The Wednesday Weekly - August 25, 2021
Highlights
National
Sacklers still not sorry? | Can a video game be used to treat, prevent addiction?
State and Local
California Cannabis dispensaries expose minors to marketing | Nationwide naloxone shortage hinders Maine harm reduction efforts
Studies/Research in the News
ERs often fall short in treating patients with SUDs | Swedish scientists: “switch” in brain may help explain binge drinking
Opinion
In the opioid crisis, is pain management overlooked? | The case for decriminalization of buprenorphine in Massachusetts | Can harm reduction reform drug courts? | Racism in AA
Reviews
Book Review: Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke | Film: “Hello Sunshine” puts spotlight on Philadelphia outreach worker
Podcasts
Rich Roll: Dr. Anna Lembke on the Neuroscience of Addiction | Rehab Confidential explores the dark side of PDAP and “Enthusiastic Sobriety” | Let’s Talk discusses mental health issues for military veterans | RMA examines divide between MAT and 12-step recovery
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts
National
Rising Number of U.S. Cardiac Arrests Tied to Opioid Abuse
There's been a sharp rise in opioid-related cardiac arrests in the United States and they now equal those associated with other prime causes, a new study finds.
Drugs - Aug. 23, 2021
Prince’s pill addiction began with bathtub accident, friends recall
For his tour supporting the album “Purple Rain,” Prince planned to sing a song while sitting in a bathtub 10 feet off the ground. While rehearsing the scene in a Minnesota arena, the bathtub broke, sending Prince hurtling to the floor. This and related injury incidents, as recalled by people close to the superstar, marked the beginning of a life of pain for Prince that most likely led to the addiction that killed him. Prince died in 2016 from an accidental overdose of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. To those who knew and loved him, the manner of Prince’s death was especially ironic, as he was vehemently anti-drug from his teen years well into his time as music royalty.
NY Post - Aug. 23, 2021
U.S. states rush to meet deadline to join $26 billion opioid settlement
U.S. states are racing to meet a deadline to commit to a $26 billion opioid settlement with three drug distributors and the drug maker Johnson & Johnson as some grapple with local resistance and concerns the amount isn't big enough to address the damage done by an epidemic of addiction. Fourteen state attorneys general unveiled the proposed settlement on July 21, kicking off a months-long process for states, counties and cities to sign on.
Reuters - Aug. 19, 2021
Stevie Nicks Says She “Saved” Herself From Cocaine Addiction: “I Survived Me”
Stevie Nicks says she only has herself to thank for overcoming her serious drug addiction. And while she’s proud to have survived it, she hasn’t let that period of her life completely define her.
Vanity Fair - Aug. 19, 2021
How a Yale doctor is using a video game to fight the opioid epidemic
PlaySmart is a new video game alternative to drug treatment and prevention. The developers hope it can prevent drug abuse in teenagers and give them the tools to remain drug free throughout their lives, working tangentially with traditional forms of intervention to teach kids about making the right choices. The prevention strategy game is a “cartoon-character-driven, choose-your-own-adventure interactive point and click” aimed at teens and young adults, The Washington Post reported.
The Hill - Aug. 17, 2021
Purdue hoped new Oxy would help in crisis; no apology
The family that owns Purdue Pharma had hoped a reformulated version of OxyContin would help rein in the burgeoning opioid crisis a decade ago, a member of the Sackler family said Thursday in court testimony that once again stopped short of an apology or acceptance of responsibility for the epidemic.
AP News – Aug. 19, 2021
Ex-chair of Purdue denies responsibility for opioid crisis
The former president and board chair of the company that makes OxyContin told a court Wednesday that he, his family and the company did not cause the opioid crisis in the U.S. Richard Sackler, a member of the family that owns Purdue Pharma, was asked under oath during a federal bankruptcy hearing whether he, his kin or the company bear responsibility. For each, Sackler answered simply: “No.”
AP News – Aug. 18, 2021
Press Release: National Safety Council, Shatterproof partner to end addiction stigma in the workplace
The National Safety Council and Shatterproof are working together to end the stigma surrounding addiction. Addiction is a hidden workplace epidemic, affecting workers nationwide and costing employers billions of dollars annually – and COVID-19 is only making it worse. Stigma is a leading barrier to treatment and recovery, but employers can make a difference. NSC is teaming up with the national nonprofit to give employers, human resources professionals and supervisors the resources they need to address this stigma and ensure employees know they’re supported. Visit nsc.org/stigma to learn more.
Safety and Health Magazine - Aug. 18, 2021
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Podcasts
State / Local
Press Release: Federal addiction prevention resources and training coming to New York via longtime Tonko priority program
New York is being awarded $850,000 in federal funding to provide resources and trainings for New York’s first responders to help prevent prescription drug and opioid overdose-related deaths. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will be distributing the funds to 13 states across the nation that total $11 million.
