The Big News

Congratulations to advocates around the country for organizing all of the increasingly robust events that made this a great National Recovery Month. We held a Recovery Month Kickball Tournament in the Twin Cities this past weekend and participated in a recovery walk in Portland (shown here), where advocates want more and quicker action from the governor. Though the month concludes today, our advocacy nationally continues year-round!

An interesting and cloudy juxtaposition may be developing as policymakers grow more concerned about e-cigarettes and seemingly less concerned about marijuana. More than 800 e-cigarette users in 46 states have now developed a lung injury, with 13 confirmed deaths. Most of the injuries, however, are related to illicit vape cartridges containing THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, rather than nicotine.

Congress heard from parents and health officials during two days of hearings on e-cigarettes. More government entities banned kid-friendly flavors, and Massachusetts said it will stop sales of all vaping products for four months, the first such step in the country. Amid all the concern, e-cigarette leader Juul replaced its CEO with a tobacco executive and announced it will pull advertising in the U.S. and cooperate with regulators and lawmakers. And, two tobacco giants called off merger talks but said they will focus on jointly launching a heated tobacco product called IQOS.

Meanwhile, the U.S. House easily passed a bill that would allow marijuana companies, in states where the drug is legal, to get bank accounts, loans and other financial services—a move expected to provide financial fuel to Big Marijuana and the legalization movement. The bill’s fate is uncertain in the Senate. Some thought it might be tacked on to an appropriations bill last week, but that didn’t happen. It all adds up to a confusing policy picture. Bans on flavored nicotine vapes attempt to address a serious problem—the incredible rise of vaping among young people. But they don’t address the cannabis vaping problem (though, cannabis vape sales have plummeted on their own). They also may lead some—perhaps many—to return to cigarettes because they are too addicted to quit. Here’s more on the latest vaping news.

So many questions remain: Was vaping under-studied and under-regulated from the beginning? Is marijuana legalization out front of the research and regulation, too? Is the cannabis vaping problem a reason to slow down on cannabis legalization? Is it a reason to speed it up to ensure better regulation? Is it all the more reason to address youth nicotine vaping? Could the genie ever be put back in the bottle on vaping or marijuana? What can we learn from all of this?

One commentator pleads: “We failed on tobacco and opioids. Can we get it right on vaping?” We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Speaking of opioids, with jury selection in the landmark opioid trial just a few weeks away, both sides are outlining the arguments they will make.  The initial trial will pit two Ohio counties against seven pharmaceutical companies accused of contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis by putting profits over people. They are test cases for a larger consolidated case involving more than 2,000 plaintiffs. Here’s what that means. The judge, who has been accused of a bias for striking a settlement, has refused to step down. And while Purdue Pharma continues with bankruptcy proceedings and a proposed settlement that many states have agreed to, other states and government entities want to see Purdue in court.

This week’s featured media is 60 Days in Narcoland, a nine-episode series that recently wrapped up on A&E. Our friend and fellow advocate Jonathan was part of a small team that spent two months embedded undercover in Kentucky, attempting to gain a 360-degree view of the addiction crisis and to shed light on the multiple angles from which it must be tackled. The series is intense and chaotic. Jonathan, who first appears in episode 3, is inspiring, humble and effective. He focuses on assessing the recovery resources available in the community (they are woefully lacking) and helping people connect to them. In his commentary, he stresses the importance of reducing the demand for drugs; expanding free and low-cost, community-based supports; and utilizing people in recovery to show others how and why to recover. Watch the entire series if you’re interested, or jump straight to episode 9, the recap and reunion show, which aired last week. (NOTE: The link requires you log into your cable provider; the series is also accessible at home on demand through standard cable packages.)

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Treatment Industry Issues and Reforms Last Friday in Des Moines, the “Mental Health for US” coalition launched its series of presidential candidate forums on mental health and addiction, streaming live on Facebook.

The next forum will be Dec. 16 in New Hampshire. It will again focus on the need to improve national policy and advance a better mental health and addiction treatment system. Learn more →

First published in beta, member-review format and released for discussion at NAATP’s national 2019 conference, the Addiction Treatment Provider Quality Assurance Guidebook is now in final form and available for implementation. It is a guide to the core competencies NAATP has determined are essential to delivering quality addiction treatment services.

New local rules are coming for addiction treatment and sober living centers in certain parts of California’s Orange County.

In this podcast (at the 9:40 mark), one of our Summer Institute for Medical Students participants reflects on his week immersed in the treatment experience at Hazelden Betty Ford in Center City. Here also is a brief preview posted on Instagram.

SAMHSA’s proposed rule changes to 42 CFR Part 2, the law that governs the privacy of addiction treatment records, have been broken into two separate proposals. The deadline for public comments on the first proposal ended last week, and the deadline on the second is Oct. 25. Here are our brief comments opposing the first proposal. We’ll have mixed comments on the second. Our priority remains legislation that would enable more coordination of care by aligning Part 2 with HIPAA, the law that governs the privacy of all other health care records, and that would also strengthen anti-discrimination laws and make it harder for law enforcement to gain access to records.

