Maine drug deaths remained high in early 2018, with fentanyl taking a bigger tollChina White Death – June 1, 2018 - From January through March, 86 people died of overdoses, down from 89 such deaths during the same time period in 2017, according to the Maine Attorney General and Medical Examiner’s of... Read More...June 5 2018
Treatment Center Owner Accused of FraudGood Insurance – May 30, 2018 - The owner of a Temecula substance abuse treatment facility, who allegedly submitted dozens of false claims to a health insurance company and collected more than $250,000 before the scheme... Read More...June 5 2018
College combats addiction and alcoholism with recovery dormsSchool for Soberites – May 28, 2018 - Step Up” at Augsburg University in Minneapolis allows students to experience collegiate life substance-free, and with access to counselors and peers fighting the same battle. Ful... Read More...June 5 2018
Macklemore, Peter Buck, Julien Baker Contribute Addiction Stories For Music Heals DayHitting the Right Notes – May 28, 2018 - Macklemore, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament and Julien Baker were among the musicians who contributed to influential Seattle public radio station KEXP’s recent “Music... Read More...June 5 2018
Court-Mandated Substance Abuse Treatment: Exploring the Ethics and EfficacyAttraction Not Coercion – May 29, 2018 - Mandatory treatment is defined as “treatment ordered, motivated, or supervised under the criminal justice system.” Going beyond the more common drug court approaches that offer a... Read More...June 5 2018
Opioids Now Responsible for 1 in 5 Deaths Among Young AdultsSuicidal Tendencies? – June 2, 2018 - In 2016, one in 65 deaths in the United States involved opioids — and among younger adults, that number skyrocketed to one in five, according to a new study. Data has shown for year... Read More...June 5 2018
Beyond the Stigma: Finding support and solace after an overdoseIt’s a Family Affair – May 29, 2018 - Losing a loved one can be difficult enough. But when that person dies from a drug overdose, the shame and isolation that accompany the loss can be devastating. Concord Regional Visi... Read More...June 5 2018
Parents Treating Kids With Cannabinoid Oil Could Lose ThemChildren’s Lives DON’T Matter – May 25, 2018 - In April, a committee at the Food and Drug Administration took the unprecedented step to recommend for approval Epidiolex, an epilepsy drug containing a plant-sourced canna... Read More...June 5 2018
Opponents of new sober-living home warn of ‘Rehab Riviera’Going Public – June 3, 2018 - The proliferation of addiction recovery centers in Southern California coastal communities has given rise to the catchy nickname “Rehab Riviera.” Largely unregulated and often incredibly ex... Read More...June 5 2018
‘He turns into a monster’: Parents forced to fund son’s synthetic drug addictionWOW – March 6, 2018 - As they wait, Chris’ parents are funding his habit because they’ve been told his addiction is so bad, he needs to stay on the drugs until he goes in. “I’d say I smoke about $120 worth a day,” says ... Read More...June 5 2018
A Spiritual Battle for My Alcoholic WifeSurrender to Win – June 3, 2018 - Her body lay crumpled on the sofa, legs bent, head twisted above a rising urine stench brought about by another vodka binge. Once proud, she now resigns to the grips of her vice, one so... Read More...June 5 2018
“Accidental” Deaths, Suicide, Homicide Rise Among Teens in USAdding Intent to Injury – June 1, 2018 – There has been a significant rise in accidental deaths, homicides and suicides among young people across the United States, and experts are calling it a wake-up call. “We were su... Read More...June 5 2018
Purdue Knew of Oxy Abuse 22 Years Ago, Then Covered it UpPharma Slaughters 200,000 - Govt. protects the guilty – June 1, 2018 – An explosive New York Times report has revealed that manufacturers of the drug OxyContin knew it was highly addictive as early as 1996, the first ye... Read More...June 5 2018
The Story and Significance of the Police, Treatment and Community Collaborative LogoPTAC is Making a Difference – June 2018 - The mission of the Police, Treatment and Community (PTAC) Collaborative is to strategically widen community behavioral health and social service options available through law en... Read More...June 5 2018