U.S. House of Representatives - August 20, 2021
Kentucky: McConnell touts drug recovery efforts for federal aid
Kentucky’s addiction recovery efforts deserve to rank as a priority when looking for ways to spend massive amounts of pandemic aid coming to the state, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell said Thursday. “This is a one-time opportunity in which there’s going to be an enormous amount of money coming into our state,” he said. “As you think o the various things that need to be attacked, our addiction and recovery problems are pretty near the top of the list.”
AP News - Aug. 20, 2021
West Virginia: 3 health facilities get funding to fight substance abuse
Three health care facilities in West Virginia will receive $1 million apiece to treat and prevent substance use disorders in rural communities. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito announced the funding Wednesday from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The funding will go to the Wirt County Health Service Association, One Voice Inc. based in the Wyoming County community of Oceana and the Prestera Center for Mental Health Services based in Huntington.
AP News - Aug. 19, 2021
Shortage Of Overdose Antidote Hinders Some Of Maine's Harm Reduction Efforts
Some harm reduction organizations in Maine have been forced to limit distribution of the opioid-overdose reversal drug naloxone amid a nationwide shortage. The Washington Post reports that a manufacturing issue at Pfizer is to blame, and the company likely won't be able to meet demand until February.
Maine Public - Aug. 18, 2021
Many California Cannabis Dispensaries May Expose Minors to Marketing
Although nearly all recreational cannabis dispensaries in California check IDs to avoid sales to minors, many don't post signs indicating age restrictions on sales or prevent young people from entering and being exposed to marketing materials, a new study suggests.
Medscape - August 17, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Studies/Research in the News
To Improve Opioid Addiction Treatment, ERs Get Creative
A recent report from the Legal Action Center and the Bloomberg American Health Initiative found that despite widespread consensus on the importance of addiction treatment in the ER and an unprecedented rise in overdose deaths, many hospitals fail to screen for substance use, offer medications to treat opioid use disorder or connect patients to follow-up care.
NPR - Aug. 21, 2021
Brain switch that makes us binge drink even after we’ve had enough discovered by scientists
The rise of binge drinking is more than just a societal shift – there’s actually a trigger in the brain that causes it. The Swedish team pinpointed a mechanism in the middle of the amygdala – an area of grey matter linked to reward – known as PKC. The protein fueled alcohol consumption in susceptible rodents despite negative consequences, a phenomenon called ‘compulsive use’. The discovery opens the door to new drug therapies that combat alcohol abuse disorder.
Metro UK - Aug. 19, 2021
Concurrent HCV, opioid agonist treatment improves quality of life for injection drug users
People who inject drugs experienced sustained increases in health-related quality of life when they were successfully treated for hepatitis C during opioid agonist treatment, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Healio - Aug. 19, 2021
Research suggests new CDC guidelines may have made opioid prescribing safer
Five years after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention retooled a guideline for prescribing opioid painkillers, research suggests the change is paying off. The study analyzed data from 2011 to 2017 on between 4.5 million and 5.8 million people a year who had private insurance or a Medicare Advantage plan. The number of days' supply in initial prescriptions was on the rise before the CDC guideline, even as the percentage of patients filling at least one prescription dropped. The percentage of patients who filled an opioid prescription dropped from nearly 12% in the first year to just over 9% in the study's final year. "It's impossible to isolate the effect of the guideline itself, given all the activity around opioid prescribing, but it's important to track these trends and use them to inform future efforts to treat pain safely and effectively," Goldstick said in a university news release.
U.S. & World Report News - August 17, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts
Opinion
Being Sober in a Drinking Society
The pressure to drink from media, peers, friends, family and the like makes me feel out of place on my own planet.
Medium - August 22, 2021
The true face of the opioid crisis is everyday people
Portraying opioid users as only homeless people may create pity in those watching the news, but I believe the investigative media, should work vigorously to debunk this misconception. The range of faces include young people, the kid next door, the young couple across the street, even some elderly. The reality of this crisis needs to be brought out of the shadows. The public needs to know, understand, and fight hard to address the problem and demand action from our governments.
The Edmonton Journal - Aug. 21, 2021
Opioid lawsuit payout plans overlook a vital need: Pain management care and research focused on smarter use of addictive drugs
Gaps in pain care and treatment, one of the key factors that enabled inappropriate opioid prescribing in the first place, persist. Here are three key ways opioid settlement funds could be used to improve pain treatment and address resource gaps for patients with acute and chronic pain.
The Conversation - Aug. 20, 2021
Our Opinion: Massachusetts should decriminalize buprenorphine to help fight opioid crisis
Recent reporting by The Eagle points to a policy pioneered by two of Massachusetts’ neighbors — Vermont and Rhode Island — that is both simple and effective at limiting the suffering brought on by opioid withdrawal and overdose. It is high time for Massachusetts to join these national leaders at the front line of this fight on addiction by decriminalizing buprenorphine.
