The Big News

More than 150 recovery advocates from around the country gathered in Las Vegas last week for a two-day "Mobilize Recovery" event organized by Ryan Hampton (shown here speaking) and his Voices Project. The social impact initiative—also supported by the Facebook Community Leadership Program—is an effort to empower grassroots activists through education and ongoing support. Topics covered included the history of the recovery advocacy movement; changing the conversation through empowered language; the impact of power and privilege on drug policies; lobbying; ethics, accountability and transparency; community organizing; and turning issues into action. The event reminded some of the historic St. Paul summit that launched Faces & Voices of Recovery almost 20 years ago. Ryan indicated he intends to organize at least one additional Mobilize Recovery event soon. It’s great to see an effort like this to build connections, energy, knowledge and skills within the national recovery advocacy community.

In other news, a class-action lawsuit was filed Friday against UnitedHealth Group for parity violations. This comes on the heels of another class-action suit, which led a federal judge in March to write a scathing decision against the health insurance giant.

For many of us, it’s old news that anti-anxiety drugs called benzodiazepines are a growing problem for people susceptible to addiction. But, from an advocacy standpoint, we have so much education yet to do—much of it beyond the typical headlines. In this new piece on the popular Marie Claire website, our colleague Stephen Delisi, M.D., points out similarities to opioid-related risks—namely that benzos work very well, which is why they’re so prone to misuse and addiction. He also notes how the burgeoning benzo problem is another sign that we’re still only at the early stages, historically, of developing an integrated health-care system that treats the whole person. “Part of the problem in our health-care system is that doctors spend 10 or 11 minutes with each patient. That’s not a good way to treat anxiety,” he says. In fact, it’s not a good way to treat any mental health or substance use disorder, which is one reason medications rule the day. They work. And they’re fast. But they also come with significant risks that our current primary health care system is not adequately designed to prevent, treat or even acknowledge (the outsized influence of profit-driven pharmaceutical companies doesn’t help!). While we’re figuring out how to make health care cheaper, we also should be reimagining the system to support integrated care for the whole person. Doing so will create a healthier America and save costs in the long run.

What do you do when research defies common sense, like the new study suggesting that marijuana legalization is correlated with a decrease in teen use? Neuroscientist and former Deputy Drug Czar Bertha Madras was among those discrediting the study for omitting Oregon and Washington data as well as students who are not in school (i.e. dropouts) while also highlighting contrary data collected in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Madras responded in this way to a comment on Twitter: “These statistics are erroneous. Regrettably, you are quoting the marijuana industry, not marijuana science. Youth marijuana use is highest in states that have medicalized  or legalized.  Youth use of opioids is 10 times higher if they use marijuana (NSDUH, 2018).” Once again, more research is needed, which is why we continue to advocate for slowing down on this issue. 

A new analysis of Medicaid plans reveals that 40 states still require health care providers to obtain prior authorization before administering or prescribing medications like Suboxone to treat opioid use disorder. “Prior auth” is a cost-saving policy that also creates life-threatening delays. It makes no sense amid an opioid overdose epidemic that continues to claim thousands of lives. We are proud to say our own Emily Piper, former commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, led the way in getting our home-base state to lift the pre-auth requirement last summer.

A related good sign: opioid-related deaths appear to have dropped in Minnesota last year. On Minnesota Public Radio, Emily credits a number of changes but reminds: “It's good to finally see it, but there is so much more to do and that's what we want to make sure that public policy makers keep on the forefront of their mind—that we have to address the root issue which is addiction." Our colleague Joseph Lee, M.D., also talked about the new data in an interesting, wide-ranging discussion on WCCO Radio.

Finally, in an op-ed that highlights drug-related injustice in our justice system, a juror writes: “A man I found guilty of dealing drugs died in prison. I wish I could take that verdict back.”

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This week’s featured media is the latest episode in our Let’s Talk podcast, with host William C. Moyers talking to Wall-Streeter-turned-addiction educator Joseph Skrajewski about distinctions between sobriety and recovery and why, for many, sobriety is just the starting place for ongoing personal transformation. Watch or listen.

Also, check out this trailer for “The First Day,” a new one-hour documentary airing Tuesday on ESPN at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Filmmaker Jonathan Hock followed former NBA-player-turned-recovery advocate Chris Herren on a dozen or so speaking engagements up and down the East Coast. The resulting film shows what Herren’s talks to more than a million young people have evolved into and how students react. Set your DVR!

Treatment Industry Issues and Reforms Four young people who participated in our Summer Institute for Medical Students shared journals in a school publication of their powerful experiences learning about recovery at the Betty Ford Center.

Wrote one: “It’s been eye-opening to see how ‘normal’ addiction is. When our cohort sat in our first lecture, we were pretty well dispersed among the patients. I looked around to see where my classmates were sitting, and I was struck by the fact I couldn’t find them. The patients looked like my peers, and my peers looked like the patients. It sounds cliché, but couldn’t help but realize how similar we all were.&rdquo
Learn more →

Online reviews are important to all enterprises and consumers these days, including addiction treatment providers and patients. But should they be? I’m getting solicitations every day now from scam-artists who are selling “authentic” 5-star reviews that they guarantee within 24 hours. It’s enough to make your skin crawl.

Legendary hip hop artist Jay Z is now in the legal weed business. He has entered in a multiyear partnership with a California-based cannabis company. Another disappointing signal to young people, who increasingly believe pot is benign.

An opinion piece on the marijuana industry’s efforts to sink its tentacles into the powers-that-be in Washington.

The UK Royal College of Psychiatrists—the most distinguished psych body in the UK—voted 2 to 1 to NOT legalize marijuana.

Clinton-era Drug Czar Barry R. McCaffrey wrote on Twiiter: “Legalization of marijuana will have a seriously adverse flood of social and medical consequences in the coming decade. We need NIH NIDA to objectively document these outcomes in particular on adolescent development.”

Women who use cannabis during pregnancy are twice as likely to experience a premature birth and have higher rates of potentially serious complications, according to a new study in Canada.

Motivated by dramatic rises in marijuana-induced psychosis, the National Health Service in England is opening a clinic specifically to treat marijuana addiction.

Local communities prepare for legal marijuana in Michigan.

In this Twitter thread, our friends at Smart Approaches to Marijuana, challenge accusations from The Marijuana Policy Project, a pro-pot organization.

A new study from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the University of Miami found that the majority of people who smoke marijuana in Colorado do so to get some sleep.

See how a pro-pot publication assesses the 2020 presidential candidates and their position on marijuana legalization.

More older people are trying cannabis to alleviate pain and other ailments, but they’re often left taking medical advice from dispensary sales clerks. NiaMedic wants to change that.

Opioids 60 Minutes interviewed the attorney behind the multibillion-dollar settlement against Big Tobacco, who now has now turned his attention to the opioid lawsuits against Big Pharma. It’s a good piece. Watch now →

The U.S. Justice Department reached a $1.4 billion settlement with the U.K. company Reckitt Benckiser, which it accused of using fraudulent tactics to market Suboxone Film. It is the biggest financial penalty so far tied to the opioid crisis. Indivior, the former Reckitt subsidiary that sold Suboxone Film and broke off from Reckitt in 2014, was indicted separately by the Justice Department. That case continues. Meanwhile, it’s unclear what the federal government will do with the proceeds of either case.

New cases of opioid exposure in the womb have dropped significantly in Southwest Florida.

Another good sign: opioid use has decreased in Medicare Part D, while medication-assisted treatment has increased.

A ceremonial, and emotional, bill signing was staged in Minnesota on the day a new law upping the fees on opioid companies took effect.

U.S. drug officials can't agree on how to tackle the growing fentanyl copycat problem.

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee sent letters to 10 tax-exempt organizations, including pain advocacy groups, professional associations and medical associations, requesting information about their financial relationship with opioid manufacturers and other medical entities.

The American Pain Society has gone belly up.

Nonmedical opioid use in high school was linked to future heroin use over the next three to four years, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics.

Drug dealers in North Carolina can now be charged with murder if someone overdoses. Professor Leo Beletsky tells FOX & Friends such laws, rather than deterring people from selling drugs, actually deter people from calling for help.

Former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb is joining the board of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, a move critics say is the latest example of the “revolving door” in Washington between federal regulators and the businesses they oversee. Senator Elizabeth Warren was among those calling on him to resign from the board immediately.

At Purdue Pharma, things aren’t looking too good.

Minnesota and Nebraska were approved for innovative Medicaid demonstration projects. In Minnesota, Medicaid-eligible individuals will receive additional mental health services through the state’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and the new funding will allow them to integrate community healthcare providers.

Alcohol Interesting that the Dry July campaign in Australia is raising money to fight cancer, rather than addiction. It’s perhaps symbolic of the longstanding challenge of raising money for our space.

On the other hand, alcohol is linked to lots of cancers. But the Dry July Foundation also decided to partner with a large alcohol chain, raising doubts about whether the campaign is motivated by the mission of reducing alcohol-related health problems. Learn more →

A new study reveals that 21 percent of females and 23 percent of males have suffered the consequences of someone else's drinking.

From boozeless bars to substance-free zones at concerts marked by yellow balloons, sober spots are popping up across the nation. That’s the latest from USA Today’s Jayne O’Donnell, who also talked to CBS this week about her own history of problematic drinking.  

Among women, even moderate drinkers who quit alcohol improve their mental well-being, a new study found. “More evidence suggests caution in recommending moderate drinking as part of a healthy diet,” one researcher said.

In Toronto, where officials recently decided to increase access to alcohol, the Board of Health is calling for risk mitigation, with the chair saying, “Public policy has to be thoughtful; it has to be nuanced; it cannot be based on buck-a-beer slogans.”  

New research may help scientists understand what makes some teens more vulnerable to developing alcohol use disorders.

One in five people admitted to a U.K. hospital drinks alcohol in a harmful way.

