The Wednesday Weekly - Addiction + Recovery News, April 27, 2022
The Wednesday Weekly is a collaboration of Sober Linings Playbook and Recovery in the Middle Ages Podcast.
Highlights
National
Rehab for crypto trading | White House 2022 Drug Control Strategy
Fentanyl
Harsher sentences in Mississippi | Americans suffer record number of fentanyl ODs
State and Local
Mass. lawmakers consider involuntary treatment for addiction | NY will deploy nearly $200 million to address opioid epidemic | OR Measure 110 dollars trickle out slowly
Studies/Research in the News
Substance use disorder contributes to worker shortage | No amount of alcohol benefits the heart
Opinion
The end of alcohol? | Let’s talk about pandemic drinking | Delivering harm reduction services in rural northern New Mexico | Take 3 w/ SLP looks at Alcohol Awareness month, non-substance addictions and involuntary treatment
Books and Movies
Podcasts
RMA ponders “Recovering” vs. “Recovered” | Heart of the Matter interviews “the Pharmacist” behind the Netflix series | Faces and Voices discusses international harm reduction efforts
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National
SLP Insights Interview: Harm Reduction in Rural NM
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SLP Insights Interview: Harm Reduction in Rural NM 〰️
Walgreens, Teva accused of fueling opioid addiction in quest for new markets
San Francisco's lawsuit, filed in 2018, initially included claims against drugmakers Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and Endo International Plc (ENDP.O) and the three largest U.S. drug distributors - McKesson Corp (MCK.N), Cardinal Health Inc (CAH.N) and AmerisourceBergen Corp (ABC.N) - but the city previously settled with those defendants.
Reuters - April 25, 2022
Is Self-Harm a Form of Addiction?
Like substance use disorders, self-harming is generally hidden and highly stigmatized. As with SUDs, the motivations underlying non-suicidal self-injury are diverse but often include a desire for reward or relief. People who self-harm often use language such as “getting clean,” “relapse,” or “recovery."
Psychology Today - April 22, 2022
Stigma: Woman Blasted After Not Inviting 'Drug Addict' Brother-In-Law to Wedding
The internet has slammed a woman for refusing to invite her "drug addict" brother-in-law to her wedding. In a popular post published to Reddit's "AmITheA**hole" forum, a woman under the name u/hot-ad-0730 wanted the opinions of the community. The post has 7,000 upvotes and 2,000 comments.
Newsweek - April 22, 2022
Can You Be Addicted to Crypto Trading? Expensive Rehab Treatments Emerge
From a $90,000-a-week Swiss clinic to inexpensive teletherapies, addiction specialists are offering treatments for compulsive crypto traders.
Bloomberg - April 22, 2022
Harm reduction lays a groundwork for recovery
Harm reduction focuses on keeping substance users alive and healthy without the requirement to stop using before offering health care, treatment and other life-changing services — and it may work so well that it’s garnering new support from the U.S. government. The approach is so promising that the Biden-Harris Administration is now incorporating harm reduction as an evidence-based approach toward substance use disorders. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ first-ever Harm Reduction grant program will distribute $30 million in grant awards or $10 million per year over the next three years.
Seattle Times - April 22, 2022
Substance abuse contributing to the worker shortage
The labor force participation rate — the share of the adult population either working or looking for work — has not quite recovered from pre-pandemic levels. A new paper sheds light on one factor behind the shortfall: substance abuse. Between 9% and 26% of the decline in workforce participation between February 2020 and January 2022, among people aged 25 to 34, is probably due to a rise in dependency on substances like opioids and methamphetamines. That's according to findings in a paper released this week by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Axios - April 22, 2022
Fact Sheet: White House Releases 2022 National Drug Control Strategy that Outlines Comprehensive Path Forward to Address Addiction and the Overdose Epidemic
Today, President Biden sent his Administration’s inaugural National Drug Control Strategy to Congress at a time when drug overdoses have taken a heartbreaking toll, claiming 106,854 lives in the most recent 12-month period. The Strategy delivers on the call to action in President Biden’s Unity Agenda through a whole-of-government approach to beat the overdose epidemic.
