The Wednesday Weekly - September 22, 2021
Highlights
National
Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan finalized | DOJ challenges Sackler immunity
State and Local
Ohio reaches settlement with opioid distributors | PA Gov. Wolf wants legislative opioid disaster declaration for Philadelphia’s Kensington section
Studies/Research in the News
College students using alcohol less, marijuana more | Opioid vaccine research trial begins
Opinion
Need vs. greed in the opioid settlement | The case for taxing alcohol
Reviews
Sigourney Weaver in ‘Good House’ | Michael Keaton in ‘Dopesick’
Podcasts
Pioneering addiction medicine expert, Dr. Volpiccelli speaks about naltrexone on Rehab Confidential | Author Erin Khar (“Strung Out”) on Dopey | RMA tackles “high-functioning” addiction | Shatterproof CEO Gary Mendell speaks about transforming tragedy into advocacy on Beyond the Balance Sheet
Legislative Updates and Advocacy
The COCM Act would bolster innovative provision of mental health care
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
National
Use of OxyContin profits to fight opioids formally approved
A judge formally approved a plan Friday to turn OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma into a new company no longer owned by members of the Sackler family and with its profits going to fight the opioid epidemic. The plan will use company profits and $4.5 billion in cash and charitable assets from members of the Sackler family to pay some individual victims amounts expected to range from $3,500 to $48,000, and help fund opioid treatment and prevention programs across the U.S.
AP News - Sept. 18, 2021
Estonian harm reduction programme brilliantly reverses its overdose epidemic
Previously a stark example of the harms of synthetic opioids, Estonia successfully implemented a range of harm-reduction programmes that reversed its bleak opioid public health crisis. A recent European study taking stock of the Estonian response to the rise drug-related deaths since the turn of the century demonstrates how harm reduction is an essential part of any public health programme.
Talking Drugs - Sept. 17, 2021
DOJ Seeks To Block Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Deal That Shields The Sacklers
A division of the Justice Department that serves as a watchdog over the federal bankruptcy system filed an appeal late Wednesday seeking to block the controversial Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan.
NPR - Sept. 16, 2021
Will feds shut down addiction treatment experiment post-pandemic?
As the pandemic makes addiction deadlier than ever, loosened regulations are making it easier for many to get, and stay, in treatment. But, it’s unclear whether that shift will outlast the COVID crisis, and the experiment is over in at least one state. In idyllic towns and bustling cities, Fentanyl, 20 times as potent as heroin, is driving a spike in fatal overdoses nationally and in Massachusetts. Federal data suggest most users do not seek treatment.
KFYRTV.com - Sept. 16, 2021
Managing boozy brands in a zero-proof world
Over the past few years, and especially in 2021, the non-alcoholic beverage sector has evolved, and the owners of liquor brands must evolve their brand management strategies accordingly.
Reuters - Sept. 16, 2021
Alberta’s Battle Over Harm Reduction Is Heating Up
The consistent hostility of Alberta’s government toward the province’s regulated supervised consumption sites (SCS) has become a fixture in the Canadian news cycle. The United Conservative Party (UCP), which forms the abstinence-focused Alberta administration, has shut down facilities, issued a much-criticized anti-SCS report, and sought to impose regulations that make sites harder to access and operate. But two harm reduction organizations operating within the province are pushing back.
Filter - Sept. 16, 2021
How to help employees with addiction
Employees with addictions cost employers $740 billion annually, from lost productivity and healthcare costs, according to American Addiction Centers. Of the more than 21 million people with substance use disorders in the U.S., just 10% seek treatment, due to stigma and other barriers to care. To help this vulnerable population, Jolivet sat down with Employee Benefit News to unveil the reasons behind climbing rates of addiction and share concrete ways organizations can support employees and destigmatize the conversation around substance use disorders.
Employee Benefit News - Sept. 16, 2021
Researchers Call for Antiracist Approach to Address Disparities In Overdose Deaths
Opioid overdose deaths have risen disproportionately in Black communities in recent years, according to a new study. Researchers say the findings highlight health disparities that have existed before the pandemic and the need for an antiracist public health approach.
Very Well Health - Sept. 15, 2021
‘Every man was drinking’: how much do bans on alcohol help women in India?
Holding sticks and brooms, the women marched to the liquor shop in the centre of Konar village. It was a rare ambush in the staunchly patriarchal Bihar state in eastern India. But they were at breaking point. Like temperance reformers in 19th-century Europe or North America, their protest was against male alcoholism they saw as ruining lives.
The Guardian - Sept. 14, 2021
John Mulaney On Intervention And Life After Rehab
This past week comedian John Mulaney spoke about his recent time in rehab and life after treatment on Late Night With Seth Meyers. Meyers, a long time friend who worked with Mulaney at Saturday Night Live, was integral to the 39-year-old’s decision to seek treatment for his struggles with alcohol and Cocaine addiction.