While many expected a wave of schools to open up the taps following the SEC’s vote to allow alcohol sales at the league’s sports stadiums, that has not been the case. You can add Ole Miss to the list of programs skipping out on sales this fall.

In the ACC, North Carolina has decided to sell alcohol at athletic events. Duke will not, with one writer wondering what college student could afford stadium prices anyway.

The so-called “sober-curious” and “wine-mom” cultures are challenging one another.

Health Care Reform and Parity

A Kaiser Health News reporter digs into a claim that the Affordable Care Act achieved parity between mental health and physical health. Learn more →

A federal appeals court panel heard arguments this week on whether a federal judge in Texas was correct in striking down the Affordable Care Act, a case with enormous stakes for millions of people who gained health insurance through the law. Here’s one assessment of the hearing and what’s next.

The latest on federal efforts to reduce drug prices.

Advocate Spotlight Soccer star Megan Rapinoe paid tribute to her brother, who is in recovery, after leading the U.S. to a World Cup win! Learn more →

Our colleague Bill Hoffman leaves for Tanzania this week to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in support of women’s recovery.

Carolyn Delaney has launched a magazine for the recovery community in Maine. It’s called Journey.

Social media sensation and viral video star Tiffany Jenkins talks to the TODAY Show about being a mom in recovery.

Hunter Biden talks about his addiction and recovery, and his father Joe Biden praises him.

Chekesha Ellis is one of the recovery advocates in Las Vegas this week for Mobilize Recovery. Real estate agent Jennifer Hodge is another.

In a new Time magazine piece, Erin Lee Carr says: “You should be allowed to be not drinking and not make a federal case out of it.”

Rapper Macklemore shares how much his relationship with his mother-in-law has changed since he got sober.

The National Association of Social Workers in Rhode Island honored our friend and fellow recovery advocate Jonathan Goyer with its Robert S. Burgess Community Service Award.

The recovery community in Nevada is getting together this weekend to plan and organize upcoming efforts in that state.

Celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D celebrated 12 years of sobriety.

Musician Nikki Sixx celebrated 18 years.

Musician Sadie Dupuis started carrying Narcan at all of her shows, and now she’s teaming up with Harm Reduction Coalition to spread the word.

Miscellaneous Musings We'll miss hazelfest mainstays Johnny and Molly of Communist Daughter at this year's event but love the scheduling conflict they have created for themselves.

Armed with a fresh degree from our graduate school, Johnny has accepted a two-year counseling job serving Native Alaskan communities above the Arctic Circle. He and Molly are headed north this week. Their latest adventure is yet another example of why we’re coming together on Aug. 3 to celebrate recovery and life. Don’t wait to get your tickets at hazelfest.org; they’re just $20 (a 33% advance discount) if you get them now! Learn more →

• Addiction and all its consequences are on full display in Los Angeles County, where the illness is complicating an already complex mix of poverty, homelessness, mental health issues and physical disease. While opioids can and do kill quickly, meth may be doing more damage in this area.

• Sometimes, sick people end up in the criminal justice system because they are unable or unwilling to engage in healthcare interventions. Other times—as this story from Portland sadly points out—sick people end up in jail because the healthcare system doesn’t want them.

• In Alaska, the governor thinks criminal justice reform went too far, so he’s rolling back the reforms. This week, he signed a new crime bill that, among other things, makes simple drug possession an arrestable offense again and adds years of sentencing on to various crimes that reforms had previously reduced.

• Learn about “A New Direction” in this new video about Hazelden Publishing’s curriculum for treating justice-involved people who have substance use disorders. The curriculum was developed in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

• This is such a cool tradition … Friends of Recovery-New York is now accepting submissions for the 16th Annual New York State Recovery Fine Arts Festival. Watch this video, featuring entries and winners from the 2017 festival.

• There’s a lot of bad journalism out there related to substances and addiction—often sensational and stigma-reinforcing, sometimes blatant misinformation. This is a case in point.

• Serve You Rx is a pharmacy benefit manager that wants to be a model for how businesses create a thriving, recovery-friendly workplace that nurtures healing from addiction and mental health concerns, provides support, and eliminates shame and discrimination for employees finding recovery and their loved ones. With addiction affecting American businesses to the tune of $100 billion annually, America needs more companies to follow suit.

• Now the bookies want to help the people with gambling disorder.

• In response to a study showing that on-screen smoking is on the rise, Netflix has pledged to reduce the number of occasions where actors use tobacco products in its original programs.

• Parents: it may not seem like it, but kids—even high school kids—say you have the biggest influence on them. That’s one of the key findings in a new survey by our friends at the Center on Addiction.

• From William White this week, a new post on Narcotics Anonymous in the Islamic Republic of Iran and another on health challenges in recovery.

• Congrats to the trivia winner from our last edition—Barb S. from New Jersey—who won a fancy Hazelden Betty Ford Advocacy pen by being the first to correctly identify The Voice as the TV show on which four of this year’s hazelfest artists were finalists. Once again, get your advance-price tickets at hazelfest.org!

• We’ll resume our trivia in the next edition. Meantime, what do you think? Send me a note, and have a great week!