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February 23, 2016                   Treatment Industry & Recovery Community News                   Vol. 3., No. 28
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Testimonials
NAATP Public Policy Update
                 National Associations of Addiction Treatment Providers – Feb 19, 2016     

“It’s one thing to hear the complaints, frustrations and difficulties of getting paid by carriers anecdotally and another to see where the Department of Labor is specifically finding problems,” says Marvin Ventrell, executive director of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP).

CONTINUED @ Behavioral.net  

Folsom or San Quentin?
REHAB MOGUL SUED FOR SEXUAL BATTERY AND FRAUD AGAINST CLIENTS 

Bathum is currently being investigated by the LAPD, FBI, Los Angeles District Attorney and several major insurance companies. A memo summarizing a Blue Shield investigation stated that Bathum had been “engaging in extensive unlicensed residential treatment activity, and in potential patient abuse, fraud and forgery. … Blue Shield received information from four sources that Christopher Bathum may be supplying drugs to patients and acting in a sexually inappropriate way with female patients.”

CONTINUED @ LAWeekly.com 

Be Prepared
People Dying Because Rehabs Fail To Do This One Simple Thing     

Julia Negron is another mom and advocate. Her entire life, including rock’n’roll marriages to Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night and John Densmore of The Doors, has revolved around drugs: using them, recovering from her addiction to them, and ultimately helping others to recover. She spent decades as a professional in the treatment industry.

CONTINUED @ RawStory.com 

More Than Just The Munchies
Teen Marijuana Use Linked to Mental Health Disorders     

Would you trade your brain for a teenage toke? A growing body of studies reveals marijuana use by teenagers during critical years of brain development is associated with an increased risk of serious and life-long mental health disorders such as psychosis, schizophrenia, major depression, and anxiety disorders. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, these disorders may surface early in a user’s experience or even years later after quitting.

CONTINUED @ WorldMag.com 

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Good Films Can Have an Impact
New Drug Addiction Documentary Aimed at Classroom Education     

Kansas City police have released a startling new statistic, a number of 48 confirmed deaths from the 2014-2015 year resulting from opioids and heroin addiction. Opioids and heroin claim around 46,000 lives annually in the US, and Kansas City FBI branch have created a documentary called “Chasing The Dragon” aimed at educating students about drug addiction … The film tracks problems of young addicts, from the very beginning of their addictions. Law enforcement claims this is a “problem they cannot arrest it’s way out of.”

CONTINUED @ KMBZ.com 

Sia The Light       VIDEO
Sia opens up on Shocking past: ‘I was an alcoholic and drug addict’ VIDEO     

Singer, songwriter and wig-wearer extraordinaire Sia is the latest celeb to take a drive with James, and obviously showed up in one of her trademark face-covering hairpieces. After a jokey beginning in which Sia couldn’t find her way to Corden’s car, the 40-year-old got dark while explaining her reason to keep her persona private … he explained to the Sunday Times: “We were all devastated, so we got s***-faced on drugs and Special Brew. Unfortunately, that bender lasted six years for me.”

CONTINUED @ DailyStar.co.uk  

Really?
Cannabis Smokers ‘Are 5 Times More Likely To Become Alcoholics’     

That is the verdict of new research carried out by two American universities which also suggests drinkers who smoke will see the problem persist. The study used data from more than 27,000 adults who had enrolled in a survey on alcohol and related conditions. It looked at those who had first smoked weed at a time when they had no history of alcoholism. Researchers discovered that adults who used cannabis over three years were five times more likely to develop an alcohol problem compared with those who didn’t. The study was carried out by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the City University of New York.

CONTINUED @ Metro.co.uk  

From Player to Writer VIDEO
Jay Williams Talks New Book, Owning Mistakes, Overcoming Addiction VIDEO 

The subject matter of Jay Williams’ new book “Life Is Not An Accident: A Memoir of Reinvention” is obvious; Williams’ rise from deep depression, addiction and two failed suicide attempts after a 2003 motorcycle crash effectively ended his promising NBA career. The prompting of said book is a bit peculiar: On a couch. In the middle of the woods. In Utah. “I was at a conference where you hear all of these different speeches about life and how to balance business and family and all this stuff,” said Williams, a former National Player of the Year who led Duke…