Addiction Center - Sept. 14, 2021
Harnessing Harm-Reduction Methods to Combat the Opioid Crisis
Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, such as carfentanil, are driving an opioid overdose crisis in North America. Novel solutions are needed for this complex problem, and efforts are already underway. To mitigate the overdose crisis, both Canada and the United States have implemented multiple public health and treatment strategies.
Psychiatric Times - Sept. 14, 2021
Alan Carr reveals he quit booze to support alcoholic husband Paul through recovery
Alan Carr has revealed he takes months off the booze to help hubby Paul Drayton battle his alcohol addiction.
Daily Mail - Sept. 13, 2021
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
State / Local
New York: Opioid settlement yields cash windfall for counties in New York State
Manufacturers and distributors of opioids will pay tens of millions of dollars to counties in New York to settle a lawsuit over the costs the counties incurred to handle issues created by the opioid epidemic.
The Buffalo News - Sept. 19, 2021
Maine: Bangor-area coalition wants millions of federal dollars to be spent on addiction services
A coalition of more than 30 organizations that provide medical care, mental health treatment and addiction recovery services wants Bangor-area governments to devote some of the millions they’re receiving in federal relief funds to addressing addiction, homelessness and a lack of mental health treatment.
Bangor Daily News - Sept. 17, 2021
Ohio finally reaches settlement agreement with opioid distributors
Three major opioid distributors, sued over their role in the opioid crisis, have signed off on a massive $808 million settlement deal with the state, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said Thursday.
The Columbus Dispatch - Sept. 16, 2021
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf visits Philadelphia to address opioid crisis in Kensington
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf was in Philadelphia's Kensington section Thursday, highlighting the need for more funding to battle the opioid crisis. The governor wants state lawmakers to pass legislation enabling another opioid disaster declaration, something he says enabled information-sharing that saves lives.
6ABC.com - Sept. 16, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Studies/Research in the News
Clinical Trial Evaluating Vaccine Against Opioid Use Disorders Enrolls First Patients
A phase 1, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to study a therapeutic vaccine for opioid use disorder has enrolled its first patients, according to a press release from the University of Minnesota Medical School. Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, this trial is intended to test the safety and efficacy of a vaccine designed to selectively prevent the euphoric and toxic effects of oxycodone.
Pharmacy Times - Sept. 17, 2021
Hospitals Face Urgent Need for Addiction Treatment in Emergency Departments
An increasing percentage of emergency visits and hospitalizations in the United States before the pandemic involved patients with alcohol and other substance use disorders, according to a study by UC San Francisco researchers. The authors say hospitals need to develop better ways to identify and treat those patients.
UCSF News Services - Sept. 17, 2021
College Students Using Marijuana More, Alcohol Less
The Monitoring the Future report, sponsored by The National Institute On Drug Abuse at The National Institutes of Health, has revealed changes in the patterns of substance use present in the college student population. College students are using Marijuana more and drinking alcohol less; 44% of college students said they used Marijuana last year, while 56% reported drinking. This represents a substantial increase in use for the former substance and a notable decrease in use for the latter; for comparison, only 38% of college students said they used Marijuana in 2015 while 62% of the same population admitted to drinking alcohol in 2019.
Addiction Center - Sept. 16, 2021
New study examines link between alcohol consumption and cancer
Whether heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer is a growing concern for researchers and one that affects around 10% to 20% of Americans. According to a new population-based study published in The Lancet Oncology, researchers attributed over 700,000 new cases of cancer in 2020 to alcohol consumption. Researchers found that cancers of the esophagus, liver and breast contributed the most cases.
Hollings Cancer Center - Sept. 16, 2021
Do Your Genes Up Your Odds for Alcoholism? One Factor Cuts the Risk
Even when genetics and personality are working against you, having a strong network of supportive friends and family may help lower alcoholism risk, researchers say.
Consumer Health News - Sept. 16, 2021
Patients with opioid use disorder die at a rate similar to heart attacks
Hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder died at a rate comparable to those who suffered heart attacks within a year of hospital discharge, according to a new study from Oregon Health & Science University. The study, published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, found that almost 8% of patients with opioid use disorder died within 12 months of being discharged.
Eureka Alert - Sept. 14, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Opinion
Bridging the divide between mental health care and addiction treatment
It’s not just a California problem or an American challenge. Throughout the world, far too many people have suffered because they were treated primarily for one diagnosis rather than for their intertwined conditions. Integrated care is hard to achieve, but a few states - including California - are pursuing promising approaches. [for more, see California Health Care Foundation’s Report "In Their Own Words: How Fragmented Care Harms People with Both Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder.”]
Los Angeles Times - Sept. 19, 2021
Need not greed should drive opioid settlement
The urgency of solving the opioid crisis is apparent. Americans are wasting away because of this scourge. Funds to remediate this blight are available by a settlement between pharmaceutical companies and state, as well as, local governments. But some are delaying settlement. Need should take precedence over greed. All state and local governments should participate in this settlement and get down to the business of renewal.
PennLive - Sept. 18, 2021
OxyContin created the opioid crisis, but stigma and prohibition have fueled it
Too often, people who use drugs are bombarded with messages that are not supported by research and that deepen the harm. Public health officials and community leaders urge people to seek treatment and highlight that recovery is within reach. Yet, roughly 70% of people who seek treatment are unable to access it. Sobriety is touted as the ultimate goal for people who use drugs. Yet research shows that addiction is a recurring brain disease, and relapse is highly likely. Medication assisted treatments are considered the gold standard for opioid use disorder, yet they are still underutilized.
The Conversation - Sept. 15, 2021
What Alcohol Taxes Have to Do With Climate-Change Policy
The comparison between carbon taxes and alcohol taxes is a surprisingly instructive one. That’s because, to start, alcohol taxes work. Fifty years of studies show that as the price of alcohol increases, the societal problems associated with alcohol decrease.
The Atlantic - Sept. 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Reviews
Sigourney Weaver in ‘The Good House’: Film Review
In a comic drama also featuring Kevin Kline, the 'Alien' star plays a New England real estate agent who understands all her neighbors’ problems but is deep in denial about her own. Hildy, an alcoholic who’s pretending to be in recovery, is played by Sigourney Weaver, who makes every exasperated glance, incisive put-down and dissembling excuse absolutely magnetic.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sept. 15, 2021
Michael Keaton is a doctor at ground zero of the opioid crisis in Dopesick trailer
Dopesick tells the story of how one company launched the worst drug epidemic in American history. Keaton himself stars as Dr. Finnix, a small-town Virginia doctor who's brought a new, supposedly non-addictive drug to help his patients. It's called OxyContin, and it won't take long for him to figure out the truth about it.
EW.com - Sept. 15, 2021
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Recovery in the Middle Ages – The Gallows Humor of Recovery
What is a “high-functioning” alcoholic? I think there are a fair number of people out there who are able to keep drinking and using while at the same time enjoying success in a career and having a normal-appearing life. And what happens when, like a house of cards built on quicksand, the whole thing comes tumbling down. That’s what happened to this week’s guest Grant Boyken. Grant had a successful career and a solid family life until the day came where he could no longer hide the fact that he was living another life where he was drinking all day, and quietly falling apart. But don’t worry! The story has a happy ending.
Rehab Confidential – Dr. Joseph R Volpicelli MD, Ph.D, world renowned doctor, scientist and clinician
Joe and Amy sit down with world-renowned scientist and clinician Dr. Joseph R. Volpicelli whose research led to the discovery of naltrexone to treat alcohol addiction by reducing cravings and relapse. Dr. Volpicelli explains the difference between his approach and the Sinclair method, why treatment centers aren’t using evidence-based treatment, and the neurochemical difference between “normal” drinkers and “problem” drinkers.
Flourishing After Addiction with Carl Erik Fisher, M.D. – Mindful Recovery from Addiction, Pain, and “MORE,” with Dr. Eric Garland
Dr. Eric Garland is a clinical researcher who has devoted his life to developing a novel mind-body therapy called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), which combines mindfulness with other practices and exercises to promote a greater sense of well-being and even self-transcendence as part of the recovery process. His work has strong evidence for efficacy in treating not just addiction, but also chronic pain.
Dopey – Erin Khar, author of “Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies That Nearly Killed Me”
This week on Dopey! We are joined by writer, advice columnist, blogger Erin Khar! Erin drops the major league Dopey on how she started shooting heroin at age 13 and lived a secret life of addiction and danger! We had a ton of fun on this traumatic travelogue of life in and out of addiction! Plus Erin read some hard core Dopey emails and much much more on a brand new crazy dopey episode of Dopey!
The Addicted Mind Podcast - How Sophie Aghdami Helps People in Recovery Through The Wolf You Feed
Have you heard of the parable of the two wolves? It’s a story about an old Cherokee teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil. The other is good.” Sophie Aghdami, an addiction recovery coach in Australia, was greatly inspired by this parable. It changed her perspective on recovery so much that she named her company The Wolf You Feed.
Beyond the Balance Sheet - Transforming Tragedy into Advocacy
Gary Mendell is the founder and CEO of Shatterproof, a national nonprofit focused on reversing the addiction crisis in America. Gary’s son, Brian, tried drugs and alcohol which ultimately led to addiction. Unfortunately, Brian died of this addiction disease that affects more than 22 million Americans every day. Gary discusses the warning signs that families should look out for, when worried if their child may be using substances. Tune in to this episode of Beyond the Balance Sheet as Gary talks all about Shatterproof and how they are changing the country’s consciousness around addiction.
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Leg/Advocacy
Legislative Updates and Advocacy
The Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner (COCM) Act Would Bolster Innovative Provision of Mental Health Care
Washington, D.C., September 10, 2021 — Today 18 organizations announced their support for the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner (COCM) Act which will improve access to evidence-based mental health and substance use care by supporting and investing in the implementation of the Collaborative Care Model in primary care offices.
American Psychiatric Association News Release - Sept. 10, 2021