White House - April 21, 2022
U.S. Sen. Baldwin: Applauds Biden administration’s strategy to address opioid epidemic and substance use disorder crisis
Today, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced the release of the Biden-Harris Administration’s inaugural National Drug Control Strategy. The Strategy includes major elements championed by Senator Baldwin to combat the substance misuse epidemic. “The opioid epidemic and substance use disorder crisis continues to touch every community across Wisconsin and the pandemic has only made this epidemic worse. Now is the time for bold action to save lives,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to stand with the Biden Administration in taking action to combat this epidemic with a comprehensive plan to support individuals and families facing addiction.”
WisPolitics.com - April 21, 2022
Drug overdose deaths are at a record high. Here's what the White House plans to do
In its first detailed plan to slow the rise in drug overdose deaths, the Biden administration is emphasizing harm reduction. That means increasing access to clean needles, fentanyl test strips and naloxone. Clean needles help reduce the spread of disease. Fentanyl test strips enable drug users to check if they are about to consume this powerful opioid that can shut down breathing in seconds. Naloxone is a drug that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.
NPR - April 21, 2022
A Guide to Opioid Treatment Programs
For individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), programs are available to help provide treatment with medication and therapy. Known as opioid treatment programs, they can also teach strategies to assist you with meeting your individual goals. What’s most important to understand is that finding an opioid treatment program may not just improve your quality of life. It may also save you from a deadly overdose.
Healthline - April 19, 2022
National State and Local Studies in the News Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
Fentanyl
Garnett's gambit: House speaker fights for legacy-defining fentanyl bill in final year as legislator
The Denver Democrat, who is in his fourth and final term in the House, is shepherding the passage of one the toughest bills to emerge out of the legislature this year – a sweeping measure that hopes to counteract fentanyl's deadly wake in the state.
The Gazette - April 25, 2022
As fentanyl deaths spike in Mississippi, new law imposes harsher penalties on dealers
The version of the bill that passed specifically targets the sale of fentanyl. A person charged with drug distribution of fentanyl could face 20 years to life in prison if the sale directly results in an overdose death. A person could face a minimum of 20 years to life in prison for the sale of fentanyl and having it directly results in an overdose death. The law takes effect July 1.
TuscaloosaNews.com - April 21, 2022
Colorado’s fentanyl bill will force more people into treatment. Treatment providers may not be ready
A proposed new state law could send hundreds more people into the state’s addiction treatment system, and clinicians are bracing for an unknown impact. The state bill is focused on fentanyl, the deadly and addictive synthetic opioid. Among other changes, the legislation would require anyone convicted of fentanyl-related charges to be assessed and potentially ordered into treatment for addiction — whether that’s at an outpatient clinic like Denver Health’s or a more intensive residential facility.
Colorado Public Radio - April 21, 2022
Addicts’ parents fear ‘apocalyptic’ new drug ISO, 20x stronger than fentanyl
The synthetic opioid ISO is said to be 20 times stronger than the already deadly fentanyl. Jeff, who was 42 when he died, crossed paths with it when he unknowingly bought counterfeit hydrocodone pills.
NY Post - April 21, 2022
US bars hand out free fentanyl tests: 'If you're going to use drugs here, you can test them'
Fentanyl overdoses are now the top cause of death among U.S. residents ages 18-45, surpassing suicide, car accidents and COVID, according to an analysis of federal data by opioid awareness organization Families Against Fentanyl. To prevent such deaths, Heller, FentCheck co-founder Dean Shold and a team of volunteers regularly visit a network of businesses in Oakland, San Francisco, New York and Philadelphia to replenish stocks of the test strips.
Fox - April 20, 2022
Americans suffer deadly fentanyl overdoses in record numbers
In the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a record number of Americans died from drug overdoses. Although months of data is still incomplete, statistics show that most of the deaths involve the potent drug fentanyl.
ABC - April 19, 2022
State / Local
California: Overdoses, not COVID-19, drive spike in LA homeless deaths
A new report shows that nearly 2,000 homeless people died in Los Angeles County during the first year of the pandemic, an increase of 56% from the previous year, driven mainly by drug overdoses.
ABC - April 24, 2022
Mass. legislators debate whether to fund addiction programs that lock people up
Massachusetts lawmakers are debating whether to continue supporting programs that put people inside jails and prisons for addiction treatment. Both Gov. Charlie Baker and the House leadership have proposed setting aside roughly $23 million in the budget for such addiction programs. But State Rep. Ruth Balser has filed budget amendments to eliminate the funding and redirect it to community treatment programs.