The Berkshire Eagle - Aug. 19, 2021
Can Harm Reduction Reform the Drug Courts?
Drug courts are touted as a means of diverting people from incarceration. But as harm reductionists know, the mandatory treatment those courts impose—often on people who do not have a substance use disorder—is not evidence-based, not effective and ultimately still carceral in nature, too. Can drug courts be meaningfully reformed? A new report argues that they can—by adopting the methods and principles of harm reduction.
Filter - Aug. 18, 2021
Black on Zoom: Racism pervades Alcoholics Anonymous online meetings
Like more than 2 million people across the world, I seek refuge daily in Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. But my exposure to blatant racism on Zoom makes me question my place in Alcoholics Anonymous as a Black woman.
USA Today - Aug. 15, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts
Reviews
Book Review: Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke
Lembke’s new book, Dopamine Nation, emphasizes that we are now all addicts to a degree. She calls the smartphone the “modern-day hypodermic needle”: we turn to it for quick hits, seeking attention, validation and distraction with each swipe, like and tweet. Since the turn of the millennium, behavioral (as opposed to substance) addictions have soared.
The Guardian - Aug. 22, 2021
New book (“How Women Rise”) published to show resilience of women with troubled pasts, usefulness in business
Two Houston, Texas women have published a book to help businesses hire women they call "overcomers," who have overcome troubled pasts in their lives like sex trafficking, poverty, crime, or addiction. They say businesses are tapping into special skills these women develop.
Fox 26 - Aug. 20, 2021
"Hello Sunshine" documentary profiles Philadelphia outreach worker
A new documentary is putting the spotlight on the problems plaguing the Kensington section of Philadelphia. It's called "Hello Sunshine," a phrase Rosalind Pichardo uses when speaking to those often seen near Kensington and Allegheny avenues. A founder of Operation Save Our City, Pichardo has passed out hundreds of gun locks, and single-handedly reversed 769 overdoses using Narcan. "She serves many people in Kensington who are active in their addiction and it's easy to forget who these people are," said Joe Quint, the film director for "Hello Sunshine."
6ABC.com - Aug. 17, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts
Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Rich Roll Podcast - 623: Anna Lembke, MD, The Neuroscience of Addiction
As the world evolves from one of scarcity to overabundance, we increasingly orient our lives around the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain—an instinct that has produced a myriad of unprecedented types of addiction, and consequently, the pain we so desperately seek to avoid. To better understand this conundrum, I’m joined today by one of the world’s leading authorities on the neuroscience of addiction, Anna Lembke, MD.
Let’s Talk Addiction and Recovery (Hazelden Betty Ford) – Mental Health Realities for Military Veterans
Civilian life comes with new mental health challenges for returning service members and military veterans. What do they experience when they return home, and how can they find help? Army veteran and psychologist Dustin Brockberg, PhD, answers.
Recovery in the Middle Ages – 1st Anniversary Show! MAT vs. 12-Step Dogma Explained
This week, Nat returns from the land of the endless Margaritas and we talk about vacations, sobriety, triggers, (and Mexican pharmacies), and all the stuff that can make or break your recovery while away from home. THEN we revisit the topic of medically assisted treatment (MAT), while deconstructing a “discussion” Mike had on facebook with some AA purists who think that if you’re taking a drug to help you quit drinking, then you really aren’t sober.
Rehab Confidential – Daniel Kolitz, Journalist
Joe and Amy sit down with journalist Daniel Kolitz to talk about the recovery cult “Enthusiastic Sobriety”, the subject of his latest piece “The Love Bomb” for Atavist Magazine. He tells us about the recovery cult started by Bob Meehan over 50 years ago, what drew him to the story and how this group is destroying lives.
Dopey – 317: Sascha Dubrul, Bipolar Disorder,
Dave talks to childhood friend, Sascha Altman DuBrul, about growing up in Manhattan, and the major sign posts on Sascha’s incredible journey through the anarchist punk rock wonderland of the Lower East Side, where he got deep into the scene, playing bass and writing songs for the renowned NYC ska punk band, Choking Victim. Sascha then hopped freight trains across the country and ultimately had a psychotic break and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He became an American activist, and co-founded The Icarus Project, an international community support network and media project, redefining the language and culture of mental health and illness.
The Addicted Mind Podcast - 142: Healing Early Trauma Through Somatic Experiencing and Brainspotting
Duane talks with Andrew Susskind about his book, It's Not About the Sex: Moving from Isolation to Intimacy after Sexual Addiction. They go into depth about attachment, emotional regulation, the need for reliable people to heal your traumatic wounds, and how we can do that when we're in recovery and still struggling with internal chaos. Andrew is a licensed clinical social worker, a Somatic Experiencing practitioner, a Brainspotting practitioner, and a certified group psychotherapist. The book is Andrew's passion project where he wrote about themes that have been on his mind for three decades now.
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts