what so few of us can discuss with any comparable measure of grace. Shot through with hope, purpose and an unflinching love, it's a story that must be read."
Newsweek - Oct. 27, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Let’s Talk Addiction and Recovery (Hazelden Betty Ford) – The Healing Power of Love, Communication and Acceptance
Addiction passed from one generation to the next, and Reyna watched her family succumb to alcohol-related disease and death. She never had a chance to speak up, and she was never given the words to speak out. Then Miaveya, her 10-year-old daughter who attended the Children's Program, came along and taught her. Now they both sit down with host William C. Moyers and share their experience with the disease and how, in the end, acceptance and open communication win out.
Recovery in the Middle Ages – Recovery Guru and Author Joseph Naus Joins RMA in Studio to Discuss His Life, Work and Recovery
This week on RMA we welcome our first in-studio guest, Joseph Naus, the author of the wildly successful addiction and recovery memoirs, Straight Pepper Diet and The Palsgraf Revelation. Joseph was kind enough to give us some time to talk about his books and his recovery, and he also accompanied Nat on his Recovery in the News scat singing!
Rehab Confidential – Dr. Jeeshan Chowdhury, psychedelic-assisted therapy expert
Joe and Amy sit down with Dr. Jeeshan Chowdhury, an MD/PhD who studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He is a seasoned entrepreneur who is trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy through CIIS and is now bringing his expertise to Journey Colab as Founder and CEO. We talk about his own personal journey that brought him to psychedelics, his work with FDA and how we overcome the stigma and propaganda of the war on drugs.
Dopey – Go Puck Yourself with Theo Fleury, Hockey, Coke, Booze, Trauma, Suicide, Rape, Recovery
This week on Dopey! we are joined by Stanley Cup winner, National Hockey League bad boy, author, and recovery drug addict and alcoholic, Theo Fleury. Theo shares about living with extreme trauma and surviving rape at the hands of a coach in his teen years.
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Legislative Updates and Advocacy
Shatterproof: The Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act will make addiction training part of mainstream health care
With 2021 coming to an end, Congress has many competing demands. As they wrap up their work for the year, don’t let them ignore the addiction crisis. Too many of our loved ones are dying because they can’t access effective, evidence-based addiction treatment. Federal legislation can help change that.
The Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act will is a bipartisan bill designed to ensure that all DEA-controlled prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to prevent addiction and how to identify, treat, and manage patients who have substance use disorders. This bill now has more support than ever on Capitol Hill and is so close to becoming law.
You can help bring this bill to the finish line. Contact your representatives with a few quick clicks and make your voice heard.