WBUR - April 21, 2022
Oregon: Measure 110 Addiction Treatment Money Is Seeping Out
As WW reported recently, the Oregon Health Authority and its 20-member oversight panel are struggling to deploy nearly $270 million earmarked by Measure 110 for addiction treatment. That 2020 ballot measure decriminalized the personal use of most hard drugs and diverted a lucrative stream of recreational cannabis tax revenue to addiction treatment.
Willamette Week - April 21, 2022
Connecticut: Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut Receives Approval of Application That Unlocks New Federal Funding To Treat Substance Use Disorders
Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration has received federal approval of an application that will provide heightened treatment of Connecticut residents struggling with substance use disorders, including first-time federal funding of residential care services and increased provider payment rates.
Office of Governor Ned Lamont - April 21, 2022
Alabama reaches $276M settlement with 2 opioid makers, distributor
The State of Alabama has reached settlements with two drug makers and a drug distributor totaling approximately $276 million, according to Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office. The settlements will resolve Alabama’s claims against them for their role in exacerbating the state’s opioid crisis, the AG said in announcing the agreement.
WTVM - April 19, 2022
State of Washington: Tacoma’s pioneering needle exchange now using smoking supplies to reach fentanyl, meth users
Not far from the street corner where a maverick drug counselor started the nation’s first publicly sanctioned needle exchange, the organization he created decades ago is trying something new. In the same city where the late Dave Purchase began trading new syringes for used ones in 1988 to combat the spread of AIDS, his successors say they’re using “safer smoking supplies” to engage with and reduce certain risks for drug users. They’ve distributed thousands of sterile pipes since launching a pilot project in December 2020 on G Street, with the blessing of do-gooders from the Catholic Worker Movement who live and work in the neighborhood.
Spokesman Review - April 19, 2022
New York: Rochester region getting millions to battle opioid epidemic
The Finger Lakes Region and Rochester are getting an infusion of funds to fight the opioid epidemic. The money will go directly to treatment, prevention, and education efforts. It's coming from settlements the state reached with pharmaceutical companies, totaling $197 million across the state's 10 regions.
13WHAM - April 19, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
Studies/Research in the News
Substance abuse contributing to the worker shortage
The labor force participation rate — the share of the adult population either working or looking for work — has not quite recovered from pre-pandemic levels. A new paper sheds light on one factor behind the shortfall: substance abuse. Between 9% and 26% of the decline in workforce participation between February 2020 and January 2022, among people aged 25 to 34, is probably due to a rise in dependency on substances like opioids and methamphetamines. That's according to findings in a paper released this week by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Axios - April 22, 2022
No amount of alcohol benefits the heart: Why women’s drinking is of particular concern
No amount of alcohol is protective against cardiovascular disease, a recent study confirmed, so drinking red wine or spirits in the name of heart health may not have any benefits.
Today - April 21, 2022
Finding Better Paths to Treat Pain and Prevent Addiction
Dr. Vanderah’s research is uncovering new information about how opioids affect metastatic cancer at the cellular level. In recent years, his preclinical research projects have led him to believe that chronic opioid use increases pain and enhances bone loss in metastatic cancer models. Early results from his research on using unique, structured cannabinoids to inhibit pain are promising. “The grand goal is to help patients with metastatic cancer with their pain and reduce the bone loss, possibly even decrease the proliferation of the tumor,” Dr. Vanderah said. “I feel like I’ve made progress in our ability to start treating metastatic cancer pain with something other than just opiates.”
UArizona Health Sciences - April 21, 2022
U-M study finds most adolescents with severe substance use disorder symptoms do not transition out of it in adulthood
Most adolescents with severe substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms continue to have multiple SUD symptoms in adulthood, according to a recent study published by the University of Michigan’s Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking, and Health (DASH Center) on April 1.
The Michigan Daily - April 20, 2022
Elizabeth Heller’s lab uncovers how drug addiction can create lasting changes in genes
Heller’s work and the work of her 10-person lab is focused on molecular brain mechanisms, aiming to uncover chronic changes that can happen and keep happening in the brain long after exposure to addictive substances like cocaine ends.