CONTINUED @ USATodayHSS.com 

On Street Corners Everywhere
Fatal Overdoses Rise from Xanax, Valium – CBS News     

While deaths from overdoses of heroin and narcotic painkillers like Oxycontin have surged in recent years, a new report finds the same thing is happening with widely used sedatives such as Xanax, Valium and Ativan. In 2013, overdoses from these drugs, called benzodiazepines, accounted for 31 percent of the nearly 23,000 deaths from prescription drug overdoses in the United States…

CONTINUED @ CBSNews.com 

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DO NO HARM? yeah, right
Doctors’ Prescriptions Fuel N.C. Overdose Epidemic     

Those drugs are fueling a nationwide epidemic of overdose deaths that has been worsened by doctors who overprescribe addictive painkillers. For years, North Carolina public health and law enforcement officials tried to curb drug overdose deaths by stopping people from obtaining prescription painkillers through illegal means. But now concern is shifting to doctors’ offices, where OxyContin, Vicodin and other high-strength opioids are widely prescribed for chronic pain, even as limited evidence exists about their long-term benefits and risks.

CONTINUED @ CharlotteObserver.com 

One Vote Over The Line
Marijuana Vouchers Handed Out at ‘Weed4Votes’ Awareness Campaign VIDEO 

Vouchers for a free gram of marijuana were given away in San Jose Friday to raise awareness for petitions to legalize the substance statewide in November. The vouchers were distributed at a table across from City Hall and are only for adults. They can’t be redeemed for recreational use unless the state legalizes marijuana this year, Weed4Votes founder Dave Hodges said.

CONTINUED @ SanFrancisco.CBSLocal.com 

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Helping to Make A Difference
Man to Ride 222 Miles in Honor of Brother Who Died From Heroin Overdose     

“It wasn’t exactly a conventional birthday,” said Herman during an interview. But this year, he plans on having another unconventional one with a planned 222-mile long bike ride from Southampton to Provincetown, dedicated to Benoit’s memory. And, he’s collecting pledges through an account on the crowdfunding website GoFundMe.com, which he plans to donate to the regional Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin, which works to combat the ongoing opioid crisis in western Massachusetts. He set a goal of $2,222, but as of Feb. 19, he’s raised more than $3,800. He said he hopes the money will have an impact on the lives of other struggling with addiction in Franklin County.

CONTINUED @ GazetteNet.com 

Is Canada Whacked?
Alcoholics Anonymous Accused of Discrimination     

Talk about a lack of fellowship – non-believers battling the bottle have been booted from Alcoholics Anonymous in Toronto. Now Larry Knight is taking AA World Services and its GTA Intergroup (GTAI) to Ontario’s human rights tribunal, alleging discrimination on the basis of creed. Because members of his AA group are agnostic, he says they’ve been expelled from the local Toronto AA directory and have been denied the right to vote “on matters that are important to all AA members.”

CONTINUED @ TorontoSun.com 

Overtime
Former Cardinals QB Max Hall Admits Addiction, Talks Recovery     

Nearly six months after former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Max Hall was arrested for shoplifting from a Best Buy and possessing cocaine and drug paraphernalia, Hall called himself a “closet drug addict” in an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune. Hall said as a player he turned to Oxycontin, cocaine and alcohol to help relieve the pain…

CONTINUED @ ESPN.Go.com 

Addiction/Recovery eBulletin

MEDIA – Book: Anatomy of Addiction
Book Promotion from Burl Barer     

It was my great honor to work with Dr. Akikur Mohammad on the first early drafts of the manuscript which, over time and with significant additional research, evolved into a most impressive and important book, THE ANATOMY OF ADDICTION, for which Dr. Mohammad deserves full praise and credit. Here for the first time, all the BS and superstitions are stripped away from the subjects of addiction and dependence. When myths are busted, and false premises tossed out,  we find ourselves dealing with what is real – and reality is something you can live with.

CONTINUED @ BurlBarer.net  

Experience, Strength & Hope Awards
Mackenzie Phillips Honored at 7th Annual Experience, Strength & Hope Awards
by John Lavitt  
NEXT REEL… EVENT

2016 REEL Recovery Film Festival Denver

May 20-22, 2016   

Denver Film Society
Sie Film Center    
2510 E. Colfax Ave. 
Denver, CO 80206  Call 818-762-0461 

The Truth Shall Set You Free? Or…
Response From REHAB MOGUL: Demands Retraction from LA Weekly     

Feb 16, 2016 “We have not seen the actual allegations nor any  actual lawsuit- apparently made out to the wrong company names etc– nor have we been served.  We welcome this legal opportunity to show the motivation and lack of fact in the allegations– usually whispered- that maybe stated here now and be examined for once and for all. I do know this new lawsuit is filed by the same attorney that worked on the case against myself five years ago, and the client he was representing–after agreeing to a “no fault agreement” –tragically died of an overdose.