Anthony Hopkins: ‘I’m happy I’m an alcoholic. It’s a great gift’Dr. Hannibal Lecter meets Dr. John Dolittle – May 28, 2018 - For anyone who looks toward their later years with trepidation, Sir Anthony Hopkins (“Tony, please”) is a proper tonic. He is 79, and happier than he has ever... Read More...June 5 2018
Apple will offer software to cure digital addictionDo You Really Want That? – June 2, 2018 - An Apple a day might not keep the doctor away. Tim Cook, the computer giant’s top exec, said Apple this week will start offering new software for hardcore users of iPhones and t... Read More...June 5 2018
iPhone update will shame you for always being on your phoneJust What I Need, More Shaming – June 4, 2018 - Reckon you’re spending too much time on your iPhone? Apple will start letting you know very soon. The tech giant is expected to introduce a new Digital Health feature to t... Read More...June 5 2018
If Addiction Is a Disease, Why Is Relapsing a Crime?A Very Confused Nation – May 29, 2018 - When Julie Eldred tested positive for fentanyl in 2016, 11 days into her probation for a larceny charge, she was sent to jail. Such outcomes are typical in the American criminal j... Read More...June 5 2018
Apple will let you FaceTime dozens of people at onceMake More Friends with Faces – June 4, 2018 - Apple will now let its customers FaceTime with 31 of their closest friends. The iPhone maker announced Monday at its annual developers conference that it would be expanding... Read More...June 5 2018
Fighting the Stigma of Mental Illness with Joe PantolianoShining a Light – May 29, 2018 - Actor Joe Pantoliano, aka “Joey Pants” to friends and colleagues, vividly remembers the first time he experienced stigma around mental illness. After being diagnosed with clinical depres... Read More...June 5 2018
Synthetic Weed Is Back, Bigger Than Ever, and Scary as HellLEGALIZE IT – June 1, 2018 - The young woman had pale skin and fire-red hair, and by all appearances was only minutes away from dying from opioid overdose. The grim scene unfolded in February, in the Kensington section ... Read More...June 5 2018
Why Ritalin Does Not Cause Gun ViolencePills Don’t Kill People, Guns... – MAY 23, 2018 - In an attempt to support North’s claim, NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam sent PolitiFact a series of studies related to over-prescribing of ADHD medication. However, onl... Read More...June 5 2018
Congress demands documents related to rehab industry’s ‘patient brokering’ of addictsIt’s about time,” said Michael Cartwright, CEO of AAC – May 30, 2018 - Those companies are American Addiction Centers, one of the nation’s largest treatment chains; Addiction No More in Texas; Addiction Recovery Now in ... Read More...June 5 2018
How America’s go-to holiday spot became a shoreline of addictionCoke on the Cape – May 28, 2018 - Cape Cod, Massachusetts is a difficult place to stay sober. In this “summer” community, the population hovers around 750,000 from late May to early September, and can spike to 1 million... Read More...June 5 2018
She Bribed Docs To Prescribe INSYS’s Subsys PainkillerPlain old Baksheesh – May 30, 2018 - A Middletown woman who worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative testified in court Wednesday that as a New Jersey sales representative for Insys, an Arizona-based pharmaceutic... Read More...June 5 2018
Rehab Racket? ‘Patient Brokers’ Cashing in On AddictsAnd the Beat Goes On – May 29, 2018 - A potential crackdown is looming on the world of “patient brokering,” where head-hunters find people fighting addiction, and essentially sell them to the highest bidder. Officials s... Read More...June 5 2018
Celebrities Selling Marijuana BIG TIMELives! Up in Smoke – May 27, 2018 - Recreational marijuana is still against the law in 41 states. But a number of celebrities with their own brands to sell are seeing green all the same. Our Cover Story is reported by B... Read More...June 5 2018
Maui Drug Court celebrates 18 years and 600-plus lives savedFreedom of Choice – May 29, 2018 - When the Maui/Molokai Drug Court was in its infancy, the program participants organized a holiday party for their families. As I walked in and saw over 200 children, I was overwhelmed.... Read More...June 5 2018