Penn Today - April 18, 2022
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
Opinion
SLP Insights Interview with Phillip Fiuty: Harm Reduction Services in Rural Northern New Mexico
This month's SLP Insights interview is with Phillip Fiuty, Harm Reduction Program Director for The Mountain Center, which serves Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Taos counties in northern New Mexico. Fiuty began providing community syringe and naloxone distribution in rural southern Santa Fe county in the early 1990’s.
Sober Linings Playbook - April 23, 2022
TAKE 3 W/ SLP, April 2022
In this edition: (1) Alcohol Awareness Month; (2) Non-substance addictions; and (3) Involuntary treatment and the jailing of Jesse Harvey.
Sober Linings Playbook - April 22, 2022
The End of Alcohol
Glamorous influencers are blending science and superstition to help people “change their relationship to drinking.” Did I miss out by getting sober the old-fashioned way? You might think there would be an oligopoly in neo-sobriety superstardom, but no, it’s a thousand points of light, and each soberfluencer has staked out a niche approach or at least some trademark design elements. The new sober influencers have convinced me that this cornball 12-step stuff isn’t for everyone. Certainly, its benefits can’t be tabulated by science. In my experience, they are indeed beyond measure.
Wired - April 19, 2022
We need to talk about pandemic drinking
We cannot ignore it any longer: We need to talk about drinking during the pandemic. A new study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) finds that alcohol-related deaths in 2020 were so high that, for 16- to 64-year-olds, they exceeded the number of deaths from covid-19. Previously, the average annual increase was a little more than 2 percent; between 2019 and 2020, it skyrocketed to more than 25 percent. The largest rise in mortality occurred for people 35 to 44 years old, though rates of death associated with alcohol increased across all age groups.
Washington Post - April 19, 2022
Drugs Are Fueling Urban Crime. Will Democrats Pay Attention?
A nationwide surge in crime has emerged as one of Democrats’ greatest political vulnerabilities heading into this year’s midterm elections. They are scrambling to respond, abandoning calls to “defund the police” and pledging to push for public safety and amend controversial bail-reform laws. Such efforts may not be enough. So far, most Democrats show no signs of addressing one of the most robustly documented, and worsening, contributors to crime: drugs and alcohol. No attempt to reduce crime can succeed without addressing the substantial effect of the use of both on a wide range of socially harmful behavior.
Bloomberg - April 19, 2022
Teen overdose deaths are surging to new heights. Where is the outrage?
Teens now make up the fastest-growing age cohort for overdose deaths in the United States. Take a moment and think about what that says about this country. And consider that, without a fundamental rethinking of drug policies, this problem will only get worse.
Washington Post - April 18, 2022
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Books and Movies
National State/Local Studies/Research Opinion Reviews Podcasts Comments
Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Recovery in the Middle Ages – The Great Debate: Recovering or Recovered?
And we’re back! Sort of. Mike is still wrestling with COVID but the show must go on and so it does, in all of its audio-challenged glory. This week, spring is in the air and weed is everywhere. We continue our discussion about cannabis and kombucha, psychedelics and shamans, and where any of that fits into a recovery program. For the main event we ask the perennial question that vexes 12-step meetings across the land, “Are we recovered, or recovering?” You don’t want to miss this one!
Heart of the Matter – Dan Schneider of Netflix's The Pharmacist on his crusade to end the opioid epidemic and find justice for his son
After losing his son Danny Jr. to a substance-related shooting, Louisiana pharmacist Dan Schneider was determined to hold the powerful figures behind the nation’s opioid epidemic accountable. The critically acclaimed Netflix docuseries The Pharmacist recounts Dan’s rigorous quest to find answers about his son’s death, and his mission to stop the overprescribing of opioids taking place in his community. In this episode of Heart of the Matter, host Elizabeth Vargas speaks with Dan about his journey to finding justice, turning his grief into action and how families can help address the opioid crisis in their communities.
This is What Recovery Looks Like (Faces and Voices of Recovery) – Harm Reduction Part 2: International View
In this month's episode, we continue our multi-part series on harm reduction with an international guest, Annemarie Ward, CEO of Faces & Voices of Recovery UK, to expand the scope of our conversation and find points of comparison between UK and US approaches to drug policy and recovery support. Hear Annemarie's perspective on the many ways that the UK is leading the charge in harm reduction services, the false choice that pits harm reduction and recovery advocates against one another, and the disparities in access to recovery support that have led to alarming death rates in Scotland.
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