July 21, 2021 Wednesday Weekly
National
States are near a $26 billion opioid deal with the nation’s big drug wholesalers
According to attorneys representing governments involved in the litigation, a landmark national opioid settlement now being finalized would provide as much as $26 billion to states and communities struggling to respond to the opioid crisis. Sources have told NPR a final deal could be reached as early as this week, but details are still being negotiated.
NPR – July 20, 2021
In a choice between ‘death or penitentiary,’ an addict discovers recovery and parenthood
When he was 41, homeless and estranged from his ex-wife and children, Asher was arrested for selling meth to an undercover officer and sentenced to six years in prison and four years probation. Now 49, Asher has earned his GED diploma, owns two vehicles, is renting a home for the first time and is preparing to become the primary caregiver of his 17-year-old son, who is nonverbal.
USA Today – July 17, 2021
Overdose deaths in state prisons have jumped dramatically since 2001
From 2001 to 2018, the number of people who have died of drug or alcohol intoxication in state prisons rose more than 600%, according to an analysis of newly-released data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In county jails, overdose deaths increased by more than 200%.
NPR – July 15, 2021
Coronavirus-related stress likely a factor in record overdose deaths, experts say
The provisional data released by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reflects a 29.4% increase in drug overdose deaths by December 2020, or a marked increase over the approximate 72,000 deaths recorded the year prior. Pandemic-related closures affecting key support systems, emergency departments overwhelmed with patients battling coronavirus, stresses associated with the pandemic and social isolation and overdose deaths involving the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl are all cited as contributing factors.
Fox News – July 15, 2021
US overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year
That estimate far eclipses the high of about 72,000 drug overdose deaths reached the previous year and amounts to a 29% increase.
WINK News – July 14, 2021
State / Local
Texas to get $210M in federal funds for substance abuse, mental health services
This funding was approved through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021. Part of Texas' funding, $135.6 million, is for substance use prevention and substance use disorder treatment and recovery support. The remaining $74.5 million is for community mental health services.
Yahoo News – July 16, 2021
Pennsylvania’s overdose deaths rose in 2020, US agency says
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 5,172 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania last year, a jump of 16% from 4,444 in 2019.
AP News – July 15, 2021
Minnesota Governor bans ‘conversion therapy’ by executive order
The American Psychological Association says the so-called therapies have the potential to inflict serious harm on young people because they position same-sex attraction as a mental disorder, and often a moral failure. For some, the pressure can lead to depression, substance abuse and self-harm.
Huffington Post – July 15, 2021
Oklahoma State University opens new substance abuse, addiction research center
The Hardesty Center for Clinical Research and Neuroscience will house resources to support clinical trials, population health initiatives and more, according to a university news release. The center is also home to the “most advanced MRI system in the state,” which will allow researchers to conduct “groundbreaking studies of brain structure and function,” according to press materials provided at the event.
Tulsaworld.com – July 15, 2021
Studies in the news
High-dose buprenorphine in ER can help battle opioid addiction
Lower doses of the approved opioid addiction treatment drug are the current standard of care, but some U.S. emergency departments use higher doses. Researchers said elevated doses of the medication may provide an extended period of withdrawal relief to people after being discharged from the hospital.
Drugs.com – July 19, 2021
New study links moderate alcohol use with high cancer risk
A new study from the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), published in the journal Lancet Oncology, has found an association between alcohol and a substantially higher risk of several forms of cancer, including breast, colon, and oral cancers. Increased risk was evident even among light to moderate drinkers (up to two drinks a day), who represented 1 in 7 of all new cancers in 2020 and more than 100,000 cases worldwide.
Science Daily – July 14, 2021
Opinion
Who is responsible for the opioid crisis and who, ultimately, pays the price?
To me, the Sacklers personified the Opioid Era in America — our latest Gilded Age, in which the pursuit of money was divorced from any moral compass or concern for town and neighborhood.Within it is the epidemic’s most important lesson: Our defense against economic forces like Purdue Pharma is to understand that we are best together — out of the shadows and in community.
LA Times – July 18, 2021
Opinion: 2020’s Other Medical Crisis
U.S. government statistics released this week revealed that a record 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2020, what we might call the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. "It's terrifying," Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford, told us, and did not want to moderate the message he believes is important to hear. "It is the worst overdose crisis in the history of the United States. And we're not making progress."
NPR – July 17, 2021
Harlem is saturated with methadone
Medical strategies to address Substance Use Disorder (SUD) haven’t substantially changed in decades. In New York City, the state Department of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) relies on approximately 70 Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) that primarily dispense methadone.
NY Daily News – July 16, 2021
The clutches of addiction to opioids are intensely powerful, so it would be a mistake to think that the perfect storm will naturally blow over when the pandemic and its associated economic convulsions pass. Rather, it is time for President Biden and Congress to bring to the opioid addiction crisis a seriousness of purpose and follow-through Trump never managed to muster.
NY Daily News – July 15, 2021
Podcasts: The Weekly Roundup
Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas – Facing a Family Disease with Congresswoman Madeleine Dean and Son Harry Cunnane
Congresswoman Madeleine Dean thought she understood addiction – but it wasn’t until her son Harry Cunnane was struggling that she came to truly realize what it means when a loved one has a substance use disorder. Now Harry has been in recovery for more than eight years, and mother and son have written a joint memoir, Under Our Roof: A Son’s Battle for Recovery, a Mother’s Battle for Her Son.
Recovery in the Middle Ages – Relapse Spectacular Part 2! Triggers, Relapse and the Abstinence Violation Effect
RMA squares the circle on relapse and takes a look at some of the statistics and studies related to relapse. Mike and Nat also discuss strategies for avoiding a relapse and how to identify triggers that can put you in the danger zone. Plus, Mike returns from Mexico and Nat goes to the zoo. Recovery in the News discovers trout can become addicted to methamphetamine.
Rehab Confidential – Elia Einhorn, host of Sonos Radio and Pitchfork Radio and TV
Elia discusses drinking, drugs and the music scene and most importantly his newest baby, Sober 21, a magazine he created and edits for recovering musicians featuring famous musicians in recovery.
Dopey – Gilbert Trejo, Heroin, Meth, Fame, Addiction, Secrets, Recovery
This week on Dopey! When asked who could follow the great Danny Trejo, the answer seemed obvious; Danny’s pride and joy, Gilbert Trejo! That’s right. Gilbert calls in. He’s a filmmaker, an artist, an actor, and an addict extraordinaire in recovery. Tune in a hear the life and times of a young man raised in recovery, but who still managed to find super gnarly addiction himself.
The Addicted Mind Podcast – Understanding Sugar Addiction with Mike Collins
For most people who get into recovery, at some point, food and sugar become an issue in their lives. Duane speaks with Mike Collins about the science behind sugar addiction and how it negatively impacts people in recovery.
Let’s Talk Recovery (Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation) – The Other 90 Percent: Saving People Who Can’t Access Treatment
Only 10 percent of people suffering from substance use disorders receive treatment. How can we help the other 90 percent? One answer: Naloxone, the Lazarus drug, which reverses the effects of opioid overdose. Host William C. Moyers talks with Ginny Atwood Lovitt and Chris Thrasher, who are working to distribute this medication as quickly and widely as possible.