CONTINUED @ Community-Recovery-theblog.com 

Getting Lucky in Vegas
DJ Justin Hoffman Opens House In  Las Vegas to Help Addicts the Holistic Way

Following his epiphany, circumstances turned Hoffman from a recovered addict to a philanthropist, and opened Holistic House in July to help other addicts and spread the message of holistic medicine. Like his uncle, Abbie Hoffman (left) who stirred the world as a political and social activist, Justin aims to make a positive contribution to society.

CONTINUED @ BenZinga.com 

…And Throw Away The Ki
Large Amounts of Heroin and Meth Found at Everett Clean and Sober House     

This afternoon a judge found there was probable cause to hold Timothy A. Rehberg on $250 thousand dollars bail for Violating the Uniform Controlled Substances Act and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  While the non-profit was operating without current licensing it continued to advertise its services and ask for donations online. It’s stated mission…To help anyone quit drugs/alcohol and provide a safe, clean and sober home for them. We provide low income housing to anyone with no income or credit check. We offer hope to people who have nowhere else to go and no funds to get there.

CONTINUED @ MyEverettNews.com 

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There’s Always Something New & Dreadful
Dabs Are The New Drug Addiction Worry In Placer County VIDEO     

…officials say dabs provide an easy form of drug abuse that’s easy to hide from parents. They’re created by stuffing marijuana trimmings into a metal or plastic pipe, then forcing butane into the pipe. The flammable liquid then extracts a highly concentrated form of tetrahydrocannabinol into the lungs.

CONTINUED @ SacramentoCBSLocal.com 

Tech to the Rescue VIDEO
New Addiction Recovery App Offers Help To Addicts And Families VIDEO     

We know heroin addiction numbers are up in Kentucky. For people addicted to heroin and other drugs, the search for help can be very difficult. But, there’s a new app that helps people figure out where to look. “Addiction was a nightmare. Sometimes I describe it like the Bill Murray movie. It was like Ground Hog day in hell; my worst day lived over and over again,” says Alex Elswick, a recovering addict.

CONTINUED @ WTQV.com 

The Usual Suspects
The Few Bad Doctors May Need to Be Prosecuted for Drug Overdose Deaths    

Sadly, prosecuting the small number of doctors and other practitioners who knowingly overprescribe powerful controlled substances, on a range of charges, is exactly what should be happening. While opioids have legitimate uses for some patients, we have an epidemic of prescription drug overdoses in the United States. Opioids and heroin were involved in 28,647 overdose deaths in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

CONTINUED @ NewYorkTimes.com 

Sweet Jesus!!!
How Much Sugar Is In Your Starbucks Drink?     

A campaign from a British nutrition advocacy group is bringing attention to the “shocking” amount of sugar in many of Starbucks’ beverages. The findings show many of Starbucks’ drinks have more sugar than a can of Coca-Cola. For example:
– Venti (extra large) white chocolate mocha with whipped cream – 73.8 grams of sugar (about 18 teaspoons)
– Venti chai tea latte – 52 grams of sugar (about 13 teaspoons)
– Venti caramel macchiatto – 42.1 grams of sugar (about 11 teaspoons)

CONTINUED @ CBSNews.com 

A Blunt or a Burial?
Painkiller Deaths Drop by 25% in States with Legalized Medical Marijuana    

A study put out by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2014 made an interesting discovery.  In every state that had legalized medical marijuana between 1999 and 2010 (13 states in all), there was a 25% reduction in deaths related to the overdose of legally prescribed opioids….”The difference is quite striking,” said study co-author Colleen Barry, a health policy researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.  She notes that the trend became visible in every state a year after the pot was legalized.

CONTINUED @ Minds.com 

Were You A Drunken Angel? Or Devil?
Biography Book Review: Drunken Angel by Alan Kaufman AUDIO     

Visit www.BiographyBookMix.com for more biography book audio reviews! This is an audio summary of Drunken Angel by Alan Kaufman.

CONTINUED @ DailyMotion.com 

What is so Wrong with This Country?
Fatal Heroin Overdoses Surge on LI, Spur Joint Task Force     

Long Island’s opiate epidemic is showing no signs of easing, with Nassau reporting a record number of fatal heroin overdoses in 2015 and Suffolk tallying more than 100 deaths for the third straight year. The grim statistics spurred both county police departments Wednesday to announce the formation of a joint “overdose task force” – charged with investigating every heroin overdose on the Island.

CONTINUED @ NewsDay.com 

Timeline Junkie
People Hooked on Facebook Share Similarities with Cocaine Addicts     

If you’re a person who continuously scrolls on your Facebook timeline, your brain reacts in a similar way to people who use cocaine, a new study reports … in “Psychological Reports: Disability and Trauma,” undergraduate students at California State University completed a questionnaire to assess how addicted they are to Facebook. The questionnaire examined addiction-like symptoms such as anxiety, withdrawal and conflict.

CONTINUED @ AJC.com 

NOT The Game of LIFE VIDEO
Special Report: Games of Addiction VIDEO 

Mikey Borgaila, 14, sits on the corner of the family living room couch, tapping away. “I am playing with other people online. This is Call of Duty Black Ops Zombine,” he says. On the other end of the couch, mom, Carla, sits playing with Facebook on her iPad and reading. She says her son plays video games three to four hours a night. She considers it research. Mikey wants to make video games when he grows up … But when does gaming become too much? And is it just gaming?

CONTINUED @ KMTV.com 

Team Player
Yankees Pitcher CC Sabathia: Socializing is Key in Combating Alcoholism     

“It’s different strokes for different folks I guess,” Sabathia said. “Some people cut that out entirely. I was always – that’s why I think it was so shocking to some of the people that I was always able to do what I wanted, go to concerts or do different things and not pick up a drink. Once I got by myself away, that’s when I would drink…”

CONTINUED @ WashingtonPost.com 

 Solutions
Doctors Look for Alternatives to   PPP… Popping Pills for Pain 

In the midst of the epidemic, doctors said they’re working to reduce the chance their patients will get addicted to opiates. Most prominent among the efforts is a push for alternative ways to manage pain, like acupuncture and physical therapy. Mark Trimble, 59, of Kent, said he prefers acupuncture and other alternative therapies over opiates to treat his severe chronic back pain. “I’ve gone through just about everything,” said Trimble…

CONTINUED @ Ohio.com 

And The Bourbon Wasn’t Even on Sale
Deer Enters Liquor Store, Goes Straight for the Bourbon     

A doe wandered into a liquor store in Clifton Forge, Virginia, and headed right for the bourbon aisle, according to the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The agency shared pictures of the deer in the store on Facebook and Twitter Wednesday.

CONTINUED @ AJC.com 

Media: TV Worth Watching
‘Mom’ Takes Another Sobering Turn in Exploring Addiction     

The gambit, notably, hasn’t completely paid off, either in terms of ratings – with “Mom” now being tasked with anchoring the 9 p.m. hour, paired with the return of “2 Broke Girls” – or in prestige and awards, despite a fair amount of critical praise. Nevertheless, Thursday’s episode (and SPOILER ALERT if you haven’t watched) offered a strong testimonial to the Chuck Lorre-produced comedy’s willingness to plunge from broad comedy directly into tragedy, swinging from a bawdy bachelorette party to the grief associated with a fatal drug overdose.

CONTINUED @ Variety.com 

Celebrating The Memoir
Tony Denison at “Recovery Oscars” 

The award show, which takes place every year at the Skirball and always honors one person who exemplifies the spirit of recovery, is somewhere between the Oscars of the recovery world and a marathon meeting. This means that while it wouldn’t be surprising if Robert Downey, Jr. showed up (which he did, two years ago), it’s equally unsurprising when the presenters start talking about some old-timer AA guy who was a regular at meetings in the Valley (which they did, this year).
   Tony Denison(above) Things improved ever so slightly here-sponsors were introduced, jokes were made-but then Duran Duran’s John Taylor (on left below w/Mack) took the stage and all was smooth sailing.

MORE @ AFTER PARTY MAGAZINE by Anna David  

Go Make a Movie
REEL Recovery Film Festival

is a social, educational, networking and recovery forum showcasing first-time filmmakers and experienced professionals who make films about addiction and recovery. Our audience is treatment professionals, people in recovery, members of the entertainment industry, media representatives, educated moviegoers and the general public.

Our Cities include: New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Ft. Lauderdale, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Vancouver.
If you would like to bring the REEL Recovery Film Festival to your area, please call 818-762-0461.

 

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Addiction/Recovery eBulletin Publisher & Editor:  
Leonard Buschel  

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February 23 Addiction Recovery eBulletin