Cannabis

A major cannabis-review site is shutting down because its founder doesn’t think there’s any safe way to consume weed. Learn more →

More moms are getting into the cannabis business. Here’s one new nonprofit: CannaMommy. Is it healthcare?

As in other states across the country, cities in Illinois are banning marijuana businesses within their borders.

Opioids

A major cannabis-review site is shutting down because its founder doesn’t think there’s any safe way to consume weed. Learn more →

More moms are getting into the cannabis business. Here’s one new nonprofit: CannaMommy. Is it healthcare?

As in other states across the country, cities in Illinois are banning marijuana businesses within their borders.

Yale is the latest institution to stop accepting donations from members of the Sackler family, who faces criticism for its alleged role in stoking the opioid epidemic.

A group of law firms has come together to represent individuals who have been injured and the families of those who have lost their lives because of opioids. Folks interested in making a claim can request a case evaluation here.

NIH awards nearly $1 billion in research grants to battle addiction, chronic pain.

An article in Health Affairs questions why there are still so many barriers to methadone treatment amid the opioid crisis.

The number of Americans co-prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines, which together have an increased risk for overdose, has declined since the FDA began requiring a warning on the labels in 2016. That’s according to a new study in JAMA.

Three MedStar hospitals will be first in Maryland to hand out fentanyl test kits.

The judge in Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy cases has appointed a committee of unsecured creditors, including four individuals harmed by the opioid crisis.  

A Virginia doctor faces life in prison for his egregious opioid prescribing.

For some Americans, the nation’s opioid crisis starts before birth.

Alcohol Loosid is a digital sober community that makes dating, travel and socializing easier for those who refrain from alcohol. And it’s not just for those in recovery: health enthusiasts are quickly joining, too. Learn more →

CBS News has an original new documentary out called Drinking Culture: American Kids and the Danger of Being Cool.

The introduction of minimum pricing for alcohol in Scotland appears to have cut drinking, a study suggests.

Advocate Spotlight Oakland Raider tight end Darren Waller is now two years sober and has become a hot pickup in fantasy football after getting off to a great start in his fourth NFL season. He opened up about his recovery in episode 3 of HBO’s Hard Knocks series.  Learn more →

Our friend and former colleague Bob Newton discusses his NFL career and overcoming addiction on WGN-TV.

Not related to substance use, but our friend and fellow advocate Christopher Poulos got to help rescue a fellow mountain climber. Recovery puts us in the position to help others in many different ways!

In his new memoir, actor Alec Baldwin says he got sober at 27.

Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan talks to the BBC about everything from addiction and recovery to financial know-how.

Our former colleague Scott Hesseltine helped commemorate the grand opening and importance of the new Louisville Recovery Community Connection center.

Musician Macklemore shared his story in a new video for Google’s Recover Together website.

Actor Will Arnett says his sobriety is a gift.

Miscellaneous Musings Did you know Hazelden Betty Ford has a prevention arm in Boston called FCD Prevention Works?

We were happy to see and hear again from interim executive director David Sherrell at our Leadership Development Institute in Minneapolis last week.

Much more is on the prevention horizon at Hazelden Betty Ford, so stay tuned. Meantime, check out this new video about FCD and the school-based substance misuse prevention and health promotion services we provide. Learn more →

• Could tiny doses of naltrexone, commonly used to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders, also help patients with chronic pain?

• Metallica postponed tour dates so a band member can get help for addiction, and for the most part, the response from fans has been refreshingly positive and supportive.

• Ohio advocates want legislators to pass a “Recovery Bill of Rights.”

• We’re excited about our upcoming Recovery Friendly Workplace Summit, sponsored by Premera and The Dodson Foundation, on Oct. 18 in Seattle. William C. Moyers will emcee. Check out this preview video featuring our colleague David Anderson and recovery advocate Leigh Swanson, who both will speak at the event. It’s a free event and registration is now open.

• In Columbia, South Carolina, officials are “banning the box,” which means city job applications will no longer ask, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” The move is designed to prevent people who have a criminal justice history—including those who have been arrested for drug-related crimes—from being automatically and prematurely screened out of hiring processes.

• HealthPartners’ Recovery Month message: “Don’t let opioids cut your story short.”

• California’s first Surgeon General wants every child to be screened for adverse experiences, including trauma.

• Philadelphia banned smoking at addiction treatment centers nine months ago over the voices of critics who said it would dissuade people from seeking treatment and lead to more overdoses. The city has since made the smoking ban “optional.”

• Before there were vapes, there was sulfanilamide. Regardless of why e-cigs have turned toxic, historians and consumer law advocates see lessons in the sulfanilamide disaster of 1937 — ones that go beyond the obvious surface similarities of poisonous, fruit-flavored liquids.

• A North Carolina addiction treatment center is especially focused on tackling loneliness, social isolation, and deep-rooted disconnection.

• In his latest blog post, William White reviews the most recent studies on the prevalence of recovery in America. The data emphatically reinforces the reality that tens of millions of Americans have experienced a substance use problem and have found sustainable and varied solutions to it. In other words, we do recover, and we do so via multiple pathways!

• Thank you for reading. What do you think? Send us a note anytime, and have a great week!